FfionWinnie
Well-Known Member
November last year my horse of a life time died within 24hrs from EGS.
She was a palomino welsh D and I really really loved her.
I got another horse, Daisy, a month later, bought unseen from Ireland, who is a a megatastic coloured sporty Irish Cob. She is frankly, amazing.
However, the palo hankering has stayed with me. A couple of months ago I saw a palomino welsh D advertised on a dealer's website. I won't go into that too much but you can read between the lines a lot on that one
When I got there to view the horse, having assumed it came from Wales or Ireland, I was surprised to find, I had already viewed her 8 months previously when it was for sale 2 owners ago, and was now 120kgs lighter. Oh, and less than half the price, and as it turned out, 20 times as mental.
They legged their rider on and she promptly stood right up and nearly fell over.
Reason "the saddle slipped".
Fixed the saddle as much as you can fix a saddle that does not in any way shape or form remotely fit and proceeded to sort of chase her round the yard while she panic stricken, pranced about a bit.
At this point I was thinking, well, she wasn't like this when I saw her last time but she was sold from the field and wasn't ridden when I saw her. Good job I didn't buy her eh.
Anyway as you do we followed them round to the school where she was ridden round in canter, napping, rearing, bucking, saddle slipping. It was like a scene from a cowboy movie, how not to sell a horse. She then was lunged with the rider on for a bit, kind of settled down (comparatively speaking) was let loose and then cantered round the school with only a few little bucks here and there. I was told she had been owned by a novice who was scared of her. I was also told how they had "cured" her bolshy behaviour at the dealer yard.
So I did what any sensible HHOer would do, and....
Bought the poor begger without a vetting or warranty (he confidently told me she doesn't nap tho - hmmm).
Passed over the cash and loaded into my brand new trailer, hoping she didn't kick it to smithereens on the way home.
I got her home and tied her up to the immovable lump which is my stock trailer. She proceeded to rear, kick, paw, stamp, shake, complain, you name it. I thought I better tie her up tighter. As soon as I went to retie her she bogged off. I couldn't stop her.
Every day for a week she got away from me usually about 3 times a day, I couldn't stop her even in a bridle it was such an ingrained habit. I got a special rope halter made with a loop which tightens over her nose if she tries to bog off, kind of like an extreme dually - its fine if she behaves and doesn't do anything but it means she can't get away (she's tried twice and the last time despite standing on my foot and towing me along for a bit, still didn't get away, she's mostly stopped trying now but I am always ready). Obviously I've also done lots of in hand work along with this.
At this point I would point out when I got her she was a dangerous mixture of terrified and bolshy which meant she would come at you if she felt threatened. However her real temperament was not at all nervous, really really poor handling over a prolonged period had made her like this.
The first few weeks were spent being tied to the stock box til she shut up and long reining including a few battles about going forward and not tanking off, 45 minutes walking her down to catch her, and turned out the rest of the time.
Once I had her mostly behaving, I sat on her. She didn't do anything.
I am kind of short of helpers so my next stage was to get on her. So sensibly I wore my body protector and hat, tied her to the trailer and got on. She didn't do anything, so I unclipped her and rode her round the yard. She didn't do anything wrong.
Those milestones passed, I boxed her over to my friend's yard and went out for a hack with her. She was fine.
Third time I sat on her I took her to a local venue and trotted her round poles on the ground clear round. She was fine! (In fact more than fine).
Standing while I rode my other horse:
First hack out with my daughter as lead (BP removed for pic only!)
2 months on I am hacking her out alone, in company, leading my other horse off her and working on her schooling. She is the most unbalanced/badly schooled horse I've ever sat on but she's improving every day. She's no longer bolshy or terrified. In fact her attitude is great, she really wants to please, really keen to jump and bold as brass. Stands quietly when out and about. Self loads, calm in all situations and is a really nice horse.
50cm WH cr
Ride and lead:
Working on control of legs (hers not mine!)
Jumping lesson (raised/poles on ground mainly)
She still has a mountain to climb with her schooling and strength and her manners need continual work, but it would seem like she's on her way to a happily ever after (fingers crossed eh!).
Having her, strangely, has helped me a lot too. I've been able to put up a pic of my horse Hallie who died. Which I couldn't have done before. She's not a replacement but she has a lot of characteristics in common with Hallie and we're healing each other.
