The horse appreciation thread

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

We have a safe place thread, a photo thread and the happy today thread, but I thought it would be nice to have one to post about your horses! The things you have done, the achievements or they days they make you grin from ear to ear, but that perhaps aren't big enough for their own threads.

I am having one of those weekends with Dex, he is just such a brilliant horse - especially considering he's 4! We did 2 2-3 hour hacks this weekend and it doesn't matter what I throw at him, he gives it his best shot with a smile on his face. He will lead any horses past anything, go first or last, doesn't matter if the hacking buddy is spinning or rearing, he will go out on his own, or with a big group, let horses walk past the other way and not bat an eyelid. He is super confident and always gives things his best shot.. I am the luckiest person alive and never dreamed I would be able to own a horse like him.

Anyone else?

Us watching the rain together yesterday under the trees

 

[Barton Bounty]

Also so appreciative of my baby … takes anything I give him and just amazes me every day. This area I was today was where we nearly fell in the bog and so we have stayed away from there since.
Today… we went straight through and up the hill. Ill spare the gushes of love and excitement. But could not be prouder

 

[FieldOrnaments]

What a fab idea!! There's some gorgeous beasties on the forum and some combinations who evidently have fantastic bonds. Dex sounds like a total superstar, you should be really proud.

 

[P.forpony]

Brilliant idea for a thread!
The little wins or things that just make us smile and remind us why we love them

Today my lad marched out on his first decent hack since coming back into work, 10k all walk, barefoot with lots of roadwork, he came back fresh as a daisy, I have a sore bum!

I'm reminded everytime I leave the farm how lucky I am, he may spook at daffodils and dandelions and be a slightly dramatic TB but he's the first horse I've ever had that's utterly brilliant in traffic and its a lovely thing to feel safe.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

@Barton Bounty Orbi is such a dude! Love your hat cams! Have you managed to get out in the trailer as yet?

@P.forpony 10k is a decent hack!! It does make a hell of a difference having one you can just sit and 'be' on, my last one I had to micromanage hacks as he was quite hot and spooky and had to be first or he'd deck me, and I didn't realise how much fun it sucked out of things. (I also have a sore bum, but I don't mind if it's from riding rather than being thrown off! )

 

[ihatework]

Did the tapeworm swab on my yearling today which is super faffy at the best of times. Little darling took all of 10 secs of protest before she had a go at it and decided this was ok!

 

[fidleyspromise]

Love this.
Tals win this week is popping Tils saddle on him and taking a step back for the photo.
He also went a walk where at the roadside we had a car zoom past fast and upset him but the next several slowed so we finished with him standing quietly watching cars go past.

 

[AutumnDays]

Shelter, track, sheep proof fencing and mud control mats down! Absolutely shattered now, but hopefully these two won't be wading in mud all winter. I'd do anything for these guys, they give a reason to keep going

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Shelter, track, sheep proof fencing and mud control mats down! Absolutely shattered now, but hopefully these two won't be wading in mud all winter. I'd do anything for these guys, they give a reason to keep going
View attachment 148382

Wow, that looks like a fab set up you've got going!

 

[AutumnDays]

Wow, that looks like a fab set up you've got going!

Thank you! It's all "temporary" as national parks are quite horrible when it comes to planning, but I'm quite pleased with how it's looking!

 

[Dave's Mam]

After 3 weeks off due to holiday & me being a bit poorly, hopped back on today & he was as good as gold.

 

[P.forpony]

@Barton Bounty Orbi is such a dude! Love your hat cams! Have you managed to get out in the trailer as yet?

@P.forpony 10k is a decent hack!! It does make a hell of a difference having one you can just sit and 'be' on, my last one I had to micromanage hacks as he was quite hot and spooky and had to be first or he'd deck me, and I didn't realise how much fun it sucked out of things. (I also have a sore bum, but I don't mind if it's from riding rather than being thrown off! )

10k in walk takes him about 1.5hrs, when he gets his bum in gear he has a massive walk, it actually takes some core to sit to!
Hoping to do some long distance rides next year so we're working our way up.

