Finn
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,
Im just so gushing and happy that I wanted to share as my OH is non horsey so doesnt seem to understand the need for the big grin permanantly plastered on my face at the min
This might not seem a lot to some people but to me it was a massive achievement.
A little back ground first, some of you may off seen my previous posts about all the previuos issues I was having with my mare
15.1 Shire X cob, bought 2 yrs ago and was very strong, bolschy and had no manners what so ever! A few weeks later I came out the side door while cantering her in the school cue broken shin bone and ankle so 8 weeks off for both of us. Get back on board and then she tears a hole in her Manica flexor tendon cue going for surgery then in total nearly a year off. Had her saddle checked before bringing back into work as she had put major weight on while on box rest and saddle was altered but was told it fit so we crack on with bringing her back into work and building her fitness up.
Last July after being back in work for about 5 months I had her saddle checked again and was told if still fitted and to carry on so went on a hack with a few girls from the yard. My mare all of a sudden went vertical, I sat the first one then she did it again resulting in me coming off and her falling over backwards to top of me. I decided it was time to sell she was just too dangerous but wanted to get all the usual checks done to check to see if she was in pain anywhere first. So had the vet out who said she had issues with her back and to get a back person to treat it but he said apart from that she was ok no damage from the fall or anything so I had her back checked and it was her that told me that she had major back issues going on due to an ill fitting saddle and she was in pain and thats proboably why she did what she did.
Anyway I got a different saddler in and it turns out her saddle didnt fit at all and never had! This saddler took it away and did major alterations on it and it fits her like a dream! I have it checked every few months due to me now being very paranoid about it.
Anyway lost a seriuos amount of confidence after the last outing and would cry at even the thought of having to ride my horse, couldnt go anywhere near her. So it was either man up on my part and get a grip or sell her. I wrote the advert but couldnt bring myself to do it as I love her to bits and she is my world so I manned up!
I did loads and loads of ground work with her, complelty changed her diet and the farrier took her shoes off. Next I got a very good, kind and patient instructor in and we had lessons every week in the school as refused to ride anywhere else incase she was naughty and I just wasnt confident/ brave enough to cope with it. The more I did with her the better horse she became, she has lost loads of weight, gone from over 700kgs to now weighting 538kgs and its like she has had a complete personatlity transplant, she is so chilled out and has perfect manners now. Its amazing the difference in her in just 6 months. She nows works properly using her back end more and long and low rather than with her ears up my nose.
This now bring us up to this week - I decided it was time we got out hacking again as didnt want to spend every single day riding in the school and to be honest she must be bored stupid just being in there so put my big brave pants on and went for a hack!
I asked a really good friend of mine from the yard to walk with us as I have never been out on my own before and really didnt know how she would cope with it. We took a lead rope with us and off we set. I cannot tell you how scared I was but had to put it all to the back of my mind as my mare is really sensitive and picks up on the slighest little thing.
We walked out of the yard up the lane a little bit and onto what is called the quarry, its basically 3 massive fields with a few hills and massive quarry at the back of them.
We walked through the first field then walked round the second one and I decided to do it abit of schooling so asked for trot and my mare was amazing! She never put a foot wrong and I just tried to keep really calm and ride her like I would do if I was in the school so decided as she was being so good I would go to the 3rd field and do some hill work, Well it was an amazing feeling, just me and my horse trotting up hill together walking back down then doing it all again. Bless her she was sweating and puffing by the time we had finished. I didnt push it as didnt want it to end on a bad note so only rode for about 30 mins then we went back to the yard but to me that was enough and I was buzzing! I was so proud of how well she looked after me and how calm and chilled out she was. It seems my horse likes hacking out on her own.
I was running round the yard afterwards telling everyone I spoke to as I was just so proud of her, I know that probably sounds rather dramatic and pathetic but me and her have been through so much I never ever thought it would be possible for us to do anything like that ever again.
She also doesnt load very well so we are working on this aswell and now she does. We have gone from being planted/ rearing for over an hour to basically it taking 10 mins from opening the ramp up to her being on and loaded. Im working on the loading issues as I have decided to start showing her, just in hand to start with but who knows if shes good at that and my confidence gets better I would love to do some dressage with her.
Sorry for the long post, I really didnt intend it to be but thought I should include as much as poss about her background so you can see the full picture of how and why I lost so much confidence.
