Firewell
Well-Known Member
Hee hee,
just sitting here looking back over old photos and videos of my boy. We are taking a competitive break for a bit due to upcoming nuptuals/honeymoon and he hasn't had a break for a while so think it will do him good.
I think it's quite a good time to look back and re-assess how far we have come and what still needs to be worked on, what we would like to achieve ect.
When I got him all I wanted was just a nice horse to have fun on. That's it. Wasn't sure if a scrawney 4yr old ex-racer was really the ticket but I liked him.
Just so proud of how far we have come! To me the most important thing was to bring him on to be the sort of horse that is always useful. Not to be a superstar or an incredible competition horse or anything. Not to achieve xyz but to be the sort of horse that can turn its hoof to anything, that was happy, confident, well behaved, easy in all situations. The sort of horse I always wanted and to bring him on in such a way that if I ever did have to sell him that he would have the best chance of going to a good home.
I think it's easy to be focused on one discipline or achieving a certain goal and I was (are!) more concerned with the bigger picture, mainly because I have my horse do other things than just win a rosette like hacking and cuddling and brushing
.
Well he came with a bit of a nasty spin in him out hacking (which to be fair was more funny than scary but I didn't let him know that I found it funny) and he was just a very blank canvas!
I've worked out that over the past 2.5yrs we must have done a good 30/40 different outings. It hasn't always been easy, iv'e doubted myself lots and my ability. We have had days when Iv'e had to really sit tight, clench my teeth and be brave (joys of a young TB!). The first hack out alone, the first jump, the first show. There has been mountinous amounts of money spent on osteos, saddlers, dentists, horse communicators. There has been the odd tear but mostly actually there has been smiles and pats. Its so rewarding bringing on a young horse and watching them grow.
We have done numerous clinics and lessons. He hacks alone and in company, front or behind. Ive jumped tiger traps, ditches and crossed fords out hacking, gone exploring, gone galloping. He's seen hounds and has competed on the RC dr and SJ area teams and done a good job, he's done decent unaff and aff tests with rosettes and a few BD points to show for it (a miracle when you consider I look like a crouching hobbit when I ride!). He jumps anything, wobbled clear round his first SJ, didnt even notice his first water tray, has helped me out when Ive messed up and been there to catch me the other side. Ive done my first ODE's in 12 years, dying of nerves and he's carried me round clear in every one. He's been placed showing, lets me ride him bareback, and I jumped my first 4ft oxer in a long while. I can ride him in wind,rain after a day off, a week off without a worry. I can take him out on my own in the lorry and he is easy.
He's gone from the sort of horse that had people thinking 'really??' when I first got him to the sort of horse that prompts the same people to say 'wow, look at him now!'.
I get down when I see people with their lovely horses soaring up the grades in a particular discipline knowing that I may not have the bottle or the talent for that sort of thing but then when I think of everything above i'm so proud of what WE have done and i've managed to achieve exactly what I have always wanted. Also who knows what the future will bring
.
A few little pictures of our journey!
First day I met him:-
First jump:-
First show:-
and now
:-
permission to post from nicola elliott photography
permission from santaclause on here:-
I have literally tens of thousands more photos as you probably all know but not all of the good ones I have permission for. I have permission for every single photo here as apart from the nicola elliott one the rest are not pro photos and were taken by myself, my mum, my dad and santa claus the hho member.
I think it is good sometimes as an amature one horse rider, when it is easy to feel like a pile of useless cr@p to look back at the journey. My journey so far with my scrap heap scrawney TB. So proud of him and me and I am so so happy! I won't be posting any reports for a couple of months hence this little deluge of Jae happiness! I just hope i'm blessed with lots more years to come with him and lots of happy times. Unfortunatly I've learnt over the past few years how suddenly our beloved horses can be taken away from us and I want to appreciate every moment.
just sitting here looking back over old photos and videos of my boy. We are taking a competitive break for a bit due to upcoming nuptuals/honeymoon and he hasn't had a break for a while so think it will do him good.
