This year's project... and it's a cute one!

Gamebird

Gamebird

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I'm pretty much a project-a-year sort of gal. I think it may be a bit of an addiction to be honest. Somewhere out there is a small army of my former projects - I'm in touch with most and they're doing everything from being really fun cool confidence-giving RC types to eventing at 1* level with a pro. I don't care what they go on to do so long as they leave here as nice sweet 'people' who, although they're usually still green, are happy and willing to try. Several have ended up with my friends and I suspect that as my current project is preparing to fly the nest my friends are probably ducking for cover in case I try to persuade them that what they really need in their lives is another horse! :D

This guy arrived unbroken at the beginning of Feb and has been the coolest 4yo on the face of the planet.



First time on the long reins...



And first sit:



So far he has done a lot of hacking:



Spent rather a lot of time waiting at the level-crossing in the village:



Been a lager lout:



And done some paddling:



After all that hacking (to get him going forwards, and because I didn't really think he was strong enough to spend much time in the school) he has graduated to a bit of dressage (scoring 65% for a prelim on his second outing :cool:)



And finally, now he's a bit stronger, he has even left the floor (PHOTO PURCHASED WITH PERMISSION FOR INTERNET USE FROM ANY4 PHOTOGRAPHY):



Last week I persuaded a fellow HHOer to come and video our first proper XC schooling session, despite the pouring rain (huge thanks to the venue for letting us go), and I was thrilled to find that all the preparation I'd put in out hacking - scrambling up and down banks, through rivers, over tiny logs and ditches, meant that he pretty much took everything (quite literally) in his stride, despite that fact that neither the jockey nor the cameraman could actualy see much for the rain at more than one point.

I have made my first ever edited video of this, although I think it would have benefitted from the technological skills of a 13 year old as I got a bit lost with the effects, and to my huge chagrin also managed to spell 'trakehner' wrong and couldn't work out how to fix it. Oh the shame! :o

[youtube]HaR72NkR0ww[/youtube]


I couldn't be more pleased!

Sadly this cute guy will have to go soon - although I'd love him to stay a bit longer and maybe run him in a BE 4yo class in a couple of months, finances probably won't oblige. Either way I think he's probably ticked all my 'happy, cute and easy' boxes and cheered up my Spring no end. The sun isn't quite over the yardarm yet (and I'm at work where they tend to frown on alcohol consumption ;) ) so I'll raise a mug of Typhoo's best to the joys of youngsters :).
 
What a sweetheart - lovely to see a baby having so much fun & what an honest looking fella. Lucky person who ends up with him :)
 
He is lovely! How big is he? I always assume your project ponies are teeny tiny, until I remember your legs probably come up to my shoulders... We just sold a slightly chunkier version of him and the phone rang constantly with people wanting to see him, with his chunkiness being the only deterrent for some so I'd imagine you boy will be similar!
 
He looks super - so chilled and accepting of everything! He didn't even look at any of the scary xc stuff.
 
Thanks! I hate the idea of them being drilled in the school for hours - I have had a couple of sour, nappy 4yos to sort out before who had spent their entire education going round in circles which they were neither mentally or physically able to cope with, so I like mine to have a bit of fun and explore the big wide world. It also means that when they do start going to competitions and things that they just take new stuff in their stride.

Your memory serves you correctly Lolo. He's 16.1 and I'm 6ft! :o I often have to borrow a smaller jockey for advert photos as I make everything look like a pony :( Still, I bet he'll be thrilled when he ends up with someone smaller and lighter than me!
 
He is very nice! I'd be interested to find out how much you'll be asking for him when you decide to sell him, not for me but for my niece. She lost her ex racer about 4 weeks ago and is still umming & ahhing about getting another but if she saw him she'd love him!!!!!
I notice you're at Osberton in the pics - great place for babies. I was going to offer the services of my big lad as a baby sitter but it looks like your guy is super relaxed!
Really lovely :)
 
Ah, I recognise this one from Twitter Eventing! You appear to be fairly local to me.
He looks cracking, very sweet :) Must be lovely when they're out and about doing proper stuff, to be able to look back and think that you gave them their first experience of seeing life.
 
Its a great thing you are doing buying youngsters that no very little, your then giving them a good start in life and that way they will find good homes, well done you his a lovely horse you should be proud of yourself:)
 
WOW.. what a lovely chap and a real credit to you, we are just gearing up to selling my daughters lovely, but outgrown - pony at the moment. he is just the sort of chap I want for me to work with and eventually for both of us to share!
 
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What a lovely chap he is. Cracking job you have done with him and someone is going to be a very lucky new owner!!!
 
Hi people. Thanks for all the lovely comments - too many to thank individually! It's always a slightly nervous time when you parade your efforts in public! They do make it easy to do a good job with them though when they've got the right temperament and brain.

For those who asked he's 3/4 TB, 1/4 ID. By Stravinsky out of a Primitive Rising x ID mare. He's mostly black, but grey round the edges and I'm sure he'll end up grey, just not for quite some time yet.

He's just a dude :)
 
I love this boy, then again I love all your project ponies and envy your ability to sell them on, have tried it twice and ended up keeping them both:)
 
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