Dakini de Las Colinas..."Snorts"

Foaling date: 4/14/2007 - Dakini de Las Colinas

Dakini de Las Colinas' PFHA pedigree

Today I thought I would speak a little more at length about Dakini.  Or, Dakini de Las Colinas.

To speak of her is to speak of her famous sire; Petrolero del Juncal.  A multi-time Fino award winner.  He has earned his Title of Proficiency.  This is awarded to a horse who has accumulated at least 500 show points in recognized classes or sanctioned trail rides.

Suffice to say, Petrolero earned his in the show pen.

Now how or why or WHAT Dakini was bred for, I honestly have no idea.  I am sure it wasn't with the plan of her being a trail horse or even a potential endurance prospect.  As much as Petrolero's stud fee was, I'd put money on it.

But, there she is.  In my paddock currently. 

Or rather, wondering....

...where I'm going.

The heck with this, let's eat this dying summer burned grass!!!!

She is short.  Very short.  Probably under 14 hands.  But she is a little tank of a horse. 

My friend, H, who likes Strider, wanted another gaited horse, and she liked the way Strider moved (most people do, he is quite a smooth ride).  A Paso Fino mare came up for sale on Craigslist, and her sire is a multi-winning Fino champion, so H opted to take a chance.  She knew that Dakini had been to a trainer for 30 days (we have pictures), but had been sent to the trainer then turned out in pasture to sit. 

H snapped her up and sent her to a friend who attempted to ride her.  Said Dakini was crazy, etc., etc.

Does this look crazy to you?

So, H brought her back to her house and there she sat, beating up on H's horses.  You don't beat up on H's horses.  She told me she'd GIVE me Dakini, just to get rid of her.  I'd been begging for a while to try and ride her, because I suspected she'd be a fun ride.

Well, I don't look a free, nicely bred horse in the mouth.  Told her I'd take her in, do some groundwork and see what I had. 

I did some basic lunging for respect.  Change of direction.  Worked on fly spray (she still freaks out *sigh*).  Letting me touch her all over.

I'd had her for about 2 weeks at a temporary boarding place, and I'd been working on her when my farrier was due out to do feet. 

Told my farrier that I wasn't sure how she was with her feet.  The last time H had her done, H's pig was snorting so Dakini didn't do very well. 

My farrier was (always is, actually) calm and patient.  Though, as she was attempting her front right foot, after she was done she turned to me and said "I'm not so sure about this horse.  I could feel her flip from fearful to bitch in an instant."

My heart sank.  My farrier is honest.  She loves pretty much every horse, but she's honest and, while she will phrase bad news as politely as possible, she's not going to sugar coat it either.  If my farrier thought this horse was a danger, I didn't stand a chance.  I'm not really skilled in the saddle.  And I love playing with horses on the ground, but I'm not great with groundwork either.  I can do the most fundamental of things.  But the truth is, I know I'm generally safest on the ground, so I can play with a horse for HOURS from the ground.  But, if 2 weeks of working with her and she still flipped to bitchmode...maybe I wasn't cut out for this horse.

A few weeks later, H and I went to our friend B's for a weekend.  We took horses (H actually had picked herself up a rescue mule that she was TOLD was gaited) and as B has a 100'+ round pen, we opted to do some ground work with Dakini and Muley. 

B got in with Dakini and free lunged her.  Dakini just took off and went laps and laps and laps.  B and I were both hoping to get a saddle on her, but it wasn't looking good.  And I told B, I'm not going to rush it.  If we both thought she wasn't ready, no saddle for her.  But B kept working her (easily, not hustling), and she said "You know, I really REALLY think we can get a saddle on her.  Let's try it."

It was a disaster.  Dakini would snort and bolt.  The fear that washed off of that mare because of the saddle was palpable.  And heartbreaking.  Something had gone on in Dakini's past to cause this terror of the saddling process.  But B kept gently working her through it.  And finally, B got her tacked up.  More lunging.  Letting her get used to the saddle. 

After more talking with B, she felt that she could get on and ride her in the round pen.  Which they did.  Successfully.  Dakini was slow and cautious and unsure of herself, but she was trying.  Which is all I ever ask or want from any horse.  Give me try.

B felt that she was good to go out of the round pen on a gentle trail ride.  Well, okay then!!!

So, we saddled up some horses and went on a short little trail ride.  Dakini stumbled once, hit her knees, but overall, B was impressed with her.  Said she did very well.

And from there going forward, we've come in leaps and bounds.

She used to bolt when being mounted.  But, I had her and Joe go to one of the clinics my farrier was teaching about the "Come Pick Me Up" cue.  Where the rider stands on something and the horse sidepasses over to you so you can just step on.  Joe taught it to her that day and she's been fantastic ever since.

My farrier, the second time she came out to trim was shocked with the improvement.

"She's so different," she told me.  And each time she trims her she always comments on just how improved Dakini has gotten.  And she will tell you honestly, "I wasn't so sure about her, but you've done wonders with her."

That's right...THIS is the face of a WonderPony!!!

The truth?  I don't think it had anything to do with me.  Or even, per se, with what B did with her.

I think the truth of the matter is Dakini NEEDED a human.  She needed her own person to trust and to believe in.  And I think that I'm currently "her" person. 

But I will say this.  She is turning into a solid and reliable citizen.

Does she still spook?  Sure.

I would never EVER spook.  Do I look like I'd spook?!

But, she gives me an honest try when I ask something new of her.  The first time I asked her to go through water, she was nervous and scared about it.  She was all alone.  No horses to help guide her through it, but the section of trail ahead of us was beneath water.  And she couldn't duck left or right.  The only way was ahead or behind.

So, I opened my hands wide, gave her slack and worked her to the water.  Didn't take much.  One foot in, and then it was no big deal.  We went through.  Then I turned her around and had her do it again and again and again. 

And now, she crosses water without an issue if I ask if of her.

Goes over bridges if I ask it of her.  She gives me what I want if she understands what I'm asking.

She went to her first endurance ride camp and was a generally good girl.  She went down the trail and led most of the ride.  She was happy and plucky for 95% of it.  Just did her job.  She ate when she was hungry, drank when she was thirsty and, most importantly (and unlike Strider), she can gait and poop.  AND she is working on the "gait and snatch a bite to eat" as well.  She's on the brink of getting that nailed down.

At Armadillo Run's ride camp. 

Whatever.  Food and noms.  I've got this down!!!

All signs are pointing that she shall be another lifer with me.  And, I think when Kaylee gets a bit older, Kaylee will have her pick of the Arabian or the little gray mare.  Because I think she is going to become THAT reliable in the next year or two.

And, I will say this.  When it comes to wanting to just pleasure ride and not having to focus and ride every single step and school my horse constantly or put up with antics (yes, that's YOU Strider), I will be grabbing Dakini every single time.

Ebony and Ivory...side by side at my fence posts...

Which says a lot.

So, while she is Fino bred, this little mare is going to go out there and do, at the minimum, Limited Distance rides.  But I hope beneath my hands, she will become a 50 mile horse.  Or more.  All of the signs point to the fact she has the fundamentals needed of a good endurance horse.