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The Challenge | The Trainers and Students | Event Information Sunday, August 8
Flyn now trailer loads without hesitation, stands quietly for the spray bottle and the water hose, and is great for the farrier. Flyn is a quiet and enjoyable horse to be around and work with. But his saddle training has been kept very light and limited. Mostly longeing and walking and occasional trotting under saddle in my flat training area a few times a week. However, I have rode him down the road to use the neighbor's arena several times recently. Flyn had no qualms about heading off the farm and down the road without the company of other horses along. I've cantered Flyn briefly a few times and he stayed slow and relaxed. I'll be working on the canter some more during this final week before the Event. Flyn has loads of potential but I simply wasn't willing to risk injury or damaging bone, joints or soft tissue by pushing him into training that his body wasn't physically ready to handle yet. So his training is still at a very elementary level and not even close to being ready to compete at the Trainer's Challenge Event. But we're going to show up and do what we can. I'm certainly not going to expect Flyn to perform at a level of training he hasn't received due to no fault of his own. His very limited training was my decision. But if Flyn reacts to the Event with the calmness he seem to accept most things with, he may do well despite his lack of training. I'm not expecting it, but it wouldn't surprise me either. It was just bad timing for Flyn to go through a major growth spurt when at the same time as the Trainer's Challenge. Flyn is a dream horse for someone looking for a best friend and quiet riding partner wrapped up in 16h of bright chestnut. So don't let his lack of training get in the way of seeing all this kind gentle horse has to offer. Friday, July 23 Flyn FINALLY seems to be putting on weight and keeping it on. It's been a 2 steps forward 1 step back yo-yo effect for so long. Along with myself , several others seem to feel Flyn is looking taller then when he arrived here. So I am assuming a major growth spurt was responsible for my frustration in getting Flyn to maintain a healthy (not ribby) weight. With only a few weeks left before his big debut at the Event, Flyn seems ready (hopefully) to start a normal full time training routine. He has been kept to very light riding ( walking and occasional trotting) and ground work up to this point. Needless to say, Flyn's has not reached the level of training his predecessors have had at this point, having been kept to very light work during his part time training schedule. Flyn's behavior has also changed from a 'bothered by nothing' geriatric lesson horse to that of a more typical 3 yr old. He's still calm and affectionate overall, but on the way to the neighbor's outdoor arena he was hesitant and kept wanting to turn back for home ( something he's never attempted before). And then had a big spook in the arena. I have no idea what caused him to startle (I don't think Flyn does either, lol). And last weekend when riding him in his normal training area with 2 visiting riders, Flyn was disturbed and distracted by the 'new' horses , despite the fact that riding with 'new' horses was nothing new for him and he had never reacted to this situation previously. Along with his increased energy and awareness of his surroundings, Flyn seems more confident and feels more solid when carrying a rider. I finally asked Flyn for a canter under saddle for the first time. It took me about 20 minutes to urge him past a trot into a canter, but when he finally figured it out, he started out in a nice relaxed slow canter. By that time I was sweating more then he was from my efforts, so I called it a day. More and more Flyn is impressing me as a young Thoroughbred in his looks and temperament. He certainly has the speed of a TB out in the pasture. Easily, he's the fastest horse on the farm. But we'll never know for sure. Friday, July 16 Flyn went for his first off property ride today (Sunday). I rode Flyn and we were accompanied by Alicia and another rider. We went down the dirt road and took the access road to the neighbor's farm. Along this particular route there are 2 large propane tanks and the covered bridge with water audibly running underneath. These things have bothered every horse ( even the well trained and experienced horses) to some degree on their first ride on this route. Flyn never reacted to any of them ( I'm not sure if he even acknowledged them, lol). We had a nearly perfect ride. He was nice and forward moving (not lazy) and did a fair job of keeping up with the two fast walkers we were riding with. A couple of times he did try to break into a trot, but maintained his walk with just a light correction. Though not the least bit surprised, I was pleased that Flyn handled his first off farm ride with the disposition of a seasoned trail horse. Other then the spray bottle (which he has conquered), I haven't found much that seems to bother Flyn at all. Keep in mind, Flyn didn't start any training until Memorial Day, and has only had light training, 4 days a week, since we started training. Though only a 3 year old, I think Flyn has the makings of an outstanding dependable trail partner. Hopefully he'll confirm my hopes when we start hitting the real trails, which will likely happen sometime this week. Thursday, July 8 Still taking it slow with Flyn, which seems to fit his personality just fine. Flyn is as laid back as a horse can be. Other then the times when he goes racing around the pasture at high speeds like a normal youngster (and he can GO with those long legs of his), I often have to remind myself that Flyn is a 3 year old and not a retired geriatric lesson horse. Flyn is not judgmental or prejudice, he seeks attention from anyone and everyone. With his gentle approach and soft eyes, he's hard to resist.
