JenHunt
Well-Known Member
and I've been thinking today about how far we've come...
I bought a horse who had only ever hunted, but who was being sold (amongst other reason) for not being "fast enough" and for not jumping. I knew he didn't keep shoes on for more than about 3 weeks at a time, I knew he could be awkward to load. I was told by several people that he had a sore back and would never jump more than 2 foot 9, and that he'd be too much for me to hunt. He was being fed 4 meals a day of oats, barley, peas, and molassed sugar beet, with little or no turnout. He was sharp and spooky and a little naughty, but he never looked happy, and never had a shiny coat.
Ok, so it took us 3 years to sort his feet out, and he still rarely looks happy, but that's just his character, and it's less of an ingrained unhappiness, more of a grumpy-old-man-ish-ness!
After we re-schooled him the first summer he decided he not only could and would jump, but actually enjoyed it. 18 months after I got him we represented our riding club at RC eventing champs! And what's more he'll jump 5bar gates if I ask, but more importantly he'll jump anything, from anywhere out hunting, and preferably first!!
I've never had a problem loading him, I'm more likely to have problems stopping him from loading, especially at the end of the day when he wants to go home.
Yes, he was a bit much for me that first season, but it was a combination of habits, wrong bit and wrong feed. The habits will take a long time to fade, and may never go entirely but I know its frustration and excitement not nastiness. The bit I didn't want to change until I'd reschooled him, but it still took 3 or 4 attempts to find that despite having quite a small mouth he loves the double bridle and goes nicely in it. The feed has taken longer still... But I'm now hunting him off fibre alone and he's a much much happier horse, a lovely shiny coat and all the energy he needs!
He's the most wonderfully easy horse to look after, he's calm and relaxed until you show him a jump or two and he becomes a very responsive athletic horse.
It's amazing what a bit of time and trial and error can do!
I bought a horse who had only ever hunted, but who was being sold (amongst other reason) for not being "fast enough" and for not jumping. I knew he didn't keep shoes on for more than about 3 weeks at a time, I knew he could be awkward to load. I was told by several people that he had a sore back and would never jump more than 2 foot 9, and that he'd be too much for me to hunt. He was being fed 4 meals a day of oats, barley, peas, and molassed sugar beet, with little or no turnout. He was sharp and spooky and a little naughty, but he never looked happy, and never had a shiny coat.
Ok, so it took us 3 years to sort his feet out, and he still rarely looks happy, but that's just his character, and it's less of an ingrained unhappiness, more of a grumpy-old-man-ish-ness!
After we re-schooled him the first summer he decided he not only could and would jump, but actually enjoyed it. 18 months after I got him we represented our riding club at RC eventing champs! And what's more he'll jump 5bar gates if I ask, but more importantly he'll jump anything, from anywhere out hunting, and preferably first!!
I've never had a problem loading him, I'm more likely to have problems stopping him from loading, especially at the end of the day when he wants to go home.
Yes, he was a bit much for me that first season, but it was a combination of habits, wrong bit and wrong feed. The habits will take a long time to fade, and may never go entirely but I know its frustration and excitement not nastiness. The bit I didn't want to change until I'd reschooled him, but it still took 3 or 4 attempts to find that despite having quite a small mouth he loves the double bridle and goes nicely in it. The feed has taken longer still... But I'm now hunting him off fibre alone and he's a much much happier horse, a lovely shiny coat and all the energy he needs!
He's the most wonderfully easy horse to look after, he's calm and relaxed until you show him a jump or two and he becomes a very responsive athletic horse.
It's amazing what a bit of time and trial and error can do!
nice to see the progress