An ex-racer journey: 4 years later...

[Lolo]

[youtube]-1qedQ7xC9E[/youtube]

It's been 4 very special years for Al and Reg and although this will sink to oblivion I wanted to mark it somehow in here. So here's a video we put together of their journey.

The past 4 years haven't been all smiles and easy improvements. There's been a fair amount of tears and feeling like no matter how hard she worked it was never enough. But their baby steps, when you look back, have added up to giant leaps.

Reg is my sister's horse of a lifetime. They have struggled and succeeded together and I am so proud of them both. He is utterly perfect and I hope this shows their journey well.

 

[snooples]

Lovely!

 

[LauraWheeler]

Lovely video. They've come such a long way together. I hope they are proud of what they have achieved. I hope they have many more happy years together and I wish them every sucess. They both deserve it

 

[tonitot]

That's a lovely video I didnt realise that Al had had a hard time with him, makes the partnership they have now very special

 

[sarahann1]

Aww, lovely to see the change for the better

 

[Nicnac]

Just awwww.

 

[Holly Hocks]

Fab video and lovely to see such a transformation. Brilliant!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Lovely video, what a handsome horse and your sister rides so well. It takes a lot of courage to achieve what she has.

 

[fattylumpkin]

Really lovely video thanks for sharing!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Lovely video!

 

[ameeyal]

Well done to the both of them, great video.

 

[doriangrey]

How lovely

 

[Lambkins]

Loved that and well done all that hard work has really paid off

 

[Cragrat]

Made me cry

So beautiful, such a lovely partnership they have now. And such a beautiful horse! He is lucky to have your sister, so quiet and patient with him, and to persevere with him.

 

[buddylove]

Also made my eyes leak, he is gorgeous and your sister is very brave and determined! Beautiful song as well, here's to many happy years ahead x

 

[star26]

What a lovely tribute- just fab.

 

[honetpot]

Brilliant, just goes to show what hard work, skill and patience can do.

 

[SadKen]

Really enjoyed that, very inspiring. You can see where it all falls into place and they start moving together.

 

[lea840]

How refreshing to see someone with such determination and strength to carry on, even when the chips are down! often, so many people give up with all types of horses, not just ex racers. What a lovely video showing the timeline of a great partnership

 

[Megibo]

Lovely video-there might be a lump in my throat!!

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Lovely to watch, well done.

 

[yaffsimone1]

Fabulous video, thank you.

I've had my ex racer coming up for 5 months, and i hope we are where you are in 4 years time. Sometimes i ask for too much too soon, but like you say its small baby steps, they wake up one morning and seem to have 'got it' and figured it out! Being able to look back and see how far you've come is wonderful. I know, eventhough it doesn't feel like it at the time and you think your getting nowhere that bond is developing

Keep it up x

 

[tickety_boo]

I loved watching that. Thank you. Cracking rider!

 

[Lolo]

Lovely!

Thank you!

Lovely video. They've come such a long way together. I hope they are proud of what they have achieved. I hope they have many more happy years together and I wish them every sucess. They both deserve it

Al is very proud of Reg, and if you catch her at the right moment she might begrudgingly admit she's done rather a lot to make him like he is. But those are rare occasions! Thank you, I hope they have many more years together too. He's got a home for life no matter what with his owner, and when he retires he'll be Al's super nanny for the babies

That's a lovely video I didnt realise that Al had had a hard time with him, makes the partnership they have now very special

They really struggled but in that struggle Al learnt to really ride. Now she's riding a lot of youngsters and because of all the work she did with him, they feel very easy! I think all the knocks they took made them stronger now, she really appreciates what she's got and how special he is.

Aww, lovely to see the change for the better

Thank you.

 

[Lolo]

Just awwww.

Sums it up! He's a sweetheart and we all adore him.

Fab video and lovely to see such a transformation. Brilliant!

It took a long time to put together and Al and I spent a lot of time going "it looks too depressing!" and then "now it looks like it was easy!" befor getting this one. Thank you

Lovely video, what a handsome horse and your sister rides so well. It takes a lot of courage to achieve what she has.

She wants to be a professional but we're not a tremendously wealthy family, so she knows what she has is what she has and we can't do more- I think it makes her braver, because she has to work harder and push harder to get there. He is a beauty and would shine as an RoR show horse if he could just show off his perfect manners in the ring rather than trying to kill everyone... A collecting ring with galloping ponies and screaming mothers is fine, but a sedate trot round a show ring is mind blowing apparently!

Really lovely video thanks for sharing!

Lovely video!

Well done to the both of them, great video.

Thank you for your lovely comments- means a lot to Al (and me, as a very proud big sister!).

 

[Antw23uk]

I hope four years down the line with my ex racer I can be as proud as you are of Al and Reg. Beautiful video x

 

[Lolo]

Loved that and well done all that hard work has really paid off

Thank you!

Made me cry

So beautiful, such a lovely partnership they have now. And such a beautiful horse! He is lucky to have your sister, so quiet and patient with him, and to persevere with him.

Sorry :/

They are adorable together, Al knows him far too well and panders to his every whim- he even gets his feed in a special way because he's so fussy

Also made my eyes leak, he is gorgeous and your sister is very brave and determined! Beautiful song as well, here's to many happy years ahead x

She's a teenager, perfect time for mad bravery! Mum and me always joke that if Al wants to do something she'll do it and do it well, using whatever she can. Thank you

What a lovely tribute- just fab.

Thank you

Brilliant, just goes to show what hard work, skill and patience can do.

Looking back it's a bit scary where they were and where they are now. So proud of them both

 

[Lolo]

Really enjoyed that, very inspiring. You can see where it all falls into place and they start moving together.

It just clicked it seemed. Things still go wrong, but now they can both move on whereas before they couldn't and it really limited how they could progress.

How refreshing to see someone with such determination and strength to carry on, even when the chips are down! often, so many people give up with all types of horses, not just ex racers. What a lovely video showing the timeline of a great partnership

I think that his attitude through it all made it easier- he's a delight to know, and tries so hard. It's the trying that got them- he knew it wasn't right and was scaring himself which made him panic and stop more. Now he's completely blase about everything and loves taking fliers and scaring us! If he hadn't been such a delight it would have been much harder to soldier on for her. But she loves the bones of him and giving up never seemed like a feasible option (although last year it definitely crossed her mind!).

Lovely video-there might be a lump in my throat!!

Lovely to watch, well done.

Thank you to you both

 

[Lolo]

Fabulous video, thank you.

I've had my ex racer coming up for 5 months, and i hope we are where you are in 4 years time. Sometimes i ask for too much too soon, but like you say its small baby steps, they wake up one morning and seem to have 'got it' and figured it out! Being able to look back and see how far you've come is wonderful. I know, eventhough it doesn't feel like it at the time and you think your getting nowhere that bond is developing

Keep it up x

It's when you step back and look at where you were that it all seems to be a bit more like you're doing something. Al always thinks she's not really progressing with Reg, and this helped her realise they have improved so much together.

Good luck with your ex-racer! They're the best

I loved watching that. Thank you. Cracking rider!

Thank you She tries hard and it's paying off a bit now!

I hope four years down the line with my ex racer I can be as proud as you are of Al and Reg. Beautiful video x

Thank you Now you can see why there was all the outrage when you called him a schoolmaster and that she was riding him badly I hope

 

[Antw23uk]

Thank you Now you can see why there was all the outrage when you called him a schoolmaster and that she was riding him badly I hope

Ooohhhh yes, now I see what a dumb*arss I was for that rude comment