And don't get me wrong he can be a spooky silly twit with a snorty dragon alter ego!
But he's very kind about it and you know it's never aimed at you, if its a spicy one he'll either catch you on the way down or stand and wait a bit sheepishly while you put yourself back in the middle and upright

 

[maya2008]

My little 3 year old DHP (who was backed then turned away for most of the summer and has only just come back into work) sweetly came to the gate to offer her services when my sharer’s ride came in injured today. She then proceeded to carefully look after a wobbly rider for an entire hack. I am so proud of her!!

 

[Caol Ila]

I have two good ponies. Both doing well. Hermosa is growing up and becoming a reliable, brave hacking pony, who goes out solo and in company, no bother. Since she's a low effort horse in terms of general life philosophy, the school remains a work in progress, but we're getting there. Might be better if I was also less low effort about it. At least we can bum around together.

Fin is becoming rather good at dressage and while he can still be a spooky lunatic on a hack, he's improved by 100000% percent. So long as you don't encounter any umbrellas.

Here they are together, with my friend on Fin.



Hermosa is very good at being a brave horse. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this chap in a Doctor Who episode (the guy on the left…the one on the right is my husband) but Hermosa clearly isn’t concerned by this.

 

[Barton Bounty]

@Barton Bounty Orbi is such a dude! Love your hat cams! Have you managed to get out in the trailer as yet?

@P.forpony 10k is a decent hack!! It does make a hell of a difference having one you can just sit and 'be' on, my last one I had to micromanage hacks as he was quite hot and spooky and had to be first or he'd deck me, and I didn't realise how much fun it sucked out of things. (I also have a sore bum, but I don't mind if it's from riding rather than being thrown off! )

Just the once , but planning to still get out over winter in it, we are hardcore

 

[TheHairyOne]

The slow but steady progress with my little 3 year old continues with an intro to the round pen (which as you can see is not used much).

He just looked to me for guidance so rather than what i thought i would get (pics of his rather flash trot and maybe some shapes), we did all the things he does on the lead rope loose and he was perfect.

Very confused about why I wasnt asking him to do anything and very cute...



We did finally do a bit of independent thinking and exploring.

 

[AthenesOwl]

This is a brilliant idea for a thread. It’s lovely to read about all these horsey wins, big and small.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Miri is such a lovely, kind mare. She’s not the bravest soul but she’s so gentle and she’s such a wonderful, responsive ride.



And Mim is just the thing childhood dreams are made of. She is brave and protective, and so trustworthy. She understands more than any horse I’ve ever had before. She’s forward and bright, and so connected.



I’m so lucky with both of them.

 

[SO1]

I went out for a hack on Bert with my instructor on foot. The roads were very busy with cars and huge lorry came past with flapping sides really close. Bert was a bit nervous but didn't do anything other than feel a bit tense went it went past. This is a huge milestone as there is not normally anyone for me to hack with at the weekends so being able to take him out on his own with only my instructor on foot means we can always hack out on a Saturday when she is at the yard.

He is a bit of a mud monster but become very affectionate and likes a kiss on the nose. He is very similar to Homey now. I am so glad I have him even if he is costing me a fortune because when I am able to spend time with him it is a window of time when I am not worrying about my parents or work.

I am taking the pressure off myself and not having any competition aims due to the situation with my parents but enjoying a hack or a pole lesson on him is wonderful.

 

[MerryMaxmas]

Miri is such a lovely, kind mare. She’s not the bravest soul but she’s so gentle and she’s such a wonderful, responsive ride.

View attachment 148398

And Mim is just the thing childhood dreams are made of. She is brave and protective, and so trustworthy. She understands more than any horse I’ve ever had before. She’s forward and bright, and so connected.

View attachment 148399

I’m so lucky with both of them.

