Shavings
Well-Known Member
the confidence cob!
that what he is going to be called from now on!
so as many of you know i owned a Tb gelding for 4/5 yars who ruined ever shred of confidence i had, we parted ways in July 2018, many tears form me as i did love him even though he had ruined my love for horses, (he has gone to a wonderful home of a girl who just laughs at him when he does his party tricks and they really click)
any way August 2019 my riding instructor/long time friend pushed me to go see a irish draught in the UK (we live on the isle of man to it requires a ferry ride) wile on the 4 hour ferry i reserved a message saying the woman was no longer available to show us said Irish draught, resulting in a very cross me thinking i have paid £300 for me, friend and car on ferry for what?!
any way long story short we started looking though adds on the ferry and arranging to view horses over the next 5 days before our return ferry home,
after seeing 9 (many of which where not suitable, and had asked must be suitable for novice and low confidence rider)
We well across Chance, who with out any hesitation i got on, friend was shocked as every horse until this point she had to get on first and semi push me up the mounting block, i had my first canter in 3 years (not very gracefully i admit!)
any way he passed vetting and 2 weeks later travel to the ferry to come home, i rode him twice then September 12th i fell in work and broke my elbow, since he has been a live out field ornament, ironically friend/riding instructor fell and damaged her knee 2 weeks after my elbow so her little cob and Chance have had the winter out (checked daily) doing nothing! chance had been kept ticking my another friend who was riding him once a week on 20 min walk around the fields (nothing really!) until December the 1st when she could no longer do this
Finally on January 15th 2019 i was given the ok my surgeon to ride again, but to be gentle and slow, but chance had no saddle and the weather was poor.
SO! Saturday 16th February (LAST SATURDAY!) , i booked a local indoor arena, and arranged for a saddle fitter to come see us, i had to work til 1pm so my lovely friend/riding instructor offer to bring chance in her trailer and i would meet them there, he loaded like a gem and when i arrived she shouted from the window of her car "is he still in there?! he has been so quiet all the way!" and sure enough his little nose popped in to the small trailer window, we opened the front ramp and let him just stand on the trailer and look at where he was, a horse in a field called, he gave his best shout back (all be it very girlie!) this brought back nervous for me as my last horse once some thing called all hell broke loose, but chance called and then went straight back to his hay net, so we unloaded and made our way round to the indoor where a few people where still finishing off, he stood like a real gent then is was our turn, in we went he did a big sign and then began to sniff the floor, saddler came in measured him and had a good poke and prode, said she would see whats in her van, so wile she disappeared off to the van we went to see the arena mirrors, we have a sniff and just stood clearly unfazed by it, saddler came back and to our amazement the first saddle was pretty perfect, so we pulled the steps over, i clambered abored and off we went for a walk, i cant tell you how scared i was waiting for him to explode, but he didn't the most i got was a sneeze! came back and saddle wanted some more flocking in the front so ff i hopped, beaming my this point and off to the van she went! she came back and again i got on board this time though i would push my luck and ask for trot and sure enough off he went, friend shouted push him on you can take a bigger trot then that "believe in him!" so i did and well.. the smile hasn't left my face since i cant tell how proud and how lucky i feel to own this horse, he then proved him self again on Sunday when i hopped on board at the yard (home to him) in the high winds and wondered down the farm lane to the court yard and back on my own, no leader, no melt down, no tears just off we go, the wind was howling the young bulls where being moved so crashing, bashing and coursing a sense as they do and he didn't even bat an eye lid! so we did 9 laps of down tot he court yard and back which is about a 10 min walk full loop round.
i finally feel my love for horses and riding returning, i will never be a world beater, but im happy, but i feel as if i have forgotten how to ride, he rides of difficultly to the old TB, he is double the width, i can put my leg on, and he is a bit like a wiggly worm, but it will all come in time all i can do it go up right?
