Happy ending (so far) for post Basil Facebook pony purchase

Read your doubting post in C&T, and I am so pleased to read this. It's made me a bit teary too! Beautiful photos to treasure. Well done.
 
He is so lovely, wonderful update, you and him are making a wonderful pair, great vid of show jumping you should be very pleased with yourself
 
Thanks everyone. Grinning at work today although that may also be because I’ve quit my job :p
 
Michen said:
That was several years ago now! We sold him to a livery yard owner, it was sad as when the time came to sell him we had a girl view him who gave him a boot when he was cantering and on wrong lead/unbalanced on a circle. He got a real fright from it and took off around the school and after that was very tense and upset, sold with full disclosure but sadly about a year later despite having no issues and his new owner doing a fab job, he one day reacted the same again when something went wrong and went through a fence- totally at random :(.

We actually bought him from someone whose recently been convicted of animal cruelty (tongue saga if you’ve seen it on Facebook). Wonder if he had a horrendous backing process and never quite forgot. Was a shame as he was a fun little chap.

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Crikey!

But thank you for the update :)
 
He is rather super! Well done you for all the work you've put into him.

He sounds extremely similar to my ex racehorse mare who I bought as a three year old in regards to the issues you've had. She is similarly difficult, we've had nappy phases, she's exceptionally sharp and over reactive and we had huge issues with loading and travelling. She does however also have a wonderful personality and is not a nasty horse, just very anxious. And schooling her at the moment can be an absolute pleasure.

I wondered for a while about getting a pro in to help, your post has made me wonder about it again, no idea where to find one though. While we have made huge strides and after 2 years I'm better at dealing with her meltdowns, I still couldn't take her to a show and one issue I'm struggling to overcome is hacking, especially on the road.

Your post gives me renewed strength to keep at it with her and also to think again about some sort of help at home in addition to the lessons we go to.

Again, you should be very proud, I know how very difficult it can be with a horse like that. I've been reduced to tears of frustration and tears of joy, sometimes in the same session!!
 
What a great post and such fab news. It is so lovely when things come right. You so deserve it after what you have been through the past few years. I have to admit to leaking eyes reading your post. So pleased for you and I hope the future has amazing things in store for you both. ☺
 
Given how nappy he has been/is with other horses I think the fact that he still went well with his mates there is even better than I thought it was first :D
 
ester said:
Given how nappy he has been/is with other horses I think the fact that he still went well with his mates there is even better than I thought it was first :D
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Well I spoke too soon, had a very jolly hack and the little ****** forgot himself when he saw some horses ahead, couldn’t contain himself any longer and sent me into orbit. Landed on my feet somehow and he looked quite shocked! This was a video ten mins before so you can see the level of jolly ness, he is far too full of beans for his own good!!!!! Nothing like horses to bring you back down to earth ��

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cbe7SIcG1wM[/video]
 
I saw, I wasn't going to mention it :p, so long as he didn't do it eventing when it matters it's all good :D
 
ester said:
I saw, I wasn't going to mention it :p, so long as he didn't do it eventing when it matters it's all good :D
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Hehe, he went out with no dinner tonight. Needless to say his pony nuts and chaff will now be reduced to just chaff...
 
Michen said:
Well I spoke too soon, had a very jolly hack and the little ****** forgot himself when he saw some horses ahead, couldn’t contain himself any longer and sent me into orbit. Landed on my feet somehow and he looked quite shocked! This was a video ten mins before so you can see the level of jolly ness, he is far too full of beans for his own good!!!!! Nothing like horses to bring you back down to earth ��

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cbe7SIcG1wM[/video]
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Hehe - boing de boing de boing....

Congrats on the job front BTW :biggrin3:
 
Just wanted to say I loved reading your lovely post - Love the pictures and wishing you many long years of continued happiness and success. You both deserve it x
 
Michen said:
Popping this in here as a few people have asked after him who don’t roam the comp section!

Won’t bore you with the full lengthy details but for the first time since Calmsden BE90 in 2016- I finally left the start box again!

