H. Hala (2000 chestnut mare, 15-3 h, by H. Gyemant out of H. Bajos 2; breeder: Cooksley Ranch)

Hala was just started in May 2004, so she is green.  She has lovely gaits for dressage, and has taken to trail riding like she had been born in the mountains.  shown lightly in 2005, she had the 4th highest average at Training level in the state - two of her six scores were over 70%! $26,000, and the right to two foals back by embryo transfer.

Hala’s history and detailed description:

            Hala was bred, and spent the first three and a half years of her life, on Cooksley Ranch, running on their 600 acre pastures with a herd.  The good thing about that is that she had a chance to live a natural lifestyle, with consistent exercise and a natural, grass diet (supplemented only lightly with alfalfa and grain).  She never carried a rider until she was four years old, so she has been given an excellent chance for long-term soundness.

            The bad thing is that she was rarely handled for those first three and a half years.  She was by no means wild (she and the other horses regularly surround visiting humans to be petted), but she has not had all of the experiences most horses her age have had.  When I bought her, I had come expecting to buy a yearling, and only had my old two-horse straight load trailer with me, and no time to take days to teach her how to load.  She was not inclined to get into the small trailer (never having been trailered at all), and we had to use more force than I prefer to get her in.  I was pleased to see that even as she did her best to avoid getting into the trailer, she never “lost her head” and did anything stupid that would have hurt her.  Later that winter, I bought a three horse slant load trailer that was a more appropriate size for her.  It took me about two weeks of working with her about 20 minutes a day to teach her to load into the new trailer without making it into a confrontation, and she now loads fine – in the big trailer.  I no longer have the smaller trailer, and I suspect you would have to spend at least several days to teach her to willingly load into a small trailer.

            Over the winter, I hauled Hala once a week to the indoor arena where I teach 4-Hers riding, and just let her stand around and watch.  I taught her the basic idea of longeing, and about standing tied.  She initially pulled back on several occasions – pretty much the way a foal will usually try pulling a few times before they learn it doesn’t work.  She has not done that now for months, but I don’t know if she is entirely “cured”, or if she might try it again some time when the pressure is on.

            In early spring, I did a little round pen work with Hala.  She was very good at it.  Even in the first couple sessions, she only took a few minutes of being pushed out at a trot or canter before she would take body language cues to slow down, stop, and come in to me.  She had been saddled a few times the previous summer at Cooksley’s, but I re-introduced the saddle, and worked her a little in the round pen or on the longe line wearing a saddle.  Although I decided fifteen years ago that I was too old to start my own colts any more, Hala was so quiet that I actually backed her myself the first three times – just introducing mounting & dismounting, and riding for a few minutes at a walk. 

            Then I sent her to Jim Nixon for a month of riding.  He intended to do ground work for the first week, but again she was so quiet that he ended up getting on her the second or third day.  He worked her slowly, mostly at a walk and trot, for that month, and then I brought her home.  I rode her a few times in my arena, and then gathered up my courage  (along with my helmet, which I always wear when I ride, and my old cross-country body protector, which I don’t usually wear), and went out for a trail ride with my best friend on a dependable horse as escort.  She was so calm and good on the trail (that first ride, we crossed water, did fairly steep hills, went through deadfall, and even crossed a narrow, high wooden bridge), that I have been taking her out on the trail at least twice a week ever since, and after the first four rides were totally uneventful, shed the body protector.

            (Summer 2004) Hala is still very green.  She is just learning to stay in a rhythmic trot on large circles and straight lines in the arena; to make canter transitions; and to move off the leg in mini-leg yields.  She is longeing well in side-reins now.  I originally rode her in a bitless sidepull, but she is now wearing both the sidepull and a double-jointed snaffle, transitioning to going in the snaffle only.  She is no longer alarmed by carrying a rider, or by the whip or leg.  She is getting consistent about making downward transitions mostly off the seat, and is in the beginning stages of learning to stretch down into the bit.

Update: Early spring 2006. Hala made good progress last summer, and showed successfully at Training level. She was sensible & willing at the shows, and in spite of still being a little clueless, managed some excellent scores and some wins. The biggest challenge with Hala is that she is inclined to curl a little behind the vertical, so I am always working at keep her up & out. She is very manueverable and light on her feet, and feels as lovely as she looks.

            Conformation & movement:

            Hala is a beautiful, eye-catching mare, bright chestnut with four nearly matched white socks, and a tiny star.  We measured her twice, because we were sure, looking at her, that she was over 16 hands – but she isn’t, at least not yet.  She has excellent bone, clean, correct legs with broad joints, and striped hooves.  She has a Thoroughbred-type head, with a straight profile and broad forehead.  Her neck, which is average length and shape, is possibly her weakest point if you look at her standing still, but she carries herself so well, and uses her neck so well, that you don’t notice it once she is moving, and I think as she muscles out with correct work, her neck will become attractive.  She has excellent length and slope of shoulder, deep girth, quite high withers that carry far back into her back, a fairly short back, and good loin and hindquarter.

            Hala has a good walk, with about 3 inches overstep in a free walk.  Her trot and canter are both good, with a long, rhythmic stride and natural balance.  I have found it is hard to take a bad picture of Hala moving!  I love watching her play in the pasture, and as she learns to move out under saddle, her gaits are delightful to ride as well – springy, flowing and swing-y.  I expect her to consistently get 7’s for her gaits, and maybe if I do a good enough training job, occasional 8’s.

            A few days before I bought her, Hala had been injured.  On her right hind foot, the outside bulb of the heel, and part of the heel section of the hoof, had been cut or torn off.  I almost didn’t buy her because of that, but I looked at it carefully, and decided I had seen worse injuries heal well.  It has now been about eight months since she was injured and she has healed almost perfectly.  There is barely a visible scar on her heel, and the hoof is now nearly normal.  She was never lame on it unless she had just banged the injured area on something.  Like her half-sister, she seems to have sensitive soles, and I am about to try the Ollov shoes on her (she has been barefoot up until now, and wearing Boa boots on our rocky trail rides).  I have not noticed any other scars or indications of injury, and as far as I can tell she is sound.   (Although I tell other people it is a good idea to have their prospective horse purchases vetted, I have to admit I have so far never had one vetted myself!)

            In personality, Hala is fairly reserved.  She still sometimes walks away from me when I go out to the pasture to catch her (while Zsofi and Kate usually make a beeline for me).  Her baseline, normal state seems to be pretty laidback.  I think she could be frightened into being rushy, but if she is handled kindly, she is more likely to become a little lazy – which in my book is good, since I can always wake up a horse, but I can’t always unwind a hyper one.  She is certainly sensitive enough, and has a very light, though not yet educated, mouth.  Before I started riding her with a bit, she had had her teeth floated twice, and a bit seat put in.

            Who should consider buying Hala?

            Hala still needs a good, consistent and sympathetic rider to bring her along through the basics.  She should make an excellent dressage or eventing prospect, and already enjoys trail riding.  With her long stride and steady temperment, I suspect she might also make a nice hunter.  She is plenty clever and handy, as well, and light on her feet – not at all the ponderous type.  as of spring 2006, she is still consolidating her training level work, and just starting on leg-yields and lengthenings; If you are willing to take some time in the next few years to create a partner who could be with you for at least 15 more years, Hala could be the horse for you.