They are both so beautiful

 

[Chippers1]

Buzz definitely this weekend (and always!) he's taken to the new yard and routine over the last year so well and is just the most chilled out pony. I rarely used to hack him because he used to be like a coiled spring, spooking at his own shadow but now I have him all over the place for hours at a time.
We went to a hunter trial on Saturday and I was fully prepared to retire if I had any inkling that his arthritis was bothering him or if he didn't feel up to it but as soon as he realised where he was he bounced down to the collecting ring and did the best XC round we've ever done I didn't even really need to put my leg on (unusual for him!) just steered around, he flew around. Even when I asked him to slow on some of the slightly boggier bits he's said 'no, no, i've got this!' and we had to do 2 much bigger fences than the rest of the course which I was worried about but no, he jumped them perfectly. He was an absolute star.
We even managed to be placed 3rd! Just the best boy.

 

[Tarragon]

View attachment 148391

I thought you were wearing some kind of contraption on your back!
Love your horses BTW

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I wish I could join in but both of mine are acting like knobs since our yard move only one was a knob before that

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I wish I could join in but both of mine are acting like knobs since our yard move only one was a knob before that

I suppose the other thought 'in for a penny, in for a pound' - do you think it's yard based, or weather turn based?
Hopefully you can join the thread in the coming weeks instead!

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I suppose the other thought 'in for a penny, in for a pound' - do you think it's yard based, or weather turn based?
Hopefully you can join the thread in the coming weeks instead!

Yard / change based mainly. Understandable that they’re unsettled but not easy nonetheless. Yard isn’t really working out for me but no suitable alternative at the moment.

 

[Timelyattraction]

Would love to add this pony to the thread for keeping my 5 year old daughter safe and teaching her the ropes. They improve daily and it’s so special watching them grow as I backed and produced this pony. Never thought she would become a first ridden pony but she has proved us all wrong and I couldn’t ask for a better pony

 

[Pippity]

We haven't hacked off the yard for a few weeks, due to life getting in the way, but she was a delight yesterday morning. She got a little tense when we met five horses going in the opposite direction, but was happy enough to leave them behind. And we did hit turbo mode on the exciting path home, but thankfully had a large bum in front that slowed her down a little.

But with a big van rattling past close enough to hit my whip, immediately followed by a revving hot hatch, she didn't even twitch an ear.

The ear twitching came later, when she managed to shake her fly bonnet off one ear, and then happily stride on with it flapping over one eye!

 

[Gloi]

Gets away with murder just because he is so cute

 

[Trot_on]

LOVE this thread <3 I need no excuse to talk about my ponies <3 My 19 year old Connemara has had one hell of a year and he just continues to wow me. I've had him now for a decade, and he is sharp and spooky and all those things but this year he started this year just being a bit 'meh'. I was convinced he was lame or getting old, needing to be retired etc but after a suspected respiritory infection in May and a big confidence knock from me that got to the point where I couldn't eve ask him to canter, he came out the other side of the antibiotics like a bouncing 5 year old and I remembered how to ride!

Since then, we've both kind of plucked up our ideas and this year he has been hunter trialling with me a few times, he had to stand in for a friends' horse at Bramham to do the arena eventing there, he had to unload and reload on the road because my friend's lorry broke dowbn, he's been to Somerford for a camp, we've started some 'proper' dressage lessons and schooling in prep for a post-jumping plan (early in the year I was convinced he was beggining to feel 'old') We've hacked for miles alone (something he's not a massive fan of, but is becoming very confident). He is just the lovliest pony and makes my life very very easy!


Photos from Epworth 80 HT a couple of weeks ago where he jumped clear and we came 13th out of about 30 entrants... would have come higher up the scoreboard if I didn't have to stop for a few seconds to get my breath back! He's a legend and at only 14.2, just continually wows me and I often use him as a reason for people not to pass on their 148's as at 5'9, I'm not your smallest adult but we have a fantastic time together!

 

[dottylottie]

small victories tonight! i tried loading lily tonight on the new box for the first time, we had a bit of a pause first time but in the end she was putting herself on whilst i stood at the side of the ramp! she’s been difficult to load in the past, so really chuffed with her tonight even when she’s worried she’s just such a gem, she does her very best to still listen and give me the right answer bless her