Has your horse met your expectations?

[PapaFrita]

I loved PF the moment I got on her, but she's been incredibly hard work. It's been an emotional rollercoaster and she has driven me almost to tears with frustration and on more than one occasion has forced me to count to ten before I completely lost my temper with her!

Some people told me to sell her as she would never be any good, and others that I'd never be able to jump her unless I sedated her in some shape or form!

NOW though, whilst she is still not the easiest ride and can be a bit argumentative, she is sooooo genuine, and tries soooo hard for me that I can't help but adore her (even more than I did before) and she has truly turned out better than I could've hoped...

So... be honest now...

 

[Tia]

All of my horses have well and truly exceeded my expectations! I think they are all absolutely fantastic and they are the best bunch of horses I have ever had.

 

[_jetset_]

When i bought Hannah she was a nervous wreck and barged her way around you. Now she is the sweetest most lovely horse I have ever known. She is affectionate (she never used to bother with me to be honest).

The time she exceeded all my expectations was at our first dressage competition. She had just been loaded by Richard Maxwell so was nervous travelling. We got there and I expected her to be an absolute lunatic, but she behaved so well and made me so proud when she got 66% in her first ever prelim!

She loaded perfectly too!

 

[eekmon]

I have basically grown up with my horse owning him for 23 years! We too have had tears and tantrums over the years

But I have done sooo much with him over the years and we know each other inside out.He was a nutter in his youth but never ever put me in danger and I always felt safe ( even though most people would never ride him

) He is now a little grumpy at times but I love him to bits he is such a genuine horse. They broke the mould when they made him

(IMO)

 

[maddielove]

..i was told that i wouldn't be able to ride my horse for many years..
i was riding with in two weeks! enough said.
she can be evil and throw constant tantrums but is an angel and i love her

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

My boy, Rock, has exceeded my expectations by a long shot. When i got him he was a just broken 3rising4year old, ribs sticking out, hips sticking out, not an ounce of muscle or fat on his body, covered in fly bites with crippling feet which has the same shoes on for 12weeks because dealer forgot to get them done...hmm...he looked like a cruelty case and everyone said he was beyond help
and now i have a 5year old, strong, muscley horse carrying good weight as we go into winter, who has over the summer won countless competitions and is about to do his first bsja, who neighs to me every morning and tries his heart out for me.
so yeah lol hes exceeded my expectations though i always knew he had something special about him

 

[Lucy_Ally]

When I bought Spring from Faye she made me fully aware of all Springs foibles! She was extremely hairy and unfit behaved like a "big spoilt baby" as Faye put it! Lol! I knew when I got her that she wasn't going to be the easiest of horses, and although its been a bit of a rollercoster she has proved to be fantastic. When I watched her being lunged when I first viewed her I liked her paces and when I first sat on her and she was so laid back I made up my mind to give her a go. Having had a few dressage lessons where my trainer has raved about her paces and conformation and having cracked pretty much every problem Spring has thrown at me - I can safely say she has far exceded my expectations

She is still not the easiest to handle and can be a little exuberent to ride, but she is the most talented horse I have ever ridden and sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me that she's actually mine!

 

[RunToEarth]

With Oshk Im undecided. In the jumping phase hell yes, he has scope to burn, some real ability and I am confident that when I settle his canter a little more I will have a super BSJA hoss.
Saying that his flatwork is up and down. Somedays I feel like I have moved moutains with it, other days he makes me feel like a total novice.
It doesnt help that I hunt him quite a lot, because he learns to jump off of a longer stride, but I am determined and I will bring him upto it.
Willow has come on leaps and bounds, he no longer plants his feet in with everything and I have learned that if you shove your shoulders back and kick, you dont end up on the floor!

 

[S_N]

Most definitely B has exceeded my expectations of her and I haven't even ridden her yet! She's produced a lovely foal, who is not only good looking, but a nice person too. She was given some wonderful marks at her grading recently and some of the comments both she and foalie recieved were wonderful - almost made me cry with pride, but not for me, for her! She has come a long way in 18 months and our journey together is really only just beginning. She is undoubtably my horse of a lifetime, I truely don't know what I'd do with out her!!

 

[JAK]

LBO has well exceeded them! He has proved himself to be the gentlest, most sensible little pony ever & can even cope with littlest disabled daughter's 'not so good' days - just takes it all in his stride, doesn't get flustered at all & never says "Oh, just b*gger off, why don't you!" LOL

FOO has also exceeded our expectations! He has always looked after his very nervous rider wonderfully & has proved to be a very loyal & trustworthy friend to her, with many hidden talents!

CB the same really! He has proved he is more than a 'thick hairy lump' on many occasions & has turned out to be MD's perfect partner, with an enthusiasm for many activities you wouldn't have expected of him & a real sense of fun!

SWO also better than expected! She's been real hard work but has certainly shown there is a lot more to her than meets the eye & that she has a sweet, loving personality when she knows & trusts you!

So yes, all have exceeded expectations but none more so than LBO........a scruffy little oik found with a one-line description in the local paper who turned out to be solid platinum!

 

[sojeph]

I can honestly say my riding cobbie has well and truely exceeded my expectations. We're very happy hackers! She's a real safe cob but with a spark

Other cobbie turned out to have sweet itch which was a shame but is a great horse and another very safe happy hacker. Daughters pony was a gamble. She was 4/5yrs old and very green when I got her. Daughter had only ever done lead rein. Bought her for £450 off a dealer friend. They've both learnt together and she's the sweetest, steadyest pony ever

 

[spotty_pony]

My ambition is to compete Pug in a one day event. So far we have been show jumping, competed in a dressage competition and been cross country schooling so I have hopes. I just don't want to push him too hard because he is still young but I love him and wouldn't change him for the world.

x

 

[LEC]

I have only had R for a year but he is getting there but my goodness it has been hard work. I think next year will be his year as we are slowly getting there this year but keep having blips! The improvement has been immense some good training over the winter and I think he will come out fighting next year.

