LauraWheeler
Well-Known Member
Two years ago I desided Lucy was getting abit old and would need to slow down. So I started looking for a nice youngster to bring on which would be ready to take over when Lucy was ready to retire. I realy realy wanted a conni and was searching high and low for one in my price range (LOL). Then in October Lucy started showing strange signs of illness. I knew now that all hope of getting a conni was gone as I would need something alittle older incase it needed to take over sooner. I was still looking for something without behavoral issues or helth issues after all I had been through with Lucy over the last 12 years and as much as I loved her with all my heart I thought I deserved a nice easy pony for once.
In early Nov I recieved some devestating news when Lucys diagnosis was in. She had a very very rare illness and the vets didn't expect her to make it passed xmas. Everyone else knew I needed a pony pronto. If I lost Lucy and didn't already have another I would probably give up horses. I realy wasn't intrested in looking anymore but my boss found a pony advertised on a local website who she thought sounded just what I would love. I looked at the awful photo and read the unflattering ad and reluctantly agreed to go.
When we arrived we saw a very sad looking short, fat forester, living on it's own in someones back garden. I looked into his eyes and it was asif he had no spirit at all. The owner didn't want to ride him so I got streight on. She was telling us how she rescued him and all the problems he had which she had sorted.
This is me trying him out.
He realy wasn't what I was looking for but there was something about this pony. I looked at his passport and saw he had had 6 other owners already and this owner was selling after 6 months. The owners before had only had him for 5. The owner was telling us again how she "rescued" him from his last home and how she had paid £1500 for just him. She was selling him for £550 inclu all tack and rugs. He was 8years old and had was only gelded when he was 7. This should have all set alarm bells ringing in my head I know but as we drove home I felt guilty for leaving him there. (I'm convinced to this day he had been doped when we were trying him out.) We got home and my boss rang the owner and said we'd pick nim up in three days.
So two years ago today 24th Nov 2009 Herbie came to live with me.
The day he arrived home.
When we got him home the extent of his problems became clear. He was easy to cathch, but once you had caught him it was near impossable to get him to move. When you eventualy got him in and you tried to groom him he would bite and kick you all he could. It took over an hour to get one circle of trot on one rein on the lunge. He would spend the whole time trying to come at you or kick you. If you tried to ride him he would refuse to mone and if you tried to make him he would just buck, rear, leap and spin. He refused to load in a lorry or trailer. One attempt ended up with him kicking out at my boss with both back legs missing her head by mm and he was agressive to other horses. (He would live with mares if they were in season but then he would just mount them all the time). He was agreesive with the farrier and was terrified of the clippers. (He was climbing the walls even before you had turned them on)
Several people wondered what on earth I had bough and thought I should get rid as soon as poss. But I knew there was a nice pony in there somewere.
I desided to work on the lunging first and battled everyday to get that one circle of trot. Slowly it started to get easyer and easyer. One day there was a jump up in the school and I desided to try him over it. He loved it. He flew over the jump and for once had his ears pricked.
I was now able to groom him after he had been excersised without to much trouble.
Then in July 2010 my world fell appart. Lucy had to be put down. I was a reck. I realy couldn't see how life was going to carry on without Lucy. I couldn't bare to look at Herbie. He wasn't my Lucy and he was NEVER going to replace her. For a month Herbie just sat in the field. I was despratly trying to cope with the loss of my mare. One day I was having a perticaly low day and a "Friend" said I should just send Herbie to the sales and hope the meatman bought him. I ran outside and up the field. Herbie was stood at the gate looking at me. He whickered at me. I walked over to him and looked at him. How could I give up on him, How could I let him down, How could I be so selfish. I got him in and desided to give him a groom. While I was grooming him he wasn't trying to bite me infact it was the opposit. While I was brushing him I was thinking of Lucy and satrted crying. Herbie started licking my face. It was asif he was licking the tears away. It was then I knew I had to keep going. I had to try to help Herbie.
Lunging was getting easyer and easyer so Then we tackled loading. It took over 30 mins of just me and him but he went in. And out and in and out. It now felt like he was starting to trust me. Next step was Hacking. Oh the battles we had. The hours it took to do a 30min hack. The times I cryed down the phone at my OH telling him I couldn't do it. I was having to battle him on my own as noone would hack out with me. Herbs was just as awful in company as he was on his own. He would just plant himself and if you tried to make him go forwards he would buck, rear, leap and spin. If you tried to wait him out he would just stand there till he got bord then he would Buck, rear, leap and spin. In the end the only course of action was to get off and litrely drag him up the road, after a while I would get back on and ride him a short distance till he stopped again then I would have to get off. I used to walk about 90% of the hack. But I kept going, Kept trying and slowly things improved.
