For the most part Loxley (as in Robin Hood's birthplace) had a great first week, and we're delighted! He has been extremely calm and level-headed in our daily outings, so far long walks and turnouts in a large arena.
He has adapted quickly and with incredibly rapid "processing" time to painted words and lines on the streets, manhole covers, stepping up and down curbs, tractors, garbage trucks, street cleaners, kids on big wheels, cyclists, joggers, motorcycles, wheelchairs, freeway sounds, car and house door slams, overhead air traffic, walking on a swinging bridge over a river, walking through tunnels under the freeway, trails, etc. With each potentially scary thing we encounter that does NOT send him sidewards or over backwards I look forward to what a wonderful riding horse he will be!
He's still a little wiggly about stepping through or over water on the street, and couldn't quite come to terms with seeing a Saddlebred being worked with a cart (shades of Rose - the first time she saw that she screamed for 10 minutes "RUN! Faster! You're not making any progress, it's right behind you!"), but overall he is incredibly adaptable to a wide variety of stimuli. He is always happy to see the many horses as the big barns nearby, and does a short little baby whinny.
Several days he's enjoyed the company of a friend's 32 year old rock solid Arabian gelding Ali, and several days we've gone out alone. We're starting over a bit on his ground manners, for example he wants to walk behind not next to me, and is a bit mouthy, though these are already showing signs of progress in the past couple of days. He is very engaged and relaxing somewhat around me, I think.
The first time we turned him out he ran and ran like a racehorse - I think he was quite pent up from the stress of move. The second turnout (see clips above) was a more typical relaxed roll-fest with some trotting and galloping here and there.
We did have a bit of a hiccup in that he put on his Cranky Pants in his stall one night during a later-than-usual meal (my fault). We made some immediate changes to the feeding plan - including feeding him at exactly the same time as the neighboring horses so he doesn't feel left out that their feeding times are different.
Out in the paddock he has been a cheerful complete gentleman and seeks the halter, is very responsive. Once he trusts us more we will start asking to be in his personal stall space more.
His ground manners are so-so; he tolerates but isn't excited about grooming or hoof cleaning, and fly spray is a big turn-off unless sprayed onto a brush first. He's been very cooperative about using a fly mask during the day. He will let me touch him all over (out of his stall) and has a good back-up and side movements.
He is less interested in carrots or apples than any horse I've ever seen. He came from being on only alfalfa/bermuda pellets, I'm keeping him on some pellets and transitioning into bermuda and timothy hay with a few handfuls of alfalfa and a tiny scoop of Integrity Growth. For a week I had him on psyllium since he used to eat on sandy ground.
It's amazing that virtually no one (except the natural horseshoeing trimmer who is from the UK) here knows what a Cleveland Bay is, even the longtime horse people and trainers! The folks around the LA Equestrian Center pride themselves on their warmblood knowledge and even they have to ask. It's fun having someone so unique!
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