What have you achieved in the last 12/18 months

[Dummer&Drummer]

ive just been sat hear wondering what i have achieved in the last 18 months and it has been alot on reflection and i am just wondering what another 18 months. my riding life countdown :-)

about 20 months ago, the first 6 weeks ..........never touched a horse before, weeks of one lesson a week on a schoolie on a lead rope led my a child as an adult scared novice with tears (:rolleyes: tears not changed then lol)could not rise and trott AT ALL (oh boy, anyone remember that)!!

2 months as many lessons as i could afford and a lot of hard work

4 months brought rupert, my section D

11 months, my first fun ride 10 miles, loved it

12 MONTHS of riding marked with 4 miles and 40 XC jumps clear :)

15 months sold rupert and brought drummer

started hacking alone

17 months, started sj comps at yard, 1.3, 1.9, 2.0ft

18 months, same as above but 1.9, 2.3 and 2.6

19 months, same as above but 2.3, 2.6 and 2.9 and getting placed 4th beest so far in 2.9

20 months on into riding sj comps away from home 2.0ft to 2.6 clear, not placed by 2 secs :)

now............???????????????????............we will see :)

and my biggest/funniest mistakes were:

in the 1st 6 weeks of riding: my horse sneezed and i screamed and chucked my reins in the air and begged to get off, asking what it was doing, in tears on a LEAD ROPE :D

toward the end of the first 2 months my RI asked me to change the rein, and i trotted over to him and got off asking what was the matter with my reins :eek: :) :rolleyes:

[Wally]

What have you achieved in the last 12/18 months

Less money and more bruises! ;)

[Wally]

Seriously, lots of different pairs combinations, several untrained horses going in singles, Winnie being ridden and Esse wearing harness and doing ground work.....ooooh lots really.

[Haphazard]

bought Hazza just over 18 months ago, spent 12 months worrying about whether i was brave enough to jump with him and now do 3' SJ and equivalent of BE Intro events. Just wish I hadn't faffed about for so long :D

[teabiscuit]

last november i started private lessons on my own horse with a BHSI after wanting them for years and years and years. i trailer him about 14 miles every saterday and it's really really worth it :)

[breeches]

started lessons july 2005, bought rosie October 2005, bought snowball feb 2006, sold snowball april 2006, bought rosie 2 june 2006, sold rosie 1 june 2006......
went mad in january 2006, became obsessed feb 2006.

[domane]

Methinks you are becoming a bit of dealer breeches!!!! ;)

Nah, scrap that.... you get too emotionally attached.... I SAW that little tear in your eye when Snowy went........... :(

[domane]

Eighteen months ago I was living in Suffolk, working for the NHS, no money and not ridden a horse for twenty years.

15 months ago Dom gets offered a job in Wiltshire with BIG wage increase.

11 months ago I decide to have a riding lesson. The sights and smells of the yard opens the floodgates of memories and I am instantly hooked.

10 months ago I find, not one, not two, but THREE possible horses to share!! :eek: I settle for the lovely Paddy and we have 7 short but enjoyable weeks together before I decide that sharing is not enough but I want to buy my own. Dom starts to see me metamorphosize from a clean freak to a mud-spattered, straw-covered smelly beast!!!

8 months ago I see the ad for Cherry as a possible share/loan/buy. This coincides with Dom getting another wage rise and bonus so two weeks after that I am a horseowner!!!

Today..... the house is a tip, the garden is neglected (bare minimum) and we are skint from the Cob-sized fund-sucker.... but I've never been happier :D :D

[breeches]

Methinks you are becoming a bit of dealer breeches!!!! ;)

Nah, scrap that.... you get too emotionally attached.... I SAW that little tear in your eye when Snowy went........... :(
you best stay clear tomorrow when My Rosie goes, i is not looking forward to it at all. I feel a few tears will be shed then....

[domane]

you best stay clear tomorrow when My Rosie goes, i is not looking forward to it at all. I feel a few tears will be shed then....
I intend to or I will definitely be joining you in the tissue-needing...... :(

[teabiscuit]

ahh- has she gone to someone lovely?