Hacking was getting easyer.
I took him to a local show and did some inhand classes. He was a star and got a 2nd and a 5th.
Then I lost my job and had to move in with my OH and also moved Herbie there to.
I'll never forget the day we moved. My OH lives in the new forest. Herbie travelled well the whole way there. As we crossed the cattle grid he gave a whinny. It was asif he knew he was home (He's a forest bred).
At our new home we continued with the hacking and went to another show. Where he won the new forest in hand class and came 2nd in the novice.
His hacking was still getting better and better all the time and at the new yard there was also a school so I started introducing schooling work to. I even started jumping him.
In the beging of 2011 I desided to have a go at dressage with him. I found a local venue and we entered a walk and trot class. I was only going to see how he behaved ridden at a show and he was amazing. We did our class
[youtube]_6Ot0lVByTc[/youtube]
Then we even did a tiny clear round
[youtube]rCUNM_BOJHs[/youtube]
I was so proud. Herbie had behaved so well. The icing on the cake was when they anounced the results and Herbie had come 2nd.
Our bond was continuing to grow
[youtube]bFxUNgKDCR4[/youtube]
We did another walk trot test.
[youtube]mifMW-wuPXc[/youtube]
This time he won the class. What a cleaver little man he is.
We did lots more showing inhand including the New forest and romsey shows where he behaved amazingly in the big atmospheres.
Hacking by now was easy. We were enjoying lovely rides on the forest, trotting and cantering and even jumping things. He was easy to groom, loaded well, was good for the farrier. He was becoming such a nice little pony. In October 2011 I desided to do something I haddn't been bravenough to do for years. We went showjumping and what a day we had.
[youtube]xN4EWxikvzk[/youtube]
I was so proud hacking home that day I thought I was going to burst.
And now here we are today. Two years later. Herbs still has his little querks but thats what makes him him and thats why I love him so much. But despite his little querks he's a far cry from the horrid agressive uncooprative little pony I bought. I'm glad he's proved his doughters wrong. I'm glad I never gave up on him. I would have missed out on so much if I had and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
[youtube]2u4QFoI1Sw0[/youtube]
Gosh that was a mamouth post. But words can't realy describe what this pony means to me. We have been through so much together and he helped me through my darkest hour.
Thanks for reading. Have some nice choc cake if you got to the end. xx
In early Nov I recieved some devestating news when Lucys diagnosis was in. She had a very very rare illness and the vets didn't expect her to make it passed xmas. Everyone else knew I needed a pony pronto. If I lost Lucy and didn't already have another I would probably give up horses. I realy wasn't intrested in looking anymore but my boss found a pony advertised on a local website who she thought sounded just what I would love. I looked at the awful photo and read the unflattering ad and reluctantly agreed to go.
When we arrived we saw a very sad looking short, fat forester, living on it's own in someones back garden. I looked into his eyes and it was asif he had no spirit at all. The owner didn't want to ride him so I got streight on. She was telling us how she rescued him and all the problems he had which she had sorted.
This is me trying him out.
He realy wasn't what I was looking for but there was something about this pony. I looked at his passport and saw he had had 6 other owners already and this owner was selling after 6 months. The owners before had only had him for 5. The owner was telling us again how she "rescued" him from his last home and how she had paid £1500 for just him. She was selling him for £550 inclu all tack and rugs. He was 8years old and had was only gelded when he was 7. This should have all set alarm bells ringing in my head I know but as we drove home I felt guilty for leaving him there. (I'm convinced to this day he had been doped when we were trying him out.) We got home and my boss rang the owner and said we'd pick nim up in three days.
So two years ago today 24th Nov 2009 Herbie came to live with me.
The day he arrived home.
When we got him home the extent of his problems became clear. He was easy to cathch, but once you had caught him it was near impossable to get him to move. When you eventualy got him in and you tried to groom him he would bite and kick you all he could. It took over an hour to get one circle of trot on one rein on the lunge. He would spend the whole time trying to come at you or kick you. If you tried to ride him he would refuse to mone and if you tried to make him he would just buck, rear, leap and spin. He refused to load in a lorry or trailer. One attempt ended up with him kicking out at my boss with both back legs missing her head by mm and he was agressive to other horses. (He would live with mares if they were in season but then he would just mount them all the time). He was agreesive with the farrier and was terrified of the clippers. (He was climbing the walls even before you had turned them on)
Several people wondered what on earth I had bough and thought I should get rid as soon as poss. But I knew there was a nice pony in there somewere.
