APPLE HILL AZAL

"BABY AZAL"
by April E. Johnson
Copyright 1996
In 1975 I purchased the mare Rose Halima, and late in the summer she had a colt, "Baby". Something happened with just one look at "Baby" - he was special and I knew I had to keep him, never mind that we had four breeding stallions and another colt was not a necessity. "Baby" grew to weaning age in normal fashion just like any of our youngsters. We all the other foals were fillies that year and at weaning "Baby" and the three fillies were all placed together. Then I began to notice again that special attraction between "Baby" and me I only had to go to the fence or gate and no matter what fun game the group was playing or how far away, "Baby" would come running to me just to be with me. "Baby" got too old to be with the fillies and was moved to a large paddock with a two stall barn attached, located behind our house. "Baby" had excellent manners and seemed to read my mind from the first time he was haltered. I never really trained ''Baby" to all those little things that make horse handling more a pleasure than a chore, I had only to "think" what I wanted. I firmly believe in mental telepathy and I have never had more complete mental communications with any horse as I have had with "Baby".
When "Baby" was two years old we bred him to a couple of quiet mares to start him as a breeding stallion and to learn good breeding manners and he proved to be a total gentleman with his mares.
A little later that summer I had to treat Baby every day for fly irritation on his stomach. One day I told him that since I had to go to the trouble of getting him up from his paddock we should do something more. He suggested to me that I (by mental telepathy) ride him. I had done no ground work such as loungeing, ground driving, saddling, biting, - or any other training, but I took him into the paddock and just got on him with a halter and lead rope to guide him. We rode around every day for the next three days, but a good horse, let alone a "special horse," whose intelligence will demand increased difficult work to fully employ his mind is best left alone until more physically mature. So, sadly, I told "Baby" I was really sorry but more riding would have to wait until the spring of his third year. That fall we did more basic ground work and I found out that "Baby" may be a "star" but he is also a "real horse" with likes and dislikes one of which was a definite dislike of the crupper which is often used with a surcingle to keep the surcingle from riding forward on the withers. But, he did learn to tolerate it.
I started a light schedule of riding "Baby" when he was three and built a lot of trail obstacles to work him over, through, and around to help keep his mind fully occupied. It is only fair to say that Egyptian Arabians, in fact most Arabians, are of superior intelligence and one must keep well ahead of them. If you are an advanced rider or trainer you will be very pleased at how quickly they learn, but as they are learning and thinking they will sometimes get up to some tricks. You also have to consider their physical age and ability - they may not be able to keep up the pace. On the other hand, if you are inexperienced or a novice, but kind and well meaning, they will think for you and take care of you once they have the proper basic training every horse needs.
"Baby" and I decided to start showing under saddle in Western Pleasure. He had already won Halter Championships and Most Classic Awards. Our first two shows in Western Pleasure were learning experiences but fun. On the way to the third show, I had three truck breakdowns and never made it. Stress and fatigue (I was driving alone, as I had for years) brought on anxiety attacks so severe I had to be hospitalized for ten days. Only my desire to be with "Baby" brought me back to control of the stress/anxiety complex. About this time I had already begun working on "Baby's" tricks, though I had never before taught tricks to any of my horses. My interest and work lay in Classical Dressage, the roots of training which I had received in Germany while there for four years in the late fifties and early sixties, so I had my own concerns about how tricks would affect Classical Dressage.
I remember the first trick I taught "Baby" which was to bow. I didn't know how to go about teaching it physically, so by mental telepathy I told "Baby" what I wanted. Taking him to the riding ring using only a simple halter and lead, I said to "Baby" ...."Bow", as I lifted the near fore hoof and he performed a perfect bow. It usually takes "Baby three minutes to learn a new trick. I taught him to kneel on both front knees, shake hands, lie down, sit up, let me sit on him while lying down, paw or count, wave a flag, turn on and off a light switch, mount pedestals of all heights, mount the pedestal, and salute by waving a fore leg, stand much like an elephant on all four legs on a very small pedestal space, mount a pedestal backwards, remove a towel, coat or similar object from his back, retrieve a dropped glove, cross his front legs, stick out his tongue on command, give me a kiss, give me a hug, the high rear, the whirling rear, and walking on the hind legs. "Baby's" High School/Dressage accomplishments include the Piaffe, Passage, Spanish walk, Spanish trot, and the Lavade and the Capriole. Most of the tricks and High School feats can be performed under saddle, on the Short Rein, on the lounge line, or at liberty.
A three month stay with Major Hector Carmona and Gail Goff-Carmona in New Jersey at their Los Alamos/Princeton Arabian Stud and Dressage Training Center in the fall of 1981 gained me the insight I needed to complete the advanced work on "Baby's" high school routine.
"Baby" has performed for the public from close by at Memphis in May to Arab shows in the New England states. "Baby" is no longer available for engagements at horse shows and charity functions but can be seen at age 21 at Apple Hill. "Baby Azal" is the "special" horse of my life. He has pulled me together at central points in my life. He literally kept me going during the final weeks of my father's fight with cancer in 1984 and again in 1986 through my mother's illness and death. "Baby" is enough just "to be." but his special talents have brought joy to many. Some of his admirers, have tried to buy him, but that has never been an option.
At age 21 in 1996, "Baby" rules the farm. He goes out when he wants and comes in when he wants. He looks more like a 14 or 15 year old. I rarely ask much of him these days, but always acts glad to do his tricks and High School movements for visitors.
It is 1999, and I am sad to report that Baby passed away in February at the age of 24. Baby did not leave me alone, he saw me well started with "Gumby" (Apple Hill Thamood NSR), not as a replacement for him, but as a new friend on a new adventure.

Back to the Egyptian Arabian Article, the Mare Gallery, Thamood's Gallery, April's homepage, the Apple Hill homepage or to Atelier47.