 

[Governor]

Exceeded, without a doubt.

I went to look at the gagly '16.2hh KWPN 5 year old' on a bit of a whim (he was only the 4th horse I saw, and 3rd i'd tried).
He looked absolutely stunning in the stable despite being gangly and in poor condition. We saw him loose and although he had pizzaz I had no idea how good his paces were or that he could jump!

I bought him as an allrounder and never thought i'd be looking at affiliated dressage, jumping and potentially eventing.
It's been hard work, luckily he was a fairly blank canvas but he was 3 when I bought him not 5. In the last couple of weeks i've been pinching myself everytime I ride because he's changed beyond recognition.

 

[kerrylou123]

i already knew exactly what my horse was capable of, having know him all of his life! Its just exactling to know that i am actaully cabable of doing the same things, but its taken me 4 years to actually belive it!

 

[hussar]

My youngster Poco, who I bought as an unbacked late-gelded 3yo, had caused me more heart-ache, torn muscles, sleepless nights that any other horse I've known. I came within a spit of selling him last year. But now, as a 7yo, he's matured into an intelligent, almost-sensible, forward-going endurance horse who won our Novice Championship and has probably got a lot more going for him than I'll ever realise.

 

[JoBo]

Otto hasn't quite met them yet; however I have only had him a year and he is getting closer and closer with every lesson and competition.

Blacks is exceeding them already and he has only been broken 6 weeks, what a little star. This pony just doesn’t put a foot wrong!

 

[Haflinger]

Hmm, in the middle really. Yes in most respects - just things that need improving/working on.

Our jumping has improved no end. Toscar has gone from putting in stops that I felt that could kill me, to flying virtually everything put infront of him. Its just getting that nice steady canter in between jumps we need!

Flatwork is similar. The pony that has gone from having tantrums and sticking his head in the air, has gone to going into a gorgeous outline and working his socks off for me.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

Having only really had downhill experiences with horses in the past, when B arrived for my kids I was determined to take things slowly. I knew at 3 he'd been sat on, but not been lunged etc. He was his owner's baby.
In the last two months he's come so far. He does have his little stroppy moments, but I know when he's genuine and when he's just being a prat. He has been a challenge in ways, a wilful little 3yo with bags of attitude. Some days he will purposley annoy one of the other geldings in the field, and other days he's really nice to him. Some days he will have nothing to do with me, other days he just wants a big hug. He's learning slowly! But the best moment so far was when he spotted my 2yo daughter in the yard and came pelting across the field to see her.
I've learnt to not expect anything much. To make changes slowly and always go at the horses pace. By doing this, and taking things day by day I've got a pony who is willing and happy. He may not be as experienced as others, but he's confident in what he can do, and that's enough for me.

 

[Pidge]

Yes, from a very underweight no personality horse, he has filled out, muscled up, developed a huge personality and I have done so much with him. We won our first ever unaffiliated novice dressage test, and have just won the championship at 2'3" SJ at our local riding club. I never ever thought I would enjoy jumping again as I hadn't done any for about 15 years, but with Pidge I am starting to really enjoy it and have even jumped clear (bar one stop) round a 2'6" course. He is very much a mummies boy though and the bond we now have is fabulous. As with all horses we do have our moments but 95% he is fab

 

[4whitesocks]

he has both exceeded them and not met them yet!!!! Exceeded them in that I didn't realise what a fantastic jump he had when I bought him (in fact when I saw him in the stable I turned and walked out and said to the owner....not for me....only for my old YO made me get up on him I would never have bought him)..., in fact without realising it I jumped 95cm on him last weekend and would happily have gone higher so he's really helping me conquer my fear - and he's only a baby himself!!!
also exceeded them as to what a lovely lovely boy he is, he has been moved from pillar to post for the past month, two yard changes and never once has he complained...been unsettled,...shied in new surroundings or done anything vaguely naughty...in fact today I arrived out to the field & he came trotting up to me & then followed me to the gate, waiting patiently while I went & got his headcollar to bring him in (and when I say followed me...I was picking my way round teh endge of a seriously muddy patch and instead of going straight through, he just walked behind me the whole way...LOL)

He has a long long way to go with his flatwork but I have hopes, and my new YO (schooling livery at the mo) sat down with me yesterday with a plan for him so fingers crossed in 6 months you won't know us!!!

 

[Ginn]

I couldn't ask for more than I have with Tilly. She has more than exceeded my expectations and I know there is still more to come.

 

[Nic]

Gus gave me more confidence than I ever thought possible.

D was bought to do RC things, and we were on the rC team have BE'd, bsja'd, qualified for trailblazers & even qualified for Scope, which I would never have dreamed of! I owe him everything & am just praying he will come sound.

 

[_OC_]

Still thinking about this question................!!!!!!!

 

[Evadiva1514]

I think all of my horses have exceeded my expectations in that they have never disappointed me... I bought one of my current horses 3 years ago for my mother to hack about on. To this day my poor mum has never sat on him!! He has gone from being very successful at RC level in ODE, SJ and dressage and he is now doing very well at BD having recently won a dressage championship, i dare say he would easily do aff SJ and BE given half a chance!! And during this time he has never said no, he has given 100% all the way through..

My last main competitive horse Benji is still going strong and has always done his best by me so he exceeded his expectations many years ago and as for my yearlings, i have fairly high expectations of them so heres hoping they meet and possibly exceed them in the future!!