Tennessee Walking Horses - CLOUD 9 WALKERS (Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding)

CLOUD 9 WALKERS

"Cowboy Justice, a/k/a "C. J."

(This is his Baby Book)

Dappled Golden Palomino 4-yr-old Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding with "Trigger" appeal

Click on arrow ABOVE to see the 'freshman' chapter of CJ's college education.

"Cowboy Justice" -- Movie-Star beautiful Trigger look-alike golden palomino Tennessee Walking Horse gelding raised and trained the right way! CJ has a magnificent gait, a fairy-tale canter, the dark golden color that every palomino lover seeks, the snowy white mane and tail (which will be long and flowing eventually), a big beautiful blazed face, gentle brown eyes, a naturally arched neck with the proud presence of a stallion (although gelded young and never bred), probably gentle for anyone to ride, canters correctly on his leads, racks, walks and shakes his head, flops his ears, neck reins, parks out, bows on command, yields front, pivots, side passes, loads, bathes, clips, meets you at the gate from the pasture. This is a lifetime horse and right now, we're camping across the nation with him and using him at home to give riding lessons. He will eventually be for sale, when his training is complete.

We barely got home from Colorado before we shipped out again to go camp at Lake Rayburn. Here, CJ is leading the ride (front, right) through the Angelina Forest on 7/10/09.

CJ leads the ride up a mountain trail in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado on 7/1/09.

On the way to Thunder Lake in the Rockies in Colorado on 7/1/09.

Beautiful trail, CJ in the lead with Cotton-Eyed Joe following.

LEFT: On the way to Thunder Mountain; RIGHT: Reaching 10,000 feet above sea level, we encountered GLORIOUS SNOW!!! It was CJ's first time to ride in the cold, white, funny stuff!

Click on arrow ABOVE to see CJ's beautiful ride through some of the trails in the Rockies in Colorado in July, 2009.

Could anything possibly be any more beautiful than a mountain trail in Colorado?

Huey and McKenzie ride CJ and Cotton-Eyed Joe through Beaver Pond on 6/3/09.

Yeah, he loves water!!!

Have you ever seen a palomino Tennessee Walking Duck? :)

Becky rides CJ in Lake Houston on 6/11/09.

Becky rides CJ over a wooden bridge near Lake Houston on 6/11/09.

Stepping over hurricane debris in Angelina Forest on 6/3/09.

CJ and Sweet Tater, fast buddies, on a trail ride on 3/14/09. Picture by Wendy Floyd, Professional Photographer.

Taken 3/23/09, CJ is shedding his white winter coat, starting to turn golden again and dapple. Here, he is being trained (at home) to camp on a picket line (tied overhead).

Notice in the background that there is a car whizzing by. While being trained to a picket line, he is also being accustomed to the ambulances, fire trucks, logging trucks, and other traffic on this major busy highway.

On the wash rack, getting a bath and learning to cross tie (on 3/23/09).

Learning to ride between the reins. (Double reins, with one on the nose band and one on the snaffle -- he'll graduate later to the shanks.)

We love this guy! He is a rare find, being handled with love and top quality care his entire life -- we found him at Deer Creek Walkers in Quitman, Texas, and if you want to raise one yourself, check out their babies. Top quality and raised the right way!

The good thing about C.J. is that he was not started until he was four years old, being allowed to completely physically mature. CJ has been started the right way, with natural horsemanship training methods. He started his 'career' in the round pen:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

First three days, he learned to go, go at three different speeds, and turn to the inside to show respect. They are worked on a "tree of knowledge" (cedar pole in the middle of the round pen), with a concept of driving with one rein.

Next few days, he learned to drive with the long reins, learning to get up, whoa, turn, flex and back. He learned to tolerate the girth with the bitting rig and to pace himself at speeds that he is commanded to perform. He was taught to stay focused on his trainer.

Next few weeks, he learned to accept the saddle and be driven with the driving lines through the stirrups, as well as accept someone mounting him from both sides of the saddle, with lots of 'accidental' brushes across his rump as we mount and dismount.

The fourth week is all about settling down, walking relaxed on command, running walk relaxed on command, relaxed canter and smooth, obedient transitions. The goal is to get him to stay in the requested gait until he is given a cue to change gait. When he is asked to reverse, he is trained to reverse always at a walk.

The fifth week, a "dummy" rider is introduced -- the first night, a rider is asked to be dead weight in the saddle, with the trainer giving instructions from the center of the ring. This dummy rider is asked not to touch the reins, not to move, not to talk, not to be involved other than just simple weight in the saddle. The second night, the rider is asked to give cues in a very subtle way AFTER the trainer gives the cue. The third night, the rider is asked to relax, is allowed to hold conversation while riding, and gives cues at the same time that the trainer is giving them from the center ring. Circles and go's are introduced, stopping and backing two steps is asked. This is all using only a halter and lead rope for reins.

The fourth night, the rider gives the cues and the trainer is simply there to reinforce the cues if needed. By the fifth day, the trainer is pretty much just there to observe, and then for the next week, the trainer takes over and rides with just the halter working on turning in a circle with nose to the inside with no pressure, ride squares, continue backing training, yield front, yield hindquarters. Before CJ ever left the round pen, he understood all these commands, and by asking to yield both front and hind, he easily learned to side pass on cue.

After a couple of weeks of intensive handling, the bit is introduced (with tasty molasses!), and now double reins are introduced (one to a leather noseband and one to the snaffle). Another week or two in the round pen on the bit, after the horse is taught that he is being allowed to stop (instead of commanded), he knows the one-rein stop, and understands transitions, he is taken to the trails to be ridden alone -- no other horses with him.

HIGH SCHOOL:

This teaches him to think for himself, as opposed to just learning to react. He learns that he can trust his rider, that he can be courageous in the face of his perceived danger, that he can cross creeks, step over logs, encounter deer, squirrel, rabbits, motors, bicycles, etc. He learns to pace himself and not use up all his energy at the beginning of the day, and he learns to hydrate along the trail. He learns to gait perfectly without the distraction of the stress of other horses, feeling like he needs to be where they are. When his gait is fast enough to keep up with his peers, he is then taken on group rides and taught to ride at the back, in the middle, and at the front, all on a loose rein. He is taught that he should not panic when he is ridden a lot further back from the group, leaving the group and then rejoining. He is being trained to canter on both leads along the way, but that if asked, he should not increase his gait even though the other horses are getting ahead on the trail.

Next comes Highway 101, where he learns to tolerate busy traffic, dogs, 4-wheelers, garbage cans, whatever scary obstacles he can be exposed to.

All along the way, the goal is to get him to round his back, break at the poll and tuck his nose, drive his hindquarters forward and have a perfect four-beat gait with loose reins, light touch and all while BAREFOOT!

COLLEGE:

Now, this pleasure prospect is hauled to camping trips across the nation, on a never-ending education! C.J. has already made several trips to the Angelina Forest and many more ahead. So far, CJ is right on schedule for a diploma . . . stay tuned!