The Mick Parker Project

The Mick Parker Project: Well Mick is going to be headed back to his true home in Nampa, Idaho with his loving mom, Janet Lee-Parker after finishing a couple of years in finishing school here at Kutie Performance Horses. So Janet and I deci...ded to work on a blog series on www.KutiePerformanceHorses.blogspot.com and Facebook posts discussing problems and training success's that will happen when a customer that lives half way accross the country gets to ride her multiple National Champion gelding (I.F. Michaelangelo aka Mick) that has been at the trainers for the past two years. We will show video clips as well as training articles and questions that will help to guide you through the ups and downs of taking over the reins, while being candid and honest on both sides. We hope that the Mick Parker Project will show that with a good training foundation and a willingness to communicate most training issues or problems can be corrected and the horse will continue to impove. The Start.... I’ve never been the kind of rider with the confidence to get on any strange horse and ride like the wind. That’s why I compete on those I know well, and I instruct. No trainer’s shingle for me. If you really want, I can explain sometime why (as I was close to IHOP handing me a senior menu) I decided to buy a young Lusitano (1/4 Friesian) with a short back and the athleticism to leap tall mounting blocks in a sideways bound. After a 90-day start with another pro, and several months plinking around, I shipped Mick off to Steve Kutie for training in earnest. It’s been nearly 2 years since my buckskin beauty left and 15 months since I last laid eyes on him at the 2011 IALHA Nationals (where he and Steve cleaned up). Obviously I spent all that time and money to end up with a very special horse. And, Steve put his best voodoo on Mick because he wanted the same. Now he’s finally coming home. But after all this time, Mick’s going to be a stranger to me again. The good news, I’m getting back an exceptionally “feely,” light, uber-responsive and highly-trained horse that will move off the leg at a whisper of pressure, move forward with huge impulsion, and can execute trademark-worthy performances. That’s also the challenging news. Before my trip, Steve and I spent quite a bit of time talking about how he as a trainer could impart the knowledge I’m going to need to ride this horse…successfully. The first part of the plan was for me to fly down and ride Mick in Texas with Steve. It would have been great if I’d had 2 years to spend. But, I was only able to squeeze in 2 days (48-hours on the ground) between 8-1/2 hours and 3 flights (each way). As I sit here on the plane on the first leg home, I’m replaying my rides and video clips, trying to assimilate terrabytes of equine info Steve attempted to download to me via verbal firewire and demonstration. It was an awesome experience. In my next segment I’ll begin with the challenges we face, and our first steps in reaching my goals with Mick (which, frankly, are rather lofty). I hope those who read along will enjoy the experience.