Fugly's first outing - pics

[Gamebird]

I have re-joined Riding Club after an absence of about 5 years and there was a rally this morning about 15mins hack from our yard which I thought would be a perfect first outing for Fuggles as there would be no stress over transport etc. and there was another girl from our yard going so he could have a nanny to hack there with

The poor pony is obviously finding life hard at the mo and I felt really mean getting up from his weekend lie-in (at 10.15am

) to go. I think he's been taking tips from my husband

:

He was really good about working with the other horses, once he had checked out all the corners of the arena for Fuggle-eating-demons

. I kept giving him breaks as he's really weak and can't do too much work. Surprisingly he was much better balanced through the serpentine-through-poles exercises than the older horses

He's not really going forward from my leg yet, which makes everything SO much hard work, and not really taking a contact, though I guess that'll come when he's going better off the leg? I was working VERY hard with my seat and legs, hence why my position has reverted to 'hunting farmer' in the pics

(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!). I'm trying VERY hard to get his neck a bit longer and lower, but he's determind to keep it slightly behind the vertical at the moment.

Taking a bit more contact, finally. Phew!:

I promise I won't post every time he leaves the yard

, but some people had wanted to see ridden pics so I thought I'd take the opportunity

. Whaddya think? BYEH 5yo 2010??

 

[TURBOBERT]

He looks very nice

 

[PoppyAnderson]

He's lovely and I'm sure there'd be many a 'hunting farmer' who'd like to have a seat like that!

 

[fingers_crossed]

He is lovely!!!

 

[now_loves_mares]

You are so mean - he' s NOT fugly

I think he looks great, but honestly just how big does a horse have to be before you look over-horsed!!!!

FWIW my 5yo (though v lacking in miles) is v hard work to keep moving on the flat, but is much better when jumping. I'm sure the sharpness off the leg will come. Pair of impulse spurs maybe (can't remember if you had them on in the pic

)

ETS - oh yes, stonking big ones on already

Wish my riding club did rallies.

 

[MysteryGirl]

He looks nice, keep working at it and the sharpness will come, maybe try carrying a schooling whip in each hand and just give him tiny little flicks to help him get the message, the last thing you want is for him to become dead to the leg. I think you're right and that the outline will improve once he's better off your leg

 

[only_me]

He looks lovely

very nice sort, infact, just my type of horse!

As my dressage instructor says to me, stop faffing around with the contact and just use your bloody leg

He has a way with words my instructor does

I think he looks fab, and a real eventer in the making - perfect old fashioned type

 

[Baydale]

I love him, he's a corker. I particularly like his "you must be kidding"

look in the field.

Now I expected your "hunting farmer" to be leaning back not leaning forwards, so thanks for educating me in that a regard.

I'm a bit befuddled as to how you can be working very hard with your seat when it's not underneath you

.....I know Carthorse liked it like that (for all the wrong reasons

) but us stumpy folks would kill for your height and elegance, so why not use it to the max.

 

[MandyMoo]

he's lovely

xx

 

[LEC]

How great that he is so chilled.
I have always been taught that with young horses you leave the mouth alone until they are off the leg otherwise you do not have a true connection. I spent months and months getting my horse off the leg. Never nag, always carry a schooling whip and if they do not listen when you ask nicely you boot them, if they ignore when you boot them then you use the schooling whip. You have to be so disciplined as the same for everytime you are on them. It does get better in the end!

 

[meardsall_millie]

Errr - wow. I thought you'd gone on the Fugly horse but all I'm seeing is a rather scrummy, elegant chap

.

Working hard does wonders for the waistline so if nothing else you'll have abs of steel by the time he's moving forwards properly!

(Loving the 'whaddya mean get up it's time to do some work' look btw!

)

 

[Gamebird]

n_l_m - he's 16.3 and half an inch, I put a stick on him this morning. There's still a bit of growing to do yet though

BD - thanks, that's me told. I always feel like I'm sitting up, but then the pictures alway prove me to be a liar. Obviously I need to feel like I'm leaning back

lec - his head is where it is from his choice, I have nothing in my hands, the reins are even slack in the first two pics. I have my schooling whip there and impulse spurs and am trying not to nag! I think he'll learn fairly quickly, I'll just be knackered until he does!

. I will definitely be sitting up and putting my bum under me in future though. Grrrr.

m_m - yeah, but all those photos were from his 'good' side, he's very tempramental about letting people take pics from his 'bad' side!

 

[TarrSteps]

I think you better stop calling him Fugly before you give him a complex and he decides never to go forward off the leg or take a contact in justifiable retribution. I really like him.

 

[teapot]

Love him

 

[kirstyhen]

I really like him!

Hen always worked like that through choice, it would take an hour of hard work before he would stretch down and forward

I will join you in the "I always feel like I'm sitting up, but the pictures prove me to be a liar" club

My excuse (and I'm sticking to it!) is that as I am so tall, there's lots of stomach to collapse

Short people only have a little way between their ribs and hips, so it's easier for them to sit up

 

[MegaBeast]

Very nice looking chappy indeed!

 

[jules89]

fugly my arse!

 

[KatB]

Wow! He is seriously smart under saddle

So yes, you had better stop calling him Fugly

You look good on him, he's going to be a big bugger

(but guess you'd already worked that one out

)

 

[Baydale]

[ QUOTE ]
My excuse (and I'm sticking to it!) is that as I am so tall, there's lots of stomach to collapse

Short people only have a little way between their ribs and hips, so it's easier for them to sit up

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, I will shoot that one right out of the water as I am ultra short twixt ribs and hips and I do a really good collapse.

 

[SpottedCat]

But you are also TALL BD - only Tabledancer, ColouredFan and I can truely claim insider knowledge on this height thing....and for the record, I keep being told off by my new flat trainer for....collapsing my right hand side! (So as well as tall you are right

)

GB - I really like him - my horse has the same line in 'you must be kidding' when I go to get him in.

 

[UncleJr]

Fugly who?!?!?! The horse looks really good to me!

Lots of impulsion, helped with schooling whips, as MysteryGirl said, will help to lengthen the neck and take a good contact

 

[kirstyhen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My excuse (and I'm sticking to it!) is that as I am so tall, there's lots of stomach to collapse

Short people only have a little way between their ribs and hips, so it's easier for them to sit up

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, I will shoot that one right out of the water as I am ultra short twixt ribs and hips and I do a really good collapse.

[/ QUOTE ]

Shhhh you

It must be my extra large head then, the weight of it is pulling me forwards

I'm sure I have some perfectly good reason why I can't stop doing it, I refuse to believe it's just 'cos I'm lazy

 

[wizoz]

I like him

Did he behave well? He looks like an angel

 

[Chloe_GHE]

I'm already smitten with Fugly

more pics more pics!!!

 

[yeeharider]

you are gonna have to rename him wont be fugly for long He looks just my type

 

[sw123]

He's definitely a mill law horse isnt he - i love him!!! Really smart boy

but gosh he's got a lot more growing to do hasnt he!

 

[diggerbez]

he looks VERY smart under saddle! i think he's going to look very impressive when he's all grown up. i wish my RC did nice things like rallies

 

[Joss]

No wonder you were keen to post photos, he looks very smart under saddle. Carries himself really well for such a big, weak baby. Absolutely no excuse for his jockey not to sit up & look elegant

He, he, he only joking. Hope he carries on being good, he really suits you & does absolutely look the business.