Happy thread.

[Red-1]

I am feeling happy. Now, after the two years I have had, I am grasping the moment and revelling in that happy feeling.

The cause? Well, as well as Rigsby continuing to be healthy and happy, the main happiness is that baby horse is developing so well, and I am starting to get that tingling in excitement about him.

He is a slow maturing ID X, so not done much at 4yo. I have just extended our hacking, and he is exhausted after an hour's walk out, but that is an engaged and active walk and it is better than what he could achieve before.

After years of good luck with horses, I then had some years with bad luck, and I am now, after 5 months of ownership, just beginning to believe in my good luck with baby horse.

He is developing strength, we met our first big traffic and I think he will be good in that, he has met other horses and not lost his head, popped a few fences. He is good and friendly around the place.

I am touching a lot of wood here, but can hardly believe my good fortune.

Anyone else, thanking their lucky stars about any aspect of their horse ownership?

 

[I'm Dun]

Yes! My bought unseen and unvetted TB has turned out to be an amazing buy. Hes exceeded all my expectations in every way. Its been a bit stop start all year since I got him with life getting in the way, but we are getting on with fittening work now and I just love riding him

 

[Red-1]

Yes! My bought unseen and unvetted TB has turned out to be an amazing buy. Hes exceeded all my expectations in every way. Its been a bit stop start all year since I got him with life getting in the way, but we are getting on with fittening work now and I just love riding him

And the last bit of your post is the most magical. The bit where you just love riding him.

I do love Riggers, he is a one off, but I am also loving the tingly feeling of starting to produce a young horse.

 

[milliepops]

i think my lucky stars went out :/

been one calamity after another lately. 7 horses and nothing to ride takes the P a bit

but my yearling is just lovely and it's the highlight of my day going to visit her. I just hope she grows a bit more... she has just measured 14.2 at 18 months. her legs are longer than her dam's (15.1) and both dam and sire (16.1) are broad types so fingers crossed she will be big enough to keep.

 

[Red-1]

i think my lucky stars went out :/

been one calamity after another lately. 7 horses and nothing to ride takes the P a bit

but my yearling is just lovely and it's the highlight of my day going to visit her. I just hope she grows a bit more... she has just measured 14.2 at 18 months. her legs are longer than her dam's (15.1) and both dam and sire (16.1) are broad types so fingers crossed she will be big enough to keep.

I feel your pain. I mean it when I said I had some years of bad luck. Hopefully your baby will mature into something spectacular!

 

[Northern]

Yes, I too have that feeling at the moment!

After 18 months of monthly vet visits, for two TBs, a few years back. Then losing my first horse who was my best friend, I feel I have finally (maybe!!!??) come into some good luck with my horses. An ad hoc purchase of a Haflinger a few years ago while I was studying (and not working, very far from home!) has paid off in spades and we are conquering the dressage levels together.

Last year I decided to buy a youngster to back myself for the first time. She's been so easy, yesterday I pulled her out of the paddock after 10 weeks off and jumped on for a hack. I'm excited and cautiously optimistic for the year ahead with these two, and perhaps (many fingers crossed!) I can rehab and start riding my TB who is a currently a paddock potato after a KS and SI diagnosis a few years ago.

 

[catembi]

Not far behind you, Milliepops. I have 6 and nothing to ride. 4 x PSSM, 1 old ex-racer who I have loaned out as a happy hack & a Shetland. Who I really ought to loan/sell as she's backed & should be doing something besides eating & escaping. I get my bonus in April, so we might be on for 7... **sighs**

 

[scats]

I’m enjoying my girls a lot at the moment. Millie is so much fun and she has chilled out sufficiently enough now that hacking is less about spooking and being daft and we can do a lot more fast work without the fear of being teleported into the next continent.
I’m even enjoying riding Polly, which is an experience most of the time. Her and Millie are poles apart. Whereas Millie is spooky and prone to daftness, she can be a bit behind the leg and needs ‘jollying up’ in the school. Polly is like sonic the hedgehog on speed but thankfully not the spooky type. She just wants to go constantly- why walk when you can jog, trot, go sideways kind of horse. I get quite tired riding Millie, but Polly I could genuinely sit there all day. They are both lovely girls. I’m very, very lucky.

 

[ycbm]

You deserve it Red.
.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The rubbish times really make the good bits more precious don’t they.

 

[Red-1]

Not far behind you, Milliepops. I have 6 and nothing to ride. 4 x PSSM, 1 old ex-racer who I have loaned out as a happy hack & a Shetland. Who I really ought to loan/sell as she's backed & should be doing something besides eating & escaping. I get my bonus in April, so we might be on for 7... **sighs**

I couldn't really like this post, except maybe for the bonus making no 7?

I hope it comes good for you. X

 

[Red-1]

The rubbish times really make the good bits more precious don’t they.

