Introducing Toby

Ambers Echo said:
So Toby has has a jumping clinic with an Olympian! He's going up in the world. I had a clinic with eventing silver medallist and European gold medallist Nicola Wilson. She was very lovely about all the horses but I'll choose to believe her praise of him was sincere. No one who booked on put less than 70/80cm on the booking. I'd put 60, but he held his own in a 70/80cm group.
Weirdly, Nicola commented at the end how like Amber he is: bold and forward. But he used to be cautious and a bit backward. Hard work to get in front of the leg. So the comment threw me till I realised how much he'd changed. He is pretty super-charged now and he really is quite like Amber. Only saner.

He's so cute: he was clipped on Saturday and his coat was velvety. He kept rubbing his nose up and down the fuzz. Obviously liked the feel of it. He stood like a rock throughout and basically went to sleep towards the end. So I can add 'good to clip' to his list of qualities. I am really beginning to connect with him. Suddenly the idea of selling on is very, very unappealing. I think we could be good together.
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I think you already are good together ;)

I mean this in the nicest possible way - you'd be mad to sell him!
 
Ambers Echo said:
So Toby has has a jumping clinic with an Olympian! He's going up in the world. I had a clinic with eventing silver medallist and European gold medallist Nicola Wilson. She was very lovely about all the horses but I'll choose to believe her praise of him was sincere. No one who booked on put less than 70/80cm on the booking. I'd put 60, but he held his own in a 70/80cm group.
Weirdly, Nicola commented at the end how like Amber he is: bold and forward. But he used to be cautious and a bit backward. Hard work to get in front of the leg. So the comment threw me till I realised how much he'd changed. He is pretty super-charged now and he really is quite like Amber. Only saner.

He's so cute: he was clipped on Saturday and his coat was velvety. He kept rubbing his nose up and down the fuzz. Obviously liked the feel of it. He stood like a rock throughout and basically went to sleep towards the end. So I can add 'good to clip' to his list of qualities. I am really beginning to connect with him. Suddenly the idea of selling on is very, very unappealing. I think we could be good together.
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Quite frankly, you'd be mad to sell that fabulous little horse ?
 
Ambers Echo said:
So the comment threw me till I realised how much he'd changed. He is pretty super-charged now and he really is quite like Amber. Only saner.
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Very glad to read this - But not surprised. For many years I have felt that the horses I hack become similar.
They are not similar on the first ride but become so as they become resceptive to one's personal cues and one's energy. My current ride cantered me so like my old favourite with such extact transitions, that when we came to a halt I couldnt stop laughing.
 
I stiill feel a bit up and down about him. But now that he is going to be mine longer term, something has shifted in my head. There is no way I'm selling to buy another Not Amber horse. If I do sell it would be to just give up and focus on my giant orange field ornament! But I am still keen to ride and develop so I might as well embrace the challenge of producing him as an event horse. Not just as an easy going allrounder to sell on. When I bought him I chose him for his temperament because that is the thing that would make him easy to sell again. He is a true Go Anywhere Do Anything horse. I did not buy with a view to eventing him. His jump was non existet and his flatwork ropey. But he had enough potential to be an allrounder and he was already a safe, sane, easy hack. My jump instructor said he was 'limited' in how far he'd go and while he was lovely as a PC/alrounder she thought he would not do the job I wanted of him. He was too cautious and too clumsy. But I think she has underestimated him. He is learning really fast, he tries his heart out every time and he is just massively gained in confidence. He's gone from tripping over poles and x-poles, and demolishing every jump in sight, to pinging round 80cm courses confidently and now rarely touches a pole. So I am cautiously optimistic that we might end up as a really solid partnership. He is growing more and more on me every day.

A from....to clip which I think shows quite a difference! Especially as I only jump him every 10 days to 2 weeks. He is improving every time I'm on him at the moment.

 
he looks like his understanding of the job is coming on.
I never understand why people pronounce a horse "not capable" at that stage when they are super green and wobbly and without really much of an education. there's being able to look at a blank canvass and say "it hasn't got the talent for 5*" OK, i could get on board with that. or "it's not sound enough" mentally or physically. but when there's basically nothing wrong except a lack of knowledge and physical conditioning for an amateur market it seems a bit nuts. horses change so much with time and training.
 
milliepops said:
he looks like his understanding of the job is coming on.
I never understand why people pronounce a horse "not capable" at that stage when they are super green and wobbly and without really much of an education. there's being able to look at a blank canvass and say "it hasn't got the talent for 5*" OK, i could get on board with that. or "it's not sound enough" mentally or physically. but when there's basically nothing wrong except a lack of knowledge and physical conditioning for an amateur market it seems a bit nuts. horses change so much with time and training.
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It did surprise me. And I stopped having lessons after that as I want a trainer to believe in us both. But I assumed she was basing her assessment on something as some people have a 'good eye' for a horse and I really don't!

His understanding really is coming on. WHen he lands he is looking for the next fence now. He sometimes locks onto the wrong one but I like how he is asking 'that one next?' even if he gets ahead of himself! He's a sweetheart. And a willing attitude can take any horse a very long way I think. I'm hardly aiming for Badminton!
 
Bernster said:
How fab to have that kind of video diary. Am thinking I should get a pivo or similar to track my rides! You ride him very nicely. The July to aug difference really struck me. Great to see this progress it’s encouraging for all of us feeling like we have a way to go!
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Aw rhat's very kind. I feel like I'm riding like a sack of potatoes. Though in the October clips I am riding off his back as he seems to prefer that. I am not bouncing several inches with every stride but it looks like that!
 
Ambers Echo said:
I stiill feel a bit up and down about him. But now that he is going to be mine longer term, something has shifted in my head. There is no way I'm selling to buy another Not Amber horse. If I do sell it would be to just give up and focus on my giant orange field ornament! But I am still keen to ride and develop so I might as well embrace the challenge of producing him as an event horse. Not just as an easy going allrounder to sell on. When I bought him I chose him for his temperament because that is the thing that would make him easy to sell again. He is a true Go Anywhere Do Anything horse. I did not buy with a view to eventing him. His jump was non existet and his flatwork ropey. But he had enough potential to be an allrounder and he was already a safe, sane, easy hack. My jump instructor said he was 'limited' in how far he'd go and while he was lovely as a PC/alrounder she thought he would not do the job I wanted of him. He was too cautious and too clumsy. But I think she has underestimated him. He is learning really fast, he tries his heart out every time and he is just massively gained in confidence. He's gone from tripping over poles and x-poles, and demolishing every jump in sight, to pinging round 80cm courses confidently and now rarely touches a pole. So I am cautiously optimistic that we might end up as a really solid partnership. He is growing more and more on me every day.

A from....to clip which I think shows quite a difference! Especially as I only jump him every 10 days to 2 weeks. He is improving every time I'm on him at the moment.

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Clumsy as a baby? The horse in my avatar was not called Demolition Dan as a four year old for nothing ?
 
You are right, a good temperament and plenty of time can turn horses into really useful and successful steeds! I honestly believe that temperament is the most important success factor (and soundness but that’s harder to judge!). You can go a really long way on willingness and a try hard attitude. Which he clearly had in spades!

The vet who vetted my boy told me he wasn’t a type I should get if I wanted to do dressage as his paces were too average. I ignored him, bought him anyway and had the best time of my life (plus a successful dressage career!)
 
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