Here are the two tests that I had video taped by a professional videographer at the big dressage show. When I went to order them from her at the show she was gushing at how well he is doing - she hadn't seen him for a couple of years and she was just so nice about how good he looked.
So in these videos I am showing SM First Level tests One and Two. I watch these videos and see the things that could be better and wish I was a better rider, but oh well, we do what we can eh? I am proud of my boy though - he does try hard.
Level One, Test One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX14Rb-lvLk
Level One, Test Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhR6hZYero
I also captured a still from the video showing some of his trot - he is a tad lazy, but moving out a bit in this photo :)
I look at him and what he can do so far and what I think he can do in the future and I remind myself that he is one of very very few Curly stallions today who is from multiple generations of all Curly horses, he has a few non-curlies in his great-grandfather generation, he has Ruby Red King (the Morgan) as a great-grandfather on his bottom side, an appaloosa Blossom also on the bottom side for a great-grandmother and one unknown on the top side great-grandfather, which in those days could have been anything :)
He is ridden year round, during off season and breeding season, in fact sometimes I hand breed him before or after I ride, (usually after though as he thinks he needs a nap after.....riding AND breeding lol) I lead him through pens and pastures of mares to put him out on his pasture and he is a good boy.
But what I like most about him is that he challenges me to be a better horse-person, to ride him better and better every year and to be a savvy horse handler - as after all he IS a stallion and has slightly different issues and agendas and with more oomph than mares or geldings. Some days I wish I didn't have to be as "on" for him, but most of the time I welcome it!
Well, hope you don't mind the long post - I have been putting a lot of thought into my boy these days. Some people still tend to shy away from breeding their mares to a tail-less stallion and I always say I do not breed for it, but I have seen very few extremes from him and the few that we have seen seem to be mostly from appy lineages. Anyway, I don't think we get more extremes from him than others get from their full mane and tail stallions.
Enjoy the videos!
