lcharles
Well-Known Member
Well after bricking it for a couple of days prior to the meet, yesterday was the day! x
Got to the stables at 8am as i needed to plait up, i decided not to do it the night before as we were unsure if the hunt would go ahead because of the ground, so early start plaiting up, hands and feet froze when i wasnt moving! x I was impressed with my own plaiting as i havent plaited up for about 6 years!
x
Horse sorted, tacked up, red masking tape around his tail (he bucks when he's excited!) and we hacked around the corner to the meet with 5 others from my stables. We met at 11am and said hello to everyone else, had a few photos taken (still waiting to see them!) but billy stood really well, he seemed happy but had a good look around, especially curious of the amount of hounds. I was really nervous of taking him because he can buck and rear when he's excited (massive ones as well!), we set of down the road trotting and i decided to try to keep to the back, we were at the very back with a quad bike behind us, which he wasnt overly sure of either, i let him see it and hear it and then turned him back around to carry on by which time most of the hunt and set off down the road so it was only about 6 of us together, Billy did a huge buck and then rear but i pushed him on and we trotted down the road, even though he seemed quite tense i didnt feel nervous. He's a big horse at 17.1hh and im only 5ft 3 but after having him 5 months i think we've only just got a bond now.
We had a good gallop across a field and i really let him go, he has been known to buck when cantering with others or being overtaken but i felt confident with him and thought we could do with a good blast.....stopping was ok!! x
He only did a few small excitable rears when he got stuck behind someone trying to hold their horse back but once we got past them he was fine once again. We ended up at the front where he seemed alot more relaxed and also the people seemed friendlier! x It was nice that the huntsmaster commented on how well he looked x We went up over a hill and jumped a hedge and it was downhill so could not stop to save my life!! Luckily there was a gap between the fieldmaster and the whipper-in so i shot through there shouting 'Sooorrryyyy' but they laughed x There was only about 15 of us left towards the end, we went over a cotswold stone wall and down a hill, through some woods, where i saw my farrier on his horse! he said 'oh you've tamed the wild one then?' and i laughed but also felt abit pleased!! Nice to see someone else seeing how much he's changed! x
At the bottom of the woods, Billy lost his footing behind and slid right out under himself but somehow managed to stay up but Mel (my friend i went with) her horse slid and went down so Mel got muddy!! Neil, another farrier gave me his horse to hold so he could give Mel a leg up (very nice man!) but Billy was facing one way, neils horse was facing the other way and i just had his reins....the hunt started moving away which i thought billy would stress and spin which would be fine if i didnt have hold of another horse in the opposite direction!! x Neil had his horse back and myself and Mel decided to head back once we got to the main road so we said thankyou and good night to everyone and trotted back home.
It was an absolutely brilliant day!! x So proud of Billy for behaving himself!! x I didnt feel nervous or worried at any point once we got going and i couldnt of asked for a better behaved horsey!! x
I think that you have to believe in your horse and your riding otherwise i would of never gone! x The amount of people that said he isnt ready, he'll buck you off, you'll regret it.....well im glad i didnt listen to them because i know my horse best and yes, he might of beaten 5 other riders and hes is only just 6, but i trust him more and more each time we progress and even though we've had weeks of me hating him when i first had him, it proves that by being persistent even when everyone tells you hes dangerous, it all pays off!! x
I am so super proud of my boy!! x
Got to the stables at 8am as i needed to plait up, i decided not to do it the night before as we were unsure if the hunt would go ahead because of the ground, so early start plaiting up, hands and feet froze when i wasnt moving! x I was impressed with my own plaiting as i havent plaited up for about 6 years!
x Horse sorted, tacked up, red masking tape around his tail (he bucks when he's excited!) and we hacked around the corner to the meet with 5 others from my stables. We met at 11am and said hello to everyone else, had a few photos taken (still waiting to see them!) but billy stood really well, he seemed happy but had a good look around, especially curious of the amount of hounds. I was really nervous of taking him because he can buck and rear when he's excited (massive ones as well!), we set of down the road trotting and i decided to try to keep to the back, we were at the very back with a quad bike behind us, which he wasnt overly sure of either, i let him see it and hear it and then turned him back around to carry on by which time most of the hunt and set off down the road so it was only about 6 of us together, Billy did a huge buck and then rear but i pushed him on and we trotted down the road, even though he seemed quite tense i didnt feel nervous. He's a big horse at 17.1hh and im only 5ft 3 but after having him 5 months i think we've only just got a bond now.
We had a good gallop across a field and i really let him go, he has been known to buck when cantering with others or being overtaken but i felt confident with him and thought we could do with a good blast.....stopping was ok!! x
He only did a few small excitable rears when he got stuck behind someone trying to hold their horse back but once we got past them he was fine once again. We ended up at the front where he seemed alot more relaxed and also the people seemed friendlier! x It was nice that the huntsmaster commented on how well he looked x We went up over a hill and jumped a hedge and it was downhill so could not stop to save my life!! Luckily there was a gap between the fieldmaster and the whipper-in so i shot through there shouting 'Sooorrryyyy' but they laughed x There was only about 15 of us left towards the end, we went over a cotswold stone wall and down a hill, through some woods, where i saw my farrier on his horse! he said 'oh you've tamed the wild one then?' and i laughed but also felt abit pleased!! Nice to see someone else seeing how much he's changed! x
At the bottom of the woods, Billy lost his footing behind and slid right out under himself but somehow managed to stay up but Mel (my friend i went with) her horse slid and went down so Mel got muddy!! Neil, another farrier gave me his horse to hold so he could give Mel a leg up (very nice man!) but Billy was facing one way, neils horse was facing the other way and i just had his reins....the hunt started moving away which i thought billy would stress and spin which would be fine if i didnt have hold of another horse in the opposite direction!! x Neil had his horse back and myself and Mel decided to head back once we got to the main road so we said thankyou and good night to everyone and trotted back home.
It was an absolutely brilliant day!! x So proud of Billy for behaving himself!! x I didnt feel nervous or worried at any point once we got going and i couldnt of asked for a better behaved horsey!! x
I think that you have to believe in your horse and your riding otherwise i would of never gone! x The amount of people that said he isnt ready, he'll buck you off, you'll regret it.....well im glad i didnt listen to them because i know my horse best and yes, he might of beaten 5 other riders and hes is only just 6, but i trust him more and more each time we progress and even though we've had weeks of me hating him when i first had him, it proves that by being persistent even when everyone tells you hes dangerous, it all pays off!! x
I am so super proud of my boy!! x