[Mimi + Me]

Not a lot really :( To get myself into more debt, does that count ;)

[Lucyad]

I had my baby daughter 14 months ago, had a great time jumping, hunting and hacking Shannon at the end of the season and over the winter, bought Oscar in March, am getting great lessons on him and really improving my riding and knowledge. I also got my first trailer and fixed it up (need to learn to tow it now..). Looking for3ward to the next 12!

[breeches]

ahh- has she gone to someone lovely?
a lovely lady in Devizes, she wants her for hacking and pampering. I am so happy Rosie chose her as her new Mum.

[mazda]

18 months ago - Could walk trot and canter and jump (couldn't do any very well)

12 months/10 months ago - started xc and jumping in the woods

4 months ago - started showing

the other day - Jumped a metre!!!!

Obviously I have fallen off (like who hasn't!?) I didn't really think I had improved alot but now looking back I think I really have! Infact I don't think many people realise how much they have improved until they look back!

maz x

[fitz]

Well I only started back riding after a seven year break this time last year. Werner was just broken and my dad wanted me to work him for the summer. Unfortunately I had the worst summer of my life (although the health of me and my nearest and dearest was fine, so could have been a lot worse) so got no work into Werner.
Started anew in October. Wasnt getting on with Werner so sent him home to the farm for the winter and brought up my darling dearest Duchess. Rode her loads over the winter, took her hunting. Now Werner is back and I have two horses to ride. Werner is getting on much better and I have two happy healthy horses. I suppose I'm not doing too bad for a student existing on a pittance.

[Sparklie]

11 months ago - started looking at horses for sale with the intention of buying one in 2006. Spotted Twiglet...couldn't afford him :( Wasn't riding regularly at the time.

10 months ago - had a few beach rides at a local stables and started a work placement through college at another stables where I rode the school horses a few times...got bitten by the bug again (I had previously rode from the age of 7, had various ponies on loan and then gave my last loan pony up about a year and a half ago).

8 months ago - Randomly clicked on the site where Twig was STILL for sale to see that his price had been dropped dramatically. E-mailed the next day and arranged to go and see him...I could now afford him!! Fell in love, went back and paid for him.

7 months ago - Twig arrived :D Had a bit of a rocky patch for the first month or so when he was very strong and I thought he was too much for me.

6 months ago - Passed my driving test before Christmas, yay!! I didn't need to rely on lifts anymore...as long as I managed to get a car that is. Twig started to improve a bit...jumped about a foot on him.

4 months ago - Jumped 2ft on Twig and entered our first show where we managed to do the clear round and the novice :) He started to improve a lot more and I began to trust him. I also got a car so my driving torubles were over!!

Last month - entered 3 classes in the farm show and got round them all (not clear but we're working on that!). I now hack my boy out on a loose rein and really let him go when we gallop instead of panicking about stopping. I've jumped a lot of the cross country course and I've jumped 10th hole on our jump wings (nearly 3 ft probably), the jumping fear is beginning to lessen :D

[Trewsers]

Have gone from zero confidence and not wanting to canter, to cantering with confidence (sounds like a book title:p ) , being confident in the school at all paces, even daring to trot and trot over a small jump, playing games on horseback (only with the kids), then - recently back to zero confidence again:( just getting confidence back again (how it comes and goes!!!!) just building it all back up again, back to cantering and hopefully gaining more confidence out hacking.:)

[Dummer&Drummer]

wow sounds like you and twig were meant to be :) and well done trewers, think in this game you have to be prepared to do things over and over again and realise that you also take 10 paces back despite all of your hard work :)

like my RI once said, it horse riding was easy, everyone would do it x

[Trewsers]

like my RI once said, it horse riding was easy, everyone would do it x

Too true!:)

[Mehitabel]

um....

thinks...

no, absolutely naff all.
i was having lessons and getting terribly frustrated with not improving as fast as i want to and not being as good as i was when i was riding 3 hours a day 6 days a week. then realised that as ridiculous, i can't possibly expect to be as i was when i have a desk job and ride one a fortnight, so have stopped having lessons and am just puttering about until i can get back seriously training. so have achieved nothing whatsoever, beenin a holding pattern with petal just trying to keep her fit and not going backwards. did a bit with petal's daughter, she did her first ridden showing this ywear first with me and then with her tiny loaner, but not a particular acheivement on my part.

