Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I should have known better, at least for the sake of my wallet, but once Dr. Tolley was done with Izzy's leg, I asked if he could check Izzy's teeth. Having brought up more than one youngster, including Speedy, I know how important early dental care is for a horse, especially one who is just starting to pack a bit. Izzy's first owner had already had his wolf teeth extracted, so I knew I didn't need to worry about that. Dr. Tolley is well-known for being an excellent dentist, so when his arm was buried in Izzy's mouth and he gave a few dissatisfied harrumphs, I knew I was adding a few dollar signs to my bill. Izzy's teeth were definitely in need of work. Both the tops and bottoms had sharp edges from front to back. While Izzy's teeth needed work, particularly if he is going to start packing a bit around, there was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the whole visit went really well considering that just a few weeks ago I was receiving emails suggesting that he was proving to be an "unmanageable" horse. Dr. Tolley sedated him for the leg procedure, but only lightly. Izzy offered zero resistance to anything that we did. He was given a little more sedation for the dental work, but I have had horses that were still terrified of the procedure even with sedation. This boy took everything in stride. When we finished with the dental float, I carefully escorted him out of the stocks and into the yard. My friend KG took over and spent the better part of an hour hand walking him while I went into the office to discuss our next step and take care of my bill. She said that he was a very polite drunk, and even as the sedation began to wear off, he behaved like a perfect gentleman. Izzy is proving himself to be a thoughtful youngster who trusts people. I simply couldn't ask for more.
1/29/2015 09:28:07 am
Good for Miles! I've had many horses' teeth floated so I knew what was coming, but he handled it like a veteran. I had a gelding a few years ago who was TERRIFIED of the process. I don't know that Izzy's much of a thinker of horrible thoughts - he seems to just trust what his person says. :0) Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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