Wimbles
Well-Known Member
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.
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.