Jacob

Ben H worked a bit with our guy Jacob at the May Joel Conner clinic, and has the following to say about their time together:

“My time with Jacob was 3 days at a Joel Conner clinic this spring of 2024. When I first went to catch him, he was reluctant to be caught and lead on the end of a Halter rope. Within a minute of catching him and rubbing his neck, he started to follow my lead.

In the sunshine, Jacob shines like the copper of a new penny. While he and BFF Edward are a matched pair of chestnuts, Edward is shedding out into more of a liver, which makes differentiating between the two a little easier from a distance. Jacob has been taking it easy for the most part, just waiting on an adopter to come sweep him off his hooves.

One thing we have been trying hard to combat with Jacob is his chronic loose stool. We have tried many a thing to help combat it — bio sponge, chia seeds, hay changes.. the vet named it, we tried it. Our most recent effort has been to try a course of metronidazole, an antibiotic, with the purpose of ‘resetting’ some of his GI flora. Jacob was a VERY good boy for his twice daily rectal meds, and they made an almost immediate difference in the consistency of his manure. Fingers crossed it will make a long-lasting difference!

Handsome Jacob is, as the kids are saying these days, ‘built different.’ StayHipp.com defines this term as a description of a person or thing that is on another level. While this isn’t exactly untrue of Jacob, I meant it more in the literal, physical sense. Jacob is rather oddly put together, a little frankenstienian in his looks from certain angles. His narrow front end makes him appear to have one single front leg at times, and his hind end also has its unique aspects. In short, he will not win any confirmation beauty contests.

But Jacob exists comfortably in the world. He runs and plays with Edward, and is still in consideration to be a very light riding horse. His slightly goofy build does not hold him back from living a fulfilling horsey life.

However, we have noticed a slight hitch in Jacob’s step, and while there are likely a myriad of factors contributing to this, the fact of the matter is that we will do our best to help keep our charges as comfortable as possible. We decided to try Jacob on an Equioxx trial to see if it might help improve his mobility somewhat. We watched him move first, trotting him out on a circle. He was a bit reluctant to go forward, and had a tendency to be rather short-strided in his hind end. After a week on equioxx, Kaya put him to work for a week — nothing major, but the same degree that would be his standard going forward (like I said, the level of work we set for Jacob was quite minor) that way we could see if it was able to help him despite a bit more being asked. At the end of his week of work, we watched him move again. He was more willing to move out, and his stride in the hind did appear longer.

These days, Jacob looks forward to his morning Equioxx-stuffed carrot each morning, and feels at least a bit better moving around!

Jacob, we have learned, vacations well.

I love this term, ‘vacations’, and the implications it has for horses (and humans) alike. While I don’t exactly imagine a horse on a beach, sipping piña coladas sprawled out on a lawn chair, the reality isn’t much different: a horse in a paddock, brought in to be brushed and farriered and occasionally doctored if need be, but otherwise spending his days grazing on grass and munching on hay. There might not be a tiny umbrella perched in their hay net, but the chill vibes are abundant.

I digress.

Jacob has been on a bit of a vacation these last few months as we work through a long list of horses who are less inclined to do well without a regular job. The Esmes and Addies and Edwards of this world continue to hone their craft towards being gentle riding horses (riding horses, they already are — adoptable, too! but riding is a practiced art, never one with an end point, and there are always things to work towards) while the Dominos and Bijous and Jacobs graze and nap and kick up their heels when and how they see fit. Jacob has been included in that latter category, the companion category, as we’ve let him settle back into his routine here at SAFE, as as we thought about what his future path would look like.

Jacob was adopted out as a companion horse, though he had been started under saddle and been doing some light riding before that time. Jacob’s confirmation is nothing to behold, but our vets felt that he could be comfortably maintained as a riding horse if what was asked of him was kept to a minimum. Now, with his return, we had to determine the path that would be best to take him on going forward, thinking first of his comfort.

