Bexcy bee's Smokey- an update from his new home!

Lolo

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 August 2008
Messages
10,267
Visit site
So, Smokey has been with us for 2 weeks now and is a firm favourite on the yard. He's so well-mannered and affectionate, and gets on with everyone. He's also loving the double-doored stable, as he can mug us for sweeties twice over :D (he's not spoilt at all ;) )

They've just hacked out and got to know each other a bit more over the past 2 weeks, and he's packed on the pounds in that time too. I think my mum should run a 'boot camp' to fatten up TBs :D Today, they had their first lesson together and Al was apprehensive as she really wanted her instructor to like him as much as she does!

They rocked up, with him loading and travelling really well (despite Reg's best scary stories and 'wild horse' impressions!) and Al hopped on. She was expecting him to be a bit bright as it was his first outing with her and in a very open space with lots to look at. But he was chilled as you like :D

Her instructor said she was running late, so Al took Smokes down to the water jump to see if he liked paddling.

954644_10201230191863955_769490323_n.jpg

425305_10201230191823954_1654097864_n.jpg


And he likes steps in too...
935218_10201230194184013_1995902896_n.jpg


And out...
300622_10201230193343992_1415658519_n.jpg


And then they tried the ditch. Smokey checked it for monsters first, and then summoned all his courage and pinged it :D First 2 attempts were a tad extreme (to ensure maximum monster-safety) and then relaxed and was just a star.
382576_10201230189263890_1654424167_n.jpg

No monsters here...
600650_10201230187623849_552196678_n.jpg

Ping!
971678_10201230190543922_764524469_n.jpg

Just to make sure...
485457_10201230192423969_1887015646_n.jpg

"This is easy guys!"

He is such an awesome pony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO7c755cC1k&feature=youtu.be
A video...

This is getting epic, so to cut a long story short he also likes being a poncy pony :D Al's instructor loves him, and he really quickly worked out what he was being asked and responded really positively. The lesson was kept short at 20 mins or so, because it's a lot to take in for him, but he was just superb.

575473_10201230196264065_146252087_n.jpg

382719_10201230195984058_477015940_n.jpg

581238_10201230197904106_112537460_n.jpg

941541_10201230194984033_173812388_n.jpg

581162_10201230198064110_1347847226_n.jpg


Very pleased with himself, as he should be!
312227_10201230198784128_1732623823_n.jpg


And a final photo of him being utterly beautiful:
575634_10201230199184138_418274494_n.jpg

He is very dinky, and Al loves him a lot.

Video of a bit of the lesson (they just did walk/ trot so they can build up the basics of using his huge engine- but he's a very quick learner!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81K9TEoc80

There are no plans in place atm beyond building on what's already been done- Al doesn't want to rush him as he is so eager to please, we don't that to sour by overloading him. He unloaded very pleased with himself and strutted out to his field to boast to his new friends!

Smokey is a real credit to bexcy bee, he totally trusts his rider and loves his work- makes Al's task of turning him into an eventer very easy :D
 
Sorry for the epic overload, but I am a very proud and happy big sister atm- Al's smile in the first photo never left her face, she loves him and loves riding him so much. After the trauma of her little mare and how that ended so suddenly and so sadly, seeing her happy is lovely.

She's a very lucky girl with her two super horses.
 
Bless him . . . and bless you for doing such a lovely photo update for his previous Mummy. He has the sweetest little face . . . and shows such promise. Looking forward to more updates :).

P
 
He's so lovely and they already look to be a great team. He looks smaller than I thought though. Is Al quite tall? Love the fact that the instructor jumps the ditch with him - what a great training technique. :) x

ETA - I hope you know me well enough to know that I'm not saying too small. :) x

Oh, and she has the same breeches as me - love them, they're so comfy. :)
 
Last edited:
Yep, he's a cracker. Well done Bexey, Al et al, looking forward to see his progress.

:) He's such a star, everyone loves him!

Bless him . . . and bless you for doing such a lovely photo update for his previous Mummy. He has the sweetest little face . . . and shows such promise. Looking forward to more updates :).

P

I thought everyone might like to know, as he's a bit of an HHO horse now. He is a proper sweetheart and tries his little socks off. That sort of thing makes everything easy!

I wondered where he would end up and glad its worked out well for him he's lovely.

We saw the thread and fell for him. So grateful to BexcyBee for letting Al hi-jack her weekend and try him, and then letting him go so quickly.
 
