Are you and your horse well suited?

[soulfull]

Honestly hand on heart

How well suited are you and why?

I finally have a horse that is absolutely perfect for me
She is the gentlest creature I've ever met

forward going but as safe as they come. However she wouldn't be suitable for a novice is she is very forward going, and welsh so does ask a few questions although politely. She could turn her hoof to anything and indeed is starting to show promise over a fence

You and yours?

 

[debsflo]

we are now...when i bought her 11 years ago she was probably a bit too much horse for me .shes a big warmblood and i had been injured and out of riding for a year and still struggling. She is now older as am i and suits me in every way. Gentle,kind,affectionate,easy to do in every possible way and stunning to match. i couldnt wish for a nicer horse.

 

[throughtheforest]

Mine are both slightly nutty, kind, sensitive and tend to worry, where as I'm laid back, calm, persistent and have the skin of a rhino, we get on well. In fact I'd happily move them in...

 

[3Beasties]

I think we are. Wasn't plain sailing at the start thought, took a good 8 months to get over the worse of her behaviour!

 

[Goldenstar]

I think j and I are well suited apart from the fact he's taller than I like .
He's handsome and moves well .
He was a project in that he had throw in the towel with the jumping and needed a lot of time at home working through stuff .
I had been injured and needed a nice horse but would have been frustrated by a lovely horse ready to complete when I was not.
He light and easy to ride physically ( he's a TB ) .
He's complex and fun to work so it's not been boring working quietly at home .
He's going to be a great hunter not tiring to ride a great bonus I did not expect.
He's talented and enjoys dressage training so do I , although I don't compete .
He's a lovely hack I don't enjoy hacking but enjoy him .
He's 8 I am 53 if I am lucky he will see me out .
We where lucky to end up together .

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Yes: we are both fat and massive wusses, but fun, friendly and forward. The perfect match!!

 

[ihatework]

Yes.
The ones that haven't been right for me are moved into new homes.

 

[quirky]

Yes, we are lucky to have found each other.
She is bold, brave and biddable but aloof to all but me.
I adore her and I think she adores me too. She whinnies when she hears my car and is usually stood curling her lip up when I walk in the barn.

I love the way she doesn't give other people the time of day yet will stand for a mutual groom and hug as long as you like with me.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

someone once said I was a 'busy little person' and so was my horse - I don't think they liked his 'ever ready energy' quality but personally I love him for it. He loves to be busy and so do I.

 

[Moomin1]

Yes I think we are really suited. I've really started to understand her deeply in the past year I would say and can't imagine life without her.

 

[zaminda]

My first arab and I are a perfect match. My pony and I less so, although I am fond of him. My second arab and I are pretty well suited, although slightly less so than the number 1, who is basically me in equine form.

 

[be positive]

No, someone had to say no.
I don't want to jump, that is what he lives for!
I am short and like to be reasonably close to the ground nowadays, he is 16.2
I like dressage, he does not!

I could go on but he is handsome and lovely to deal with, he was gifted to me and for several reasons I could not turn away the chance to give him a home, at some point I hope to find the right, jumping, home for him for now he is stuck with me and will get jumped by a friend once he is able to.

 

[Polar Bear9]

I'll go for no as well. She was my first pony, I've had her 10 years and know her inside out but we're just really not suited. I like short-coupled and fizzy, shes built like a fat sausage dog and is a lazy plod (until she sees a jump). Pretty sure she is of the same opinion and doesn't think I'm her ideal rider. I keep her cos I love her to bits, shes part of the family and will never sell her so I just deal with her not being my ideal ride. I've had a few others which have been far better suited to me but for various reasons they didn't end up sticking around and she did

 

[SadKen]

She is perfectly suited to me, she is like my mum, teaching me and challenging me to do better without scaring me. I don't deserve her though, she could do with a brave fast rider who wants to jump every day... Me when I was 15 really!

