Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
I can't believe how quickly our anniversary has come around. She arrived while I was on holiday and I met her nearly 3 weeks later on August 20th 2021. She was and remains defensive and easily upset, but despite all the threatening face pulling and the dramatic reactions to raised hands or sudden movement she is actually remarkably chilled. She hacks across any terrain without turning a hair at anything. She works cows. She rests her hooves on my lap whem I am studding her to save my back and she self loads! She is just so, so easy. And SO much fun to ride. I adored ridin Amber but Lottie suits me much better. She is a lot saner for a start. And less prone to launching into orbit over jumps.
Lesson 1 was... erm.. catching! She wasn't overly keen. But we addressed that then lesson 2 was leading. And lesson 3 was standing at the mounting block (or wall or stone or whatever I want to scramble onto her from). All that was easy. Lesson 4 was standing still and not doing anyhing. Horse-as-sofa. Well that blew her mind. She likes to be BUSY. But she got that too and we were ready to ride.
After 10 days I took her to a camp and she did not put a foot wrong. After 14 days she came in lame from the field. After a few weeks of my normal vet not really identifying the issue, we took her somewhere else and an SI injury was diagnosed. Cue 3 months rehab. But in Decemember we were signed off fit and well readyu to crack on. Jan/Feb we carried on hacking and I introduced jumping her. And discovered I had absolutely no control at all. Oops. Back to the drawing board for a few weeks to instill a bit more rideability! In March we went back to camp and she was awesome. Proved to be bold and far more rideable. So in April we started eventing and while the dressage was a car-crash, she was MEGA when it came to jumping. DC in our first ever event. I could not believe this bought unseen punt was turning into such a reliable superstar.
Since then we have evented a few more times and begun to post better dressage scores, finally starting to place in events with a 4th and a 7th in our last 2 runs. We have done 6 events and across all of them we have had 2 poles and 1 run out. She has been clear XC and clear SJ in 5/6 runs this season. Not bad!!
Along the way we have also done the Arena Eventing at Chastworth, some pure dressage unaff, some combined training and my first ever British Novice at a BS show. And gone to cowboy camp with her sharer.
Throughout she has had an incredible can-do work ethic. Nothing phases her at all.
On the more high maintenance side of things - she is prone to hind gut issues and her supplement bill is eye watering. She goes better in vastly expensive kit like the WOW freedom girth. She needs monthly massage and physio to keep her in good shape. We are on a yard of hardy natives and she is definitely the diva of the group! But everyone loves her, especially me.
I have made a highlights video of our year. I'm so soft it makes me cry every time I view it. Can't wait for Year 2!
Lesson 1 was... erm.. catching! She wasn't overly keen. But we addressed that then lesson 2 was leading. And lesson 3 was standing at the mounting block (or wall or stone or whatever I want to scramble onto her from). All that was easy. Lesson 4 was standing still and not doing anyhing. Horse-as-sofa. Well that blew her mind. She likes to be BUSY. But she got that too and we were ready to ride.
After 10 days I took her to a camp and she did not put a foot wrong. After 14 days she came in lame from the field. After a few weeks of my normal vet not really identifying the issue, we took her somewhere else and an SI injury was diagnosed. Cue 3 months rehab. But in Decemember we were signed off fit and well readyu to crack on. Jan/Feb we carried on hacking and I introduced jumping her. And discovered I had absolutely no control at all. Oops. Back to the drawing board for a few weeks to instill a bit more rideability! In March we went back to camp and she was awesome. Proved to be bold and far more rideable. So in April we started eventing and while the dressage was a car-crash, she was MEGA when it came to jumping. DC in our first ever event. I could not believe this bought unseen punt was turning into such a reliable superstar.
Since then we have evented a few more times and begun to post better dressage scores, finally starting to place in events with a 4th and a 7th in our last 2 runs. We have done 6 events and across all of them we have had 2 poles and 1 run out. She has been clear XC and clear SJ in 5/6 runs this season. Not bad!!
Along the way we have also done the Arena Eventing at Chastworth, some pure dressage unaff, some combined training and my first ever British Novice at a BS show. And gone to cowboy camp with her sharer.
Throughout she has had an incredible can-do work ethic. Nothing phases her at all.
On the more high maintenance side of things - she is prone to hind gut issues and her supplement bill is eye watering. She goes better in vastly expensive kit like the WOW freedom girth. She needs monthly massage and physio to keep her in good shape. We are on a yard of hardy natives and she is definitely the diva of the group! But everyone loves her, especially me.
I have made a highlights video of our year. I'm so soft it makes me cry every time I view it. Can't wait for Year 2!
Last edited:
