Duffy (Show name, Curious George)

“Tim called last night.” Chris and I were waiting for the camp herd to come in from pasture. It seemed that many of our business deals were discussed and decided on during the anywhere from 30 seconds to 15 minutes that we may wait at the front of the barn first thing in the morning.

“He has a horse that he wants to give us.” My ears perked up. Tim was an old friend. Chris and I had first met Tim when he had judged a horse show many years prior. Since that time, he had invited me to ride for him just out of my junior year, and Chris and Tim and I had remained friends for years. Chris and I had sold him several horses, and some we had even gotten back (Sam I Am)

I was immediately interested in anything that Tim might be giving away. Several years before I had been up to Detroit at a horse show given at the barn where Tim was from. Tim had come up saying the same thing, “I have a horse for you.” What I had taken as a joke appeared as a 4 year old Trekhener mare when I went to hook up my trailer. That mare went on to two successful years with me, before being sold to one of our year around show riders. “Babs” is with us today and had many, many successful show years before retiring.

I asked for the specifics on Tim’s horse. Chris shrugged. “Better call him yourself.” She said. “I’m staying out of it.” Who could blame her? We were going into late fall, the time of year we spend most of our time counting our hay bales and the money to pay for them, NOT the time to take on a “free” horse.

“Amy! It’s been soooooo long!” Tim was his exuberant self. We small talked, and then he brought up the horse. “He’s absolutely gorgeous. 16.2 hand thoroughbred. His sire is a very well known hunter sire. Great mover. Very kind.”

“Is he broke”
“Yes”
How far?”
“Oh, walk, trot, cantering. Jumping around 2’6”.
“Has he ever shown?”
“He’s been out a few times and jumped around.”

“Does he buck?”
“No.”
“Rear?”
“No”
Is he mean?”
“Oh goodness no!”
“Ok Tim,” I sighed. “Then why is he free?” There was a pause on the phone.
“Well…….”there was a pause. “He doesn’t really like our stabling system here.” I knew that there was probably more from Tim’s vagueness but I also knew I wasn’t going to get it out of him. Tim was big on understatements. If I wanted the horse, I was just going to have to take a chance.

I wasn’t there a month later when Duffy unloaded from the trailer. Chris called me to tell me he had arrived. “How does he look?” I asked. “He is absolutely gorgeous. Big, beautiful. Everything that Tim said he would be.” She answered. “But?” I continued. “Well,” Chris paused. “He is a bit nervous.” I threw on my shoes and ventured over to the barn.

I found him quick enough. It was hard to miss his refined head sticking out over his gate. He looked at me for a moment than disappeared back into his stall. Yep. He was a “bit” nervous. I watched for a moment shaking my head. I now understood at least the first reason why “Duffy” didn’t like Tim’s barn. Tim ran a traditional hunter barn. His horses were more fortunate than most. They had large group paddocks and plenty of room to move around, but their inside time still far exceeded their outside (be a horse) time, in exact opposite to our horse’s routine, who spend more time outside than in. Duffy was giving me no more mind. Instead, he was walking circles in his stall. Around, around and around. He was what was called in the horse world as a “stall walker”.  Duffy stopped, kind of, when it came time to be grained. He stopped, grabbed a bite and then continued his walk while he chewed what he had in his mouth. When he was done, he grabbed another bite and continued his trek. At turn out time, it just got worse. “I never saw a horse canter in his stall.” Chris said with only a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice. Duffy was indeed just about cantering in his stall.

The good news is Duffy did settle down. Group, herd living and more out than in was indeed Duffy’s style just as Tim had predicted. His stall walking, though it did not disappear, slowed down considerably. The bad news was that Duffy’s stall walking wasn’t his only issue. Over the next several years I resolved that you really never knew what you were going to get with Duffy. He could come out quiet as a lamb and build into a nervous bunch of nerve endings because he didn’t feel like giving you a simple lead change, or going into a specific corner. He was a chicken over fences and in new environments and we had as many bad rides as good ones.  Our first year showing together I have several memories of scraping the dirt from my teeth as he dumped me in front of a fence, but things slowly got better. I learned Duffy and Duffy learned confidence. Our routine moved up from schooling on Friday before the horse show and then schooling early in the morning the day of, to just schooling on Friday and finally, being able to go in cold. It took two years, but by the end of the second, and the beginning of the third, Duffy was showing signs of growing up.

That being said, he was still a difficult ride. Duffy goes long and low. He is naturally built down hill, but he is a very good, traditional hunter mover. He has a longer than average stride and HATES to be collected. This combination certainly makes his a bit of a diva to ride and it is a constantly struggle between disciplinarian, diplomat, coercion and begging to get the perfect performance out of him. Going for him, is the fact that he has a beautiful, athletic jump and the talent to go over large fences. Going for him, is that if he hacks and jumps quiet, he usually wins or places in the top three.

Year three of Duffy’s life at Cedar Lodge and I was ready for him to find a new rider. I take my job very seriously at Cedar Lodge. I bring along young horses, I prepare them to be solid citizens and then I hand them off to someone else. The whole idea, in the long run is that the horses we bring along will be horses that can help our riders (camp wise and outside of camp) to learn how to ride better. So far, I had found no one that was ready for Duffy.  After all, he was a bit of a difficult ride. You couldn’t be too much of an opinionated rider. You had to be willing to compromise and you had to be forgiving. Duffy was a ride on the verge of having no control. That’s when he was the quietest and the happiest.

I don’t quite remember how it happened, but I remember the show. I was too busy to show. Duffy was ready, but I was not. Kali was without a horse. She had given up Mattie for a short time, and we had been so successful finding other rides for Mattie that we didn’t want to give her back. “How about Duffy for Kali?” I asked. Chris shrugged. “50/50 chance on that one.” She answered. We made the offer. Kali of course was thrilled to try Duffy out. Duffy is nothing if not a beautiful jumper and wonderful to watch when he is “on” and behaving. I may not remember why I wasn’t showing, and I may not remember the exact show (though I do remember it was at Cedar Lodge) but I do remembering schooling Kali the first time on Duffy. There was indeed some “adjustment” that had to be done. Kali was used to Mattie’s shorter stride and stronger pull. Duffy was a bit different. There was indeed several cleaning of dirt from the teeth in Kali’s future as well.

But they did put it together. It took time and determination. Sometimes they still have a bad schooling but Kali loves Duffy and that love shows in the ride. Duffy has a learned allot over the last couple of years with Kali riding him and he has taught Kali allot along the way. Together, Kali was able to move on to larger fence heights and Duffy was introduced to Equitation and Jumpers. Though their showing has been hit or miss, based on Kali’s schedule, when they do show they are a force to be reckoned with. When Kali is ready to pass on the reins she will do so knowing she played a big part in getting Duffy ready for his next adventure, and Duffy is a better horse for her time.