Flying W Farms Baron Von Valor

Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Subject: Happy New Year from Valor
Hi Fredericka & Robin--Happy New Year!

I have not updated you on how Valor is doing. We just got back some great pics so I thought I would share. These were taken after our first snow-we let the horses loose and they had a ball. I don't know if Valor has ever had so much fun! You can see how beautifully Valor is maturing. He is about 17 hands now at about 2.5 years. Very strong, yet very refined and elegant, like an old painting. And his movement is unbelievable-I wish I had a video of his fancy trot out there with his head pumping and his tail straight up in the air and those enormous strides. He was flying! J

I am still not riding him-I will probably get on him once he turns 3, so for now we do a lot of hand-walking on the trails. I have even taken him snowshoeing with me and that was really fun. We are developing a really good bond. He is a very good communicator and is very sensitive-he seems to 'get' immediately what I say and tries to obey always. He is a high energy thing, but again, it takes just a teency bit of a correction-just a breath or a look and he immediately knows what he is supposed to do. I am really proud of him and can't wait to start riding him.

I was really wishing to share pictures of me riding my 21yo thoroughbred gelding and pony-ing Valor along side. That was so much fun and we had done it many times. Valor always behaved and learned a lot from his big brother who was a gentle soul. We would trot up hills and Valor kept our pace, and when my TB spooked at anything, Valor could care less. They were real buddies. Sadly that horse, Street, passed away unexpectedly in the pasture the end of October. So of the very few regrets, it is that I don't have that picture to share.

Valor is getting exposed to A LOT. We have hosted several horse shows and I bring him out in the middle of all of the action, loud speakers and all. By the end of the season he was very comfortable, and I could even walk him over the smaller decorated fences and he wasn't even fazed. Not bad for two! We did have an interesting moment though when a full team of decorated Percherons came trotting up the hill. That was when Valor learned to canter backwards. J We have also hosted a few foxhunts, and that was a big thrill for him to see the hounds, hear the horns and watch us all fly by his stall. Next year maybe we will be hill-topping together! J

Karen