This is my Connemara, who I bought a few weeks after losing Basil to a broken leg when standing up from colic surgery. Purchased off Facebook from Ireland, bloody stupid decision. Renamed “Boggle” instead of “Jack” when he stepped off the lorry at the M4 chievley Services. He’s been a nightmare from arriving looking like a rescue to lameness to major travelling issues to major ridden issues to pretty much everything really. The number of times I’ve sobbed over his issues and wished I bought a ready made Horse when I was ready instead of rushing into filling my stable with SOMETHING in the horrible aftermath of losing B. My confidence was on the floor, even when he came sound he was just so fiery, sharp, nappy, difficult and I didn’t want to get on board. But couldn’t sell him, not least because of lameness history but because despite all his difficulties he has the most wonderful engaging personality. Eventually got help from superb local young jockey who rode him a few times a week alongside me, did all his first competitions in dressage and SJ and slowly produced him into a super horse. Another setback when I had x rays done to check his feet (where he had bruising issues from last year), showed his angles had actually changed for the worse after six months of barefoot and self trimming. Posted on here and had a half and half opinion on how worried to be and what to do... had minor melt down. Decided to proceed with caution and listen to my vet and more importantly my pony, waiting for any changes in attitude or behaviour. He’s gone from strength to strength, he’s more muscled than ever, stronger than ever, fit and whilst still sharp as anything at ridiculous things my confidence on him is soaring and I love his jolly nature. His jockey took him to a few unaff 80’s and then Millfield BE90 where he absolutely flew around to come 7th.

But still not me on board, I still had major confidence issues with jumping. Bit the bullet, entered an unaff 70. Had huge confidence crises days before and nearly withdrew. Got a super boost of moral from you lovely bunch on here and with support from his jockey, lots of cigarettes and some cans of pimms we went off yesterday.

So in Basils saddle, his bridle, a bit of his tail in my pocket and with him firmly at the front of my mind we got the best dressage in the section... nothing spectacular but correct and sweet. Boggle decided to have a roll and a snack whilst lying down after this, making himself thoroughly at home!

We parked up with two horses from our yard which unfortunately meant he spent the whole day whinnying and being rather silly, though not badly behaved. A clear SJ so sitting in first place. A fantastic clear XC (whilst still whinnying- impressive) but we got plenty of time faults for taking it steady, they had worked so hard on the ground and it was super considering the dry weather but with past hoofy issues in mind and current imperfect hoof angles we took it slow. But so damn proud of my boy, who instead of exploiting my weakness, jelly legs and nerves, held my hand and showed what a fantastic horse he has grown up into. Here are the pics and a SJ video (hesitant to post... I am so rusty and haven’t jumped an SJ course for years so forgive the stupid riding, I held and held and held and shortened his stride instead of letting him go forward). But last picture is of course my beloved Basil who I miss every day.

Who knows what the future will hold, whether he will stay sound or whether something tragic will happen as per Basil. But for now I am enjoying my super pony. No concrete plans for what we will do next, will see what happens with the weather and the ground. I plan on keeping him ticking over through summer, we are using all weather gallops for fitness and will plan some events around rain/old turf and see what happens or if no rain wait until autumn. But if we don’t do another one all year I am just ecstatic about yesterday!

Arrival March 2017


SJ video

[video=youtube_share;saFGNgNcT6Y]https://youtu.be/saFGNgNcT6Y[/video]






















Basil <3


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Ahh this is so lovely to read how with your perserverance, love, & patience, you have come through some very testing times together - fills me with some hope that we may do the same with our connie who we are about to turn away for a years chill to see if he can come out the other side - lovely to read well done you X
 
bubsqueaks said:
Ahh this is so lovely to read how with your perserverance, love, & patience, you have come through some very testing times together - fills me with some hope that we may do the same with our connie who we are about to turn away for a years chill to see if he can come out the other side - lovely to read well done you X
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Ahhh what&#8217;s yours been up to!? They are such a fab breed but many of them aren&#8217;t easy!
 
Michen said:
Ahhh what&#8217;s yours been up to!? They are such a fab breed but many of them aren&#8217;t easy!
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Well we've had him 18 months now & since day one he's been a huge test! We treated him all last year for glandular ulcers & they've flared up again, he's only 8 so going to turn him away & see if it helps being chilled out, we too have had the loading issues & all sorts of trust, sharpness, which when he was bought for my 16 year old daughter isn't easy at all!
 
Only just caught up with this thread, so pleased you had such a great time and he looks fab. Onwards and upwards :-)
 
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