A Baby Boomer Dreams of Arabian Horses - Rhythm's Story - Part 6

Part One of the Baby Boomer Series

Rhythm's Story starts here

During this time, Rhythm was still being turned out with both of his brothers, Chase and Chance. Unlike a lot of breeders, I like to keep my colts together as long as possible. The interactions with other horses make them happier healthier horses. Heck, Legs went out with geldings for years until finally an older gelding decided to beat him up.

Chase, Rhythm and Chance were like the equine version of the Three Musketeers. They were quite a threesome. They could get into more trouble together out there in the field, just like a group of little boys.

Rhythm, or course, was the leader. Right from the beginning the other two colts knew that he was in charge. All three horses would run and play their mock battles for hours on end. Rearing and striking and lots of hock biting, typical practice for one day taking over a herd. Not that running a herd was going to be in any of their futures, but that's not what their instincts told them.

Nothing ever serious happened even right after Chase and Chance were gelded. All three Arabian horses still continued to played well together. As long as there was a clear difference in power, there was no reason to be concerned. The problems come when one horse thinks it can stand up to another instead of being subservient OR when horses get together and gang up on the low man.

That is what happened to break up those three musketeers of mine. One day Rhythm and Chase took off after poor Chance. I heard the commotion and had to go and retrieve him from the field. They didn't hurt him, just scared the poor guy half to death. He was shaking and sweating profusely. That was the last day all three Arabian horses went out in the same field.

Chase always seemed to be a bit insecure so I figured that he and Rhythm would continue to do well together. But the little monster did get up the courage to go after Rhythm. It was probably another eight months after the incident with Chance before Chase decided the time was right. I heard this blood curdling scream and looked out just in time to see Chase flying at Rhythm with ears flattened to his head and teeth bared.

The red colt was shocked! At first Rhythm just stood there like he just couldn't believe it. Then he had to high tail it and run! He had used up the time needed to take up a counter stance staring in disbelief. To this day, I still can't believe that Chase went after Rhythm that day, but he did and that was the end of that. No more turnouts together for Rhythm and Chase, although I was able to but Chase back in with Chance. Sometimes herd behaviors are just, well......unexplainable.


That was the last time that Rhythm was turned out in the same field with another horse. Rhythm was just to valuable as a stallion to be taking any chances that he might get hurt. I always hate when that day comes because horses are such social creatures. Separating them just doesn't seem fair.

But at least having started off putting them together, I have horses that can be turned out side by side. They still get to do their face boxing over the top of the fence and nobody can get really hurt so they don't lose all social interaction. It makes them much happier stallions.

I continued to work on getting Rhythm ready to show. He really was a fun horse to ride. Sometimes he would shake his head at me expressing his displeasure at me being on his back. Occasionally he would swap his leads behind at the lope. But on the whole, he was a good boy.

It wasn't long at all and the horse was doing the most beautiful and slow true jog you can ever imagine. Almost so slow, you'd think he was jogging in place. But it was a true two beat jog, no walking in front or behind like those horses that are slowed down mechanically or don't have the talent to jog that slow in the first place.

The same was true of his lope. As he learned to round up on cue, he just got slower and slower and softer and softer. I don't think you'll ever see a more beautiful three beat lope. The horse was so fluid and smooth and he had gotten there so quickly, I just couldn't believe my luck. The horse was really turning out to be everything I had imagined. I could hardly wait for show season.

To be continued...............

Rhythm's Story - Part 7

This picture is Rhythm bitted up in the round pen. He is in the midst of a lope departure. You can see how deeply underneath himself this horse gets.


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