Big decision is paying off!

Aww, that's absolutely awesome, what a fantastic post, so so pleased for you. I think she's really gorgeous, but then I'm a sucker for that type - clever yo was most certainly right :D
 
Wimbles said:
So a few of you in here will possibily remember my exploits with Dangerous Brian, my crippling lack of confidence and the extremely slow recovery from my injury.

I have tried so, so hard all winter to try and conquer my fears. I've ridden in the most horrendous cold and dark nights but as Spring came I realised, sadly that I was no further along, in fact my confidence levels were actually lower and this in turn was starting to affect Brian. Open spaces terrified me and trotting over a pole on the floor left me in tears. I didn't have the wonderful Tiger to show me the way, my fabulous horseball horse Sam had endless niggling issues that put him out of action and after over 30 years in the saddle I started to think that maybe riding wasn't for me anymore.

My yard owners have been incredible through all of this and on some of my darkest days, the light shining from the yard down the lane was still my complete salvation. The topic of maybe looking at getting a schoolmaster came up and it got me thinking and then all of a sudden everything took off!

By chance I saw a message from one of the ladies in our ROR dressage group asking if anyone knew of any tall thoroughbreds that were available. After much soul searching I replied offering for her to come and meet Brian which she did and even through a foot abscess and bad behaviour she saw the same potential that I do.

About the same time my YO sent me a link to a horse for sale nearby. It just so happened that this particular horse was everything that I wasn't looking for. I didn't want another grey, certainly not a mare and she was a big clumpy Irish Draught, very different to my TB's. I soon forgot about the horse and tentatively started having a look what else was around.

My YO isn't one to let a good idea go though, so somehow she convinced me to go and have a look at the grey mare as she was literally just a few miles away.

Like a sullen child I stood in the stable with the horse looking at it's hogged mane, huge feet and big head not even wanting to get on. YO rode her first saying how wonderful she was but I was unconvinced. I grudgingly and nervously swung my leg over the saddle and then something amazing happened. Within a few minutes I was cantering round the arena grinning like a fool and then from nowhere we popped a little fence. The onlookers sat there with mouths open!

Fast forward four short weeks, Brian has gone off to start his new adventure and Koko is fully installed. We have completed a small hunter trial and last weekend I jumped my first competitive showjumping round since my accident as we completed a local one day event, coming second.

I now realise that she is just the most beautiful horse in the world and what she has done for not only my riding confidence but also for my own self confidence is quite staggering. I feel like a different person and literally cannot wait to finish work to go and ride.

Next Wednesday we are off to riding camp at Keysoe and I just cannot wait, amazing considering I have been dreading it all winter!

I think sometimes that it's easy to forget that we spend all this time and money on a hobby that is meant to be fun and I had definitely lost this.
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What a wonderful story and ending, I know how you feel in the nerves and in your short time of having KOKO you have done more than I have in 2 years albeing 9 months of that with broken bones due to a fall off my new mare.

I personally just cannot seem to shake these nerves off, once going sponsored rides and jumping jumps without a thought, now nervous and apprehensive. Although my ID mare is the queen of spookers which that in itself is not the issue , my first mare spooked all the time.


You have a lovely ID grey mare I do love the ID may this be the start of many adventures.
 
She’s lovely!

I have a slightly similar story. I always had project ponies/youngsters. I always had mares. I hated bays. I liked pretty, marked horses.

Years and years ago my neurotic pony went lame the last long summer before I was meant to go 500 miles away to uni so we decided to get a loan horse for the summer to have some fun before I went.

I found an advert for a bay gelding who had competed bs and be (affiliated had been a lifelong dream for me and my neurotic pony was very hit and miss competing).

I tried him and he didn’t light a fire in me. He was a bit boring and I thought he was kinda ugly especially with the great hole in his head where he is missing an eye and I didn’t think I could feel proud of competing a ‘ready made’ horse. I decided to get him as obviously only had a summer and frankly affiliated comp horses don’t come for loan very often.

7 years later, he is now a semi retired pasture puff, I scrapped going to uni so I could keep him and he has been a horse of a lifetime. Turned out a big change was a breath of fresh air and exactly what I needed!
 
Wimbles! She is stunning. Not that I have any bias towards grey mares or anything...

I seriously admire you, having seen a good friend a few years ago have a horse who wasn't right for her just totally sap her of any enjoyment of the sport. Even if you love them, sometimes it's best for both parties to make a change.

As much as I (and plenty others) loved Dangerous Brian, I'm looking forward so much to seeing more of yourself and this gorgeous lady!

Do you think you'll keep her hogged or try to grow her mane out? She's a stunner!
 
She is absolutely lovely and I am very happy for you.

I feel I am in a similar situaiton with my daughter and her pony Max. He is super talented but not easy to ride and her confidence is going backwards - as is his behaviour when she is on board. I have shown her your thread as she is feeling like a total failure but she is adamant she should be able to ride him and wants to keep trying. I won't sell her much loved pony against her wishes but I do think your story is very similar to her situation and with the right pony she could fly!

Have a wonderful time at camp. x
 
Ambers Echo said:
She is absolutely lovely and I am very happy for you.

I feel I am in a similar situaiton with my daughter and her pony Max. He is super talented but not easy to ride and her confidence is going backwards - as is his behaviour when she is on board. I have shown her your thread as she is feeling like a total failure but she is adamant she should be able to ride him and wants to keep trying. I won't sell her much loved pony against her wishes but I do think your story is very similar to her situation and with the right pony she could fly!

Have a wonderful time at camp. x
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Two things here.Not every partnership works even when a rider is generally very good.Carl Hester in the book about Valegro writes that he didn't like him at first and sent him back.The breeder told him he was nuts and returned him.He passed the ride to Charlotte initially as a temporary thing but we all know what happened next.Of course Carl had a huge imput from the ground.Perhaps you could persuade your daughter to go back to riding school.Dress it up as broadening her riding education,you know, good for us all to ride different ponies/horses for a while.Maybe enter an inhouse riding school competition or two on their ponies.When she starts feeling more confident and enjoying herself more she might realize what she is missing.
 
A lovely post Wimbles and your mare looks lovely too.
Your story resonates as I went through similar issues. Bought horse which over faced me, totally lost confidence, developed fear of being bucked off. it took 2 1/2 years to sell (which was a hard decision itself as all my other horses have had homes for life). I’m now having a ball on my current horse and it sounds like you are too. Love the happy ending for DB too x
 
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Well done, Wimbles! I did *exactly* the same as you a good few years ago. I had a headcase TB that I dreaded riding and was seriously going to give up riding altogether. As a last throw of the dice I px-ed for a huuuuuge 17.1 ID mare (I am 5 ft 1 & tiny) and never looked back. It was such a fab feeling to be enjoying riding again. Your girl looks absolutely gorgeous and I'm so pleased for you :)
 
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