A happy post which may help someone!

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oldie48

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So I ditched the expensive schoolmaster who really didn't want to do "dressage" anymore, found him a lovely hacking home and bought Mr B. He was bigger than I wanted, wrong colour, quite sensitive and much less established than I really wanted. TBH I struggled for the first six months, found him a bit of a pain to hack but was completely won over by his lovely manners and good looks (yes I am very shallow!). Next six months we started to get some lovely work but it was inconsistent and I realised he was a lot more horse than I'd been used to and I really needed to improve my riding if I was going to be happy on him and frankly I wasn't sure I could. I had a horrible experience in a warm up when I understood he was unhappy with horses coming towards him at speed and I wasn't giving him the confidence to cope. So it's been a bit up and down and always at the back of my mind has been the feeling that he's too much horse for me! So where is the happy bit, you might ask? Well, 18 months down the line I'm actually feeling OK, consistently getting good work, I don't feel sick when he gets a bit reactive and he doesn't get upset if he/we get it wrong. I schooled him today and he was awesome at times, not perfect but all the lateral work was pretty good. We had lift in the trot (his worse pace), canter was sublime and the walk was without tension. I caught sight of him in the mirrors and he looked happy, soft in the eye and you know, he felt like my partner. What more can I say?
 
nothing to add except swell done for persevering....I decided to sell mine after 6 months as she scared me, she was 11 then . still own her, she is now 24 and still a handful, lots of ups and downs on the way but wouldn't change a thing...
 
Photos are needed!

And i agree with all your post. I would never look twice at a 17yo coloured ex hunter, but he is my dream horse and id be lost without him :)
 
Glad you've got to a happy place! I also got something that wasn't exactly what I was looking for, and needed more schooling. I initially wondered if I really had the skill to deal with him. Plus he didn't have the lovely manners of yours to keep me going, but fortunately what he did have in his case was an amazing attitude under saddle and a healthy dollop of natural ability and good paces.

That combination, plus lots of help and lessons, has meant that in 6 months we've gone from not being able to turn right in the school, to doing a half decent 20m circle in canter. Not perhaps the quickest improvement but an improvement all the same.

I think as long as you're making progress overall, despite the odd blip maybe, and you're enjoying the journey, that's what really counts.
 
I will ask someone to take a photo of us the only one I've got was taken the first week I had him in his Norah Batty socks and lacking topline and condition, but here it is.
bisto2_zps4279f93a.jpg
sychnant said:
That's great news, well done.

But where's the photo??? :)
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Thank you. He doesn't have a nasty bone in his body, his manners on the ground are impeccable and he loves fuss, a really lovely horse to have around. I feel so lucky to have found him, just wish it had been when I was a bit younger. I just need to build his confidence in the warm up so I can get out and enjoy competing him. I'd also like to do some showing classes with him.
sychnant said:
He is just GORGEOUS!!!
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Wow, he's beautiful! And thank you for the happy post. There are so many less than happy ones around, and yours is really positive.

Have a wonderful new year with your boy! :-)
 
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