Finally! As excited as you are I'm sure Khaleel is even more excited because Arabian's love to run. Our ex racehorse has an Arabian buddy and when they go for a run that little Arab gives him a hell of a run for his money.

Thanks for the update, keep them coming!

 

Sorry it was so long for the update. I should have posted back at the beginning of May to say that he was allowed to start trotting then. So he'd been cleared to trot for about five weeks before we got the OK to canter.

Our trainer also wants him walking in the arena for ten minutes twice a week. Because the arena is very soft--filled with sand--there is a risk that he could catch a hoof, stumble badly, and put us back to worse than we started. (Note the "we".) In fact, the vet won't let him run free in the arena for at least another two months.

 

Last Thursday our trainer asked "How long has Khaleel been cantering now?"

I told her, "About four weeks, but I didn't ride him at all last week." Allergies had me home in bed for four days.

"I think he's ready to start working in the arena now." What she meant was that I can start riding him in my lessons now, instead of the quarter horse I've been riding. This is great! This is a huge step forward! Last Friday she had me trot him around the arena a bit and he's looking fine.

On Thursday I told him that life as he knows it just ended: he's going to have to work for his hay, now! Our trainer was showing me where he'll be building up muscle when he starts working: top of the neck, withers, rump, stomach. He's in for a workout!

On Monday I asked her whether, when he's completely up to snuff--when she's willing to let him run free in the arena--the end of the Summer--if she thought that he would be sound enough to ride in the gymkhanas at the local public arena: explode off the line at one end of the arena, run flat-out, clear two jumps of about 18", around a barrel at the other end, one more jump, cross the finish line, slide to a stop. She said "Sure!"

I can't wait!

 

Sounds great, I know it's been a long hard road.

BTW, I can't believe I'm about to drop over 11K on a used horse trailer.... Ahhh. That's money that could go into another race car.

 

Last Saturday our trainer said that she thinks that Khaleel's strong enough to be turned out into the arena to run free. The primary risk is that he could gallop full-speed, slide to a stop and reinjure the tendon. She said that she wants me to ride him quite a bit one day, then turn him loose after that: if he's had a chance to run a bit and is somewhat tired out he's less likely to do something dangerous.

It's now been ten months since the injury. What an exercise in patience.

 

Hey - great to hear! Glad he's doing much better - let's hope it keeps going on that way.

 

I've been sick for the last week: cough and sore throat first from the fires and then from a broncheal infection I suspect; I haven't been over to see Khaleel since early last week.

Yesterday my wife told me that our trainer tried turning Khaleel out without wearing him down a bit first (riding or lunging) and he went wild: running fill-tilt, sliding to a stop, spinning, rearing. She had to corner him, put the halter back on, and lead him back to his stall, prancing with head and tail held high. He really loves to run free.

Maybe Friday morning I'll be feeling better and can ride him a while before turning him loose.

It's really, really nice to have him back up to snuff.

Thanks for all your encouraging responses.

 

I don't know if you mentioned in another post, but did you get Khaleel for free (since he is a relatively older horse)? I thought you mentioned something like that in one of you first posts regarding him.

Just wondering since my wife is really wanting a horse in the near future and I'm wondering if I can satisfy that with a horse that is both gentle and inexpensive to buy, yet very nice to look at and ride (basically, I want to have my cake and eat it too ).

 

He was 13 when we got him; I'm not sure that qualifies as an "older" horse, especially for an Arabian--I can probably ride him for another 10 - 15 years. No, he wasn't free. We paid $3,500 for him.

 

Jon:

Look at AgDirect.com; they often have listings for very inexpensive horses.

Good luck!