I feel like a new woman

[Snowflake]

Crazy at very much the wrong side of 50!!!

I am referring to my ecstatic feeling! Because 6 months after buying my little 14.2 pretty Welsh Cob Bounty, I can really say that my nerves have gone and she is like a different horse.

Now she has settled in to the yard (college working livery - max 10 hours a week) she is soooo laid back, quiet and affectionate.

In the space of one week I have had 2 lessons (cantering) and a hack (had lost my nerve for hacking) and she never put a hoof wrong. At first when she first came I had found her a bit spooky - but now she never spooks!

Just goes to show how right everyone is in saying to give it time when you get a newbie. They have to get used to you and the yard and new routine, very scary for a gal. Do you know, when I first had her I used to wake up in the night worrying that I had done the wrong thing and thinking I should sell her - but feeling awful about that too!!

Best of all my cantering: Lesson last night - she had done a bit of work yesterday so was not as lively as week before and it took me a couple of goes to get her into canter but when we did I managed to canter nearly down one side of the enormous indoor arena. This time though I felt I had to leg her on a bit to keep her going.

This gave me confidence. Stupidly months had passed where I didn't have the bottle to try canter as I had visions of her rushing off with me........

Now I really feel I am back to where I was a few years ago before I had my horrible accident and lost my nerve!

Sorry to have gone on so long folks .......

Snowflake
:D :D

[larri]

You go on all you like!!!!

Absolutely great to hear that things are going so well:D

[kedwards]

That's wonderful news! It's great to hear such a nice success story.

[SarahC]

Thats really great to hear...particularly for me as I have had my new boy for about 4 months and he seemed to completely change when I got him home and is very spooky! Not doing my nerves much good at the moment! I too, have moments when I think I've done totally the wrong thing and will have to sell him...but then I realise what a change he's had and that it will take him a while to settle properly. Plus we've just found about that his teeth are a complete mess.

Anyway, so nice to hear a success story...I hope you have a wonderful life together.

S

[cazrider]

Great to hear Snowflake. The fun starts from now!

SarahC, bear in mind what he was like before he "changed", and have faith you're doing the right things. We all know what its like to go home and agonise over what we are doing wrong. I'm going through that just now as I've been away all week with work and Sennie hasn't been hacked for a while... he was happier in his previous home, am I doing the right things by him?.. all those sorts of things.

On the subject of teeth, when I bought my first horse he hated being bridled, and I found out it was because his teeth were a mess and one of the back ones was digging into his cheek when the noseband was being done up! I had the teeth put right, persuaded him that being bridled wasn't a problem for him (took a while, giving him a small treat after being bridled, he forgot the pain and looked forward to the treat) and he was fine from then on. I'm sure your horse will come around once he's settled and sorted!

Good luck both of you! :)

[Sumitra]

Great to hear this. I can never understand people buying a new horse and deciding 4 or 6 weeks down the line that it is wrong and selling it unless of course you have made a huge mistake and the situation is dangerous.We have instant coffee and some people expect instant horses.