redmone
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone!
Sorry it's been a while - well 3 months actually! And what a 3 months!!!
I last updated in October, just before taking Daughter and Dolly to the North West Champs. It was strange time for us that, the best of times and the worst of times. It was sort of like the beginning of the end, in a dramatic emotional sort of way!!!
Dolly was an absolute superstar. It wasn't a big class, but they got through to the evening performance. I'm not used to these long showing days, and tidying plaits up and poshing up children in a dark car park (familiar to some of you no doubt!!) and on a Sunday school night too - not my idea of a party!!! tut!!! However, the lights went down, the music boomed, it was a full house and out trotted my girls. Strutting their stuff like they were made for it. To say I was proud, well, there's just no words.
The spotlight landed on Dolly and she came alive. She was beautiful, powerful and WELL BEHAVED!!!!!! They were turned in 5th and we were more than a little happy with that.
Soon after, we started looking for the "next pony". After a couple of false starts, we met Harley. Harley is a 6 year old gelding. A full up 14.2hh showjumper. He's of mixed non specific breeding - but most best guesses are Dartmoor (he has a Dartmoor passport) crossed with some welsh and some warmblood, probably a bit of TB. I do know he was plucked straight off Bodmin Moor as a young lad!!
We've had Harley since just before Christmas and Daughter and him are getting on well. Now you all know me well enough by now, to know I'd never over horse Daughterp) but he is rather a large step up from our Dolly!!!
They've not been out yet, but Harley is proving to be quite the mover and shaker!! In short he's awesome!!!!
He is THE nicest pony in the stable. Seriously. He's just lovely. The best manners you can imagine and the sweetest thing in the world!!! He is a little nervy and spooky at the moment, but I think we're doing lots with him he's not done before - where he came from didn't have good hacking so that seems quite new to him. But he's got the right building blocks. He's got a huuuuuuuuge jump, like his legs are springs!! The first jumping lesson daughter had they bobbed round a small 90cm ish course!!!
It is a big step up though, and not without it's speed bumps!! Luckily I'm a lot calmer than I used to be! And daughter sticks a lot better than she used to too (thank you Dolly!!!).
Back to Dolly. No doubt you're wondering where she is.
Well she's right here. We kept her!!! After much deliberation, OH put his foot down and stated quite clearly that he could never part with Dolly!!! (yeah I'm THAT lucky!!!) So we've kept them both
Dolly is back on working livery, which is she very good at and seems happy too. She is also part loaned by a lovely and very talented little girl, who is the best rider I could have hoped for her (aside from my daughter!). She loves her like she's her own, and the big bonus in all of this is that daughter can continue to care for Dolly, ride her and generally be her No 1 girl forever!!! We're starting shows again with her soon, as we know Dolly is a true party animal and loves to strut!!!
So all is good with us. We're looking forward to getting Harley out too in the coming months. I've booked an arena for an "away day" trial in the next school holidays, so we can test the waters as to how Harley travels and how he performs in a SJ arena before actually taking him to a show. I've had a lovely saddle made for him and he's turning out to be a lovely boy, with the help and lots of support by our lovely livery yard owners and manager, as always.
I have missed you all. I smarted a little after my last thread, and will confess to being a little sensitive, but it was a difficult time for decisions being made. And even four years into being pony owners, we're still learning.
Anyway, who wants photos??? I'd offer you wine too but....yeahhhhhh.....that's all gone
Daughter and Dolly at the North West Champs
Before their classes
Don't ask me why, but I love this photo!!
The new boy - Harley
Not the best photo....but you get the idea!!!
Harley
Did we clear it mum???
Just having fun
And lastly....
Always and forever.
I've been on a diet, so I'm a bit short of my usual haribos and cakes!!! I have however found the ben and jerry's ice cream, so who wants some phish food!!! It goes reallllllly well with cheap fizzy pop wine!!!
So I've heard........
