Before and after - lets see yours too!!

katie_southwest

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Ok so I got my mare 18 months ago, from YO's farm. She had been bought from gypsies - think about 3/4 years old. She was taken to their trekking farm where she lived out wild on the moor. She had a foal when she was about 5 and was used purely to go round in circles on the moor after that.
Then they stopped the trekking and she was left on the moor with the herd just wandering about generally getting obese.....
Meanwhile I had a terrible time with my first pony, complete lost my confidence and didnt even want to ride anymore.
YO said he wouldnt sell Polo to me as she wouldnt jump, and thats what I wanted to do. She had never done it, and would only be a hack for me.
I went to look at her and came across this....

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I fell in love with her the moment I met her. She was so gentle, and I could see through the *ahem* fat, and the matted mane, and general scruffiness, that she was beautiful. And being totally wasted.

So 18 months later, we have had our ups and downs, and our issues like anyone else. But she has the most gentle, trusting nature I could ever wish for. She has helped me regain my confidence, yet still tests me every so often
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She is quiet enough that you could sit under her belly in the stable, she wouldnt even notice you were there.
But when she wants to, she can turn her hoof to anything.
So, me and the pony that I nearly wasnt sold because she wouldnt jump, went to our first 'proper' show yesterday and entered a class which I would not of dreamed of doing 2 years ago, and she made me the proudest owner ever.

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Im so glad I persuaded YO to let me have her, and she will be with me until the end
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I had only jumped three times in my life. I got Zoom on loan 18 months ago. She is a one-eyed expolo mare and her owner said that she had tried and failed to get her to jump.

In August last year, I went up to Great Westwood with a friend, and it turned out.....she could jump!

First Jump:
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So in october last year we went to our first sponsored ride (excuse my crap riding, was crapping myself):
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and now there's no stopping us. April 2009:
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She has given me my jumping mojo! Love her to bits!
 
You too! Alot of my friend's are 'proper' riders so don't understand the journey that we have been on just to jump 2'6! You mare is a poppet. Really well done at the show x
 
I know, for me just going into the class was a miracle as I suffer so badly with nerves...but I loved it once I was doing it! Our biggest jump ever has been 2'9 - but thats like jumping at blimmin olympia for me!
 
ok here goes mine..

in autumn 2007. the day we got him.
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and a week later in his first hunt. (he was 3 there believe it or not)
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and now. summer 2009
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hes 5 there. still needs filling out but big improvement me thinks.

And another one. this is a gelding we bought in summer 2008 as a 2yrs old. was in very poor condition.
(hes a section d.. hard to believe wasnt it compared to gelding above)
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and after a few months down the meadow with the other impovers and breakers. he looked like this. (no ridden pics of him as he is currently being broken).
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and one more.. sorry to be a pain.
one of our stallions in 2007. been in out all winter with mares.
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and him in 2008 after coming in ready for show prep.
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cilsane stud xx
 
I dont have many pics of him, as we didnt have a digital camera at the time, but this was my husband's horse - bought from a notorious dealer in Dartford. He had a few issues, but was a smashing horse, just not quite forward enough for my husband. I will regret selling him for the rest of my life and hope he is happy.

Indie when we bought him:
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and after a few months of nice grass, good feed, TLC and exercise...

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Oh bless, yours has got his eyes shut over that last fence LOL!! He's obviously so confident he can do the course with his eyes closed
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Fab photos. Really nice to see.
 
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