My first impression was "old nag" (Sorry Boy!!!). He was so skinny and sunken looking that it made him appear swaybacked (which he isn't). His head was hanging down, like he couldn't have cared less if he lived or died. I did not notice the "dishy" face at the time, as I was so distressed by his overall appearance. I had to wonder if this horse could even walk, let alone make it through two hour-long riding lessons in a row. Shaking my head, I walked out the back door of the barn and waited for the lesson to begin.
Well, I got the shock of my life when the "nag" started to trot. He stuck his nose in the air, flagged his tail, and strutted around like he was the king of the world. The transformation was amazing! My jaw must have dropped to my toes, and I was thinking something along the lines of "Is that an Arabian?". I didn't realize I'd said that out loud until the trainer, whom I'd been standing next to, turned to me and said "Yes, he is." I was hooked right then and there. I did ride him that day, and the trainer said that I had an ear to ear grin the entire time. I guess so!!!
When I asked the trainer how he'd gotten into that condition, she told me some of his story (what she knew of it, at any rate). He'd come from somewhere out West, and she'd bought him at an auction <<cringe>> a year or so before "because he was so pretty". Pretty was about all he had going for him at the time. He was skinny and a bit of a wild thing. He bucked, he would drag you when you led him, would run you over to get out of the stall, and the list went on. He did have Western and English training, so she proceeded to work on his manners and he eventually became a lesson horse for the more advanced riders. About the same time that I had started taking lessons, he had been bought by somebody and had left the stable. Shortly thereafter, these people suddenly decided that he didn't fit their needs after all. On top of this, because he'd been starved in the past, he has a bad habit of pinning his ears and looking like he's going to jump on you when you come with food. The thing is, it's all show. He's the biggest wimp on the planet! When he acts like this, all you have to do is yell at him to back off and he does. But apparently those people didn't know that, so they simply STOPPED FEEDING HIM (I suppose I shouldn't blame them for being affraid of him, as he can look pretty scary, but to starve him??? And I would also like to know why the trainer didn't tell them about that...though to give her the benefit of the doubt, she might not have known. Other people usually did the feeding.) and dumped him back at the stable. So now we had a skinny, sunken horse with trust issues and a buck that could have gotten him a championship at the National Finals Rodeo as a bucking horse. This is where I came into his life.
This is the oldest photo that I could find of DoseŽ. He looked so awful then that I didn't keep very many.
Gaining DoseŽ's trust took a long time. He liked me alright, but he wasn't committing himself either. I would have to say that the big turning point happened a couple of weeks before I bought him. He was in a lesson, and somehow he slipped or something (nobody knows exactly how it happened) and did a complete somersault in the ring. Thank goodness neither he nor the rider was hurt! I'm also glad that I wasn't there to see it, because I think I'd have had heart failure. Anyway, he didn't seem hurt, but they didn't want to take any chances so they turned him out in his paddock instead of having him do the rest of the lessons he was supposed to do that day. When I got there, they told me what happened. I went and got him and brought him in, giving him a good going over. I didn't see or feel anything wrong. He wasn't lame or stiff, nor did he have any swellings or hot spots. Still, to be on the safe side, I didn't ride that day. Instead, I gave him a liniment rubdown, and basically spoiled him for a while. He loved that. Apparently, at that point, he decided that he didn't want to be a lesson horse any more. The following week, he proceeded to buck off all of the lesson riders. When I got to the barn that day, I was met at the barn door by a bunch of young girls who wanted to know if I was going to ride that day and telling me that my horse went crazy. I went straight to the trainer to find out what happened, then I went and tacked up Psycho Horse.
Let me tell you, I had a LOT of people watching me ride that day (including the trainer, who had gone into the house to have lunch but was watching from the window). Psycho Horse was a perfect gentleman. In fact, he was so well behaved, I pulled off the saddle and rode him bareback for a while. He's been my boy ever since.
I officially bought DoseŽ on June 1, 2004. He is spoiled rotten, and quite a character. I am constantly amazed at how intelligent he is. On one occasion, he actually handed me his halter and a lead rope to tell me that he wanted to go out. I'm glad I had a witness on that one, because I don't think anyone would have believed it otherwise. He does show affection a lot more now, though it has to be his idea. Sometimes he'll put his head over my shoulder, or he'll whinny or nicker when he sees me. One one occasion, after I had been horribly ill and couldn't get to the stable for two weeks, when I finally did get there to see him, he just stood there with his face pressed against my chest for a long time (who are you and what did you do with DoseŽ?), something he would never do under normal circumstances.
I can't say that DoseŽ is an angel all the time, because he certainly isn't. He has his moods, the same as I do, and he definitely keeps me on my toes. He has given me quite an education in horse psychology, as well as helping me to improve my riding ability and horsemanship skills. He has calmed down quite a bit over the past years, and has done everything I have asked of him (we have done drill team, hunter paces, have shown in speed events, and he's turned out to be a fantastic trail horse). Attitude and all, he is a very special horse and I love him dearly.
Quite a difference!