townhorse

inside scoop from a horse-loving nyc carriage driver

• October 12th

  

  When I think of Champion’s life in the city versus his life in the country, I can say that they both have their merits. There is no doubt he is healthier and more relaxed in the country, but I also think he gets bored sometimes.  It is hard to say entirely, but I sometimes wonder if he doesn’t miss seeing the lights and meeting new people all the time.  I know that he liked walking through the streets at night and seeing new places. He is definitely a horse that thrives on contact with humans and he certainly has had a hard time understanding why I’d ask him to do laps in the riding ring, but when I see him tuck into a field of grass I know he’s a country boy at heart.  Well, probably more of a suburbanite … 

• October 12th

  

  Champion’s life has changed a lot since his NYC days and, in turn, my life has changed a lot as well.  I’ve been training him to be a dependable riding horse as well as keeping up his driving ability with a used harness I found for him on craigslist.  Getting him to trot more than twice around the ring is still asking a lot of him, but it is a long way from July when once around was a big deal.  I’ve found that free-lunging him on occasion before riding him is a good way to get his heart rate going, which makes any athletic actions during our ride oh so much less difficult for my poor legs.  

• September 10th

  

  Bath time for Champ.

• September 10th

  

• August 23rd

  Lucky is extra sweet.  As he gets to know me more, he has developed this little habit of looking back at me to check what I’m doing/if I’m there.  He nearly always searches for me like this when people come up to pet him.  So cute.  

• August 23rd

  a nice after shower roll for Mr. Champion at his new home.  

• August 15th

  

  Lucky is a dream to work with.  He is beautiful, easy going, and appreciative of my attention.  I’ve been reading Anna Sewell’s classic horse book “Black Beauty” and have come to realize that Lucky looks just like him!  

• August 9th

  

  I want to introduce “Lucky.”  We have been working together since Champion left the city.  For better or worse, Lucky is way better at his job than sweet Champion ever was.  He is a big, beautiful horse with a long stride and a lot of power.  He has been working in the city for 2 or 3 years now and is about 14 years old.  Unlike Champion he won’t tolerate the lights and bustle of Times Square, so we stay in the park.  Although it will mean less income for me in the long run, I just assume stay in the park anyway.  It is more peaceful and less risky.  So, here he is: Lucky!  Stay tuned for more updates about this tremendous gelding.  He’s super.   

• August 9th

  

  Champion is doing great in his new digs, if not a little lonely during his quarantine period.  He has been coming into his own and is eagerly looking forward to being in close contact with other horses again.  I can tell because he has been a lot more vocal than he ever was before.  For such a bad-ass, masculine horse ;) he has a rather shrill whinny.  Maybe that’s why he chose to keep a little quieter in New York City.  You never can quite tell what the quiet guy in the corner is up too …     

• July 17th

• July 4th

  

  After the ride he got a bath.  Here he is air drying in the pasture.  Happily he waited until we left before rolling in the dirt. 

• July 4th

  

  He figured it out pretty quickly though and within the hour that I rode him he was trotting and cantering when I asked him as well as walking through tight spaces that I could tell he was reluctant about. He needs a little more practice, but I was even able to get him to pick up the lead of my choice!  I think he enjoyed being ridden.  While he was living in NYC I never really heard him make a sound, but in the short time that I rode him, he whinnied three times.  Hopefully they were whinnies of joy and not of distress ;)  The photo above is of my mother walking him out.  Although she loves horses, she has never really ridden but said she felt comfortable on him.  (yay)

• July 4th

  

  I went out there with my mother last week and rode him for the first time.  It was pretty apparent that he has never been ridden before because he seemed rather confused for the first 15 seconds.  He did a few little half-bucks as if to say: “Hey Jenn, you forgot the carriage and you’re sitting on ME instead!”

• July 3rd

  

  Many things have changed for Champion since the last post, although he might not realize that yet.  As far as he is concerned, he is still on vacation in Pennsylvania.  What he doesn’t know is that he has been sold … to me!!

• June 16th

  Two awesome places that Champion has gotten to hang out this year.