Love to everyone
RM xxxx
Sorry it's been a while - well 3 months actually! And what a 3 months!!!
I last updated in October, just before taking Daughter and Dolly to the North West Champs. It was strange time for us that, the best of times and the worst of times. It was sort of like the beginning of the end, in a dramatic emotional sort of way!!!
Dolly was an absolute superstar. It wasn't a big class, but they got through to the evening performance. I'm not used to these long showing days, and tidying plaits up and poshing up children in a dark car park (familiar to some of you no doubt!!) and on a Sunday school night too - not my idea of a party!!! tut!!! However, the lights went down, the music boomed, it was a full house and out trotted my girls. Strutting their stuff like they were made for it. To say I was proud, well, there's just no words.
The spotlight landed on Dolly and she came alive. She was beautiful, powerful and WELL BEHAVED!!!!!! They were turned in 5th and we were more than a little happy with that.
Soon after, we started looking for the "next pony". After a couple of false starts, we met Harley. Harley is a 6 year old gelding. A full up 14.2hh showjumper. He's of mixed non specific breeding - but most best guesses are Dartmoor (he has a Dartmoor passport) crossed with some welsh and some warmblood, probably a bit of TB. I do know he was plucked straight off Bodmin Moor as a young lad!!
We've had Harley since just before Christmas and Daughter and him are getting on well. Now you all know me well enough by now, to know I'd never over horse Daughter
p) but he is rather a large step up from our Dolly!!!They've not been out yet, but Harley is proving to be quite the mover and shaker!! In short he's awesome!!!!
He is THE nicest pony in the stable. Seriously. He's just lovely. The best manners you can imagine and the sweetest thing in the world!!! He is a little nervy and spooky at the moment, but I think we're doing lots with him he's not done before - where he came from didn't have good hacking so that seems quite new to him. But he's got the right building blocks. He's got a huuuuuuuuge jump, like his legs are springs!! The first jumping lesson daughter had they bobbed round a small 90cm ish course!!!
It is a big step up though, and not without it's speed bumps!! Luckily I'm a lot calmer than I used to be! And daughter sticks a lot better than she used to too (thank you Dolly!!!).
Back to Dolly. No doubt you're wondering where she is.
Well she's right here. We kept her!!! After much deliberation, OH put his foot down and stated quite clearly that he could never part with Dolly!!! (yeah I'm THAT lucky!!!) So we've kept them both
Dolly is back on working livery, which is she very good at and seems happy too. She is also part loaned by a lovely and very talented little girl, who is the best rider I could have hoped for her (aside from my daughter!). She loves her like she's her own, and the big bonus in all of this is that daughter can continue to care for Dolly, ride her and generally be her No 1 girl forever!!! We're starting shows again with her soon, as we know Dolly is a true party animal and loves to strut!!!
So all is good with us. We're looking forward to getting Harley out too in the coming months. I've booked an arena for an "away day" trial in the next school holidays, so we can test the waters as to how Harley travels and how he performs in a SJ arena before actually taking him to a show. I've had a lovely saddle made for him and he's turning out to be a lovely boy, with the help and lots of support by our lovely livery yard owners and manager, as always.
I have missed you all. I smarted a little after my last thread, and will confess to being a little sensitive, but it was a difficult time for decisions being made. And even four years into being pony owners, we're still learning.
Anyway, who wants photos??? I'd offer you wine too but....yeahhhhhh.....that's all gone
Daughter and Dolly at the North West Champs
Before their classes
Don't ask me why, but I love this photo!!
The new boy - Harley
Not the best photo....but you get the idea!!!
Harley
Did we clear it mum???
Just having fun
And lastly....
Always and forever.
I've been on a diet, so I'm a bit short of my usual haribos and cakes!!! I have however found the ben and jerry's ice cream, so who wants some phish food!!! It goes reallllllly well with cheap fizzy pop wine!!!
So I've heard........
Love to everyone
RM xxxx