 

[chestnut cob]

Yes

I wasn't so sure last year and debated selling him, but I've had to learn to adapt my riding (and basically improve a huge amount), and now he is more established, he is just perfect. He has a huge heart, he gives everything all of the time when he works, even when he is worried about something or a bit unsure. He is asvbold as brass XC but careful, fun, cheeky, has a sense of humour and he makes me smile every time I ride. Add to that he's an absolute darling on the ground - I think he thinks he's a dog not a horse, he's all about cuddles and fuss!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I think so

We both have a warped sense of humour, both slightly bonkers, both prone to over grazing and tho we can be sensible if we really have to, we do enjoy tearing about on occasions :biggrin3:

 

[Tobiano]

Well my Bilbo definitely suits me.... I am not sure he would say the same about me - he would probably prefer someone 3 stone lighter and who doesnt make him wear a muzzle every night (rather pot calling the kettle black!) and doesn't make such a fuss about using the back end properly. On the other hand I think he would say he really likes the back scratches I give him!

 

[nikicb]

Yes totally and absolutely. However Cam is the antithesis of my old mare. I had her 30 years and as a 17 year old with a 5 year old horse we were totally suited then. Now I have aged a bit, Cam suits me down to the ground. Tiff was just like me - always needed to be busy with something to worry about, but Cam is my steadying weight at the other end of the scales. He's so chilled and exactly what I need these days. Wouldn't be without him for the world.

 

[meesha]

Yes, we both have big bums and can eat for England. He can be rude which I hope I am not but we both have to "make a point" , for instance he will load in minutes but always has to say no a couple of times just to make sure I know he is only going in cos he wants to. Had him as a 3 year old,now 10, as a result we both hate schooling and love anything fun. Both impatient and find being borderline out of control funny (not in a dangerous way more of a yeehah).

 

[JFTDWS]

His legs are too short and mine are too long!

Other than that, he is the Shadowfax to my Gandalf...

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I... don't know!

I share two. One, while very sweet, is just not what I'd go for if I was looking to buy. Her conformation is poor which affects the way she moves and makes her very hard work, but at 6 she is totally bombproof in heavy main road traffic and farm traffic, so credit where credit is due. She has a lovely personality, but some days she can just leave you feeling totally flat, exhausted, and wondering why you bothered.

The other was only bought in October/November (I'm terrible with dates!), so I'm not sure, as I've been away at uni a lot during term time. But, I have ridden him quite a bit during holidays and when I can get home for a week or so in between. At first I didn't think much of him at all. He was bought as a happy hack, doesn't school, jumps a bit, bit thick, grumpy to tack up. He has an enormous head, and is a funky colour (traffic cone orange, with white legs and white splashes on one side of his belly). To start with he seemed pretty boring and a bit awkward. Then he settled in. Wow.

He isn't stupid at all, in fact he's rather clever. He is lacking in basic schooling, but if you tell him very clearly what you want, when he gets it, he gets it. He will school, what he doesn't like is getting bored, his mind is active all the time and trotting round and round in circles just doesn't cut it with him. And what a jump! He plants his back feet like a rock and just goes PING! He can rush, but is improving with schooling, but he makes 90cm feel exactly the same as a 45cm cross pole. He can turn on a sixpence. But as soon as you finish and throw the reins at him, he turns into ploddy happy hacker. He's beginning to be less grumpy to tack up, in fact I feel rather sorry for him, as he makes me think someone's been a bit rough with him a long time ago, maybe with him being a big ugly cob. He has an old injury under his chin, he doesn't like his right ear being touched and has white hairs behind it as though he's had an injury there, and he blows himself up like a balloon when you do the girth, which makes me think he's had it overtightened or whipped up far too fast. But we've been doing his girth slowly, and 'accidentally' brushing his ear while doing other things, so he will now allow you to gently stroke it if you give him fair warning. He's not perfect, admittedly, he's very very strong when he wants to be, and can pull going home from a long hack, or into a jump, but I feel like he challenges me to ride better, and he comes back when he gets beyond what I can cope with.

