Aidol's Story....... The Yearling Year

Part 1

I probably should note these Aikon colts were all full of themselves. It wasn't just a trait reserved to Aidol. While he may have been the leader of the pack, all the colts were just as naughty to get to and from the field each day. These boys had big attitudes in every way.

I remember one time when the youngest colt, Earl, came all the way in from the field backwards because he refused to walk forward. He was still at his mother's side when this happened. He was small enough you'd think you could wrap your arms around him and get him where you wanted him to go but that didn't work on Earl. He was living life on his terms even at that age. I was glad to be the one leading the mare.

Sometime in the fall the band of colts was broken up. Two of the boys were sent down to the facility where their sire now stood because "people were always looking for Aikon colts there." Aidol was not one of the colts to go, nor was the smallest colt, Presley.

It was at Scottsdale that I next saw the other two colts. Now yearlings they were there being shown. I went to their stalls to see how these boys were doing. I got there just in time to see both colts let out for a large group of people to see.

Both colts were standing on their hind legs and pawing the air. Some one up front said, "Oh! Aren't they just the cutest little roosters!" The very thought made my stomach turn. I was sure glad that Aidol had not befallen this fate and even glader that Earl had left the farm when he did. I was glad I didn't have to deal with him anymore.

I heard later both of those colts were sold at Scottsdale that year. AND for a nice chunk of change. Some rich guy from the Midwest bought both of them. I never heard anymore of them after that but that could be because I never did know their registered names. They will always be Eric and Earl to me.......... although Earl was the really incorrigible one........and Earl was a sweetheart underneath all that bluster.

Not long after my Scottsdale adventure, Aidol and Presley were shipped out as well. This time the reasoning was they were going some place where they could grow up and learn to be horses. It sounded good.......too bad that's not what happened.

About six months later the trainer stopped by to check on these colts and didn't like what she saw. Next thing you know both Aidol and Presley were back home. Aidol had an ugly gash on his leg that hadn't been tended to and both horses were scared to death of nearly everyone........everyone but Dave that is.

I don't know what happened to those colts when they were gone. I know they were supposed to be turned out every day in a field with lots of room to play. I heard later, they were locked up in their stalls and never got out but that's not what caused that fear. Something or someone thumped on these boys.

When these colts left, they had life pretty well figured out. They knew how to lead, bathe, clip, get their feet trimmed and even get shots without a fuss. When they came home they were jumping out of their skin at raising a brush. Both horses needed trims but you couldn't touch their feet. When I say you couldn't touch them, I mean it was impossible to touch them unless you wanted your head kicked off.

I can't even tell you how many hours I spent with Aidol standing in the wash rack squirting water on his feet to desensitize him to being touched. As the horse got used to the water, I turned up the pressure. Finally the horse quit quicking at the spray and I was able to begin the work of teaching him to let me touch them.

Presley was just as bad as Aidol. This colt had never been agressive before. Once I knew the water treatment would work on Aidol I began doing it on Presley too. This colt, however, took longer for the water treatment to work. I attribute that to the fact he really hadn't had anyone bond with him before he left like Aidol had.

Dave was miserable the whole time that Aidol was gone. When he found out the colt was back he was right down there to see his friend. When Dave first opened the stall door the poor colt was climbing the back wall trying to get away.........until he heard Dave's voice.

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

Clues



Visit Blog Village and vote daily for this blog Here They are now measuring the rankings by the number of votes out, so if you find my blog on the site, please click that link too to improve my rankings. TY