He's so lovely and they already look to be a great team. He looks smaller than I thought though. Is Al quite tall? Love the fact that the instructor jumps the ditch with him - what a great training technique. :) x

That's my mum- she's done 'how to persuade horses ditches aren't scary' so many times now, she's a total pro :D He's very dinky, at 15.2hh and fine with it- more a pony on long legs than a horse. Al's 5'6, so he's more appropriate than Reg who is over 17hh now, although in a dressage saddle she will look very lanky!

Lovely little horse!

Thank you :) He's so willing and kind, we love him.

He looks super handsome there too. What a lovely horse, a real credit :)

Yes! He's so keen and happy all the time, everything's an adventure for him :D Al loves working with him, he's so confident in himself.
 
That's my mum- she's done 'how to persuade horses ditches aren't scary' so many times now, she's a total pro :D He's very dinky, at 15.2hh and fine with it- more a pony on long legs than a horse. Al's 5'6, so he's more appropriate than Reg who is over 17hh now, although in a dressage saddle she will look very lanky!

Ah, that's why. I always assumed Reg was smaller! :)
 
How wonderful that a hhoer bought this super little horse!!

Just watched the video. He has absolutely the best attitude :D

He does, he's just super. I almost messaged you to let you know as I thought you were quite interested in him, and had previously liked Al's little mare. I wimped out in the end! But yes, we weren't looking, but saw that thread and fell for him rather a lot :)

I love how he looks before he leaps, but ultimately trusts his rider so when Al said "seriously, it's fine!" he went even though he wasn't sure still. And he loves making his rider happy. Al was offering him a contact and asking him to work into it and he didn't quite get it. Instead of resisting, he just kept offering what he thought she wanted until he got it right!

Lovely update, really enjoyed the photos :D

Thank you! Photos are mine, as a result of a shiny new lens and a bit more practice :D Smokey and Reg (Al's other TB) are both very photogenic which makes it easy.

What a gorgeous beast!!

:D He's a stunner, even if I'm very biased!

Ahh he's so lovely, I really like him. Didn't know Reg was that tall!

Reg is a giant- he's registered as a 16.2hh with BE, but in reality is probably not going much smaller than 17.2hh... That is too big, so Al says he's 16.3hh :D
 
Oh Lolo was super keen - but not looking to buy. But you were kind to think of me.

Anyway he so deserves a fun competition home - and who better to have him than you guys:D
 
Lovely horse :) and your sister has the most amazing seat! Her position in the ditch photos is so secure. She looks fantastic on him :):)
 
Oh Lolo was super keen - but not looking to buy. But you were kind to think of me.

Anyway he so deserves a fun competition home - and who better to have him than you guys:D

Thank you! Hopefully he'll love being an event pony- he definitely enjoyed his intro to the 'scary' stuff today and is now preening himself and telling everyone how awesome he is :D His fieldmate is a retired boy who has done it all, so is wearily tolerating this young pretender!

Oh, that's what I meant! Keen as in interested in what happened to him :) Hopefully he'll be with us for a very long time- a 15.3hh just came 4th at Saumur so who knows ;)

How fab! Beautiful pictures, beautiful horse, beautiful riding :)

You'll make Al blush, she's worked hard with her position and general 'feel' and so strangers saying it looks ok is a big boost! She's a lucky girl, but she does work hard for it.

Lovely horse :) and your sister has the most amazing seat! Her position in the ditch photos is so secure. She looks fantastic on him :):)

Years of naughty little ponies have left her with that grim determination to stay on :D She used to have a pony who'd feel you land unbalanced and bronc, which taught her to sit tight rapidly! She's now got 2 TBs, one ex-racer and one ex-polo pony, and they're the nicest/ kindest rides she's ever had, lol.
 
I didn't realise this was the Smokey you got! I remember when she first got him and he was a real diamond in the rough :) such a lovely storey and soo chuffed he's got a super home with you guys.

The two of them look so good together, can't wait to see more updates :)
 
He's lovely! And ridden very nicely. Well done to Al!

:) She says he's much easier than Reg to ride- think it's because she's not a midget on him, lol!

Clearly they are NOT suited to each other !

We have a spare stable :D

Definitely not- look how sad she looks in all the photos... :P

I didn't realise this was the Smokey you got! I remember when she first got him and he was a real diamond in the rough :) such a lovely storey and soo chuffed he's got a super home with you guys.

The two of them look so good together, can't wait to see more updates :)

Yep, that Smokey! I followed his progress since the first thread, and now he's with us- it's a bit mental really! She did absolute wonders with him, and I really hope we can carry that forwards in his new career.
 
Enjoyed watching the progress through the ditch attempts!

"There's DEFINITELY a bottomless abyss down there...with spikes and water with pirhanas in it" (I exaggerate)

to

"Ditch, and what? BRING IT"

In 4 (?) runs! Great attitude :D
 
Top