I desided to work on the lunging first and battled everyday to get that one circle of trot. Slowly it started to get easyer and easyer. One day there was a jump up in the school and I desided to try him over it. He loved it. He flew over the jump and for once had his ears pricked.
I was now able to groom him after he had been excersised without to much trouble.
Then in July 2010 my world fell appart. Lucy had to be put down. I was a reck. I realy couldn't see how life was going to carry on without Lucy. I couldn't bare to look at Herbie. He wasn't my Lucy and he was NEVER going to replace her. For a month Herbie just sat in the field. I was despratly trying to cope with the loss of my mare. One day I was having a perticaly low day and a "Friend" said I should just send Herbie to the sales and hope the meatman bought him. I ran outside and up the field. Herbie was stood at the gate looking at me. He whickered at me. I walked over to him and looked at him. How could I give up on him, How could I let him down, How could I be so selfish. I got him in and desided to give him a groom. While I was grooming him he wasn't trying to bite me infact it was the opposit. While I was brushing him I was thinking of Lucy and satrted crying. Herbie started licking my face. It was asif he was licking the tears away. It was then I knew I had to keep going. I had to try to help Herbie.
Lunging was getting easyer and easyer so Then we tackled loading. It took over 30 mins of just me and him but he went in. And out and in and out. It now felt like he was starting to trust me. Next step was Hacking. Oh the battles we had. The hours it took to do a 30min hack. The times I cryed down the phone at my OH telling him I couldn't do it. I was having to battle him on my own as noone would hack out with me. Herbs was just as awful in company as he was on his own. He would just plant himself and if you tried to make him go forwards he would buck, rear, leap and spin. If you tried to wait him out he would just stand there till he got bord then he would Buck, rear, leap and spin. In the end the only course of action was to get off and litrely drag him up the road, after a while I would get back on and ride him a short distance till he stopped again then I would have to get off. I used to walk about 90% of the hack. But I kept going, Kept trying and slowly things improved.
Hacking was getting easyer.
I took him to a local show and did some inhand classes. He was a star and got a 2nd and a 5th.
Then I lost my job and had to move in with my OH and also moved Herbie there to.
I'll never forget the day we moved. My OH lives in the new forest. Herbie travelled well the whole way there. As we crossed the cattle grid he gave a whinny. It was asif he knew he was home (He's a forest bred).
At our new home we continued with the hacking and went to another show. Where he won the new forest in hand class and came 2nd in the novice.
His hacking was still getting better and better all the time and at the new yard there was also a school so I started introducing schooling work to. I even started jumping him.
In the beging of 2011 I desided to have a go at dressage with him. I found a local venue and we entered a walk and trot class. I was only going to see how he behaved ridden at a show and he was amazing. We did our class
[youtube]_6Ot0lVByTc[/youtube]
Then we even did a tiny clear round
[youtube]rCUNM_BOJHs[/youtube]
I was so proud. Herbie had behaved so well. The icing on the cake was when they anounced the results and Herbie had come 2nd.
Our bond was continuing to grow
[youtube]bFxUNgKDCR4[/youtube]
We did another walk trot test.
[youtube]mifMW-wuPXc[/youtube]
This time he won the class. What a cleaver little man he is.
We did lots more showing inhand including the New forest and romsey shows where he behaved amazingly in the big atmospheres.
Hacking by now was easy. We were enjoying lovely rides on the forest, trotting and cantering and even jumping things. He was easy to groom, loaded well, was good for the farrier. He was becoming such a nice little pony. In October 2011 I desided to do something I haddn't been bravenough to do for years. We went showjumping and what a day we had.
[youtube]xN4EWxikvzk[/youtube]
I was so proud hacking home that day I thought I was going to burst.
And now here we are today. Two years later. Herbs still has his little querks but thats what makes him him and thats why I love him so much. But despite his little querks he's a far cry from the horrid agressive uncooprative little pony I bought. I'm glad he's proved his doughters wrong. I'm glad I never gave up on him. I would have missed out on so much if I had and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
[youtube]2u4QFoI1Sw0[/youtube]
Gosh that was a mamouth post. But words can't realy describe what this pony means to me. We have been through so much together and he helped me through my darkest hour.
Thanks for reading. Have some nice choc cake if you got to the end. xx
