A lot has happened in the life of Shaun since my last post.  I decided to take Shaun and my two mares to a Peter Campbell clinic.  I wanted to put Shaun in the morning ground work class and ride my Missouri Fox Trotter, Eclipse in the afternoon class.  I couldn't very well leave Bit at home alone, so loaded everyone up and off we went to Missouri! 
You know how life can sometimes take on this almost magical quality?  With Shaun, he seems to be in the constant company of angels.  One of the ladies at the clinic had brought a very troubled mare who she was afraid to ride.  It just so happens a cowboy by the name of Steven Thompson also decided to audit Peter's clinic that weekend.  Terrie met Steven, and Steven ended up working with and riding her very troubled mare for the first two days of the four day clinic.  They got on so well (you should see Steven ride!) that Terrie ended up sending her mare home with him as his forever horse.  Cool, huh?  Now I'm watching how Steven is riding and getting on with this mare thinkiing, that's the guy I want to put the first ride on Shaun.  The morning ground work bit of the clinic had very little on the ground work, and was mostly in the saddle, so that left me out.  I approached this gentle cowboy and asked if he would be interested in riding Shaun.  I let him know all about Shaun's history.  We asked Peter if it would be ok, and the next day, Shaun met Steven.
I'm not going to say my sweet ottb was a willing partner, at first.  I'm pretty sure it's the first wade saddle he'd ever known.  I'm pretty sure he hadn't been ridden since 2007.  And Shaun did have an "opinion" about the whole thing.  Yes he did!  Steven ended up riding Shaun the whole day, and I watched as my very skeptical, fearful horse got softer and more at peace with the ride.  Someone leaned over and said, "He's never been offered this before", and indeed I was sure he hadn't.  Race horses (I'm assuming all of them) are never offered pure horsemanship.  A soft feel.  Time to think and process.  Kindness.  Love. 
Gradually, I watched Shaun change.  From wide open eyes, and I mean I could see the whites, to softness.  by the end of the day?  He was working cows!  Yep, got him a job and he really liked it!  Steven said that he had to hold him back a bit, because Shaun was offering to really move those bovines, and he didn't want to undo all that good stuff he'd built on. 
The second change in Shaun's life, he is now barefoot.  It's taken a year to completely grow out his hoof, which is pretty typical.  Shaun has been on Formula4Feet by Emerald Valley, and that had built a rather lovely hoof structure and a great foundation for him to go barefoot.  Emerald Valley has been sponsoring Shaun since the beginning, so I have them to thank for his great feet.  No sugar, no grain, just timothy hay pellets, good grass hay, and msm and his hoof has grown out to be healthy and pasture sound.
Terrie Yordy came by yesterday and gave him his first bare foot trim.  Terrie puts the word soft into her handling of horses.  She does a lot of work with extreme hoof issues at rescues.  Shaun messed with her a bit, just to see if she knew what she was doing.  Then settled in and Terrie crafted the perfect barefoot hoof. 
Shaun has had a lot of changes this month.  His first ride, his first experience being bare foot, his first big clinic, his first experience of true horsemanship.  He's changed a lot this month.  More connected.  More willing. Lots of touching, sighing, and yawning.  I think he's happier.  I sure am.
I just purchased a Kieffer dressage saddle for him.  I'm hoping to put my first ride on Shaun next week.  Nothing long, no pressure.  Just sit up there and see Canada.  He is very TALL!