Switchthehorse
Well-Known Member
I have posted on here a couple of times over the past 3 years in despair about my mare. She is big and with her breeding has been very slow to mature. I have had her for 3 years since a 3 yo and during that time she has been lazy, backwards, dangerous, frightening, manic, uncontrollable, you name it she's been it. I have had numerous broken bones, most of the local A&E staff know me, we have been called 'special needs', come last in just about every class we have ever been in. I have been told about 3000 times (no exaggeration!) that she is 'a mans horse' or 'too much horse for me' or 'will never get anywhere', 'only good for meat' etc. Every dressage test we entered we got 'needs to be more forward' or 'disobedient' or 'no canter shown' or 'well sat' etc. After several nasty falls I totally lost my nerve and wouldnt jump her as she was dangerous. And when on a spinal board in the back of an ambulance in September last year I thought I might have to give up.. only a little voice said to me throw everything at her and give her to April.
She is now rising 7, I dont know what has happened in the last 2 months but something has, she will now be tied up for the farrier, she is bombproof in hand and on the yard, we started jumping again in January and cleared an 80cm course at the yard and are now booked in to two local shows. We did our first prelim in nearly 9 months yesterday and didn't get a single 'needs to be more 4ward/rounder/disobedient' etc. She was an ANGEL, listened to me the whole time, we even got an 8 for one movement!! Alright not quite GP and we didnt win or anything but it was a consistent test and for once i dont think we looked out of place.
Suddenly after THREE YEARS she is growing up, and we have a partnership. She listened to me every second yesterday whether in the test or when horses got loose in the car park and everyone else was hysterical
I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone on here who sent me messages saying it will be worth it and gave me support. And i wanted to say KEEP AT IT and DONT GIVE UP to everyone who are at their wits end!! I am sure there are more ups and downs to come - she is a horse(!) and an 'Alpha' Mare. But suddenly I am a very proud Mum and the 3 years of 'hell' have been cancelled out by a couple of months of pleasure!! Hopefully if this inspires one person to keep going it will be worth the essay!! Sorry its so long!! I love my big fat 17.1 pony!!
She is now rising 7, I dont know what has happened in the last 2 months but something has, she will now be tied up for the farrier, she is bombproof in hand and on the yard, we started jumping again in January and cleared an 80cm course at the yard and are now booked in to two local shows. We did our first prelim in nearly 9 months yesterday and didn't get a single 'needs to be more 4ward/rounder/disobedient' etc. She was an ANGEL, listened to me the whole time, we even got an 8 for one movement!! Alright not quite GP and we didnt win or anything but it was a consistent test and for once i dont think we looked out of place.
Suddenly after THREE YEARS she is growing up, and we have a partnership. She listened to me every second yesterday whether in the test or when horses got loose in the car park and everyone else was hysterical
I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone on here who sent me messages saying it will be worth it and gave me support. And i wanted to say KEEP AT IT and DONT GIVE UP to everyone who are at their wits end!! I am sure there are more ups and downs to come - she is a horse(!) and an 'Alpha' Mare. But suddenly I am a very proud Mum and the 3 years of 'hell' have been cancelled out by a couple of months of pleasure!! Hopefully if this inspires one person to keep going it will be worth the essay!! Sorry its so long!! I love my big fat 17.1 pony!!