Flyn has found his balance carrying a rider and is getting a fairly good grasp of the basics such as whoa, stand, turning and backing. He carried a bit during training this past week and Alicia rode him with the bit for the first time today. Again, no biggie for Flyn. Alicia gently guided him through the transition and he was responding to the bit in no time. Still needs work, but I'm assuming he'll be ready for his first off property ride by week's end. Flyn is rounding out a little, a combination of muscle and body fat, and that 'ribby' look is almost completely gone (some days). And the spray bottle is no longer lethal. He'll stand quietly now (at least 95% of the time) to be sprayed. ...... a few days later ...... Alicia took Flyn on his first ride outside the training area and rode the hilly terrain of the pastures. I'm happy to report that Flyn's walk picked up some speed and energy once he got outside the training area. Flyn has a tendency to get slow and sluggish during training ( as I suspected, he was bored). I wouldn't describe him as getting forward or rushing, but he definitely seemed more engaged and interested and there was visible change in his energy. He was riding through pastures he routinely grazes on alone, so it was very familiar territory to him. We also introduced Flyn to the loud crinkling tarp. He was a bit leery at first, but we were soon dragging it through his legs under his belly, rubbing his face and neck and finished with it draped over the saddle and rump with the tarp dragging the ground on both sides of him and twisting and turning against his back legs. It took approximately 10 minutes to have him desensitized and comfortable with the tarp, no matter what we did with it. While Flyn lacks in energy and interest at times, he makes up for it with level headed sensibility. Wednesday, June 23 I'd like to introduce Alicia. Alicia has been riding for several years and starting coming to my farm in June to learn more about training and general horsemanship. Alicia has agreed to be a permanent member of Flyn's training team throughout the entirety of the Trainer's Challenge. Alicia is a very bright and talented young lady and Flyn is very fortunate to have her on his team.
So on to Flyn.... Even with twice as much pasture time as the other horses, I'm still having a problem getting Flyn to lose his 'ribby' look, but he seems fit and healthy in every other way, including a shiny coat. I'm also giving him supplements in his grain. Probably just a growing phase for this leggy lean 3 yr old, but I'm monitoring him closely. Flyn is responding quite well to ground work and is building up some muscle in the process while maintaining his pleasant disposition. Horses develop physically at different rates and I don't think this 3 yr old is ready to be pushed yet, so I am limiting his training to the 4 days a week that Alicia is at the farm for now. But even with the limited training time, Flyn has progressed to the point of Alicia riding Flyn for short periods at a walk. Working on simple basics such as walk on, whoa and turning ( those little things generally come in useful when riding a horse). Flyn accepted Alicia mounting (a slow step by step process) without any issues or qualms. He was equally accepting of me leading him around the round pen with Alicia in the saddle. By the end of her second time in the saddle, Alicia had Flyn responding to her commands as the rider, and not just a passenger. Alicia also has Flyn trailer loading effortlessly now ( it took a while to persuade him into the trailer when I picked him up). I'm impressed with Alicia's natural ability with Flyn, and impressed with how well Flyn is responding to Alicia, considering this is the first experience from the training aspect for both of them. Can't say that Flyn has made friends with the spray bottle yet, but at least he doesn't think I'm trying to spray him down with nuclear waste now. We'll keep working on that.... Friday, June 11 A quick note: I've been having some problems with my e-mail, so if you've e-mailed me and I've not responded, it's not because I'm ignoring anyone. Another means to get a hold of me is via phone: 763-257-9069 It’s been an interesting couple of days around our place that brought a halt to all training. It turns out our neighbor was an explosives aficionado. We've had law enforcement, bomb squads, ATF, Fire Rescue, EMTs, etc... all over the place. Two trailers were parked in our yard just feet away from Flyn's paddock to be used as a command post for the operation. They spent the past 2 days detonating explosives ( many too volatile to consider transporting elsewhere for disposal). A few of the detonations were big enough to shake the neighbor's house a mile away from us. The detonations were taking place less then a couple hundred yards from Flyn's paddock and his grazing pasture borders the dirt road where countless vehicles were parked and people coming and going. Not to mention all the activity at the command post a few feet from his paddock. Other then a quick startle at the larger explosions, Flyn appeared to be totally unaffected by the entire experience. So if you’re your looking for an exceptional young horse that is already "BOMB PROOF" ( literally, not figuratively) even before he gets started under saddle, come on down and visit this sweet lovable red head known as Flyn. <grin> Wednesday, June 9 The horses on my farm all come running in off pasture to their paddocks at the barn when called. All except one. Flyn. He seems to feel he deserves a formal escort. I walk up to Flyn who greets me pleasantly and then lead him up to the barn simply by placing my hand under his jowl. Flyn had a new age hair style going ( multi directional mane). I'm trying for a more conservative look and keeping it all pulled to one side in hopes that it will eventually stay. I now understand why Flyn had so many nicks and dings when he arrived. There is no aggression in this horse. He doesn't even try to defend himself from herd mates. So he's sharing a paddock with another non aggressive gelding that pushes him around, but doesn't beat him up.
