Backing up a bit ... in 2006 I purchased my first Canadian Horse, and first very-own horse, Noti. Noti is short for "Notikewin", which is part of his registered name Kecaluku Charbon Notikewin. Say THAT 5 times fast!
A little breed trivia: the first two parts of a purebred Canadian Horse's name refer to the name of the breeder and the name of the sire respectively; with the third name being the horse's own name. The first letter of the horse`s name is a hint to when it was born, since it must be the same as the letter assigned to that year by the Canadian Horse Breeders`Association. 2003, Noti`s birth year, was an `N`year so all purebred Canadians born that year were registered with a name that begins with the letter `N`. 2002 was the `M`year, and so on ...
Noti was named after a river in Alberta where he was born. The word "Notikewin" is a Cree word which means "battle". The Notikewin River was so named because it was reportedly the site of a number of historical skirmishes between the Cree and Beaver peoples. But despite the origin of his name, it was clear from the beginning that Noti is a lover, not a fighter ...
Gentlemen prefer blondes! Noti with (l-r) Lacia, me and Lily in winter 2010.
Having never trained a horse before, I purchased Noti as a halter-broken 3-year old gelding from his breeder Cathy Sutherland of Fairview, Alberta. The friends who transported Noti home from Cathy's place tell me that she was in tears when she loaded him on the trailer -- testament to the love and care that Cathy put into her horses. Noti could not have had a better start in life.
Due to life throwing me a few (big) curveballs, I wasn't able to spend as much time with Noti as I hoped in those first few years. Lucky for Noti, my friend and mentor Cindy Smith of Gem's Haven Stables did (and continues to do) all the hard work and even did the mothering whenever I could not. And while Noti is not yet broke to saddle, we have done a LOT of work to ensure that the next stages of his training by me, his still-green-as-grass trainer, will go as safely and smoothly as possible.
Noti has grown into a handsome horse, a very nice example of the breed known for its excellent temperament, versatility and toughness. Now 8 years old and an impressive 16 hands -- and about 1,200-1,300 lbs! -- Noti is becoming easier to work with than ever.
This coming year will see Noti's training resume in earnest, with the goal of the two of us taking our first trail ride together on or before my 45th birthday in August. I will be posting some photos and (war) stories of our previous adventures in training, along with new ones -- cheers and playful jeers all gratefully received!
