Cob Jockey

 Mr. Encore arrived at the barn yesterday at noon sharp.

He's a big boy - every bit of 15.1hh, and at age 5, he still has that weedy "I'm horse shaped but still growing" look I'm used to seeing from five-year-old Cobs. He's going to fill out a lot, and probably add an inch before he's seven like Connor did.

Not the best scale photo, but he's got a solid hand on Connor, at least.

I spent all of yesterday afternoon just hanging out at the barn enjoying the first cool day in a week and watching him. Learning him. 

He's so sweet and personable. A little anxious and reactive, but he thinks through his anxiety.

And - I'm pretty positive there's ulcers going on, which if his Aunt Aeres is any indication, solving that should REALLY take the edge off.

Oh Connor, worth his weight in actual gold when it comes to turning him out with whatever random training horse happens to need a buddy over the years.

I let he and Connor spend the afternoon next to each other eating hay in the barn before turning them out together for the night. At times I groomed him, or just sat on a stool in his stall reading a book. Observing. Being calm and trustworthy. If I was in his stall, it didn't matter how much hay was in front of him, he wanted to be near me, sniffing me, touching me.

He has diminished vision in his right eye from a pasture accident as a young horse, and he seems to appreciate you chattering when you're working on his right side.

The plan for this week is to let him settle in, get him started on ulcer treatment, get him used to the routine of being worked and fed as I assess what ground stuff he does and doesn't know (and what saddle should fit him - I think based on looking at him we have better odds of Connor's saddles fitting than his girths!) and then hopefully start riding toward the end of this week.

Really can't wait to sit on him after watching him run around today