She was a palomino welsh D and I really really loved her.
I got another horse, Daisy, a month later, bought unseen from Ireland, who is a a megatastic coloured sporty Irish Cob. She is frankly, amazing.
However, the palo hankering has stayed with me. A couple of months ago I saw a palomino welsh D advertised on a dealer's website. I won't go into that too much but you can read between the lines a lot on that one
When I got there to view the horse, having assumed it came from Wales or Ireland, I was surprised to find, I had already viewed her 8 months previously when it was for sale 2 owners ago, and was now 120kgs lighter. Oh, and less than half the price, and as it turned out, 20 times as mental.
They legged their rider on and she promptly stood right up and nearly fell over.
Reason "the saddle slipped".
Fixed the saddle as much as you can fix a saddle that does not in any way shape or form remotely fit and proceeded to sort of chase her round the yard while she panic stricken, pranced about a bit.
At this point I was thinking, well, she wasn't like this when I saw her last time but she was sold from the field and wasn't ridden when I saw her. Good job I didn't buy her eh.
Anyway as you do we followed them round to the school where she was ridden round in canter, napping, rearing, bucking, saddle slipping. It was like a scene from a cowboy movie, how not to sell a horse. She then was lunged with the rider on for a bit, kind of settled down (comparatively speaking) was let loose and then cantered round the school with only a few little bucks here and there. I was told she had been owned by a novice who was scared of her. I was also told how they had "cured" her bolshy behaviour at the dealer yard.
So I did what any sensible HHOer would do, and....
Bought the poor begger without a vetting or warranty (he confidently told me she doesn't nap tho - hmmm).
Passed over the cash and loaded into my brand new trailer, hoping she didn't kick it to smithereens on the way home.
I got her home and tied her up to the immovable lump which is my stock trailer. She proceeded to rear, kick, paw, stamp, shake, complain, you name it. I thought I better tie her up tighter. As soon as I went to retie her she bogged off. I couldn't stop her.
Every day for a week she got away from me usually about 3 times a day, I couldn't stop her even in a bridle it was such an ingrained habit. I got a special rope halter made with a loop which tightens over her nose if she tries to bog off, kind of like an extreme dually - its fine if she behaves and doesn't do anything but it means she can't get away (she's tried twice and the last time despite standing on my foot and towing me along for a bit, still didn't get away, she's mostly stopped trying now but I am always ready). Obviously I've also done lots of in hand work along with this.
At this point I would point out when I got her she was a dangerous mixture of terrified and bolshy which meant she would come at you if she felt threatened. However her real temperament was not at all nervous, really really poor handling over a prolonged period had made her like this.
The first few weeks were spent being tied to the stock box til she shut up and long reining including a few battles about going forward and not tanking off, 45 minutes walking her down to catch her, and turned out the rest of the time.
Once I had her mostly behaving, I sat on her. She didn't do anything.
I am kind of short of helpers so my next stage was to get on her. So sensibly I wore my body protector and hat, tied her to the trailer and got on. She didn't do anything, so I unclipped her and rode her round the yard. She didn't do anything wrong.
Those milestones passed, I boxed her over to my friend's yard and went out for a hack with her. She was fine.
Third time I sat on her I took her to a local venue and trotted her round poles on the ground clear round. She was fine! (In fact more than fine).
Standing while I rode my other horse:
First hack out with my daughter as lead (BP removed for pic only!)
2 months on I am hacking her out alone, in company, leading my other horse off her and working on her schooling. She is the most unbalanced/badly schooled horse I've ever sat on but she's improving every day. She's no longer bolshy or terrified. In fact her attitude is great, she really wants to please, really keen to jump and bold as brass. Stands quietly when out and about. Self loads, calm in all situations and is a really nice horse.
50cm WH cr
Ride and lead:
Working on control of legs (hers not mine!)
Jumping lesson (raised/poles on ground mainly)
She still has a mountain to climb with her schooling and strength and her manners need continual work, but it would seem like she's on her way to a happily ever after (fingers crossed eh!).
Having her, strangely, has helped me a lot too. I've been able to put up a pic of my horse Hallie who died. Which I couldn't have done before. She's not a replacement but she has a lot of characteristics in common with Hallie and we're healing each other.
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