Tennessee Walking Horses - CLOUD 9 WALKERS (Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding)

CLOUD 9 WALKERS

"Powder"

Extremely smooth BAREFOOT or Keg Shod Sweet and Gentle

Ivory Champagne 3-yr-old Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding

Started the RIGHT way (Natural Horsemanship methods)

Powder patiently waiting at the trailer for Cody to come back and ride him. (3/17/10)

Cody tacks Powder up before our ride during our camping trip the week of 3/15/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our fun times with Powder on our camping trip the week of 3/15/10.

Doesn't look like it because they didn't change clothes, but this is the kids riding Lad, Powder and Strawberry Sundae on 3/16/10 with Bailey and Sadie following closely. They are crossing a small creek here.

Cute little Christian a/k/a "Peanut" rides Lad while Cody rides Powder, Madison rides Strawberry Sundae along with Grandpa Huey riding Gingersnap on 3/15/10 on our camping trip in Nacogdoches, Texas. These kids are all 12-yr-old cousins/friends.

A fantasy childhood for these kids!

Cody canters Powder, and I couldn't decide which picture I liked best.

LEFT: Powder performs a head-shaking four-beat running walk. RIGHT: He performs a beautiful animated rack with mane and tail flying.

Hannah rides Powder on the trail on our March, 2010 Nacogdoches camping trip, while Pippin rides Strawberry Sundae.

Couldn't decide which of these was the cutest, so I am posting them both!

Dogs always go with us on our trail rides.

Bud rides Powder at Jones Forest near Conroe, Texas on 2/20/10. I thought this picture was really cool, because the pile of old winterized limbs lying near the right corner looks like an artist's signature of a beautiful painting.

A snappy horse with lots of all-natural style, with a handle like 'butter' -- he is so well trained that you can almost give him commands by osmosis -- he will shake his head and walk, he'll lift his front end naturally and rack, and/or slip effortlessly into an athletic slow sweet rocking canter on whichever lead you prefer and ask for. He forehand turns, pivots, sidepasses, backs with a feather touch . . . nice, small horse and his mane is incredibly thick, will be fairy tale beautiful by the time he is five years old when it will be really long.

Jan rides Powder in the Angelina Forest on 2/18/10.

This little guy has a LOT of style!

Excellent foundation from hours and hours in the round pen.

Passing the big, black, scary "Anaconda" (drainage pipe).

More scary obstacles -- light company working on overhead power lines

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Powder on the trails at Lake Houston on 1/28/10.

Working him on double reins to ensure a soft and responsive mouth . . . one on the snaffle, one on the shanks.

Nice slow canter in the round pen.

Learning to cross the bridge on 1/21/09.

"Powder" -- Gentle-natured, calm, easy going and fun 3-yr-old Ivory Champagne Tennessee Walking Horse gelding sired by our own "Gunsmoke" , imprinted at birth, never abused or neglected, sweet and loves people. He would make a wonderful family-type horse as he will be the type that anyone can ride. He is almost 14.3H and we expect him to grow another inch, but we don't expect him to get any taller than 15H -- he will be the perfect size, easy to mount. He is nearing the end of his 6-month training program and is for sale soon. $5500

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Powder in action.

TOP FIVE REASONS TO BUY THIS HORSE:

His gait is athletic, smooth, all natural, goes BAREFOOT, keg, or lite with true 4-beat;
Sensible and sane, sweetheart disposition, gentle natured, IDEAL SIZE;
Great conformation (wide chest, nice rump); hard, healthy hooves; perfect size, unique color;
Excellent care all his life, trained with natural horsemanship methods;
Home-grown, imprinted at birth, proven parents.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

In her first three days in the round pen, Powder learned to go, and then to go at three different speeds, and turn to the inside to show respect. He was worked on a "tree of knowledge" (cedar pole in the middle of the round pen), with a concept of driving with one rein.

The next few days, he learned to drive with the long reins, learning to get up, whoa, turn, flex and back. He learned to tolerate the girth with the bitting rig and to pace himself at speeds that he was commanded to perform. He was taught to stay focused on his trainer.

In the next few weeks, he learned to accept the saddle and be driven with the driving lines through the stirrups, as well as accept someone mounting him from both sides of the saddle, with lots of 'accidental' brushes across his rump as he was mounted and dismounted.

The fourth week was all about settling down, walking relaxed on command, running walk relaxed on command, relaxed canter and smooth, obedient transitions. The goal was to get him to stay in the requested gait until he was given a cue to change gait. When he was asked to reverse, he was trained to reverse always at a walk. Hours and hours in his training were dedicated to teaching him that it's okay to walk slow and stand quietly, as this is the optimum window of opportunity for this training.

The fifth week, a "dummy" rider is introduced -- the first riding lesson, a rider was asked to be dead weight in the saddle, with the trainer giving instructions from the center of the ring. This dummy rider was asked not to touch the reins, not to move, not to talk, not to be involved other than just simple weight in the saddle. The second riding lesson, the rider was asked to give cues in a very subtle way AFTER the trainer gave the cue. The third riding lesson, the rider was asked to relax, was allowed to hold conversation while riding, and gave cues at the same time that the trainer was giving them from the center ring. Circles and go's are introduced, stopping and backing two steps is asked. This is all using only a halter and lead rope for reins.

The fourth riding lesson, the rider gave the cues and the trainer was simply there to reinforce the cues if needed. By the fifth riding lesson, the trainer was pretty much just there to observe, and then for the next few weeks, the trainer took over and rode with just the halter, working on turning in a circle with nose to the inside with no pressure, ride squares (four corners), continue backing training, yield front, yield hindquarters. Before Powder ever left the round pen, he understood all these commands, and by asking to yield both front and hind, he easily learned to side pass on cue.

After a couple of weeks of intensive handling, the bit was introduced (with tasty molasses!), and then double reins were introduced (one to a leather noseband and one to the snaffle). Another week or two in the round pen on the bit, after the horse is taught that he is being allowed to stop (instead of commanded), he knows the one-rein stop, and understands transitions, he was taken to the trails to be ridden alone -- no other horses with him.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Riding Powder on his first few rides out on the trail solo (without other horses around) teaches him to think for himself, as opposed to just learning to react. He learns that he can trust his rider, that he can be courageous in the face of his perceived danger, that he can cross creeks, step over logs, encounter deer, squirrel, rabbits, motors, bicycles, etc. He learns to pace himself and not use up all of his energy at the beginning of the day, and he learns to hydrate along the trail. He learns to gait perfectly without the distraction of the stress of other horses, feeling like he needs to be where they are. When his gait is fast enough to keep up with his peers, he is then taken on group rides and taught to ride at the back, in the middle, and at the front, all on a loose rein. He is taught that he should not panic when he is ridden a lot further back from the group, leaving the group and then rejoining. He is being trained to canter on both leads along the way, but that when asked, he should not increase his speed, even though the other horses are getting ahead on the trail.

Next comes Highway 101, where he learns to tolerate busy traffic, dogs, 4-wheelers, garbage cans, whatever scary obstacles she can be exposed to.

All along the way, the goal is to get him to round his back, break at the poll and tuck his nose, drive his hindquarters forward and have a perfect four-beat gait with loose reins, light touch and all while BAREFOOT!

COLLEGE:

Now, this pleasure prospect will be hauled on camping trips, working on perfecting his gait, consistency, confidence, obedience and always, continuing respect, and on 1/14/10, he made his first camping trip at Lake Sam Rayburn. He took to the trail with confidence, walked out into the lake willingly, and because of his solid foundation, reacted like a true trail horse.