So the last time Joel was here, we brought Jacob out for a brief assessment. Jacob’s main issue has always been his dullness (aka, his slow response time and lack of response to pressure) and his stuck feet. Our primary goal with Jacob is to help him learn that forward is his friend, and that being prompt about that forward motion is his best friend of them all. Jacob is not a horse who can or should be worked for long stretches — the best way to light a fire under a dull horse is to do so quickly and efficiently. Short bursts of movement help to build a positive foundation for Jacob, one where he does not tune his handler out, but instead is ready and waiting to be responsive to their ask. For a horse like Jacob, who likely went his entire eight years before meeting us learning how to and being rewarded for pushing people around, these changes will not happen overnight. Kaya, who worked with Jacob before he left and who is continuing that work now, limits her sessions with Jacob to usually total less than half an hour. But in that short window of time, she makes the work count. And there have been positive changes in Jacob since his vacation period ended and his reentry into work began.

Here’s the real crux of the story though, and why I brought up vacations in the first place: Jacob was last saddled many months ago, and ridden even before that time. On that initial day we brought him back out into the roundpen, we felt it would be as good a time as any to see how he would do ‘back in the saddle,’ and to our mild surprise, he didn’t even blink an eye as he was cinched up and sent around loose. It was like not a singular day had passed since he’d last been saddled.

But we are still at a crossroads when it comes to Jacob’s ultimate path. Our main goal, as is the baseline with all of our horses, is to help Jacob be as gentle and manageable on the ground as possible. And while he is, most of the time, there is still that lack of responsiveness and pushy element to him that can be at times unwieldy if he is allowed to take advantage of his handler. So helping Jacob become a better citizen is our primary focus. Secondary would be building his strength, and seeing about the sustainability of Jacob’s future as a riding horse. Like mentioned before, his shape is not suited for intense bouts of ridden work, but we will monitor him as he re-enters the working world and assess his comfort level as he continues to strengthen, both his body and his mind.

So while his vacation days might be over, I say that vacations are best appreciated after work anyway, right?

If you’re looking for a photogenic horse, a horse who practically poses for you when you take out your camera, then look no further than Jacob. Well, ok, Jacob and Edward — they’re kind of a matched set, and the way they play off one another’s energies is second to none. Book them for your next gig requiring two chestnut geldings who really understand how to make line work in their favor, and who are not afraid to use the other as an accessory (is that the Edward scarf draped over your withers, Jacob? from the SAFE Cruise 2023 collection?) Standing by their paddock on any given day, at really any given time, is just an excuse for them to show off how much they really enjoy one another’s company — and how good they look doing it.

Another extraordinary thing about the two of them is how, despite the fact that you could be easily convinced they are physically, literally attached at the hip, neither one hoots or hollers when the other leaves.

Right now, Jacob has mostly been spending his downtime looking pretty. But he’s also been enjoying this warm weather on his newly slicked out coat and time out on grass with, you guessed it, Edward.

Part of our adoption process at SAFE involves doing our best to ensure the matches made between horse and human are the best fits possible. We try to make sure of this before the horse is out the door – adopters are encouraged to come and visit with their potential new family member as many times as they like to feel fully comfortable with the partnership, as sometimes a single meeting is not quite enough. But there are always some factors we cannot account for here at SAFE, which is why we have a trial period written into our adoption contracts. If for whatever reason it’s not working out during that time, the horse is free to return to SAFE.

When Jacob left for his adoption trial, we crossed our fingers that all would work out, as we always do. But, as sometimes happens, the fit was not quite right, and after giving it a very fair shake, it was decided the best course of action would be for Jacob to return to SAFE.

I don’t want you to think of this as a sad story. Of course our wish for all of the SAFE horses is to find forever homes, but sometimes that process is non-linear. More often than not, the horses who take a little longer to place are just waiting for the home that ends up being storybook perfect for them. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and we are committed to giving each horse the time they need to find the best situation for all parties involved. We are also so grateful for adopters who are open and honest about how things are going – being able to recognize that the fit isn’t quite right and make that decision benefits the horse so much in the long run. It also helps us to better understand what that horse’s ideal fit looks like going forward.

Jacob’s arrival back at SAFE meant his reunion with best friend Edward. The two were always thick as thieves, and acted as though no time had passed when reintroduced – they were back to kicking up their heels together and biting (lovingly) at one another’s necks in no time.

Jacob’s return also made us consider his future. It is no secret that his confirmation is not that of a prize-winner, but Jacob was doing well as a light riding horse before he left. However, he was adopted out as a companion, which is perhaps a more ideal path for him going forward. We will think on it a bit more and consult further with our vets, but in the meantime let Jake get settled back in here at SAFE, where his hunt for a home will continue, but where he can stay for as long as he needs.