Thankyou all for reading and Im sorry it was so long. xxx
Im just so gushing and happy that I wanted to share as my OH is non horsey so doesnt seem to understand the need for the big grin permanantly plastered on my face at the min
This might not seem a lot to some people but to me it was a massive achievement.
A little back ground first, some of you may off seen my previous posts about all the previuos issues I was having with my mare
15.1 Shire X cob, bought 2 yrs ago and was very strong, bolschy and had no manners what so ever! A few weeks later I came out the side door while cantering her in the school cue broken shin bone and ankle so 8 weeks off for both of us. Get back on board and then she tears a hole in her Manica flexor tendon cue going for surgery then in total nearly a year off. Had her saddle checked before bringing back into work as she had put major weight on while on box rest and saddle was altered but was told it fit so we crack on with bringing her back into work and building her fitness up.
Last July after being back in work for about 5 months I had her saddle checked again and was told if still fitted and to carry on so went on a hack with a few girls from the yard. My mare all of a sudden went vertical, I sat the first one then she did it again resulting in me coming off and her falling over backwards to top of me. I decided it was time to sell she was just too dangerous but wanted to get all the usual checks done to check to see if she was in pain anywhere first. So had the vet out who said she had issues with her back and to get a back person to treat it but he said apart from that she was ok no damage from the fall or anything so I had her back checked and it was her that told me that she had major back issues going on due to an ill fitting saddle and she was in pain and thats proboably why she did what she did.
Anyway I got a different saddler in and it turns out her saddle didnt fit at all and never had! This saddler took it away and did major alterations on it and it fits her like a dream! I have it checked every few months due to me now being very paranoid about it.
Anyway lost a seriuos amount of confidence after the last outing and would cry at even the thought of having to ride my horse, couldnt go anywhere near her. So it was either man up on my part and get a grip or sell her. I wrote the advert but couldnt bring myself to do it as I love her to bits and she is my world so I manned up!
I did loads and loads of ground work with her, complelty changed her diet and the farrier took her shoes off. Next I got a very good, kind and patient instructor in and we had lessons every week in the school as refused to ride anywhere else incase she was naughty and I just wasnt confident/ brave enough to cope with it. The more I did with her the better horse she became, she has lost loads of weight, gone from over 700kgs to now weighting 538kgs and its like she has had a complete personatlity transplant, she is so chilled out and has perfect manners now. Its amazing the difference in her in just 6 months. She nows works properly using her back end more and long and low rather than with her ears up my nose.
This now bring us up to this week - I decided it was time we got out hacking again as didnt want to spend every single day riding in the school and to be honest she must be bored stupid just being in there so put my big brave pants on and went for a hack!
I asked a really good friend of mine from the yard to walk with us as I have never been out on my own before and really didnt know how she would cope with it. We took a lead rope with us and off we set. I cannot tell you how scared I was but had to put it all to the back of my mind as my mare is really sensitive and picks up on the slighest little thing.
We walked out of the yard up the lane a little bit and onto what is called the quarry, its basically 3 massive fields with a few hills and massive quarry at the back of them.
We walked through the first field then walked round the second one and I decided to do it abit of schooling so asked for trot and my mare was amazing! She never put a foot wrong and I just tried to keep really calm and ride her like I would do if I was in the school so decided as she was being so good I would go to the 3rd field and do some hill work, Well it was an amazing feeling, just me and my horse trotting up hill together walking back down then doing it all again. Bless her she was sweating and puffing by the time we had finished. I didnt push it as didnt want it to end on a bad note so only rode for about 30 mins then we went back to the yard but to me that was enough and I was buzzing! I was so proud of how well she looked after me and how calm and chilled out she was. It seems my horse likes hacking out on her own.
I was running round the yard afterwards telling everyone I spoke to as I was just so proud of her, I know that probably sounds rather dramatic and pathetic but me and her have been through so much I never ever thought it would be possible for us to do anything like that ever again.
She also doesnt load very well so we are working on this aswell and now she does. We have gone from being planted/ rearing for over an hour to basically it taking 10 mins from opening the ramp up to her being on and loaded. Im working on the loading issues as I have decided to start showing her, just in hand to start with but who knows if shes good at that and my confidence gets better I would love to do some dressage with her.
Sorry for the long post, I really didnt intend it to be but thought I should include as much as poss about her background so you can see the full picture of how and why I lost so much confidence.
Thankyou all for reading and Im sorry it was so long. xxx
