Betty's first ride! - Photos

Red-1

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
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So, Betty arrived on Saturday, all wobbly 17hh 5yo worth.

Yesterday I lungd her and TBH she was a big galumping beast, and we did wonder why on earth we had bought her, but as I told OH we did not like her at all until we saw her ridden, so we could reserve judgement until she was ridden at home.

Yesterday she was too jumpy and daft to ride, eg when a noisy American Motorbike went by (REALLY loud, illegal exhaust) she galumped round with her tail like a banner above her back. The poor baby was just too scared of life. We turned her out overnight as her legs were filled, and by morning her legs were fine, and she looked more settled.

This evening I lunged and then rode. Only rode 10 minutes, but I DO remember why I liked her! She was pretty much a lady today, no pebble skiiing (although having learned from the last time she only leaves her stable in a bit/headstall).

She felt settled and happy.

I attach some photos of Betty's first ride. It is really exhausting. There were plenty of photos of her churning round on her forehand, overbent and mouth open, but these are the better ones. Quite good for a first ride, I am pleased!

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She is very pretty and a lovely mover. How on earth did you get onto that barrel though?! I am hoping there is a step behind it that I can't see I could never be that agile lol.
 
Sprig said:
She looks lovely. What is she/what is the plan for her?
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Thank you. She is eventually for my OH, but my horse Jay is on light work only after a suspensory strain, so we have got one greener than intended as I will have time this year to get some work into her. He wants to hack and do dressage.

She does move nicely when ridden (although is a big heffalump when not!), and she also has a pop in her, so I also hope to hunt and do BE90 (although I doubt she will make the time!).

OH is not experienced and I have a bad back, so although green we bought one that we *think* will work out sensible. But, no guarantees, so we will suck it and see,
 
Ella19 said:
She let you get on from the blue barrel, that says it all, she's a keeper :)
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Regandal said:
Betty. Fabulous name. I'd end up calling her Betty Boo though! Hope you have lots of fun with her.
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rachk89 said:
She is very pretty and a lovely mover. How on earth did you get onto that barrel though?! I am hoping there is a step behind it that I can't see I could never be that agile lol.
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Thank you. I knew we are looking for a freak of nature as OH needs a chunky type, but she also needed to move, and she took some finding!

I always use a barrel, bad hip and back stopped mounting from the ground a long way back. There is a smaller barrel on the other side. She will also let you scramble on off a fence or gate, but not in my arena as that is also for tunout so is bounded by electric tape. She is electric aware even when it is not switched on.

She needs more ground manners, but in the 10 minutes I rode her was sweet.
 
Gorgeous - and looks like may well get a fair bit bigger yet ! My boy was 16hh at 5 and just under 17hh by 7.
 
She looks lovely!


One the most sensible horses I have ever met, was shared by a novice man and his more experienced wife, was called Betty, she was ID.


What do you know about your Betty's breeding?
 
Sprig said:
Well, if it doesn't work out I will be first in line for your cast offs! I think she looks super.
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Ha Ha, if she does not suit we will let you know! It is early days yet, and very hard to find a horse for both people, when they are so different.
JLD said:
Gorgeous - and looks like may well get a fair bit bigger yet ! My boy was 16hh at 5 and just under 17hh by 7.
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I really hope not! She will be 6 in May. I too had a horse that grew almost a hand between 5 and 7, but he was really skinny when he came, so I think his development was held back. Betty is fat enough that she has a wobbly back when she is lunged!

Pearlsasinger said:
She looks lovely!


One the most sensible horses I have ever met, was shared by a novice man and his more experienced wife, was called Betty, she was ID.


What do you know about your Betty's breeding?
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Betty is 1/4 Irish Sport, 1/4 Welsh Cob (!!!) and by an Oldenberg. Very mix and match.
 
Lovely girl and what an innovative idea of mounting via a barrel lol!

Hoping you and your OH have lots of fun times with her.

Love the name Betty Boo :D
 
Princess16 said:
Lovely girl and what an innovative idea of mounting via a barrel lol!

Hoping you and your OH have lots of fun times with her.

Love the name Betty Boo :D
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Thank you, she has been great so far.The barrel is not novel to me, Jay Man uses one too. I am so rubbish at getting on that my horses have to squiz over to whatever, I mount off gates, fences, 1 tonne builder's sacks..... The days of me mounting from the floor have long gone!

She had some ground work today, she needs to be more attentive when being led, and she was in a bit of a pickle when she had to load into a small rear facing box. She learned moving and stopping off a light touch, to move her ample back end and shoulders. Then we built a box size shape from barrels, and she had to use her new found skills to park up. She tried hard in her lessons, so loading at the box again tomorrow is on the menu.
 
Butterbean said:
Wow she has Welsh in her? Like her even more! ☺
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Yes, 1/4 Welsh Cob...

Betty's accomplishments today...

After a rain soaked night Betty snoozed in her stable, then we had a loading session. She was initially cautious, then got to the same point as when we fetched her where she checked out and took me for a pebble ski, but today,with added headwear she was persuaded that running off, or indeed backwards was not good and she did not do it.

Once she would stand with the front end in I then deployed the new skill set she learned yesterday, with moving the backside round with a signal consisting of a twirl of the rope, and bang bang bang of some outsize feet, she was on. We left her there for 10 minutes, and she offloaded well and went to the grooming parlour.

Oh dear, Betty is furry! I got my clippers out, but the battery was dead, so we got the small trimmers, and she was fine. I did not want to ruin those though, as they are also OH's hair trimmers (!!) so I was satisfied that she is not pathological, and trimmed the feathers somewhat with scissors, and the ergots.

Grooming finished with a tail thinning at the top with a rake, as Betty is far to hairy to pull.

Her feet are too overgrown to ride (Farrier booked Saturday), so she has been turned out, day 4 completed!
 
Just found this thread with update on progress! Personally I think she looks very attractive. She's big though, blimey.
Look forward to hearing about day 5 - it sounds as though things are going well. Has OH been involved much yet?
 
Looks great hope you have lots of fun on her. I am glad you explained the barrel I could not understand how you mounted from it but understand better that there is a smaller one on other side.
 
Princess16 said:
Red why don't you do a blog about her eg like Adorable Alice Project horse
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I doubt I could write as entertainingly as AA, and I sincerely hope Betty is not as entertaining as Ted!

Camilla's Aunty Em said:
She's gorgeous!
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Thank you.

teacups said:
Just found this thread with update on progress! Personally I think she looks very attractive. She's big though, blimey.
Look forward to hearing about day 5 - it sounds as though things are going well. Has OH been involved much yet?
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OH has so far groomed, skipped out, feet picked and oiled, rugged up, turned out and brought in, supervised me in lungeing, loading and riding. Tomorrow he is lungeing for himself. Until she has her feet seen to we don't want to do much, the angles are wrong, the feet are just so long and shoes loose. I am guessing the feet will change a lot on Saturday, but then if there is a change in angles I am not sure I want to work her hard then either, until everything has had time to adjust.

We hope Betty is a keeper, so want to be very careful.

OWLIE185 said:
What a lovely horse.......
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Thank you!

el_Snowflakes said:
Just gorgeous! Good luck with her :)
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This evening we went to a closing down party for my old mounted section. I was telling OH how Betty would look small in comparison to Edward, who was a Police Horse of mine. I pulled Edward out of his box, and eek, she looks as big to me! We bought a giant. I also hope she will look a lot smaller with shorter feet!!!
 
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