The first 8 months: Saddle and Tack, Education, Castration, Conditioning and Finding Mentors

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The first 8 months: Dec 2005 to Aug 2006: Saddle and Tack, Education, Castration, Conditioning and Finding Mentors

by Jennifer Langlo Sheldon

I had purchased my horse, Caartouche CS (Rio), in November 2005 (see previous post) and he was shipped to me from Colorado to Bishop, CA about a month later. Shipping was delayed because of snow storms. I had decided to not have him castrated right away. I thought I would ride and compete in endurance with him for a year and then decide if I should have him cut or not. It took some convincing of the owner of where I board my horse to allow me to have a stallion at her place. I had only met her once, and she knew I was green. She did have a place for him though and said that she would give it a try. It is more challenging to own a stallion because in most cases you have to keep them separate to the point where their paddock is not next to any other horses.

I live in Mammoth Lakes, CA. in the beautiful Eastern Sierras with a population of 8,250. The elevation is 8,000 feet. I board my horse in Bishop, CA in the Winter (approximately 6 to 7 months of the year). Bishop is 35 miles South with an elevation of 4,200 feet. I have been boarding Rio at Millpond Equestrian Center since purchasing Caartouche. It is a wonderful facility with access to many great trails...

Read more here:
http://easternsierrarider.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-first-8-months-dec-2005-to-aug-2006.html