Hemirjtm
Well-Known Member
When we first got him: He was a bolshy unschooled 11yr old, who had been used for endurance racing. I think a LOT of people would have told me i was doing the wrong thing buying him!! He wouldn't stand still whilst he was being groomed, he would spook at everything and anything...including his own shadow. I could not go past a cow without someone walking in front. He took off down a road at full gallop because i had no brakes and he knew that
When he saw a motorbike he reared up and spun and charged off in the other direction, the first lorry we met ment a bucking session. Everytime he didn't get his own way he would either buck or rear....I honestly thought i had bought a monster, he took my confidence right out of me....and almost made me give up
There was no hope in lunging....he would turn in and not listen. Then came the jumping....he would leave his legs behind and trip over the jumps
He was ridden in a pelham and had a martingale on...and i couldn't enjoy my hacks as after every canter he would pull like mad or would jog along or even trot
I didn't trust him and put him up for sale
BUT I DIDN'T SELL HIM................
And now he's my little superstar
His flat work has improved so much he is now pushing from behind, rounding nicely, can trot nice circles, we can even extend and collect our trot
We can also canter without racing off. His jumping has improved so much, although we still have a long way to go!! We walked past a sit on lawn mower and he didn't do anything
He will now walk past anything and everything....even big scary tractors or huge lorries!
He's not spooky anymore - we can walk past black plastic bags. I can go for a good gallop and know he will come back to me at the end, even when i ask for walk
. I have brakes, and he's now ridden in a straight bar snaffle and no martingale
Today i want into a wooded area, but to get up there i had to go up a bank and he was perfect, just did it
There were tree branches that had fallen down so i was a little cheeky and asked him to jump them
He was fab, considering i haven't jumped him in about 3 months! I then asked him to jump the bigger part of the branch - about 70cm and he didn't even blink just did it and was still flying
Then we had to go back down the other side of this wooded area, but this time the bank was a little steeper and it had a ditch at the bottom
I was worried that he would trip at the bottom, but i just slipped my rein and let him have his head, he went down about 30cm then just jumped straight off the bank onto the other side of the ditch and cantered away!!
I then started to cry, I was so happy that I hadn't sold him.....
He really is my Ginger Ninja now, and looking back on what he used to be like and how much he has put me through i just smile, and thank him...He really has made my dream come true. He has made me the rider that i am now, confident and trusting, I will now get on anything thanks to him....although he took my confidence away, he's also the one that helped me get it back
He still has his bad days, but so many more good days
Hemir.....through the sweat, blood and tears, through his tantrums and my hiccups, we have become one and now there is no stopping us....I love him so much and just had to share!!
thankyou if you got this far.....I will hand cookies out later!!
BUT I DIDN'T SELL HIM................
And now he's my little superstar
He really is my Ginger Ninja now, and looking back on what he used to be like and how much he has put me through i just smile, and thank him...He really has made my dream come true. He has made me the rider that i am now, confident and trusting, I will now get on anything thanks to him....although he took my confidence away, he's also the one that helped me get it back
Hemir.....through the sweat, blood and tears, through his tantrums and my hiccups, we have become one and now there is no stopping us....I love him so much and just had to share!!
thankyou if you got this far.....I will hand cookies out later!!