So, I get to Goldsboro Equestrian at 11 and nobody is there...hmm. Kind of a bad first impression I'm thinking. So I take a moment to look around. Okay, I was creeping. When I left it was a craphole, so I wanted to see what had changed. Well, the barn was a mess...stalls not finished, feed buckets all over. It was just...messy.
Several pluses though were that they:
-Removed the grass from the big jumping arena and had some great sand-mix footing.
-Fixed the footing in the indoor, nice sand-mix, soft and even.
-Fixed the FENCES, now they are nice wood fences, not half-rigged up electric wire.
-Sold the horses that were unsuitable as school horses.
I do think they have too many horses though. There were a lot of new school horses. Actually, almost all the horses were 'new' to me. There were several little rigged up paddocks of electric tape, but I believe those are her own horses. It's a little messy, but the important thing is it seems safe. All the horses look to be fat and happy. Many of them a little too fat...I won't tell anyone what to do but most of those horses don't even need grain in the summer, and only lightly in the winter probably.
Gulliver looked great. They put some weight on him and although he is not sound, he looks happy. I hope he finds a good home. He'd be an excellent show horse if someone just got him those hock injections...it's just not feasible for me to take him, even though he's free to good home.
Turned out the trainer was trying to get a doctor's appointment. She is 8 months pregnant and was feeling badly today, which was why the barn was messy - she had not had any help to do it. So I did a few stalls while she saw her doctor. She really looked miserable, poor woman.
Creepiest man EVER came up asking about lessons, but that's a different story...man, he was scary. I got a very bad vibe from him. I did not trust him one bit.
When the trainer, Casey, returned, we decided I would ride Duke. He's a massive chestnut TB gelding. 16.3hhs, honestly I think he could be a little more perhaps. And also broad. He looks like a big QH or a Warmblood. Total sweetheart though, but that is a LONG way up compared to Jack. And he gave my legs a workout. I took half the lesson just to get a consistent trot from him...
Can I just say that hunters are SO different from dressage it's not even funny? I realized that it is different, quite different, but I didn't realize it was that different. And Duke's a seasoned hunter, and my dressage seat was not cutting it. He was like "What are you doing lady?"
after some adjustments...things were looking up. I felt like a sack of potatoes though. My leg would not even wrap around him he was so big. I liked him, but I think I might try something a little smaller next week if she can find something. Even she said he might be a little big for me. I think so too...15 or so hands would really suit me the best I think.
All in all, I think I like the place. Because I did stalls for her, and she was so surprised and grateful, she didn't charge me for the lesson. Also mentioned maybe hiring me a couple of days a week to do them in exchange for lessons so I can put the money towards buying a horse, because she said she doesn't think she's going to be able to do it any more with her pregnancy. I don't see how she's done it so long anyway! The poor woman is huge. I know she'll be glad when the baby comes.
I will edit in pictures of Duke and I later. It's really comical, how measly I look on him. I though you all would think it was hilarious that of all horses, after being on a pony for a year, I'd be put on the biggest horse they have.
Edited in - PICS! I look like a 10 year old...we went in two arenas. The indoor got too dusty, haha!
Sounds like the lessons might work out, although I do think you need that smaller horse. Glad Duke was a sweetheart, though. I do love big horses myself. *S*
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