Welcome to the site featuring Kristie's Thoroughbred

  "Crested Vanity"

    This 16.3h gray gelding is absolutely beautiful. We bought him on New Year's Day, 2004 so we didn't have to bring home a newly purchased trailer empty! Although he did trot soundly and had nice ground manners, his owner would neither ride him, nor allow anyone else to ride him, but would load him on our trailer. We spent a week working around him, and after his 3 round pen lessons, 2 arena turn outs, 2 paddock turnouts, and 1 pasture turnout with 3 other horses, I was ready to get on his back 10 days after his arrival.  Wearing my chest protector, it took me 5 moves of the mounting block to get him to stand quietly for me to safely mount; we walked, stopped, and didn't stand very quietly. He pawed, impatient that I wanted to stand. We walked a bit more and he tried to paw while moving forward!  We walked on, turning in all different directions, stopped, and I quickly dismounted. I led him back to the mounting block, and remounted--this time in only 3 moves of the block.  He walked calmly and responded nicely to my requests to turn, but got progressively agitated each time I asked him to stand, so the next walking period was intermixed wih half halts until he stood quietly long enough for me to slide to the ground. A successful first lesson on my 53rd birthday.
     During the past month, as Kristie rode this horse, she became totally enamored with him. So much that her husband, Ed, knew Vanity would be the perfect  present. Since Ed and I teach together, it was easy to plan the surprise and make more "Dreams Come True." Kristie finally has a horse of her own!
 












   




Isn't he magnificent?


 
Thomas and Buster are checking him out.


His first look at "Dreams Come True Farm."


          

He is a nice mover and a very comfortable ride.


 

Created on January 10, 2004 by Gail Aumiller, and last updated February 15, 2004.