Pet of the Day

February 12, 2002

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Smash, the Pet of the Day
Name: Smash
Age: Eleven years old
Gender: Male
Kind: Quarter horse
Home: Rockwall, Texas, USA
 
   Smash is a very spoiled performance show horse. He loves to play with the barn dogs and show off. He knows how to shake and bow. I attached a picture of him bowing, but it's not a very good example - he bows all the way down on one knee. The other picture was taken on his 10th birthday. He gets very jealous if you pay more attention to someone else and he ignores you.

    I have owned Smash for three years and rode him for almost a year before I bought him. We clicked from the beginning. He is my first and only horse, at this time. And he will always be my favorite :o). Smash likes to show western pleasure the best. He is an all around performance horse and can do trail, horsemanship, western riding, english pleasure, and even hunter hack (which he thinks is so much fun), but he prefers to be on the rail at a slow jog or lope. He was also Missouri State Champion in western pleasure.

    He is affectionate when he's in the mood. Mostly when he thinks he's getting rewarded! He doesn't really like new people or men. He's got to get to know you before he "likes" you. He is pretty independent, but he is very sheltered. Never goes out in the mud, rain, etc. and is always blanketed when it's cold. He loves the attention, but when he's had enough, he'll let you know! And if you pay more attention to someone else, whether it be a person, dog, or horse, he gets upset. He hates it when people stand in front of his stall with their back to him. This is his "pet peeve". He bangs on his stall door, makes mad faces, pins his ears back, and bites at the air. But don't get me wrong, he would never hurt anyone. He just gets very jealous! And if you turn around he immediately makes a really cute face with his big round eyes and ears up and tries to look innocent, as if to say "Who me? I would never do that"!

    I taught him how to shake hands and bow when he was lame for a couple of months. I couldn't ride or work him, so instead I spoiled him and taught him tricks. He expects a treat after ever ride, or anytime he knows he's going back to his stall. And even if I am out of treats or just forget, he will bow anyway. I have caught him many times bowing alone in his stall after I have put him up for the day. Or when he hears me coming, he'll start to bow. Currently I am working on teaching him to shake his head Yes and No. His best friend is Dude, another quarter horse gelding. I wish I could turn them out together but they are both very mischievous and who knows what they would tear up.

    They used to be in stalls next to each other and one would stick out their tongue and the other would play with it. I guess this is where Smash learned to stick out his tongue at people walking by his stall. His favorite game is follow the leader. Or follow the treat I should say. I'll have a treat in my hand and he will literally follow me wherever I go. If I take off running, he'll be loping right behind me. It's actually really funny to look behind you and see a 1300 pound horse chasing you! He likes dogs. Although, if he gets alone with one of them in the arena he will chase it.
 

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