Summary:
Sherlock is a big, sweet, gentle gelding whose an
athlete at mind and at heart. He raced for a few years
(winning a whopping $48!), and then was a show jumper for a
long time. A bad placement made his life a mess for a
while (costing him nearly 200 lbs and a nasty scar on his
withers), but his former owner got him back and donated
him to CWER. Sherlock struggled for some time
before coming fit again, but has been riding
exceptionally and showing his incredible athleticism and
even more amazing work ethic.
His former mom
states that the vets have recommended no significant
jumping. When healthy, he is a VERY capable fellow,
who loves to show, excels at lower levels dressage and
hunter under saddle, and is a
real joy to ride.
March 2006 update,
from the
CWER email mailing list:
For
those who haven't met him yet -- I know I know he's
not on the website yet -- Sherlock is a fabulous ex
racer with some brilliant bloodlines -- including Man
O War -- closely related to our miss Factor. He was
then a show jumper, a really strong athlete for a long
time. And then life got in the way. His mom got
married and went off to college, and sold Sherlock to
what seemed like a great home. It didn't work out. She lent Sherlock
to a nice family who could not afford to purchase him
but were sure they could afford to keep him. Luckily,
she didn't actually give over ownership, as that
family could not afford to keep Sherlock either, and
he came back to her a few months later, all his muscle
lost, much of his weight gone, and his withers
scarred from a mis-fitting saddle.
Concerned
for what might happen to Sherlock next, his loving mom
donated him to CWER, and has been volunteering at CWER
at least one day per week since his arrival. She seems
pleased with the way we've worked with the big guy
until now, gradually and safely putting weight on him,
pasturing him with Factor who exercises him regularly
but doesn't run him to the point of hurting himself.
We round pen work him nearly daily, gradually
increasing the work load to help him get back in
shape. Mike massages Sherlock's back several times a
week, and we refused to put any weight on the big
fellow until Dr King declared his back ready for it.
This
Sunday Dr. King did a chiro adjust on Sherlock, and
pronounced him ready to try to ride. "We won't
know how much weight he can handle until you try. He
may not be as ready as he seems, or he may be more fit
than we can really tell until you try to work him.
Just let him set the terms," Dr King advised.
The
day after chiro is always a day of rest, so Monday was
a day off for Sherlock. Tuesday morning he had a
regular round pen session, and seemed to move very
nicely.
Tuesday
evening, Sherlock did a brief round pen session with a
saddle but no rider, making sure everything moved
fluidly and that he wasn't cold backed at all. Then,
with his former mom looking on and super-instructor
Traci Giese supervising, AnnMarie was eased into the
saddle by a leg up from Mike. And Sherlock's first
ride at CWER began.
For
the next 15-20 minutes, Sherlock was asked to do
gradually more challenging work -- carrying himself in
frame some at a walk, then some easy jogging with
annmarie in a 2-point (jumping position), then,
gradually, to more normal hunter work, with a nice
solid trot, posting easily without having to carry her
weight forward as his back was solid and fine. He was
afraid things would hurt now and then, but he quickly
realized nothing was going to hurt, and he had a
fabulous time!!
Sherlock
was a pure joy to ride. He's eager, forward, and so
willing to please. I cannot wait for another ride on
the big fellow tonight. and, even more so, I cannot
wait for a few weeks away when the big guy comes into
shape and we can put Mike on his back. it'll be mike's
first ride on a big, light horse that is built and
bred for speed....
What
a great evening that was...
AnnMarie
================response
from Sherlock's past
mom:================================
I'm so glad you enjoy
Sherlock so much! AnnMarie, he did beautifully
for you!
(PS to everyone else, I'm
Christina, Sherlock's mom for 10 years).
AnnMarie and Mike have done wonderfully with
Sherlock! He looks a hundred times better than
when I took him from his former "home"
where he lost almost 200 pounds! Not a spook
in him! (sometimes we had spooking issues when he
was in too good shape and was bored)! I knew
he would respond well to both of you--you're so
patient! Thanks for giving him such a good
home!
Christina
================another
list post, March 12,
2006:================================
Sherlock was fantastic this weekend. This
Saturday, we took Sherlock along to a small local
indoor show we like to attend. It's a great little
place, with an indoor for keeping warm
and dry second to the actual indoor show arena.
Sherlock was nervous getting into the trailer and on
the trailer, and even more so getting off and then
tacking up. In fact, tacking up, he even reared
once! However, he wasn't unmanageable, just nervous.
I found him to behave a lot like Factor on her first
trip to this show -- his mind seemed to be in race
mode.
