I have been horse riding since i was 4, my ponies Jasper, Daisy and Maddison (that i owned progressivley not all at once) were my life from when i was 9 till i was about 14. Maddison was very talented and was BSJA affiliated, although by the time i got her she had back problems and was sick to death of jumping. Instead i worked on her dressage and she was working in a beautiful outline and beginning to do some slightly more advanced work (leg yielding, shoulder ins and flying changes) before i outgrew her and i had to sell her
).
Next when i was 14 I was lucky enough to be given a beautiful 15.2hh thoroughbred mare called Jenny Wren on permanent loan. She was a 6yo when i got her, but she had only just been broken in as she had been a brood mare. She had a lot of behavioural problems and that whole line of mares was notorious for hormonal problems. By the time I finished with her she was competing and jumping beautiflly in Hunter Trials, and her dressage was improving. She too (eventually after lots and lots of schooling) was working in a beautiful outline in walk and trot but she really struggled in canter and became disconnected alot. We searched for a reason (back problems, saddle fittings etc) but never really found one, she was however making slow improvements. She could have been a good little showjumper too but she had a very spooky temperement and was very good at putting in some last minute stops, and she sent me over the fence a number of times. On a trek once i was opening a gate and one of my reins looped over the gate post, she was very panicky and when she realised she reared, fell over backwards and landed on me. On a different occasion she broke my wrist. I loved her to bits however and she was making steady progress. Unfortunatley at about 17 i was struggling with horses and school and then i was given the chance to go to Bolivia, there was no way i could do everything, and seen as i was off to uni the next year anyway i made one of the hardest decisions of my life and gave Jen back to her owners. They bred out of her again and now she is doing well (although still being her usual naughty self) competing in Hunter Trials.
I have only ridden once since i was 17 (i'm now 20) and although i really miss it, i have surfing to keep me entertained. I'd like to think i'll own a horse again at some point, and hopefully get back into dressage and cross country but i'm not sure, when i gave up i had to really leave it all behind, i still miss all my ponies and horses but right now i just dont have time
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:36 pm
I have 2 nags - a TB mare who was my first horse, and an Irish Sport Horse called Red. Hes 16hh and is 7.
Rudeness!!!!