Flyn officially started training on Memorial day. His weight is up and his coat is looking shiny and healthy. Flyn accepted a saddle without an issue, doesn't seem to mind any of the obstacles in the training area, doesn't notice road traffic, came to terms getting sprayed down with the water hose quickly and I've never seen him 'spook'. But then the deadly spray bottle appeared. We'll be working on that... I'll stay on the ground for a couple of weeks building up muscle and doing ground work before I jump into the saddle. Flyn is catching on to longe work fairly quick and needs some polishing on his leading and respecting personal space. Flyn isn't pushy, just friendly and unassuming. Flyn is one of those horses that everyone is comfortable with and they simply enjoy his company. We're off to a slow start, but I suspect Flyn will make up a lot of lost time with his willing attitude as soon as his body is ready. Saturday, May 22 Despite arriving at my farm in early May, Flyn has not started training yet. Flyn had a bit of a rough winter so he has been out on pasture getting back up to speed weight wise. Flyn is approximately 15.2h as a three year old, and will likely add a bit more size in the coming years. Flyn's heritage is a total mystery but the general consensus based on his looks and movement, seems to be Flyn possibly has heritage in the gaited breeds such as Walkers or Foxtrotters. But only Flyn knows for sure and he's not telling. Since training hasn't started, information I have to share about Flyn is rather limited. I can tell you Flyn seems to be very kind, friendly, curious, and level headed. He seems to enjoy helping me with barnyard chores (translate that into following me around and being in the way). This week while I was working a Palomino in the round pen, Flyn left his grazing and decided to join in the workout. Without trying to play or interfere with the Palomino I was working, Flyn kept perfect pace with the Palomino through, walk, trot, canter, and even reverse directions on the outside of the round pen. So I guess Flyn is trying to tell me he's getting bored being a pasture ornament and is ready to start his new life that will lead him to a permanent home. Everyone that has met Flyn so far has commented on his friendliness and kind 'eye'. Much like his Trainer's Challenge predecessors, I have no doubt I will thoroughly enjoy my time with Flyn. > Back to the Trainers and Students
About Mitchell Carson:While growing up on an Appalachian hill farm, Mitchell received his first pony when he was five years old and was training horses for others by the time he was 14 years old. Very active in 4-H during his teenage years, he graduated high school at 17 and from there began a five year stint in the military followed by five more years working as a traveling contractor. Aside from regular training, Mitchell also enjoys working with and training horses in rehabilitation - horses that have been severely abused or mishandled. His full-time riding horse is an 11 year-old, 15 hand Paso Fino that started out as one of those rehabilitation projects seven years ago and just became one of those "permanent" projects. I'm glad to be accepted for the third year into the Trainer's Challenge. So far it has been a very rewarding experience for me. Since I have no idea where and with who my horse will end up, I keep my training generalized. My goal is to give a solid foundation as a riding and trail mount to the Challenge horses. My Challenge horses from the '08 and '09 Challenge raised a total of $3600.00 in adoption fees for MHARF, but more importantly, both horses ( Amigo and Tana) went to homes where they are very much loved and treated liked cherished family members. Amigo spends his time on the trails with his adopter who is just as likely to refer to him as 'my little buddy' as she is to call him Amigo. Tana was adopted by a 13 yr old girl with big aspirations. Less then one year from entering the Trainer's Challenge, Tana completed her first schooling show where both Tana and her young rider had a very successful day. Tana was rode to two first place finishes and a second place in her three dressage debut rides and also won their jumping class.
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There hasn't been much in the way of updates on Flyn because there hasn't been much to update, unfortunately. Putting weight on Flyn and keeping it on has been a frustrating yo-yo'ing experience. Of course now I know he was burning up weight growing. Flyn is now nearly 16h tall and is finally steadily gaining weight consistently and is looking good. The one thing that has remained consistent with Flyn has been his kind and gentle loving nature. 