Unlike Factor, however, when we walked into the
indoor arena, he surveyed the area, and I swear, you
could hear him say, "Oh, horse show. Duh. I
know how to do this." and my unruly 17hh
thoroughbred was suddenly a big, quiet kitten. At
home, he never holds still to be mounted. Here, he
stood stock still, looking back at me like "is
it time yet?" In the warm-up, he was a
gentleman with the other horses, obviously familiar
with this 20 horses doing 20 different things in one
place scenario that was so upsetting to miss
Factor.
Time came for our first class. For some reason,
the judge wasn't done pinning the class before us
when we were asked to enter the arena, so 8 or so
horses are standing in lineup in the center of the
ring. I took Sherlock into the arena first, but the
entire half lap we did, he kept insisting we were
supposed to go join the others who were lined up!
"This isn't right!" he seemed to scream.
"I'm supposed to go stand over there and get a
ribbon like they are!" Finally, I circled him
around so he came in behind Sammie Joe. Then he
seemed to decide that well, since his #2 woman is
here on the rail walking like this is old hat, he
should too.
The rest of the ride was terrific. I'd even say
brilliant for the big fellow. He did everything
perfect. Our only weak point was after we did walk,
then trot, then walk again the first direction, he
anticipated the next instruction would be canter,
and kept collecting deeper and deeper, until he
finally had his nose past vertical. Eventually I
managed to relax my seat and everything enough for
him to decide to walk for us. Our reverse? A perfect
90 degrees of a turn on the haunches, a misstep that
was my fault, then another 90 degrees, and a nice
pause, fully collected and ready to roll, and we
walked out, proud as
punch.
We lined up beautifully. I was careful to place
him between 2 other horses - -at home we've been
working on side passing, and my instruction to back
sometimes results in a side pass instead. this way
he knew back was the only way to go. and his back
was magnificent! I was so proud!
But, the biggest high of the whole day by far --
the judge comes up after making her decisions and
says, "He's come so far since I saw him last!
I'm really impressed with his muscling and the work
he's doing for you! He almost even looks
BIGGER!" I smiled when I realized what she was
saying, and responded...
"Oh, no, you're thinking of Factor. This is
this big guy's first show with us. In fact he's only
been riding 2 or 3 weeks since coming to us."
She had mistaken this horse that had looked like
a train wreck 3 months ago to be our well toned miss
Factor!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT????
We placed 2nd in that class of 11, I think?
Later we rode the country pleasure class -- 13
horses. I chose to make his 'favorite gait' a slow
trot, but in a 2 point to protect his back. It isn't
yet strong enough for a long sitting trot, and my
seat isn't light enough to pretend I'm sitting when
I'm not. The arena was too full to have this big tb
trotting out at his fullest, so this was my best
compromise. It wasn't a class winning choice, but
imho it was the right choice for Sherlock. I think
we were 5th.
After that, we rode the adult English walk/trot
class. I joked with the judge as we entered that he
can walk on a relaxed rein when he doesn't think
it's time to canter, and we rode on into our class.
Sherlock didn't take a single misstep this class. He
counter bent a few times (didn't like where the
barrel racing barrels were stored), but everything
was right on. his transitions were balanced and
pretty. His down transitions had forward movement
into them, and we stopped with his hind end well
under him. I watched him VERY carefully for his tell
tale signs he was tiring, but the breaks had been
enough for him and he was doing great. no sign of
tiredness at all.
When the class ended, I couldn't resist showing
off his side pass to the lady riding the Tennessee
walker next to me. he was fantastic! the whole day
was great.
We exited the arena, as they called the English
canter class to the ring, with just one entrant. I'm
really glad I didn't know earlier there was only one
horse in that class. Sherlock and I have cantered
together twice, and I would've been tempted to push
it and enter him in that class. I'm glad I didn't
take that chance, and risk overstressing his back.
This big guy is something amazing. What a capable
show horse we have on our hands here! He still has a
lot of muscling to get back, and still more weight
to gain, but he's doing terrific. We're so proud of
him. He's done so well. What a great guy.
=============== December
2006 update: I'm sorry its been so long since
i updated Sherlock's page! Sherlock has had a long,
hard summer culminating in the diagnosis of what's
apparently been his key problem since arriving last
year -- a severe urinary tract infection that had
gone systemic and resulted in abscesses in his feet!
He's been on antibiotics a few times for minor
things, which apparently kept taking the edge off
this bug, but not killing it. Finally, we got it
diagnosed and after 60 days(!) of antibiotics,
Sherlock's urine sample came through CLEAN! Sherlock
is now back to work and doing fabulously. He is 100%
sound, and today did a 30+ minute workout, mostly
walk/trot but even did a light straight line canter.
We are going gradual to get him back into shape,
ensuring he rebuilds his topline muscle now that
he's sound again, making sure he doesn't have
additional back issues as he comes back into tone.
He's doing great, and carries himself in frame
nearly all the time, on his own. He eagerly
stretches down, long and low, from a lax rein, or
comes right up into frame as soon as you 'pick him
up'.
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