[Soupdragon]

Been a bit of a rollercoaster for me!

May 2005 to November 2005 - bought Magic as ideal for first time novice owner - what a mistake! - bucking, bolting, rearing, the lot .. shattered confidence and nerves; only ever managed to hack him out twice and spent fortune on lessons, schooling, dentist, vet, physio, etc, to see if anything was wrong

November 2005 - Magic dumps me for last time with his special corkscrew rodeo buck across the school and ditches YO with a sneaky bolt followed by a dead stop and drop shoulder; decide to send Magic to be reschooled with a view to be sold

November 2005 - February 2006 - Magic develops mystery lameness; another fortune spent with vets and he is lame in 3 legs with arthritis

March 2006 - lots of tears and hard decision; can't rehome Magic, can't sell him to anybody as he is; can't afford to keep him as field ornament; on advice of vet and experienced horsey friends, but final decision mine, :( Magic PTS

Financially and emotionally battered so decided to have some time out of horses but friends pressurised me to start looking again

April/May 2006 - went to view some ponies and broke down in tears. Decided was too early and would shelve idea of pony owing for a while and just have lessons to build up confidence. My childhood dream dun connemara was out there somewhere and could wait for me .. told all friends and RI was no longer horse shopping

3 days later ... Twister's advert appears in Horsemart - my dream dun connemara!!

End May 2006 - Twister comes home!! - but not quite a happy ending yet - he went pottery and lami was suspected but hopefully he's now sound and we'll be out there doing things together soon!

Don't know if I've achieved much riding wise but am definitely poorer and more haggard looking!! :D

[Ginger Thing]

Well, I'm still nervous, but have been doing more whilst being nervous, rather than letting it stop me :confused: :D

I have got rosettes for dressage on both horses, entered (and won) first tiny weeny sj comp, done sj on grass and done xc schooling. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow I will be able to come back on here and add 'successfully completed first mini ODE'!

[Colorado Sunset]

ASK ME THIS QUESTION IN 2 MONTHS TIME :D (please :p)

I think my riding has gotten worse :(

Ah well, I have learnt a lot! Only recently have found classical, had my first classical lesson 2 months ago, was absolutely fab :D I have my next one next week and very excited! :p (big gap due to stupid exams!)

Ive bought many new books :p been introduced to Rashid and Heather Moffett, both who have made me realise theres hope for someone like me trapped in the "traditional" riding system.

So not much has actually *happened* in the last 12 months, but a lot is going to happen in the next 12 :D Im going to have lots more classical lessons, going to do work exp with Tim Stockdale and probably take my stage 2 at somepoint. Hopefully by the end of the year Ill be in Bristol on my way to being a vet :D

Jo

P.S. Sorry, went completely off track :o

[SupaTania]

ummmm, lets see. last march, i fell off comepletely destroyed my arm, and was terrified even when a horse would shake a fly off. Trainer would have to bribe me to trot a few laps, with a promise of a walk-break.

Now:
walk-trot confidantly, Over crossrails, don't freak if she canters after the jump. Am learning to properly canter, although it is taking a while, but with a new trainer, this should progress a bit quicker. Did my first show, and have many ribbons =), sat my first rear, and my first bolt. (okay not really a bolt, he just got ****ed and tanked off with me through the show grounds). I have become a bit more assertive, rather then letting the horses walk all over me, although I must admit, I'm still a bit too soft.


am looking forward to cantering in a show, maybe in august!

[sophie33]

Ah how my mood changes with every tiny success. Yesterday I would have said nothing, but today I am telling a happier story.
Went for a two hour dawn hack through the forest this morning. Absolutely beautiful - we didn't see any other people in two hours - and for the first time I found sitting to the canter (admittedly on a horse with a smooth canter) pleasant and easy!
And just to put the tin hat on my pleasure a friend came out on the hack and bought the pictures she had taken of our last hack out. She insisted on showing them to the other riders who, of course, hack through the forest every week and were understanderbly (sp?) not remotely interested :o . But despite my shame I could have kissed her because when I got home and looked at the pictures of me my position looked kind of okay. I used to have a chair seat but in both pictures where you could see my knee/toe line and ear/shoulder/hip/heel line were straight! I just sat in work with a ruler and checked :p . So very teeny compared to most of you, but after a few months back taking lessons I feel pretty chuffed! My hands were a bit mince but still...