I think you are correct, I maybe took it for granted before.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I seem to have spent years looking after my elderly ppid pony, I lost him right at the start of the pandemic, and stupidly hoped I wouldn't see my vet for quite a while! Of course 1 month later the elderly shetland developed a tumour, more vets bills and pony nursing. I lost her earlier this year.

Now I have my last old pony and my new baby Fell. Every time I see the baby I can't quite believe how lucky I am, he's so full of fun and enthusiasm, for the first time in years I'm excited about all the adventures we've got to come. We had a mini ground work lesson the other day just doing fun stuff, watching my instructor with him he was such a star and so handsome I actually cried because I was so proud of him. The old pony has just been put on prascend and he's like a youngster again, it makes me so happy to see them both out in the field happy and playing together.

 

[McFluff]

Lovely thread Red, hope your baby keeps being awesome.

I feel super blessed to have found my boy. He’s just awesome, and I love being with him. Can’t help but grin when I ride, and we are learning together. He’s definitely a reward after losing my lovely girl too young.

You just need to enjoy the great times as you’ve no idea when things will change.

 

[Peglo]

Lovely to hear your youngster is making you so happy @Red-1 and glad to hear Rigsby is feeling a bit better.

I’m also so thankful and happy with Tali. Took a huge risk buying unseen from abroad. Still shocked I did it. But she is so much fun, she’s made me excited about riding again and she has such a good temperament that even if I couldn’t ride her she would be a fab companion pony to have around.

 

[Jellymoon]

I seem to be in the lucky zone at the moment too, after maybe several years of tricky, unsound horses, everyone is sound at the moment and going well. I also have a new baby, also an IDX, who I am delighted with and am getting that tingle of excitement!
I’m trying to enjoy the moment while it lasts!

 

[Red-1]

Lovely thread Red, hope your baby keeps being awesome.

I feel super blessed to have found my boy. He’s just awesome, and I love being with him. Can’t help but grin when I ride, and we are learning together. He’s definitely a reward after losing my lovely girl too young.

You just need to enjoy the great times as you’ve no idea when things will change.

Yes, I think that is what my good few years of bad luck has taught me. I also grin when I ride baby horse, even though we mainly just walk around the village at the moment. He just... fits.

I am so happy that, in amongst the sad threads, there are some happy ones for perspective.

 

[southerncomfort]

Genuinely happy for you Red, as others have said you deserve happy times with your youngster.

I'm also thrilled with my young Fell pony. I really didn't want a youngster this time but actually it's been a case of right pony at the right time.

I realise now that I'd fallen out of love with riding, but now I get a real buzz when I get the tack out.

I'm not a great rider, in fact I find riding blooming hard but because I backed him myself, I know how to ride HIM if that makes sense. We just work. He makes me feel like a better version of myself.

I just love the bones of him and feel blessed.

 

[I'm Dun]

Now I have my last old pony and my new baby Fell. Every time I see the baby I can't quite believe how lucky I am, he's so full of fun and enthusiasm, for the first time in years I'm excited about all the adventures we've got to come. We had a mini ground work lesson the other day just doing fun stuff, watching my instructor with him he was such a star and so handsome I actually cried because I was so proud of him. The old pony has just been put on prascend and he's like a youngster again, it makes me so happy to see them both out in the field happy and playing together.

I have a rising 4yr old. Him and my old cob play all the time. Proper full on boxing and galloping round with their tails in the air. I despair at them wrecking the ground but it is lovely to see them both so happy.

They grow up so quickly as well. I swear mine is still a yearling yet hes off to be broken next month. I'm just sorting out tack for him which seems crazy as to me hes still a little fluffy baby!

 

[Pippity]

I took Blue out for her first decent-length hack since tying up, complete with some wee bits of trot, and she was keen and forward the whole way. Even when we got back and she was tired (because 90 minutes is the longest we've hacked in a good few months), she was still eager to keep going. She really does love hacking, and she's an absolute star in traffic. We get some real numpties round our way, and she very rarely even flickers an ear as they roar and rattle past. (Although it did take a few minutes to cajole her past a field of sheep. Sheep are Woolly Assassins and she Does Not Trust Them. Especially when they run away from her. They're Plotting Something.)

I've never met such an honest, willing horse, who'll absolutely try her heart out for me. I can deck her out in sleigh bells and tinsel and a little santa hat, and all she does is sigh and give me a long-suffering look. I got very, very lucky with her. (For all her lengthy vet bills...)

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Lovely thread and it's so nice you have something positive Red
I'm so happy with my boys. Rex is such a chilled (albeit slightly dim) dude and I can't help but smile everytime I look at Rocket and remember that he's now mine and I never have to worry he'll be taken away. In order to afford to keep them I have to keep them very simply etc but it's worth every bit of stress it sometimes causes ?