I'm hoping as I improve and get to know him more that we really will suit each other, at the moment I feel like I'm holding him back. But its been years since I've ridden a horse who made me feel on top of the world at the same time as making my knees shake like jelly! The last one was my games pony who was my absolute pony of a lifetime.

 

[Mince Pie]

Yes we are, he makes me work for what I want but is so honest and genuine, he's a worrier but also very trusting whereas I'm a patient rider so can 'baby' him through things. Also he's fairly sensible but even when having 'moments' he's so much fun to ride!

 

[GlitterPup]

I would like to think so

 

[deb_l222]

Oh gosh yeah. We're both idle beggars, who will happily plod along all day until the need for speed occasionally crops up then we both like a good blast.

Both of us are addicted to food, although he's meant to weigh three quarters of a ton - I'm not!!

Wouldn't swap him for all the tea in China.

 

[flurryjuno]

Yep. I think we just clicked, and she matches me perfectly. I can not ride for 3 weeks yet take her to a beach and shes a plod, or I can ride everyday and she works like a pro. Some days I get to the yard and I just want a lazy day and she'll be standing with a droopy lip and we go out hacking for miles, other days she'll be on her toes and I'm ready to go! Love her to bits, I feel like she knows my buttons and I know hers. I know when shes feeling off and I think she knows when I am too! She's very trusting in me and I know that the more you push the more she resists, just give her time. We're both wusses in different aspects but it balances out, if she's acting like a loon at something three fields over I'm completely chill, yet if I'm fretting over jumping a course with scary fillers or going down a new hacking route, you'd think she's done it all her life. I got very lucky with her!

 

[Spring Feather]

I own a lot of horses and I have to say even though they are all different, they all suit me, and I them apparently. If we didn't get along then I wouldn't keep them.

 

[mandwhy]

Not really, I've had my haffy about a year and a half and she is a typically stubborn mare although we have progressed somewhat (she napped chronically and was spooky hacking, and point blank tantrums when trying to do any schooling). At first I thought it would be wrong of me to want a horse that just wanted to do my bidding and I appreciated a strong character, well that really does get a bit tedious some days when everything is a struggle! She is almost 7 and has matured quite a lot so we are getting somewhere now.

I don't think she is the type of horse I really like riding, tends to be heavy on the forehand, hammering trot etc, generally ignoring all my aids when it suits her and it is improving my skills no end don't get me wrong, but I long for the long easy paces of a nice more naturally balanced horse.

She is mostly safe though bless her, and pretty, and cheap to keep without being a lami nightmare. Also you can leave her for a month and go for a hack with no difference, she's a good girl really bless her!

My little Welsh A is so much more the personality I like, very sweet and loving but sharp and reactive. Unfortunately I would have to chop myself in half to ride her so that leaves me thinking I've got one horse who doesn't seem to like me or my chosen activities and one who does but I can't ride, and no space or money for another, so for now I'm just going to get on and make them the best ponies they can be, so that if I ever think about moving them on they will be in with a good chance (although honestly I don't think I could just sell them, probably a loan first would soften the guilt!)

 

[NinjaPony]

Yes. I'm a worrier and my pony is saint like- perfect combination! My welshy is far more like me temperament wise, and that's probably why I like him so much, he is an interesting challenge!

 

[Celtic Fringe]

We have been described as being like an old married couple so I guess we are pretty well matched! Normally I am in charge of direction and he is responsible for pace (up to a point). Sadly we are both a bit lame at the moment so not doing too much but enjoying each others company. We are both going slightly grey round the edges and we both secretly enjoy a cuddle but would never admit it. It took many years but I think we completely trust each other now, though he does still have that touch of total Welsh madness.

Just bought baby horse, who I have known since the day he was born. Will be interesting to see how things progress. He is nosy, sweet, keen to please and very unspooky - really different from my suspicious old Welsh man.

 

[rara007]

Yes, that's why I have him Life's to short to bother with something you don't want!