[RustyMary]

Well I started to have riding lessons - a lifetime's ambition!!!

Only managed six lessons in Sept-Nov 2005, before 2m of snow put paid to beginner's riding until the spring. Kept sane on NR all through the long long winter. Started again at the beginning of May, am now completely hooked and can't wait for my next lesson. Making OK progress looking back to my early days I think - had my first canter this week and didn't fall off! One of the many things I love about it is there is so much to learn - there is so much potential to go on and on :)

[chapsi]

Jan. 2005 - due to my unfortunate horse wnership experence my confidence is shatters, I can no longer ride. Finantial it's a strain.
Feb. 2005 - Pegs goes into hospital for his second rig surgery. I start lunge lessons at a professional dressage yard.
March 2005 - Pegs dies. I become devastated. This was the biggest, most painful loss in all my life. I resort to psychotheraphy for bereavement counselling.
May 2005 - I meet the "magic stallion", a kind, gentle luso stallion. I gave me the confidence to stop riding with the lunge line and to start driving alone all over the country.
July 2005 - The "magic stallion" fails his vetting. I move Rija, my mare, to a private estate, near my home. I save a bit of livery money and I was hoping to establish a more intimate bond with her.
Nov. 2005 - Rija gets sold. She was bought by a dream partner.
Apr. 2006 - Rija departs to England. The next day I travel to southern Portugal to view a young stallion.
May 2006 - I buy Trunfo, the young stallion. I move yards again, this time training at a professional Working Equitation yard. My horse is under training there too.
May-June 2006 - great lessons, great trainer, my confident starts to unfold.:)
23rd June 2006 - I ride Trumpy for the first time.:D
A new era is about to begin.

This thread has been very interesting. It gives us the idea on how 18 months, such a short time, is all it takes to change a life!

[Guest]

Absolutly sweet F A!!

[domane]

Absolutly sweet F A!!

Erm..... how long have you had Bryony???

AHEM!!!!???? :D

[Colorado Sunset]

23rd June 2006 - I ride Trumpy for the first time.


WHAT??? I cant believe I missed this!! Im searching through your threads right now, amazing! Well done :D

Jo

[Guest]

Erm..... how long have you had Bryony???

AHEM!!!!???? :D

3 months ...6 weeks of that she's not been ridden and let's not even get started on Grady.....

[neen]

3 months ...6 weeks of that she's not been ridden and let's not even get started on Grady.....

Now now, grumpy... :D

September 2005: Have ridden maybe half a dozen times in the last 15 years. Going about my business unconcerned ;)

October 2005: Out for a walk, look at fallen leaves and grey skies, remember an autumn hack on an Exmoor pony in my youth. Go home, Google Exmoors, find the "Adults who ride ponies" thread on New Rider...

November 2005: Have an RS hack on a 16.1 draught. Instructor tells me "you're an adult, you should be riding a horse". Give up hope.

Later in November 2005: Discover an RS within walking distance of home. Walk up one afternoon and book a lesson. Hooked again!

January 2006: Visit a colleague's yard and spend day pottering about with her horse. Come back in horsey bliss. Friend mentions a pony she knows of to share... No good for me, but start looking at classifieds. Email one. Go and see potential share pony. Eeek!

End January 2006: Long business trip. Pony nightmares every night!

February 2006: Get home and try pony. I love her! We decide to give it a go and start share in March.

March 2006: Share pony comes in lame from field. Decide to start share anyway. Groom a lot.
2 weeks later: Lameness is serious. Pony's life in danger. Life bleak. Owner offers green 3 and a half year old to ride. Madly, I accept. A star is born!

May 2006: Fed up getting train to yard. After 12 years of not driving, buy a car so I can see ponies more. Luckily, still remember how to drive. Wish coming back to riding had been that easy!

June 2006: 1st share pony recovered and coming back into work. Baby share pony a poppet. Lots of new adult pony-riding friends. Solo schooling! Solo hacking! First lesson tomorrow! Crikey, have I ended up in someone else's life?! :D

[liz--y]

had our first homebred foal where we own sire and dam is our biggest acivement

[Whatanejit]

So lovely to hear all your stories summerised like that.