I think it's quite a good time to look back and re-assess how far we have come and what still needs to be worked on, what we would like to achieve ect.
When I got him all I wanted was just a nice horse to have fun on. That's it. Wasn't sure if a scrawney 4yr old ex-racer was really the ticket but I liked him.
Just so proud of how far we have come! To me the most important thing was to bring him on to be the sort of horse that is always useful. Not to be a superstar or an incredible competition horse or anything. Not to achieve xyz but to be the sort of horse that can turn its hoof to anything, that was happy, confident, well behaved, easy in all situations. The sort of horse I always wanted and to bring him on in such a way that if I ever did have to sell him that he would have the best chance of going to a good home.
I think it's easy to be focused on one discipline or achieving a certain goal and I was (are!) more concerned with the bigger picture, mainly because I have my horse do other things than just win a rosette like hacking and cuddling and brushing
.Well he came with a bit of a nasty spin in him out hacking (which to be fair was more funny than scary but I didn't let him know that I found it funny
) and he was just a very blank canvas!I've worked out that over the past 2.5yrs we must have done a good 30/40 different outings. It hasn't always been easy, iv'e doubted myself lots and my ability. We have had days when Iv'e had to really sit tight, clench my teeth and be brave (joys of a young TB!). The first hack out alone, the first jump, the first show. There has been mountinous amounts of money spent on osteos, saddlers, dentists, horse communicators. There has been the odd tear but mostly actually there has been smiles and pats. Its so rewarding bringing on a young horse and watching them grow.
We have done numerous clinics and lessons. He hacks alone and in company, front or behind. Ive jumped tiger traps, ditches and crossed fords out hacking, gone exploring, gone galloping. He's seen hounds and has competed on the RC dr and SJ area teams and done a good job, he's done decent unaff and aff tests with rosettes and a few BD points to show for it (a miracle when you consider I look like a crouching hobbit when I ride!). He jumps anything, wobbled clear round his first SJ, didnt even notice his first water tray, has helped me out when Ive messed up and been there to catch me the other side
. Ive done my first ODE's in 12 years, dying of nerves and he's carried me round clear in every one. He's been placed showing, lets me ride him bareback, and I jumped my first 4ft oxer in a long while. I can ride him in wind,rain after a day off, a week off without a worry. I can take him out on my own in the lorry and he is easy.He's gone from the sort of horse that had people thinking 'really??' when I first got him to the sort of horse that prompts the same people to say 'wow, look at him now!'.
I get down when I see people with their lovely horses soaring up the grades in a particular discipline knowing that I may not have the bottle or the talent for that sort of thing but then when I think of everything above i'm so proud of what WE have done and i've managed to achieve exactly what I have always wanted. Also who knows what the future will bring
. A few little pictures of our journey!
First day I met him:-
First jump:-
First show:-
and now
:-permission to post from nicola elliott photography
permission from santaclause on here:-
I have literally tens of thousands more photos as you probably all know but not all of the good ones I have permission for. I have permission for every single photo here as apart from the nicola elliott one the rest are not pro photos and were taken by myself, my mum, my dad and santa claus the hho member.
I think it is good sometimes as an amature one horse rider, when it is easy to feel like a pile of useless cr@p to look back at the journey. My journey so far with my scrap heap scrawney TB. So proud of him and me and I am so so happy! I won't be posting any reports for a couple of months hence this little deluge of Jae happiness! I just hope i'm blessed with lots more years to come with him and lots of happy times. Unfortunatly I've learnt over the past few years how suddenly our beloved horses can be taken away from us and I want to appreciate every moment.
moments when you think you should just give up and buy a schoolmaster. For as long as I can remember I have been telling myself the next horse i buy will be a bit older, been there and done it so i can go straight out and have some fun - and then i end up with another baby. Enjoy your break and hope the sun shines for your wedding and you have a fabulous honeymoon! 
