One happy bunny
I am one happy bunny today. I love him. He is such a sweet character. He loves people and being fussed about with and he is quite happy to be ridden even though he hasn't a clue how to move with a rider on board. He is five or six inches longer in the girth than either Jazz or Zip, and already a 3 gullet plate (wide). I mounted from the stirrup today and he stood rock still. We walked around a bit, with me steering today instead of letting him go wherever. He stopped a lot, confused, but walked on to a voice aid backed up with the leg.
He is huge and floppy and so very much my kind of horse. I am looking forward immensely to hacking him out, and I already feel happy to sign off from Zippy and let him go to someone who wants to be serious about dressage. For a while I thought I could make myself that person, but I am much happier about my "horse future" now that I have worked out that it's just not me. I love riding Jazz's paces, and I love schooling the higher movements and the contrast between Henry??? and Jazz will be fantastic.
It beats me how people can let a horse get to six and not understand about having his feet picked out, but that will be easy enough to sort out. He's also very fidgety and at one point I said very firmly "oh for goodness sake STAND STILL!". And he did. Not looking frightened, just looking relieved that someone had taken control.
He is bottom of the pile in the field but he seems to be happy enough. Zippy's nose is bent completely out of shape in a way that it wasn't by introducing George. I think he must have picked it up that Henry??? is a serious threat to his future here.
I rode Jazz too today, and he wasn't concentrating but I never thought he would this early after introducing a new horse. I cancelled my lesson with Sonia this week coming because I know that he won't be settled enough by then to do any decent work (and there's a midweek hunt meet on Wednesday to make up for there not being one today).
So, it's all going better than could have been expected. I'm off outside now to bring them in for the night. They don't need to be in, it's calm and dry, but I thought it would be better for everyone if we just stay in the routine for a week or so.
C
posted by cptrayes @ 7:08 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Stop making me covet all your horses!! Especially Mr Anon! Seriously, I am so pleased for you - glad you have found 'it' again
Louise
You were bound to covet this one Louise - he is every bit the kind of horse you were used to riding in the Barracks! I almost feel like I should go out and buy a Busby just to groom him in :-)))
C
I bet he's got a more sensible head on him though!
Just get SH to hand you him tacked up, get your white glove out and you'll be away!!
Louise
Sounds really lovely, and the breeding is good. Say "Hill Farmer" and a lot of ears prick up. He has a noble head, as you say, the TB influence there.
Sometimes a cross works out and sometimes it doesn't but from the pictures and what you say of his character, it sounds as though this one has, very well with the best bits from both sides.
Funny about Zip - just how sensitive are horses to atmosphere and body language?
I am so happy for you. AS much as I covet Zippy and his dressage potential, from all the fun you've been having hunting, you are just not "there" yet, and maybe you never will be. (Wish you were here in the USA, because I know people who would give Zipster a good home. Any videos yet for my trainer?)
Toby/Henry (tobry, henby?) sounds like a love. But you are right. How can people let a horse get to be six and still be so "unhandled?" OK if he is green under saddle--and that is to your benefit in this case--but the rest of it? Bless his heart that he is so people-oriented as he will want to please you, and at that size you wouldn't want anything else.
I had my friend Stacie drop by to look at his pictures as he looks so much like her Lucky. She agreed, and Lucky is a sweetie too.
I'm sure you will be trotting by the end of the week. And, gee, you might even be able to make it all the way around the arena at one gait or another without stopping. *S*
Judith I think that horses know an awful lot, and I think Zippy knows that he is out and Henry??? is in. He is being mean to him when I have not seen him be like it to any other horse. It looks like Henry ??? got his own back though - Zippy has a big bite on his wither, as if Henry clamped his teeth on either side. I don't blame him!
C.
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