who has ???

[SONIC1704]

Just wondering

Who has bought or been given a ruined pony/ horse and turned them around?

I've had mine three years now and i'm now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel though there is still along way to go. More leaning on my part i think then his!!!

 

[Scribbles]

I had a horse who was about to be killed when I got him. His owner had given up, and abandoned him at a livery yard, not paid the bills, nobody could ride him. he was about to go to the meat man.

Took me 2 years, a broken wrist, colic surgery and finding a good instructor, but he completely turned around! Bottom left pic is him at PC area SJ championships at stoneleigh. Not bad considering I didn't have any transport and couldn't get to shows

 

[Banshee]

I have (now retired) a horse that belonged to the local riding school instructor and even she was scared of him. She rode him in a Dr Bristol and running martingale and he still wouldn't slow down.

Took a few years of being thrown, dragged, mucked about and reared, I changed his bit to a pelham (which he loved) and after tying a few different nosebands realised he didn't need anything fancy and ended up in a plain cavesson he became the most wonderful jumper I have ever ridden, hacks became pleasant too.

There were so many times I threatened to sell the little toerag, I got frustrated and so upset with him on so many occasions. I persevered and I really enjoyed his company in the end. I even said that if I found a man with who was like that horse I'd marry him instantly

Definitely worth the pain to get there in the end, I learned so much from him. Keep up your good work!

 

[Dubsie]

This'll be nowhere near as much of a turnaround as others, but I was quite pleased this week:
Daughters 11.2 loan pony is a perfect lead rein pony but not a first ridden - has been ridden by various small girls over 5-6 years who have basically given up after a short time: pony grabs reins, swerves off, bucks, ditches rider, head down etc etc when she's had enough of 'work'/wants grass. Was really hard for T as she so much wanted it to work, and she was often in tears with the pony the other end of the field head down in the long grass.

Our fab instructor, who has really made the huge difference happen, gave a lesson to T's friend on her on Monday, only the 2nd time she'd ridden her, and I was quite proud of the fact little pony barely bothered to try any work avoidance tactics (a slight head down almost half hearted attempt to snatch at the reins at one point, which was rapidly corrected, she knows she won't get away with it now). Will be a year T's been riding her on the last day of the summer hols, quite sad that she's outgrowing her so fast.

 

[ironhorse]

Some friends took on a horse from a guy I used to ride for - a really lovely horse but diagnosed with navi with poor prognosis at the age of 8.
They had access to the best farriers and were prepared to keep him as a field ornament if necessary.
With the help of their farrier they got him sound and were able to use him as a beginner's horse and hack for their friends/family (I showed him in cob classes, ht and hunted him before he went lame but he had the gentlest and steadiest of temperaments so was ideal for beginners to ride).
He was a bit of a thug to handle and was always escaping and taking other horses with him, but they coped with him with good humour and tolerance. He had another 10 years of happy life before he became so lame that he had to be PTS, for which I shall be eternally in their debt. REAL horse heroes.

 

[SONIC1704]

lol you alll sound like you've done really well, and it nice to hear the are no quick fixes lol so i don't feel silly for taking forever to bring him right.

I think due to his size hes been a teenages ponio, and they have jumped and raced him into the ground, beating him when he's not preformed. So I got an imposible catch, who wanted nothing to do with humans, when i did get hold of him he was so nervy, though he was slighlty parcular at the start when being ridden he has no fear, but he was really nervy, fast and strong at the same time.

He'll now be caught 8/10 times, normally throws a huff after a lesson(There to hard). Easy to get on a tack up, still nervy but no where near as bad. Nice to ride though still can get wound up, but we still have to master jumping as we end up doing the wall of death, and if you do cross country traning or gallop in a feild occassional his brain will blow and it takes 2 to 3 weeks before we can walk across a feild lol.

And for the first time people ask if they could have a go on him lol, but i still only trust certin people to get on so only about 2. hehe

 

[happyhaffie]

i went to visit a friend, he showed me two ponies he had been given by a family, their father had died (who's ponies they were apparently) and their in the stable stood the hariest little grey pony and very skinny chestnut, the little grey honestly looked around 20 year old, the chestnut was nervous but the little grey was terrified, she also had a gash up her back leg which no one could get anywhere near, well much to my OH disgust i ended up with another pony
when i eventually after around 3 weeks could get near her, i rubbed my hand along her side and it was like running your hand along the edge of a rake, their was nothing underneath all that hair, but i still couldnt get near the back leg and any man she saw just made her go ten steps backwards, luckily she wasnt lame and i she was extremely lucky not to get an infection
after months of doing everything at her pace she started to come round but with an attitude you know the type il stand but i wont enjoy it, then all of a sudden she changed, just overnight, she is now the most loving spotty! little pony, she started getting rode and i can honestly say i have never seen such a difference in a pony, she thrives on work, she is now out on loan on my yard with view to buy, to a lovely family who adore her
dont give up you will get their in the end, i wasnt bothered whether or not holly stayed as a field ornament for the rest of her life, luckily she is a beautiful pony who enjoys life and human contact, although unless she has had time to get used to a male she still gets a bit nervous