Jan 2004 - feeling a little lost - OH suggests getting back into riding - we stopped4 years before after a nasty car accident.

Feb 2004 - OHs birthday on valentines - means I get a pressie too:) - he wants a lesson for his birthday.

We joined the Novice group for 5 months then got bored so went semi-private.

Jumping 2' by Feb 2005.

Sept 2005 start thinking of buying a horse.
Jan 2006 - one failed vetting
Feb 2006 - 2nd failed vetting

Feb 2006 - we found Cooper - he passed his vetting.:D

March 2006 - Cooper comes home - awwwwwwwwwww!

Lots of firsts with Cooper.

1st time schooling a horse by myself
1st time hacking out by myself
1st time falling in love with a horse

Not sure if there was a hole in my life that has now been filled but I am definately much more enriched with Cooper in my life.

May 2006 start a horse share with May.

Isn't it all very exciting:D

[Tizer]

My best achievment (sorry for the flowery prose)
I live on the top of a hill with beautiful views (you need to know this)

Jubilee Oak Tree

January 2006
Standing on yard surveying the lovely landscape, a huge hill rises out of the local downs, and on top the hugest oak tree you have ever seen ! I imagine being there but it seems impossible.Tracks and paths meander up the hill, crossing streams and brooks and finally arriving under the massive shelter of the Oak Tree. The frost and light snow cover the pinnacles of the hill.

June 2006
I am standing with my lovely horse in the cool shade of the Jubilee tree, I look down the hill which is basking in hot sunshine, the paths and tracks trickle away from us. I can hear the gentle noise the stream is making, the air is moist and damp, in the distance is home. But before we get home we see a thousand butterfly's dancing in the grass, a buzzerd shares our route and rabbits cross our path.

And I am thankful everyday that this is mine.

[Crazyhorse]

In the last 18 months I have started hacking out again and even galloped on a couple of hacks. Have started riding a friend's mare and am being taught to get a horse into an outline and on the bit.

[LizH]

12 months ago found a gentle giant with sturdy legs and started riding again after 20 years.Shot immediately to heaven!!
6 weeks ago finally realised life is not a rehearsal.
3 weeks ago became a horse owner ... can life get any better?:D
4 days ago went on first solo hack ever , realised Bill really did belong to me, spent a happy evening cleaning his saddle and am grinning from ear to ear daily:p
PS Tizer - what a lovely image, had a lump in my throat when I read it.

[raggydoll]

March 05 - hadnt ridden for quite a few years when i had lots of confidence but lost it when i fell of the pony i used to ride when he refused to jump and landed on jump pole. Didnt jump him again as i was too scared.

Moved out of the town to a house in the middle of the country in a tiny little hamlet with only 13 houses and lots of horses. Within a week i had been to have a chat with someone in the village that wanted his horse exercising and i began riding Jess a lovely 8 yr old black cob. Realised how much my confidence was affected but was gradually building it back up. Hacked her out 1 or 2 times a week with OH on foot.
I also began regular lessons at a local riding school.

Approx June 05 - Jess did an impressive broncing session during which i half fell half bailed out which put me right back to square one with confidence.
Jess's owner decided to sell her and buy a smaller pony instead for driving.
I continued with the lessons but after a while decided i would like to have my own. Did LOTS of reading, asking questions and filling my head with as much info as possible and started browsing ads

August 05 - i found bim! Had a few teething problems with settling her in with field companion but nothing major (although it seemed it at the time!)

Since ive had bim i have gained soooo much confidence! I now hack out alone without a second thought, learnt to jump again - still terrified tho!, learnt to lunge, my position has improved no end, learnt i can sit a few bucks without it being a disaster. However, i still cant "feel" diagonals or canter leads!

Today, i am still happily hacking out on bim and am looking to buy a second haflinger hopefully next summer if i can afford it to do some pleasure rides, hopefully trec and maybe local shows. After that i will be saving/looking for the transport to get me there!!

[chickflick1066]

Our first majors include:

> Being able to deal with her dangerous napping (huge thanks to Angelfben ;))

> Completing our first sponsored ride together and having a fab time!

> Actually jumping 2ft3!

