A Smokey update! He is the BEST eventing pony :D

Lolo

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There are SO many videos in this report, I apologise in advance! But he is just a superstar and I thought you'd all like to know :D

(that's a lie, I'm just too chufty proud of them both not to shout it from the rooftops! Sorry!)

So Smokey and Al set off to their first show together on Sunday. He came off the lorry like his pants were on fire, but settled down really sweetly in the dressage warm up. Unfortunately, a Smokey-eating monster then appeared. Most horses know this monster as an 11hh fatty pony, but Smokey knew its true intent and kept a very close eye on it. Unfortunately, this did mean the test was a little unsettled and tense- he did try but was too worried about his safety. Once the pony went, he settled and produced some lovely work so it was a positive start really :)

They then went onto the SJ ring, just to potter round whatever was up. It was the 60cm clear round, and Smokey was very clever about it all and pinged round. It was too small, he said, and quite insulting to ask such a talented pony to jump this measly height... But for a first show together, I think starting tiny and leaving it on that note was a very good idea!
[youtube]lRFoaIPDpC0[/youtube]

Finally, they went off and played on the XC course. He was insanely awesome, remembered that ditches were easy peasy and was very confident and cute over all the fences. He had one dither at the trakehner, when he didn't believe Al about the ditch, got to the fence and went "There's a ditch! You never said!". Came again and flew it :D He is going to be amazing, honestly could not be more impressed by his attitude! The cocky little head tosses will hopefully become less prevalent when he's being asked harder questions!

Click me!
This is the playlist of all the videos of him being amazing. It lasts about 4 minutes in total, but this is the easiest way of sharing it :) Sorry it's not a direct, embedded link :(

So yes, Smokey is amazing and hopefully will be a superstar eventing pony in time!

Thank you for reading, soggy spinach pizza and a chocolate orange for getting this far!
 
Well Done...........I think you get so much from riding a young horse and nice to see others starting 'little' and letting the horse enjoy himself!!

Looking forward to some further reports.
 
Lovely vids, I own Smokeys carbon copy only in a female version... :D

I was having to smile to myself as I was watching your boy, as my mare Evie even tosses her head in the same way as yours!! Very nicely ridden! Hope they both have many happy, successful years together! :)
 
Well Done...........I think you get so much from riding a young horse and nice to see others starting 'little' and letting the horse enjoy himself!!

Looking forward to some further reports.

He's 8, but is a real baby in terms of where he is in his schooling. I was told by my sister (the rider in the vids) they'd only done the 'baby' stuff XC... This turned out to be most of the BE80 course! To me that's HUGE! :D

Looking very good!

Thank you :) He loved every second, and got very cocky and funny about it all- he's the next Little Tiger donchaknow :P Al did tell him he has a long way to go to match up to Reg :D
 
Lovely vids, I own Smokeys carbon copy only in a female version... :D

I was having to smile to myself as I was watching your boy, as my mare Evie even tosses her head in the same way as yours!! Very nicely ridden! Hope they both have many happy, successful years together! :)

She must be beautiful :D (I'm so biased, lol)

Thank you, I do too as soppy as it sounds. He's 'replacing' Al's little mare who we very sadly lost to ovarian tumours, and so the fact he's being so cool and happy is making the transition a lot easier than it could have been.

Beautiful looking horse :) and he does look as though he is disgusted with the size of the jumps, very eager!!!
Best of luck for the future with him :)
Will pass on the pizza but would really like the chocolate orange please :)

£1 in Sainsburys... :D

He was very insulted! Al promised him next time he'll get more appropriate fences!
 
She must be beautiful :D (I'm so biased, lol)

Thank you, I do too as soppy as it sounds. He's 'replacing' Al's little mare who we very sadly lost to ovarian tumours, and so the fact he's being so cool and happy is making the transition a lot easier than it could have been.

Haha! She is beautiful, but she certainly knows it! lol

Well I wish them both lots of luck, he looks beautiful, and they already look like a lovely partnership together! :)
 
What a gorgeous horse you have ;)

They are doing fab, and I'm loving these updates! So glad 'my' (sob) gorgeous boy is being put to such good use!

