New horse: Cody

So I went up to Carstairs today to check out a horse for potential training, only to come home with him! Well, not literally, but figuratively. His owner had been contemplating either selling him or training him; possibly selling because she wasn't sure his (very severe) fear-based issues could be fixed (though I tried convincing her to give him a shot). Either way though, she wasn't sure she was suited to him, and finally decided after my visit to just give him up rather than put more dollars into training him. Hence how I acquired the new horse! I pick him up Sunday and will move him out to Airdrie, then hopefully that same day we will haul him and Link and Silver up to Drayton Valley. Silver, because he's my cow pony (how could you go up to work cattle without bringing your best cow pony!??), and Link because I want to keep up his weight gain and overall work. Obviously I am bringing the new horse to work on him and because I feel giving him a job such as working cattle will greatly benefit him.

Details on the new horse:
Dakoda ("Cody") is a 6yo palomino paint gelding, approx. 14+hh. He was initially 'rescued' by an individual up north of Edmonton, who bought him only to get him out of an abusive situation. Said rescuer put 20 rides on him prior to selling him, sight unseen, to the individual I got Cody off of. He is very obviously skittish, particularly of strangers. He is keen to learn though and tends to think through situations already, so it will be fairly easy to take and extend that into all facets of his work and living... I hope. He looks like a very talented little horse though, so I am excited to work with him! I would love to keep him, but I am not sure if that will be financially feasible, so I may end up flipping him, provided he makes the progress I believe he will. I am not overly keen on making a dollar off of him really, but just in finding him a good home. So, anyone interested, I am open to offers. He is not registered though is obviously paint with QH lines. He looks real athletic and like he could spin a real dime or cut cattle real fancy. I will have photos up asap!

So, as for the horses in training today (just two - Sunny and Gypsy, as I took the rest of the day off to chill with the family courtesy of mom's birthday):

Sunny
He has come along well these past few days - yesterday he was still quite spooky but was pretty decent under-saddle - we even toured around the farm a little after working on w/t/circles/figure-8's etc in the paddock. Today he was 100 times better over yesterday, even. He was a little easier to catch, his groundwork was great, and he went so well under-saddle (lots of trot) that I took him over to his owners for them to give him a shot. Both took him for a tour - walk, trot, circles, and were happy with what they found! He still needs a lot of work at getting him to supple up, but otherwise he is doing fantastic, and his trot is much more relaxed and willing as of late! Tomorrow morning Sunny and I are headed out on a short trail ride through the fields on the property with one of his owners ;)

Gypsy
She's been doing absolutely fantastic lately - today I did not roundpen her at all! She has been working through the first 5 Parelli games - friendly (ropes, touch), porcupine, driving, yo-yo, circling. She is extremely intelligent and gets some of the games immediately; others she needs a little work on to be less reactive. She has come a long way though and is becoming much less one-sided as well. For example, doing the porcupine, turn on the hind, from her off side (her right), she would explode away, whereas now she is actually thinking it through and trying to do what I ask. It is pretty neat to see her progress so rapidly, and at a much quicker rate now!