For me, it's all the little things that count ;)

[Lgd]

18 months ago made the decision to put Peri in foal and started husband hunting for her. Work started on our prospective yard.

15 months ago selected Mooiman as Peri's hubby.

14 months ago went to the Winter nationals with Tavia and was placed 12th in the PetPlan Open Medium (chuffed big time as she had the lowest qualification score of the 30-odd finalists)

13 months ago old horse box blew up two days before Peri went to stud and to get someone else to take her.

12½months ago - Peri scanned in foal

12 months ago - Peri came home, 1 month in foal. Found new chassis for the horsebox.

10 months ago - yard starting to take shape, boxes finished and started painting them.

8 months ago - Peri did her last competition before heading off on maternity leave. Horsebox useable again.

7 months ago - finally moved to our new yard. :D

6 months ago Peri down to walking only, but every time I tried to stop she started breaking the place up :rolleyes:

5 months ago - Tavia finally cracked her tempi changes, advanced looking a real possibility.

3 months ago - Tavia qualified for Open Medium at regionals.

2 months ago - final countdown to foaling.

7 weeks and 4 days ago - welcomed Burnside Lucky Belle to the world, Mum and daughter both well.

1 week ago - started riding Peri again in walk on the long haul to getting her fit again. Belle growing like an uncontrolled weed - think she might be rather tall!

[NoviceNic]

In 18 months I have gone from confident but not very good position. To a little less confident but better position. I can do a leg yield in walk, turn on forehand and sit huge flying changes. I have completed fun rides. Entered into 2ft clear rounds and got clear rounds to entering into 2 ft 3 class and not getting clear rounds. From solo hacking to no solo hacking, back to solo hacking again. Riding bareback in walk, trot and canter and having my first fall. :rolleyes: With a push I will get on others horses and walk them around and then if I feel ok I will have a trot and canter. To going into Best Horse/Rider match and getting a second to going in to Best Family Horse and almost knocking the judge over. :eek: I now trailer happily on my own and take my cob anywhere I fancy. I can talk my friend through her nerves as she walks around on her Shirex. I have stopped feeling physically sick when I mount and my knees dont often knock. Fingers crossed things will continue to go smoothly and umcomplicated. :rolleyes:

[HairyCob]

Great thread...:)

Jan 2005.. horseless, and missing it. Having lessons weekly to try to regain completely shattered confidence.

April 2005- Riding lessons stopped due to financial constraints and being in final term of Nurse training- Lots of Essays and exams!

July 2005- a 'turning point' for me- went hacking from a 'trekking centre' on Exmoor and finally cantered in an open space again:D

August 2005- Finally finish nurse training and 'Qualify' as a nurse.

September 2005- Missing horses so much I volunteer to 'help' at YO's yard... mucking out, feeding, grooming etc, but not confident enough to ride her horses:rolleyes: Love it!

November 20th 2005- Prince arrived- ancient and very 'safe' riding school cob on loan for the winter.

December 2005- Love Prince to bits, happily cantering him round the fields, but getting a bit 'bored' 'cause he's not able to do longer rides and I want to!

January 2006- Start 'seriously' looking for a 'new' horse of my own. Dolly falls into my lap and I try her on the 27th:D

January 30th 2006- Dolly comes home 'on trial'

February 14th 2006- Dolly fails vetting big time.

February 17th 2006- Dolly bought and paid for and now MINE!

Easter 2006- Prince goes back to the riding school... having been 'taken over' by YO's very novice au pair... due back at the end of the summer:D

April 2006- Confidence on and in Dolly soaring- complete our first 2.5hour hack...and we went alone:D

May 2006- Dolly's back bad... off ridden work.

June 2006- Learnt to longline and the joy and importance of ground work. Confidence to ride waning by the day:(

June 24th 2006- Rode Dolly bareback and in a 'Dually' halter in the arena for the first time. Fell in love with her all over again from a 'ridden' perspective:D

[BeachRiding]

Well, my riding has improved a ton, and I bought my second horse. Also, I moved Willie home with me.

[Alle]

Hmmm..this is hard because my routine doesn't vary too much. I mean, I don't show Sevigny yet, so there are no milestones of that nature. But...

