Following on from post below.........

[malibu211211]

Do you think you were a bit optimistic about your horse and your capabilities?
Do you think you overhorsed yourself?

I did

Both times

I have learnt the hard, painful and expensive way although they both have taught me alot along the way

If it wasn't for a good instructor I would have a yellow field ornament

 

[MizElz]

Ooooh good question also!

I was overhorsed with my last boy, Mickey. I went from riding push-button, perfect ponies, to a hyperactive, troubled and manic 14.3 horse-in-pony-body, with issues, when I was just 11

Our hearts ruled our heads with Mickey; he was never going to be right for me, and nearly killed both of us on more than one occasion during the time I was riding him (although I find it hard to believe I never fell off him!

). Mum came in for a lot of stick at Pony Club from other people who thought I was overhorsed, but in spite of it never being easy, I enjoyed my time with Mickey more than I ever had any other pony. He awakened some kind of 'fight' in me that I never knew I had!

When he died, we searched high and low to find Ellie. I was 12, and general consensus was (because I had never been the best or most confident of riders) that I should be looking for something about 16hh so that I would never grow out of it, schoolmaster type so aged about 10 -14, probably ID x TB type, who could take me on to do normal Pony Club stuff. What we ended up with was Ellie, 15.2, Arab x SF, 5 years old, very green and who 'didnt jump fillers'. She was everything we we wanted, and yet nothing that we had been looking for, if that makes sense! We just clicked, right on the first day, and I never dreamed we would go on to do the things we did.

I have never been confident, and am the first to admit I am no natural rider; I've always had to work very hard, and it doesnt come easily to me. But Ellie gave me the confidence to jump things I'd always marvelled at when jumping 2'3 at Pony Club. She would have gone so much further - my trainer wanted to buy her back from us to take her on himself, or at least he wanted us to let him ride her in the 7yr old classes, but I didnt want that for her. We've always known she would have had the capability to get to HOYS, but I could never have been the one to go with her! Not because of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of nerve. It was this that gave up on me three years ago, and caused me to give up jumping altogether.

In our case, we grew up together - it was a learning curve for both of us, and I can honestly say that I never asked Ellie to do anything beyond her capability. I simply gave up before I had to ask myself to do something beyond mine!