Our sweet Jacob is ready to meet his human!

He is a primarily easy-going guy who would thrive in a home with an intermediate rider who is looking to ride frequently – because he is still green and learning boundaries, he will do best in a home where he is in regular work. He has proven to be level-headed on walks outside the arena and quite brave when faced with new and unfamiliar circumstances, which makes us feel that his ideal situation would involve being someone’s trail partner.

Admittedly, he is not the most well-built horse. His confirmation is best suited for easy pleasure riding versus extreme athletic endeavors — he would not do well running barrels, jumping, or on intense trails. But this does not mean that he cannot be a great partner for someone looking to take casual trail rides or do some simple flat work.

We love Jacob’s pumpkin-pie color, and the perfect whipped cream dollop star in the middle of his forehead.
We love his relationship with pasture-mate Edward, and how even though the two are joined at the hip, he throws no fit when removed from his buddy.
And we love how far Jacob has come since arriving at SAFE. Now, he’s ready for the next part of his journey.

Jacob stands for the farrier and vet, trailer loads and ties. So if you’re Team Jacob, come meet him today!

In addition to gaining miles under saddle, Jacob is learning some other fun things — like how relaxing it can be to be roped off of. Kaya and Jacob like to end their rides by throwing the rope a few times, which is a great exercise for Jacob to learn to be okay with the potentially frightening idea of an object swinging above his head, flying off in front of him, and touching him all over. But our Jakey has a reasonable mind, and barely blinked the first time Kaya took her rope down. He may not ever get the chance to work a cow, but each experience he has like this helps him to become an even more reliable trail buddy and riding partner.

Jacob has been under saddle now since the beginning of this year. He was the easiest of his compatriots to saddle, but that does not mean that he was the safest. Jacob is perfectly easy to get along with if you both have the same ideas about what to do, but as soon as you ask him to do something that he would rather not, problems arise.

It first manifested when driving him forward. He felt that he could not move, which resulted in him turning and striking in frustration. Jacob is not a bad horse – he is a sweet boy who does want to do right, but his confusion can turn into what seems like belligerence sometimes.

Kaya has been working with Jacob to support him through his time as a riding horse and facilitate greater understanding of boundaries. Boundaries are key to Jacob’s success. Without them, he runs the risk of falling back on his old patterns of behavior, ones that involved buffaloing humans.

As a riding partner, Jacob is soft and level-headed. He rides well on a loose rein, and under Kaya’s tutelage, is currently working on a soft feel and stopping on two reins. Following a line in a big space, like an arena, is challenging for Jacob at this point because he is still so green, but with more time under his cinch, he will certainly get there. He has already proven himself to be quite brave, going on walks around the property and out on the trails. All in all, Jacob’s future looks bright as a level-headed trail horse.

People may not realize all the little things our horses need to learn before they can be considered ready for adoption. Some come in with little to no domestic life skills while others have troubles due to frustration and misunderstanding that humans created. These are things that the general horse owner may take for granted. These are simple things horses need to be willing to do for just day to day life as a domestic horse. Three major check offs that Jacob recently marked off his list were: standing tied, getting a bath and loading safely into a trailer. 

It may sound very basic, however these are huge accomplishments that Jacob and his handler should be congratulated on achieving. The funny thing about all three… only about 10% of the effort was needed to accomplish the event itself. Why is that you ask? Because all the work was done in the preparation. It is the groundwork foundation that Jacob has been receiving at SAFE that made all three of these happen easily and without trouble. 

These three are major milestones and very important for horses to accomplish before they are adopted. It is small things like this that can make the difference in how successful a horse is in their adoption placement. Skills like these follow them their entire lives and can play an important role in keeping them safe. People don’t want “problem” horses and those that lack basic skills can be sold and given up on time and time again by humans. It may take a bit more effort and time at SAFE while they get this key foundation but without these skills horses would be vulnerable to losing their homes in the future if they can’t get along with simple domestic norms. 

People forget to work on the whole horse and prepare them for any challenges in the future. Some are in such a rush to ride them and send them out in the world that they miss things and leave big holes in the horse’s foundation. They might even get by with “surface working” the horse and leaving trouble in them. When they have issues with the farrier or trailer loading they think the horse is acting up but they never dealt with the core basics. 