He's only ever done one xc course, where he was clear, but it was diddy, with just normal xc jumps, so him doing ditches (as I said he has done hunting, but that's different lol), trakaners (however its spelt) etc etc just shows what a fab horse he is, and how he trusts Al so much already!

Can't wait for some more party updates :)

Bexcy-bee xx
 
Aw he is totally fab! He really looks very confident xc given how early in his training he is!
 
I am really looking forward to following this ones story , it's looking good and I am sure it's going to be enormous fun.
 
Ah I'll look forward to regular smokey updates, along with fabulous Reg, I do enjoy seeing the pics

:) There's a Reg report coming up in C&T too if you fancy seeing him strut his showing stuff at Houghton!

More piccies next time, as I'll be properly about and armed with my camera :D

Haha! She is beautiful, but she certainly knows it! lol

Well I wish them both lots of luck, he looks beautiful, and they already look like a lovely partnership together! :)

Thank you, same to you and your new horse (if I've got you right and you have the lovely young ex-racer!).

What a gorgeous horse you have ;)

They are doing fab, and I'm loving these updates! So glad 'my' (sob) gorgeous boy is being put to such good use!

He's only ever done one xc course, where he was clear, but it was diddy, with just normal xc jumps, so him doing ditches (as I said he has done hunting, but that's different lol), trakaners (however its spelt) etc etc just shows what a fab horse he is, and how he trusts Al so much already!

Can't wait for some more party updates :)

Bexcy-bee xx

Aww, thank you :) He's just so clever about everything- hopefully his head chucking will lessen as he develops his canter and stops being a cocky little monkey :D But it's awesome he feels so clever, and he's proved he really is as good as he says!

Hopefully he'll be ready for posh parties in the next month or 2- just got to crack that canter in an arena as well as the nice big field at home!
 
Smokey is SUCH a dude, He really looks like such fun:)

Al has managed to find another horse who she never stops grinning when she rides him! Smokes is so clever- he's Reg's polar opposite, and makes Reggie look like Horrid Henry he's so sweet, and they compliment each other perfectly.

Got HHO to thank for him too :D

Aw he is totally fab! He really looks very confident xc given how early in his training he is!

You'd think he had done way more, wouldn't you! He was just so blase about it all, nothing phased him and although he didn't enjoy being told he wasn't allowed to gallop everywhere he did accept he potentially needed to listen a tiny bit :D

I am really looking forward to following this ones story , it's looking good and I am sure it's going to be enormous fun.

Thank you :) I will keep NL updated about him, as he's such a HHO horse and some of you have 'known' him from the very start. Al is loving it already :)
 
He sure is! Must be something in the name ;)

Will be fun to watch both progressing!

How big is your Smokey? He's a stunner! Definitely in the name :D

Looks really good! He has a lovely jump :)

He goes ping in a big way! The first time Al jumped him she got rocketed out of the saddle :eek: Luckily, she's got used to him since then! He is seriously scopey though, and so striking the balance between a height where he can learn safely and a height he doesn't find insulting is tricky :)
 
Just lovely and you can hear the pride in your voice of them both . i just love your reports . keep them coming please x

Thank you- I am a very proud big sister, I have a huge amount of respect for Al as she does just keep slogging away and working her butt off to get anything done and it feels a little bit like it's slowly paying off now. I will! I like writing them- you look back and realise how far they've come!

He was a small 15.3 when I got him and he's now a good 16hh (that's my daughter riding him who is 5'10" I'm a short ar*e and rather larger than she is!!

He's huge compared to our Smokey then, who is diddy enough that we think he'd measure in at 153cm if Al ever fancied doing WH stuff with him :eek: Reg is over 17hh, so she's got the full spectrum of heights :D Love your boy, look forwards to reading reports!

What a lovely post.Nice to hear some good news after losing B

Thank you. I really hope your little mare comes through the op with that 'bring it on' attitude she's shown so often- so sorry though that this has happened. The feisty little mares of HHO are suffering this year :(
 
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