A new Factor

On Aug 22, I made the decision to purchase an off the track thoroughbred. Because of COVID, it’s been a harrowing decision for me, whether to pull the trigger on a horse almost a thousand miles away that I actually can’t go meet before hand. To say the least, it’s been a little nerve wracking. But from the moment the shipper picked him up, it was all positive news about him and how he handle the journey.

So, without further adieu, here is Factor!

He’s a 2017 model, and completely fantastic so far.

Factor arrived on Thursday last week, almost a week ago today, after shipping up from Kentucky. His journey was on some of the hotter days this summer, and I am incredibly thankful to have found a shipper who stopped frequently, got him off to walk around, and generally made the experience as positive as possible for his travels north.

He spent Friday - Sunday hand-walking with me. Then he tried a short stint turned out on Monday. Tuesday he spent the whole day outside…and then today we got rain. Poor guy…is not a fly fan, or a rain fan. To be honest, he’s a bit thin skinned.

Other than that? He’s been the perfect gentleman. He’s been sensible, he’s been willing to learn and see new things, and he’s been acceptable even in his spooks. (He spooked at a car in the rain today, though, and it definitely made me jump. But I talked at him, and he blew for a second, but came back really easily.) That all said, I really do have to give the people who started him a lot of credit. They gave him a good foundation, and he is a delightful horse to work with as a result.