Overview: Dazzle is a very pretty, very sweet
mare whose family
got into financial trouble. Not wanting to risk what could happen to
Dazzle if sold at auction or otherwise, they donated her to CWER. She
arrived fit and healthy, with current vaccinations, and is doing
fantastic
in riding training. She's such fun to ride that our volunteers
regularly argue over whose turn it is to ride her!!
REPORT
CARD:
Overall
Health: A+
Dazzle has
always been fit and healthy, and has
no health concerns. She will still widen out as she matures, so is a
bit 'gangly', but
otherwise is fit and healthy.
Ground
Manners: A-
Dazzle leads
with ease, ties well, and handles
her front feet well. She enjoys attention and grooming.
We have never tried to bathe or clip her.
Riding
Skills: B+
Dazzle has
had extensive saddle time now, with
regular rides each week for the entire summer and fall. Her progress
has been
excellent as listed below:
stands
reasonably for saddling and
mounting;
walks off
on a relaxed rein or with consistent
contact
smoothly
figure 8s at the walk and trot (our
indoor dooes not allow enough space to figure-8 at the canter);
pivots on
the forehand under saddle;
is
learning to leg yield and bend to inside leg;
confident
trot, both directions, 10m circles
and larger, on rail and off;
very nice
balance at walk, trot or canter
halts on
riders weight and voice at all 3 gaits, even with no
rein contact (See
the video!)
stands
calmly on a relaxed rein
Playful!
Enjoy the
video of her playing soccer with
a rider -- within her first week
of riding!
backs
easily, straight, the length of the arena.
Has ridden
in an indoor arena and outdoor, and
works well in both arenas.
Has
trailered to a state park and had
excellent rides through challenging natural terrain!
Has given
multiple riding lessons to an early
intermediate rider, and while she occasionally will argue she is never
mean nor takes advantage of her student.
Ideal Career
Dazzle would
be a great match for a teenage
rider, a college student, or an
older rider coming back to horses, so long as her rider
has intermediate skills. She has shown us she would do well at
trail,
english
showing, and arena work. She's a bright girl who enjoys mental
challenges and may do well at working games as well. She seemed to
truly enjoy the new sights and sounds of her first significant trail
rides.
Medical
Care: B
Wormer: A
Shots: A
Farrier: C. she's doing well with her front feet but still nervous and
unbalanced iwth her hind feet.
Dental: We've not yet had dental work done.
Stall
manners: B
Dazzle
hurries slightly at meal times to get to a
stall if not led. If led by a handler, she walks easily to the
barn. She leads simply with just a halter, or even only a lead around
her neck, even for novice volunteers.
She eats nicely but is ready to go back out when meals are done. She
calls to her friends when they go out before her, but waits patiently
for her door to be opened and to be asked to walk out of her stall.
Dazzle would easily transition to a normal stall/turnout boarding
situation, and waits calmly in the barn for her turn to work after
meals on days she is going to be exercising.
Trailering:
A+
Dazzle
loaded easily and trailered very nicely
when brought to CWER. She has done excellent on subsequent trips
including loading/unloading at unfamiliar locations, essentially
loading herself.
Adoption
terms:
Dazzle is ADOPTED!!! Gone home 1/15/2010
For more information on our adoption terms, policies, contract, and how
the transfer of ownership works, please visit our adoption-QnA
page.
HISTORY:
4/26/09
On
Arrival: Dazzle came in slightly
underweight but well cared for and still growing. She had good basic
manners and does not show any behavior that would indicate she has ever
been mishandled or abused. She is sweet and willing, mildly timid but
doing wonderfully.
6/21/09:
Dazzle has been
with us for 2 months. She has had her spring vaccinations and we will
draw a new coggins soon, as her current coggins is expiring. She is
gaining weight slowly and safely, and will likely be at an ideal weight
by the end of July.
Dazzle has made fast friends with 2 of CWER's volunteers, and esp with
Jessica. Jessica and Becky are coming out regularly to exercise Dazzle
and continue to
work on her manners and her pre-riding training. Dazzle is good for her
feet and flyspray, lets a saddle pad rub all over, and stands for
either helper to jump beside her as if going to hop on bareback! She is
making
fabulous progress and we anticipate a worry free first ride likely late
in July.
She is a sweet little mare. She
is quick to come to the gate for meals, waits patiently outside the
barn to be put in a stall to eat, and enjoys grooming and attention.
She is still cautious about her hind legs, but has made significant
improvement.
7/12/2009:
Brief update
on Dazzle -- she's RIDING! Dazzle
has really done fantastic for these 2 young ladies. Dazzle trusts
Jessica implicitly -- far more than any of the rest of us. With that
trust, she has really settled into her training, and made fast
progress. When it came time for a first ride, Jessica was at Dazzle's
head keeping her confident and calm, while Becky was in the saddle.
As anticipated, her ride was completely without incident. Dazzle was
relaxed and confident as soon as she understood what they wanted, and
was eager to please. No "cowboy ride" here! She stopped, turned, even
backed a few strides that first ride. She had learned to stand calmly
at the mounting blocks, and have a rider's weight in her saddle while
she rested there over several days before the first steps with a rider
in the saddle.
We're so very pleased with the progress this young lady is making.
We also just got to email with her former mom a bit more, and clarified
Dazzle's age and birthdate. Sadly, no one seems to know anything about
the mare's bloodlines, but none of that matters ot Dazzle. This
adorable 2 year old is very rapidly turning into a VERY nice little
horse!
We hope to get video shot and available to post soon....
August 5,
2009
Dazzle is
doing fabulously under saddle! We are
intentionally exposing her to three very different riders, and it seems
ot be working very well for Dazzle. Dazzle LOVES to play with an
exercise ball, and iwll actually play soccer with the ball for 5, 10
even 15 minutes WITH A RIDER! She will even push the ball with her
nose, work it out of corners, and bounce it between her fore and hind
legs! Enjoy the
video of her playing soccer with
a rider -- within her first week
of riding!
Dazzle will likely become a very nice early intermediate rider's horse
very quickly, and her adoption fee will include an additional 30 days
to settle her training work nicely. She is already riding walk/trot
well balanced, and has done several short controlled canters at her
young riders' requests. We're so excited for this little girl!
October 2009
Dazzle
continues to make great progress! She has
been riding regularly, several times each week, all summer and fall.
Recently she did a trailride at MiddleFork State Park, trailering like
an old pro, standing nicely to be tacked and mounted, and seeming to
truly enjoy the interesting sights and sounds on this very different
terrain from her rides here at home. We had planned to simply walk and
perhaps a few short jogs, but Dazzle was so comfortable (as was
pepper!) that we rode through the rougher terrain and had several long
trots and a few canters as well.
Dazzle has been regularly giving riding lessons to one of our
volunteers, and frequently also used for leadline rides for novice
volunteers. Dazzle is patient and well mannered in these situations and
has never been mean or taken advantage of her riders. While we don't
think a career as a lesson horse would be a good fit for Dazzle's
wonderfully playful personality, she easily handles the task
periodically here at CWER.
November 2009
We hope you
enjoy the latest
video of Dazzle at work! This
clip includes several stops by rider voice and weight only, with no
rein contact whatsover.
1/15/10: Dazzle has gone home and is VERY happy
with Jessica! We're so happy for them both!
Sponsorship: Dazzle
needs a medical sponsorship! Her former family have generously donated
to help with feed and basic expenses for her. She has had spring shots
and worming and will need a new coggins test completed in June 2009.
Bloodlines:
We do not know Dazzle's
bloodlines. However, she has great
conformation and is a wonderful personality -- far more important than
a piece of paper....
DAZZLE!