Lessons learned the hard way: A very sad call came into SAFE not that long ago. A person had gotten a horse about 6 or so months ago and hadn’t been able to ride it all winter. They decided out of the blue to take the horse out for a trail ride. They had done no work with the horse since buying it and thought it would be a good idea to just load up all the gear and go. Well the horse was loaded and completely had a melt down panic in the trailer. They told us it was a miracle they were able to get the horse out of there alive. Sadly, they were calling to ask us to take the horse. Zero time or effort had gone into building a relationship with the horse and preparing them to handle things as simple as trailering. And now the horse is losing a home and yet again being sent down the road as someone else’s “problem horse”.

We know the foundation stuff isn’t exciting or maybe even the “fun” part of owning horses, although we know a barn full of volunteers at SAFE that would beg to differ, but it is vital to the long term safety of the horse’s life. It doesn’t take that much effort or time to chip away at it but don’t leave issues under the surface. You might just find that a few minutes spent on proper leading, and things like trailer loading become a piece of cake! 

For some, going to the dentist is no big deal. Jacob, whose human persona would, for the most part, be something akin to a laid back surfer dude, is one such fellow. He recently had his first dental visit since arriving at SAFE, and took it all in stride. He was a very good boy for his sedation shot, and once under the influence, was a perfect patient. 

Jacob had some sharp points that Dr. Renner filed down, but other than that, had an entirely unremarkable mouth. Dr. Renner also estimated that Jacob is around 8 years old, which is in keeping with the information we had on him. After his visit, a very sleepy Jacob stumbled down the aisle way to a stall that was prepped for his recovery from sedation – most likely to dream of sharing a flake of hay with his good buddy, Edward. 

Terry had this to say about Jacob:

Jacob is a good gelding with a fair amount of try. His biggest issues stem from years prior to SAFE when he learned to evade any pressure put on him. Like any young horse he has at times tested the leadership of his handlers. Most likely, as a young horse, he found that he could intimidate or pressure people to move out of his way. He had a bit of a wake-up call during SAFE’s colt starting clinic when he discovered that he can no longer use this method to control the situation. The hard part as a horseman is taking on the trouble others have put into the horses that come into SAFE. At times, in order to help them get to the other side of trouble, one must be courageous and firm with boundaries. You simply can’t kiss and hug them into acting safely around people. An understanding has to be found that peace is available when they accept the “good deal” presented to them by the handler. 

Jacob is one of those horses with “hidden troubles”. On the surface, as long as nothing is asked of him that requires him to give to more pressure that he feels is okay, he is fairly easy to get along with on the ground. Leaving trouble spots like this in a horse can quickly become a very dangerous situation. Working around them or “surface” working them, can leave this danger inside and will eventually come out in an unpleasant experience. This happens all the time when you go to a show or a clinic and you have a horse that is acting “naughty”. Often you may hear the handler say things such as, “He is never like this at home.” Unfortunately, that is not the case. There are things at that at home are not being addressed and are coming to the surface in environments that add a level of stress different than at home. At a clinic years ago, I asked Buck Brannaman for activities that can be done at home to help this issue. One of his suggestions was to make sure the horse knows how to go up and down through the gaits off of “feel” and learns to connect more to the handler’s “feel” than other distractions. The more they are asked to be with you, the more you can support them when external stress adds energy. The more they think you are the “most interesting thing in the room,” the more likely they will look to you for how to respond in situations that worry them. 

It did not take much for Jacob to choose the good deal presented but it is essential that anyone handling him have consistency about this acceptance of pressure. Over the next months it is important that he always hears and feels the same level of support from people around him. As the winter progresses we will get him less dull and more responsive than reactive. He should make a lovely recreational riding horse. We plan on starting him as a riding horse in the spring of this year. 

Jacob is such a sweet horse! He seems very comfortable with people and is very easy to halter and groom. Jacob even got his front feet trimmed by Joel and is starting to allow his back feet to be picked up. Jacob is also starting to understand a flag and sort out the difference between meaningful pressure and non-meaningful stimulus. Hopefully we will be able to walk to the round pen soon so we can continue his training in that space!