~ Clear Light ~
Well-Known Member
Well actually he arrived in April but Ive been too busy to post on here lately. Quick background
I was looking for a project pony for the Summer but could not find anything I liked. After unsuccessfully looking at hundreds of ads of ponies over here and trying some out, I did a day trip to Germany and fell in love with this boy straight away. The only problem is hes a bit too special and he is definitely staying longer than the Summer! Actually, I dont think hell be going anywhere 
His name is Charmeur and hes a 14.2hh 5 year old German Riding Pony. He had only been in work for 6 months before I bought him, and work meaning being ridden or lunged 3 times a week in an indoor school. He was turned out once a week and had never hacked, mainly because his owners did not have time. I tried him out and he was a sharp little thing, not spooky, but very hot and electric off the leg. I havent sat on many ponies in recent years, and certainly never one that rode like a big moving WB with that sort of elasticity! I pretty much said yes then and there.
So I had him vetted and brought over. Naturally he was very on edge for the first few weeks, everything being so new to him. Poor thing, coming from immaculate internal stables and arriving in England on a blustery, windy day! It was probably a good thing it took me a month to sort out a saddle for him, as it gave me the chance to do plenty of in hand work and lunging. As hed never been in an outdoor school I was a tiny bit apprehensive and he was pretty wired to start with. He was very wobbly when I rode him after all that time off, and the first month was really spent teaching him not to rush off and to accept the leg. We also had no steering on the left rein!!
First day. Rather on edge but such a well behaved boy.
Shamelessly sporting neon pink A gift from a kind friend who sadly lost her pony.
I think the 4th time I sat on him? Yes, in a big field! You can see how little muscle there is.
After the first month things were progressing pretty quickly. We had hacked by ourselves (roads, fields, over motorway bridges!) and I started introducing leg yield and on and back work in the school. His canter is huge and uphill for a pony so I try and be mindful of the fact that he needs to build up more power from the trot work before seriously tackling the canter. There have been many sessions where I spent the entire time just building up a trot that was straight and engaged enough to ask for canter, with him going positively into both reins, and many times I havent actually asked for the canter but left it at that. It was an achievement to prevent him falling out on the left rein and falling in on the right rein.
Grazing with my other dun boy, my retired 25yo Akhal Teke who I've had for 15 years.
He has now been in ridden work for 2 ½ months and I am building up his strength and suppleness slowly. Everything is there and he really offers everything you ask, but its all too easy to hurry them at this stage. I do a lot of on and back work on the lunge in trot and canter. Ridden, he now accepts the leg nicely and does not rush. He is actually a very sensible young thing and I have trusted him enough now to let a couple of novice riders on him. No more pinging off! Although he is finding polework and jumping rather exciting!!
Last weekend. He always tries so hard bless him. You can see he needs a LOT more strength to be able to deal with that big trot of his, hence I accept he will come a little BTV in the frame when I half halt and ask for a bit extra hindleg. But hopefully this should change in the coming months. The main thing is he is actively going forwards into the contact, whereas when I tried him out he was really behind the bridle and very tense in the neck.
We will be aiming to do some prelims this year but no pressure, just for the ring experience. People have told me to aim him at medium by next year but Im not going to push unnecessarily or hammer out the competitions. He has a lot of growing up to do and besides hes only 5, he needs to have fun along the way too and get an all round education. Thanks for reading, I will try and get some better photos soon
His name is Charmeur and hes a 14.2hh 5 year old German Riding Pony. He had only been in work for 6 months before I bought him, and work meaning being ridden or lunged 3 times a week in an indoor school. He was turned out once a week and had never hacked, mainly because his owners did not have time. I tried him out and he was a sharp little thing, not spooky, but very hot and electric off the leg. I havent sat on many ponies in recent years, and certainly never one that rode like a big moving WB with that sort of elasticity! I pretty much said yes then and there.
So I had him vetted and brought over. Naturally he was very on edge for the first few weeks, everything being so new to him. Poor thing, coming from immaculate internal stables and arriving in England on a blustery, windy day! It was probably a good thing it took me a month to sort out a saddle for him, as it gave me the chance to do plenty of in hand work and lunging. As hed never been in an outdoor school I was a tiny bit apprehensive and he was pretty wired to start with. He was very wobbly when I rode him after all that time off, and the first month was really spent teaching him not to rush off and to accept the leg. We also had no steering on the left rein!!
First day. Rather on edge but such a well behaved boy.
Shamelessly sporting neon pink
A gift from a kind friend who sadly lost her pony.
I think the 4th time I sat on him? Yes, in a big field! You can see how little muscle there is.
After the first month things were progressing pretty quickly. We had hacked by ourselves (roads, fields, over motorway bridges!) and I started introducing leg yield and on and back work in the school. His canter is huge and uphill for a pony so I try and be mindful of the fact that he needs to build up more power from the trot work before seriously tackling the canter. There have been many sessions where I spent the entire time just building up a trot that was straight and engaged enough to ask for canter, with him going positively into both reins, and many times I havent actually asked for the canter but left it at that. It was an achievement to prevent him falling out on the left rein and falling in on the right rein.
Grazing with my other dun boy, my retired 25yo Akhal Teke who I've had for 15 years.
He has now been in ridden work for 2 ½ months and I am building up his strength and suppleness slowly. Everything is there and he really offers everything you ask, but its all too easy to hurry them at this stage. I do a lot of on and back work on the lunge in trot and canter. Ridden, he now accepts the leg nicely and does not rush. He is actually a very sensible young thing and I have trusted him enough now to let a couple of novice riders on him. No more pinging off! Although he is finding polework and jumping rather exciting!!
Last weekend. He always tries so hard bless him. You can see he needs a LOT more strength to be able to deal with that big trot of his, hence I accept he will come a little BTV in the frame when I half halt and ask for a bit extra hindleg. But hopefully this should change in the coming months. The main thing is he is actively going forwards into the contact, whereas when I tried him out he was really behind the bridle and very tense in the neck.
We will be aiming to do some prelims this year but no pressure, just for the ring experience. People have told me to aim him at medium by next year but Im not going to push unnecessarily or hammer out the competitions. He has a lot of growing up to do and besides hes only 5, he needs to have fun along the way too and get an all round education. Thanks for reading, I will try and get some better photos soon
