'Rode' my youngster for the first time. So chuffed

[Kallibear]

So chuffed with my special boy I need to share!

In the lovely weather yeasterday I RODE ROO for his very first time He he was fab. Well, we walk along side a friend for a little bit but still, I was sitting on him, saddle and everything

I bought his nearly 18months ago, unseen from Ireland as a rising 2yr old. My breif was big MW type, sensible and quiet temperament, athletic and NOT GREY. Oh, and within my misicule budget I was sent various pictures and chose the scruffy gangly orange weed (IDxTB, to make 16.1 with decent breeding) because I liked his big white face and he duely arrived a week later (at midnight!). He was rather bigger than I was expecting, utterly filthy and very very nervous.

This is NOT his naturely colour: he's actually a very pale blonde chestnut. It's filth from living as a herd like cattle. He STANK!

He took a couple of days to catch but depsite his nerves was quiet, sensible and laid back. Within a week he caught without a headcollar and would let me touch him all over. Within a month he was a 'normal' horse (if rather a mummies boy) and walking out inhand on short hacks.

A years+ or growing and galloping about like a lunatic, recking my fields , he looks like this

We've had a couple of 'blips': he's an utter lunatic in the field and is forever damaging him self but has so far been nothing serious. Last week he jumped this

!!!! It's 5ft and on a fairly steep slope upwards. He cleared it with just scrapes and proceed to romp about the farmers field then explore the local housing estate. At 1am A 1am phonecall from the police asking you to come and retreive your horse from someone's garden is not a nice way to be woken up!





So I've decided if he's big and grown up enough to do that, he can damn well start doing something constructive!

So yesterday we did this, which we've done lots of time before, inc out inhand hacking.

And this, which we've also done plenty of times (although not usually tied up: it's amazing what goes out the window when photocall time comes!)

But then we put it all together for the first time and did this

It's hard work being a working pony

We followed my friend around for a few mins, completely unbothered.

So next stage is to hop on and off a couple of times whilst on our weekly inhand/loong rein walks. Then wait another boring 6months or so until he's ready to do anything more

SO pleased with him and makes he smile just looking at the photos

 

[FlaxenPony05]

Aw fantastic, well done- he's a lovely looking boy!

 

[Brightbay]

Aw, excellent, well done Roo! I remember when you got him - that's lots of progress and he's looking great now too

p.s. Jackson (IDxsomething) went through a self harming stage at Roo's age (right up until he was about 8 and had stopped growing, I'm afraid! He also did the 5 bar gates, once jumping out of a sheep pen over one of those from a standing start... the worst damage was a bit of a haematoma on his chest. He was constantly covered in scrapes, gouges and bumps. Touching wood, he appears to have grown out of it... )

 

[wallykissmas]

Lovely pics, I love the one of him tacked up , his face is defiantly saying "excuse mum she has ideas above her station about what I should be doing"

 

[POLLDARK]

he looks to be one chilled out chappie, well done. He looks a very good sort.

 

[doriangrey]

I agree, very nicely put together. Looks like he has a lot of growing to do, I'd say he was a very good buy. Oh, and he's cheeky!

 

[Kallibear]

Aw fantastic, well done- he's a lovely looking boy!

Thanks. I do choose the more flattering pictures though: he does still look rather like a weed at times

Aw, excellent, well done Roo! I remember when you got him - that's lots of progress and he's looking great now too

p.s. Jackson (IDxsomething) went through a self harming stage at Roo's age (right up until he was about 8 and had stopped growing, I'm afraid! He also did the 5 bar gates, once jumping out of a sheep pen over one of those from a standing start... the worst damage was a bit of a haematoma on his chest. He was constantly covered in scrapes, gouges and bumps. Touching wood, he appears to have grown out of it... )

Shhhh, I don't want to hear it! That's 5 more years of self harming! He never ceases to amaze me at the LACK of damage he does himself normally considering how much he charges about. My paddock is not a flat smooth square and there's plenty of oppertunity for lunatics to break their legs

Lovely pics, I love the one of him tacked up , his face is defiantly saying "excuse mum she has ideas above her station about what I should be doing"

That's his 'ooooo, what've you got. Cant. Quite. Reach. Damn you leadrope' face. He LOVES doing new and interesting things,

he looks to be one chilled out chappie, well done. He looks a very good sort.

I agree, very nicely put together. Looks like he has a lot of growing to do, I'd say he was a very good buy. Oh, and he's cheeky!

Thanks He was a good impulse buy He'll never excell at showing as he's slightly cow hocked and weak thought the second thigh but he's a type hard to find as an adult (without payinhg stupid money) and hopefully will make one of those nice calm gentlemanly hunter types (usually dark bay) you see calmly dozing at shows, looking smart in their double bridles. Well, that's the plan anyways!

 

[GreyCloud]

Fantastic! He looks lovely

 

[doriangrey]

Thanks. I do choose the more flattering pictures though: he does still look rather like a weed at times




Shhhh, I don't want to hear it! That's 5 more years of self harming! He never ceases to amaze me at the LACK of damage he does himself normally considering how much he charges about. My paddock is not a flat smooth square and there's plenty of oppertunity for lunatics to break their legs




That's his 'ooooo, what've you got. Cant. Quite. Reach. Damn you leadrope' face. He LOVES doing new and interesting things,





Thanks He was a good impulse buy He'll never excell at showing as he's slightly cow hocked and weak thought the second thigh but he's a type hard to find as an adult (without payinhg stupid money) and hopefully will make one of those nice calm gentlemanly hunter types (usually dark bay) you see calmly dozing at shows, looking smart in their double bridles. Well, that's the plan anyways!

Was taught never to worry about horses being slightly cow-hocked as they are less likely to knock themselves doing fast work, but yes would work against you in the show-ring. As he is showing such a propensity for jumping, you clearly have to have him eventing What an honest looking man.

 

[nostromo70]

Good for you.
Would just say that you may want to look into using a back raiser under his saddle, as it seems to be tilting back a bit.

 

[Kallibear]

Was taught never to worry about horses being slightly cow-hocked as they are less likely to knock themselves doing fast work, but yes would work against you in the show-ring. As he is showing such a propensity for jumping, you clearly have to have him eventing What an honest looking man.

Would love to event him! That's what he was bred to do and I think he'd be brilliant! But not if he jumps they gate again as burgers and sausages don't event

Good for you.
Would just say that you may want to look into using a back raiser under his saddle, as it seems to be tilting back a bit.

Hi, thank. It's not obvious because of his long legs but he's actually standing on quite a slope in the tacked up pictures so the front looks higher. It's not his saddle (he's got his own one ordered) and it's actually a little low in front without the pad under it.