Is anyone else in a really good place with their horse?

[Mahoganybay]

Back story is, I’ve had my mare 4 years in April. Looking back over my posts its not been an easy ride with her.

Blood, sweat, tears, vet treatments (numerous) broken bones and loss of confidence. However, we are now hopefully ?? on the other side and I have at long last found a way of looking after her that works so well for us both.

Anyone else having a good time with their horse? Even at this ‘crappy’ time of year.

 

[Berpisc]

I dont ride any more, I lost my mare a few years ago now, but my ponies are at present giving me a great deal of joy. So yes we are in a good place.

 

[Petmurf]

Me ? Moved yard early December which doesnt have an arena yet so restricted to quick lunchtime and weekend hacks but we’re both so much more relaxed and happy with each other that it doesn’t matter that we’re not doing much until the days get longer, I’m just as happy to have a cuddle with him every day

 

[Red-1]

I became 50 and windy, not sure how that happened.

I am now 55 and have had my horse for 4 months. He was a 4yo bought from Ireland, sight unseen, by video.

I did go for a slightly more stocky version, with the idea that he would be therefore easier.

In actual fact, he is a superstar.

I have still had windy moments but, due to an (unwanted) inheritance, I am splashing the cash on 2 lessons a week. Because of that, we are progressing and having fun.

So yes, we are in a really good place!

(Touch wood!!!!!)

 

[Mahoganybay]

Loving the replies, how nice is it that all is going well no matter what stage you are at.

we do forget (well I certainly do) that it’s meant to be fun.

 

[Marigold4]

I daren't post - seems like tempting fate!

 

[Flame_]

I took my horse to an arena to get back on after his winter holiday (since end of September) yesterday. He was perfect and I can't remember ever being so over the moon with just getting on a horse and pootling about round a school for a bit. Feeling super lucky, and chuffed with my lovely horse

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I daren't post - seems like tempting fate!

I was thinking exact the same thing!

I was similar too @Red-1 and bought unseen from Ireland last year but she was 3 and is now ‘classed’ as a 4 year old.

She’s going a lot better than I ever expected, lovely soft natural outline when long lined and loves her work so far. Still waiting to hear if the saddler has found a saddle to fit.. but so desperate to get on. Things might go peak tong then though..

 

[Peglo]

lovely to hear you’ve made a real partnership now. Sounds like you’ve put in a lot of effort to get where you are and it must feel great. Hope you have a fab 2022

I bought my 6yr old Haffie unseen from Italy 9 months ago. I’ve really only hacked now and again since winter hit so riding wise there is nothing to brag about but seeing her wee face pop over her stable just puts the biggest smile on my face.

really hoping to start lessons and do a bit more with her soon but the real win is how happy she makes me just being around her.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Driest winter I can ever remember. No mud fever, no rain scald, no rugs, ponies are absolutely happy as Larry- this puts me in a very good place!!

 

[iknowmyvalue]

There’s still a lot to work on with my new(ish) boy but I am just having so much fun! I don’t think I realised how much I’d got stuck with my riding and wasn’t enjoying it as much as I used to until I got Pepsi and that spark reappeared.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes! After 18 months of hard work, much crying and doubting everything....

 

[smolmaus]

We are still firmly in our honeymoon period (arrived end of October) and I'm yet to put a saddle on her but she is sweet and brave and clever and seeing her wee face just makes me happy.

I'm waiting for the first disaster to crop up but feeling grateful for every day that it doesn't!

 

[Emilieu]

Me! I’ll have had my girl two years in the spring and we just have so much fun. She is nine tenths saint and one tenth mare (she has opinions and shares them, firmly but kindly). She is just heaven and has done everything for my confidence. We don’t do much really but in another way we do everything, in that anything I want to do I can without worry - I trust her with my whole heart, she has honestly never let me down. I’m excited for this year, we have a jumping lesson booked next week and I am saving for a trailer, so more adventures ahead!
Lovely thread, so often people only feel pushed to post when things so wrong.

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm very happy with Foinavon, but ask me again after our lesson tomorrow. Yikes!

Hermosa is still a slowly improving picture. Baby is weaned (yay) but I can't take her to the main yard, i.e. the arena, unless the colt is out in the field. So that's evenings out, plus every other day, because the horses are in corrals adjacent to the school at night, while boys and girls swap between the corrals and the fields each day. On baby's field days, I can use the arena until circa 4pm. Adding to the faff is a 3pm curfew at Foinavon's yard, so I need to be able to leave Hermosa's yard in time to fetch him. That means I'm usually rushing around like an idiot. It's been fun. I can take her on in-hand walks, but the hacking is 99% tedious roadwork and I'm already bored (there are reasons why Fin isn't there). And due to roadworks, it's like a 45-minute drive to her yard at the moment. So we're in a better place than we were, but I would not say it's good.

 

[nikicb]

I daren't post - seems like tempting fate!

