Laafet
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd just post a few pics on here to get some opinions on Tarquin. Its been a long year but we've finally turned a really big corner. I am now riding him in a normal saddle and cantering in the school. On Sunday we took him up to the school to take some photos, this is a short road hack away and he's only been in the school about 4 times now since we moved from the other yard where I broke him in. He was an angel. On the way back we were walking past Euston Hall where they were holding a Bloodhound meet so we went up to see what he's be like ridden around other horses and he was a very excited and did a few mini rears but not uncontrollable. We've got our first pleasure ride on Sunday so its all boding well and after the weekend I think we are going to try to get out to do some low key stressage just to give him a bit of competition experience. I want to do a bit of everything with him but just wondered what everyone was thinking. Its been a long year now and although he's six in two weeks time he has the mental age of a 4 year old having been left feral until I bought him 18 months ago.
This is him in June last year, when we tried to break him in the first time in February he broke my friends ribs being ridden off the lunge for the first time! We conquered his fear of riding off the lunge by riding and leading off another horse until he seemed confident. (Also note the standing martingale is a health and safety feature to stop him running and panicking as he did when he broke my friends ribs, it is being loosened and will come off for schooling and just be used for hacking until I think he has got over himself!)
Here is a month later at his new yard where he is lot more relaxed and at his first show where he was 1st, 2nd and 3rd in his classes.
This is last Sunday, I know they are a bit dark my mother has no idea of how to use a digital camera!
The height of the fence around the school is the height that he jumps out of his field if the electric is not turned on.
(his first attempt at a centre line, I'm smiling as we ended up on the quarter line!)
I was thinking of showing him this year as a small hunter - he is about 15.1 but still growing and I'm too old I think to do intermediates as I'm 26 in October. He is jumping small logs ridden as well as his own field fence which is 4'6" where we measured it. He has the Welsh cob movement so I'm not sure how well that would go with pure Dressage. His full sister and half brother evented upto Intermediate level and hunted. He seems really brave. Thoughts, critiques appreciated. I know he's not consistent in an outline yet but if you'd seem how much work he's been and the lack of facilities you can appreciate how hard its all been. Now he is more reliable and its getting lighter at night I am going to crack on with him.
This is him in June last year, when we tried to break him in the first time in February he broke my friends ribs being ridden off the lunge for the first time! We conquered his fear of riding off the lunge by riding and leading off another horse until he seemed confident. (Also note the standing martingale is a health and safety feature to stop him running and panicking as he did when he broke my friends ribs, it is being loosened and will come off for schooling and just be used for hacking until I think he has got over himself!)
Here is a month later at his new yard where he is lot more relaxed and at his first show where he was 1st, 2nd and 3rd in his classes.
This is last Sunday, I know they are a bit dark my mother has no idea of how to use a digital camera!
The height of the fence around the school is the height that he jumps out of his field if the electric is not turned on.
(his first attempt at a centre line, I'm smiling as we ended up on the quarter line!)
I was thinking of showing him this year as a small hunter - he is about 15.1 but still growing and I'm too old I think to do intermediates as I'm 26 in October. He is jumping small logs ridden as well as his own field fence which is 4'6" where we measured it. He has the Welsh cob movement so I'm not sure how well that would go with pure Dressage. His full sister and half brother evented upto Intermediate level and hunted. He seems really brave. Thoughts, critiques appreciated. I know he's not consistent in an outline yet but if you'd seem how much work he's been and the lack of facilities you can appreciate how hard its all been. Now he is more reliable and its getting lighter at night I am going to crack on with him.
