Three Years On ...... - ArabianLines.Com Forum

Save Password

All Forums

DISCUSSION FORUMS

AL DISCUSSION

Three Years On ......

New Topic

Reply to Topic

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Crusaders Angel
Gold Member

England

531 Posts

Posted - 08 Sep 2011 : 11:24:52 AM

I've not been a regular visitor here lately due to family stuff, work etc but thought I'd just give a bit of an update on mine and Roo's progress as it's been three years since I bought him in September 2008 when he was 3 1/2 and had been backed for approx 3mths.

As some of you may remember things got to a bit of a traumatic start. After posting on here about buying him it turned out that he was sold illegally and I didn't own him at all. Thankfully he was allowed to stay and I was able to get his proper AHS passport. In December 2008, just as I was getting over that little trauma, he decided to take exception to the horse next door and got his hind legs fast in the only section of barbed wire we hadn't been able to replace which resulted in nasty gashes and cuts which he wouldn't let us treat. Whilst the wounds were healing we had a cold spell which made the fields all icy so he kept splitting them open again when ever he slipped. Thankfully these have healed up really well with only bald lines showing where the injuries were and no damage to the hock or tendons etc - good job I didn't have ambitions for HOYS

The extent of the injuries and then the weather meant that he was field-bound and his education was neglected until March 2009 which resulted in him turning into a real handful and me almost losing my nerve about handling him - it took 2 of us to get him out the field and he was very nervous and explosive in the stable (which I later found out was due to a very bad experience early on in his life and left him partially sighted in his right eye). Trying to lead him out was almost impossible due to him rearing up and snaking his head about so in desperation I attended a Natural Horsemanship day with him and, apart from one explosive moment when he reared up and came down on top of me at the start of the day, he was incredibly well behaved and it was the turning point for us and I finished the day by riding my "wild and unruly" horse round a 20 acre field in just a halter, through a water complex and over our first jump.

From that day we started to really build a partnership and learn to trust each other and . It's not been easy and he is still very "kick first, look later" which resulted in him fracturing my pelvis just before the pre-ride vetting in April 2010 at our very first Pleasure Ride together

Luckily I didn't realise and although it was painful it wasn't immobilising so I tacked up and with much trepidation we set off and had the most amazing time - he was on his toes but was listening and respectful and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Setting Off

We ended up having almost all of 2010 off whilst I healed but managed to sneak another Pleasure ride in to finish off the season where he was much less reactive in the vetting and very good out on route.

And then we have this year (so far) - well, what can I say, except WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! its been fun, frightening and fulfilling in so many ways

In April we went back to Thoresby Hall to do the Haywood Oaks EGB ride (where I got the fracture last year)to do our first Competitive Ride together and despite a very explosive pre-ride vetting we started unscathed and had a fabulous ride and he came back with a Grade 1

.

The beginning of May saw us going to RAF Cranwell for our 2nd Competitive Ride where he was much better in the pre-ride vetting, amazing out on route and he earned himself another Grade 1

and at the end of May we went back to Thoresby Hall for the Dukeries EGB ride - this was to be our final Novice ride with the hope of just completing so we could upgrade to Open. He was very chilled at the pre-ride vetting (HR of 32) and just fantastic out on route to come home well inside the time with a HR of 31 to earn himself another Grade 1.