About 18 months ago:

Sevi and I start learning simple changes

We do our first ever dressage musical freestyle, although it was ina completely casual setting. Sevi was a star...me...not so much! But it was fun.

About 12 months ago:

All the flatwork begins to really pay off, as Sevigny's jumping has improved. Ride bareback for the first time ever. Not while jumping, however. :D

About 8 months ago:

We start working on flying changes and half-pass. This is interupted when Sevi goes lame with a hoof abcess. :( Luckily, I was able to ride a bunch of different horses, which was an eye opener. Especially fortunate to be able to ride some 'schoolmaster' types who really helped with my understanidn of half-pass and lengthenings.

6 months ago:

Start to retrain Sevigny from the pelham to a snaffle.

3 months ago:

Confidence takes a beating, and I still don't really know why. Sevi did pull a few big bucks, which didn't bother me at the time they happened, but must have bothered me psychologically. I tensed up immediately when doing any work on the right rein (the rein she will act up on if she's going to.) and when I tensed up, of course she did to, so it was a self fullfilling prophecy of messing up.

2 months ago:

Started settling back into things better, but still timid when riding unsupervised.

Had a lovely photo session and got some nice pics of my girl.

1 month ago:

Really started getting back on track. Confidence starts to return.

2 weeks ago:

Had a stellar series of lessons. Decided to switch bits, and bought a happy mouth double jointed loose ring snaffle.

1 week ago:

Tried out new bit...she seems to do very well in it...not as tense or anxious. Confidence is back! Why did it desert me? I don't know!

One thing remained constant...I just adore my horse so much. Even when I doubt myself and my ability, having this horse just continues to bring me so much joy. :)

[Dummer&Drummer]

this is really great, everyone is doing really well

i can add to mine now 20 1/2 months (yesterday), 2.9ft class going clear to 3ft jump off and coming 5th AWAY from home, 2nd show :p

and BOBBIN HAS achieved: learning to do the right thing and make the heart wrenching decision in keeping a horse or selling it, ground work, hacking alone, canter hack, came 5th in a showing class which includes taking her new horse away from home, and also getting her own transport and learnt to drive her lorry laidened with horses :) (and bobbin could progress leaps and bounds if she came to my yard, no space........but there is a space for you and you only!!!!)

[Nimbus65]

Well, 18 months ago I couldn't/wouldn't canter on even the dopiest school horse, hadn't been near a jump and hadn't even entertained competing (dressage).

Now I'm:

Regularly introducing lateral work into my warm up - shoulder fore, leg yields and quarter turns - nothing flashy but a huge step up for me :)

Hacking out a friend's 9-year-old and giving said friend a confident lead as she tries to persuade the 4-year-old she's sitting on into traffic or over a road bridge w/ M4 traffic whizzing underneath our feet

Competing - I've done at least three dressage competitions (very small ones run by the school)

Jumping - Just a little - I even popped over one of the (small) cross country jumps in the field. Great fun but not my favourite - much prefer dressage.

Cantering with confidence to the point where I'll throw the reins at a horse in canter and try and bring the back another way . . . on a circle, strong half halts w/ seat, etc.

Riding Rocky, aka "The Prince of Darkness" - very stressy, worry-ful horse who I wouldn't have dreamt I'd EVER sit on! Yes, I'm riding him in a bungee for at least half the lesson, but we'll work up to taking that off

All this from a woman who a year ago was in floods of tears in the indoor school begging to get off b/c Otis had been naughty. I watch alot of lessons up at the school . . . generally people a year or so ahead of me in terms of experience and ability . . . but every once in a while, I watch beginniners just to give myself a marker for how far I've come. I well remember struggling to master rising trot, keep my lower legs still, etc. Still struggle w/ some basics on bad days but now at least I know when my legs are unstable, my hands are fixed and/or tipped, I'm behind the movement, etc. and can take steps to correct it.

Great thread - thanks for posting.

N

Edited to add: Don't laugh but I can now mount and dismount w/ elegance and style . . . I'm bendier so can reach those pesky stirrups on the big horses I ride (they're all well over 16.2) and can swing my right leg over and vault off w/ the best of them as opposed to kicking the horse on the bum on the way over and slithering to a heap on the floor . . . no small thing for someone as decrepit and creaky as moi!