I loved poles too.. the 1st barrel horse I used.. his name was Hi Speed Twist... was awesome at poles.. all I had to do was sit it... he did the rest.. made it sooo easy to learn with him..
sorry to hear you lost Sonny.. always hard.. the first horse I ever owned was a thoroughbred.. Firefly.. she just passed a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 38.. if you can believe that... she was 19ish when I got her... vet said might have been older.. so I went off the 19 anyway... she might have been 40.. just amazing how good she lived too.. when I started racing she went to live with my friend in Warren Grove, NJ.. in the pine barrens.. nice sandy pasture .. getting fat eating cookies and taking a couple of her kids for pony rides now and then.. that's it.. but she wasn't any fun for an adult to ride.. if you ask her... she got ticked off.. if you just let her do what she wanted.. all good.. so kids worked out well .. she was loping and one of those horses to duck hard left on you.. try and get rid of you any which way... rear a lot.. made me nuts.. so the trainer I boarded with saw how I would try and try to ride this horse.. told him I didn't want to lease his barrel horse because I need him to teach me to ride my horse.. until I sat on him for 2 mins... slowed down when he felt me get unseated ... wow what a difference!!!!... rode him for a half hour that day got off and said ok.. how much!!!... best move I ever made... he was 18 at the time.. after the first season towards the end.. I was running 1st division times with him.. the trainer said he loved to make me happy.. ran just as hard as when he was 5 for me.. bad news is.. after one show it was real hot.. and his kidney's shut down... thinks he was pushing himself too hard .. he recovered and we both decided that was that.. he went to a couple to use as a trail horse.. he is still in north jersey and I should go see him.. I felt bad for the woman when she was learning to ride ... and he would vibrate if the pattern was set and she came in the arena .. he loved his job.. when I rode Mo for the first time.. he felt like home to me.. wasn't even a 2nd thought... I found out a few years later when I went to congress.. he tossed like 18 guys before I tried him.. yahoos!!!.. we figured out long before that he was abused .. must have been a cattle prod... we were doing poles and his tail clipped the last pole hit him where a prod would go in the hind quarters.. he ran in fear... for 25 mins straight.. lapped the arena .. trainer jumped in front of him to try and stop him.. almost ran him down.. just running with blind fear... I ended up jumping off him running full throttle because I felt I was getting unseated.. so all this going on.. and I said to myself.. jump and control where I land.. or possibly get tossed into the wall.. so I took a deep breath and bailed... after I caught my breath after knocking the wind out of myself... I tried to go by my trainer and he was running straight for me... like looking for help... almost followed us into the lounge up the stairs... but decided that was a bad idea .. but ran and ran even after I was off him.. I felt terrible for him.. we worked all that out over the winter months.. and had a pole laying across his butt and could rub it all over him.. all good then.. but I never got brave enough to do poles again.. even though I loved it