Photo of him from the Sunday, husband brought us the ears and matching paddle pad for Christmas , had to road test them!
that what he is going to be called from now on!
so as many of you know i owned a Tb gelding for 4/5 yars who ruined ever shred of confidence i had, we parted ways in July 2018, many tears form me as i did love him even though he had ruined my love for horses, (he has gone to a wonderful home of a girl who just laughs at him when he does his party tricks and they really click)
any way August 2019 my riding instructor/long time friend pushed me to go see a irish draught in the UK (we live on the isle of man to it requires a ferry ride) wile on the 4 hour ferry i reserved a message saying the woman was no longer available to show us said Irish draught, resulting in a very cross me thinking i have paid £300 for me, friend and car on ferry for what?!
any way long story short we started looking though adds on the ferry and arranging to view horses over the next 5 days before our return ferry home,
after seeing 9 (many of which where not suitable, and had asked must be suitable for novice and low confidence rider)
We well across Chance, who with out any hesitation i got on, friend was shocked as every horse until this point she had to get on first and semi push me up the mounting block, i had my first canter in 3 years (not very gracefully i admit!)
any way he passed vetting and 2 weeks later travel to the ferry to come home, i rode him twice then September 12th i fell in work and broke my elbow, since he has been a live out field ornament, ironically friend/riding instructor fell and damaged her knee 2 weeks after my elbow so her little cob and Chance have had the winter out (checked daily) doing nothing! chance had been kept ticking my another friend who was riding him once a week on 20 min walk around the fields (nothing really!) until December the 1st when she could no longer do this
Finally on January 15th 2019 i was given the ok my surgeon to ride again, but to be gentle and slow, but chance had no saddle and the weather was poor.
SO! Saturday 16th February (LAST SATURDAY!) , i booked a local indoor arena, and arranged for a saddle fitter to come see us, i had to work til 1pm so my lovely friend/riding instructor offer to bring chance in her trailer and i would meet them there, he loaded like a gem and when i arrived she shouted from the window of her car "is he still in there?! he has been so quiet all the way!" and sure enough his little nose popped in to the small trailer window, we opened the front ramp and let him just stand on the trailer and look at where he was, a horse in a field called, he gave his best shout back (all be it very girlie!) this brought back nervous for me as my last horse once some thing called all hell broke loose, but chance called and then went straight back to his hay net, so we unloaded and made our way round to the indoor where a few people where still finishing off, he stood like a real gent then is was our turn, in we went he did a big sign and then began to sniff the floor, saddler came in measured him and had a good poke and prode, said she would see whats in her van, so wile she disappeared off to the van we went to see the arena mirrors, we have a sniff and just stood clearly unfazed by it, saddler came back and to our amazement the first saddle was pretty perfect, so we pulled the steps over, i clambered abored and off we went for a walk, i cant tell you how scared i was waiting for him to explode, but he didn't the most i got was a sneeze! came back and saddle wanted some more flocking in the front so ff i hopped, beaming my this point and off to the van she went! she came back and again i got on board this time though i would push my luck and ask for trot and sure enough off he went, friend shouted push him on you can take a bigger trot then that "believe in him!" so i did and well.. the smile hasn't left my face since i cant tell how proud and how lucky i feel to own this horse, he then proved him self again on Sunday when i hopped on board at the yard (home to him) in the high winds and wondered down the farm lane to the court yard and back on my own, no leader, no melt down, no tears just off we go, the wind was howling the young bulls where being moved so crashing, bashing and coursing a sense as they do and he didn't even bat an eye lid! so we did 9 laps of down tot he court yard and back which is about a 10 min walk full loop round.
i finally feel my love for horses and riding returning, i will never be a world beater, but im happy, but i feel as if i have forgotten how to ride, he rides of difficultly to the old TB, he is double the width, i can put my leg on, and he is a bit like a wiggly worm, but it will all come in time all i can do it go up right?
Photo of him from the Sunday, husband brought us the ears and matching paddle pad for Christmas , had to road test them!
xx
