Shagya

[VMAXEPT Roger Rittenhouse <vmaxept@cococo.net>]

Gerry et-all
Questions about my Shayga have been comming in both public and private.
So here are some comments.
MY guy is now 7-
1/2 Shagya-Arab  all egyptian  which appears to be the normal outcross

sire *OMAN  about the best SHAGYA in the US- 100DAY Competiton Winner-
Sporthorse super star.. this is about as high a sporthorse can get..

dam Rames over Tuhotmos  2 gen out of the RAS and EAO lines
He has great 'paper'

BUT--He has NOT proven himself to me yet.
I bought him because he LOOKED super and has ALOT of presence..

He has had some problems over the past year and a half
He is a wimp-- biggest horse in the barn at 15-3 and the sissy..no guts
even the 12h mule pushes him around.. so much for my 'war horse'
THUS when on the trail he is scared to death of other horses..He did
dressage for 3 years and lived in a 2 ac paddock with one other horse
and a pony..
AND he would NOT give to the bit..

We have had a serious management problems with him.. was NOT very well
trained and the trail was too much for him and he is too strong for me
to handle. We had him on one ride where he had a bad experince with
horses running by,, really created a problem for me.
SO we went to JLyons clinic- a big improvement but still not a good
trail horse.
We are planning on going to some good-ole-boys rides  to get him
-adjusted..

However he is always getting wrecked or one problem after another.
His feet are large and well shaped- but soft. so he got alot of abessses
this year.. and was lame more then sound.
Then he is self distructive.. I watched him run full bore to the creek
and pull up with a pop stop and jamb his ankle and come up g3 lame..
Then after that 2 week time off.. he ran around again and pulled a
hock.. at least did something since it filled.. 2 to3 weeks no work

then the random loss of shoes-- assorted reasons..

then he bangs into the pillars and barn walls in an attempt to keep away
from the herd.. and they dont do anything but pin their ears at him.. a
real wimmp..
he bapped into a pillar and hit his stifle-- the point of the patella..
it was  the size of a grapefruit.. I thought he cracked it..
a trip to the vet -xrays etc.. and it was just a bad smash..nothing
broken.
not real lame g1..

so while he had shoes on we went out a few times.

went ok until Carol left us.. then he wacked out.. so we spend an hr
doing the JL thing.. in this heat-- he finally went along quite.. I
think we were both trashed so it was a draw..
this guy can be a real handfull.. they are all NOT docile and easy to
work with..
and he hates the horse he wanted to be with.. but we pervailed.
he walked home with his head down about 10 lengths behind his'buddy'

so this year I have been on him about 5 times..no real work or progress.

It is going to take quite awhile before he gets to a real ride..
think I will do a 25ld   so if all h breaks loose I can get off a walk
him as long as it takes.. to do it right
I suspect the problem is just this horse and me.. I was told it is
something the younngs have to go through. it. but I dont remember any of
the others this messed up.

So my vote on this 'breed' based on experince to date is wait and see
how this year works out

All joking aside- IF this guy gets his act together he WILL be just
great. he is built well balanced moves well-strong and will work on the
trail. he really does push in to the hills
has a 32 resting pulse and works lower then any horse on the place. so
its alot of wet saddle pads this summer and fall.

Was asked If I knew Potato Richardson.. anyone that has been around
since the 70s knows this guy.. quite a rider - one of the BTDT gang  own
many races I saw his ad for Shagyas.. he must be doing better then I am
with mine.

If things work out -- this weekend we are going to a camp at Big South
Fork..
Wounder what the good-old-boys will think of a rider with  thight shinny
pants and a helmet? Leave the pants home--right-- remember that movie
about the river.

Roger R
OMNI  good old boys ???