Me too. I have lost two ridden horses (one through old age and one very prematurely) in the past few years, plus had to retire one at 8. At the moment if I can enjoy my next ride, that's enough for me. I have learnt over the years to treat every ride on a horse like it's your last. That was some consolation when I lost my very much loved mare just over a year ago. Sorry to sound the pessimist, but I am pleased for you OP that you are in a good place. My pessimism though doesn't stop me enjoying the here and now. I love every minute I can rest my face against a horse's neck and just inhale them. xx

 

[saalsk]

What a lovely topic

Yes, I am in a lovely place. I am amazingly lucky with a house with land, and my 2 horses are here. Along with chickens, sheep and cats. After years of livery, and the barn witches and stress that went along with it, and the lack of turnout, even though they said at the start they only restrict winter turnout in extreme weather. What they really meant was that for 4 months of the year there was 24h turnout. 4 months was day only (not out before 7, in by 3) and 4 months was no turn out at all. Cue 2 nightmare horses, 3 times a day, with me in tears, and not riding. It's an extreme winter, they said, on year one. Same happened on year 2. We brought a house with land and moved the horses, and they were so much happier. Now out 24/7/360, with access to shelters, they couldn't be more chilled. And I am chilled as a result. We ride, we play, we give them space hoppers and footballs, and laugh.

 

[Trinket12]

Yes, I will have had her 3 years in May. We have had our challenges, but nothing unmanageable. The issues we have had have made me a better rider, had I got more of a school master I wouldn't have learnt how to manage problems that came up. Nothing was ever a big enough problem that I or my coach questioned if she was the right horse for me (though I did go through a stage where I couldn't seem to stay on her ) , I spent more time educating myself on horses, on possible pain and on how horses think and learn. She's 19 this year, and we're a good match in that we both don't really like flatwork and really just want to do the jumps

 

[SantaVera]

Yes

 

[Bernster]

A nice uplifting topic but I’m also one that’s a bit reluctant as don’t want to tempt fate!

 

[babymare]

What a lovely post. I have been horseless for a few years now but get enormous amount of pleasure with you folks on here especially lovely posts like these.

 

[Annagain]

I wouldn't call it really good but it's a lot better than 4 months ago. Charlie arrived 18 months ago. The first 4 months were great then, lockdown 2 happened and for some reason took all my confidence away. He's never done anything wrong but I just got really nervous. September / October there were tears and I even enquired about sales livery. Then I read a post on here about the menopause and it all clicked into place. I decided to take the pressure off and do just what I wanted to do for a bit and we're getting there.

My best friend has just got a new horse. He is Mr Perfect and just the steadying influence we need so I feel like this will be the start of proper progress. Last Saturday we got caught up in the shoot at a local farm. The shots started ringing out just as we were heading down a steep and slippery slope. It was in a bit of a bowl so they were echoing everywhere. Charlie was nervous but listened to me and when we got to the bottom the shoot could see us and stopped until we'd got back up the hill the other side as it's very stony and could be quite dangerous if they do anything but walk over it. 4 months ago it would have sent me over the edge.

Then Sunday we went to a 'jumping' (read popping over tiny fences) lesson. I stopped about 10 minutes from the end as my back was really sore (I suffer with it and it's flared up recently) but as soon as I said I was stopping, the trainer put a spread up. The others in the lesson said it was too big but I wasn't terrified by it and had I not said I was stopping I'd have done it (didn't want to tempt fate with that 'one last jump' thing). The trainer put it down for them (it was about 50cm high and wide) and I just couldn't resist having a pop over it as I haven't done a spread yet and really wanted to. It's the first time in a long time I've left a lesson feeling like I could have done more rather than just grateful to survive.

We're getting there! Now off to touch every bit of wood I can find.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Yes! He keeps me sane! Piebald leg-at-each-corner bought as a family pony twenty years ago, and could not have knitted a more perfect partner. He has taught both my kids to ride, and is now putting up with grandchildren climbing all over him. Hopeless as a Pony Club pony, but happy to hack for hours and share the adventure. Love him to bits!

 

[Tarragon]

Me!
Just started working with my new largely unhandled and unbacked pony. For a long time now I have wanted to start again; it has been 12 years since I backed my last riding pony and I have learnt so much since then! Everyday I feel that we have achieved another little accomplishment together and it is SO satisfying and exciting.

 

[Annagain]

I should add that I'm in a really good place with my retired boy. Seeing Archie so fat, hairy, filthy and generally in love with life makes me so happy. When he was in work he was a bit Victor Meldrew but now he's like a cross between Barney the Dinosaur and Elmo. Just happy and bouncy and a big cuddle monster.

I don't worry about tempting fate with him as even though I'd be really sad and miss him terribly if he went tomorrow, I'd know he'd be going as a very happy horse and that's all we can ask for isn't it? I was told when he was 12 that I'd be lucky to get him to 20. He's now 26 and these last 2 years, he's been the happiest he's ever been despite arthritis, melanomas and a cateract.

 

[cauda equina]

My old boy was a bit like that, at his happiest as a pensioner
He was always a worrier and having a no-pressure life suited him perfectly

 

[Annagain]

My old boy was a bit like that, at his happiest as a pensioner
He was always a worrier and having a no-pressure life suited him perfectly

Archie was never a worrier, he just resented having to work for a living!

To be fair I think there was probably always a bit of a low level arthritis and he was concerned I might ask him to do something that was going to hurt. Even years after he stopped jumping, going to the place where we did most of our jumping (to do dressage) made him grumpier than normal.