Monday, March 12, 2012

The photo i really wanted to show you all

Okay, so this was the image i really wanted to show everyone, but i had to wait to buy it off the photographer and for it to arrive. This was at the wild mares first training horse trials, so because different levels are called different things, in different countries, to make it clear she jumping 95cm, although it could have been 120cm and she still would have cleared it.

Since then she has had one more show at this level, and again went beautifully, except this time instead of the beautiful blue sky like in the picture above, we have constant rain, and the slipperiest ground conditions I've ever ridden on. It literally felt like my horses were on roller skates they were sliding so much. I being the one on top of this unstable horse flesh was a wee bit nervous, especially as fern is known as being a wee but clumsy on the farm, but the little wild mare wasn't to fussed, somehow managing to get around the showjumping, and slowly but surely making it around the boggy cross country course, even managing a gallop at one stage before cruising around in a comfortable canter. I think everyone knows the children tale of the tortoise and the hare, well Fern is the tortoise, never falters, never spooks at a jumps, never speeds, never wastes energy, yet she's incredibly careful and hates to touch anything with her feet, this makes her one of the easiest as well as one of the most fun eventing horses Ive ever produced.
The other young horse I'm producing at the moment, not a wild one, is the hare, shes like riding a stick insect on cocaine,fine boned and narrow, bold and quick, she likes to jump but wiggles and weaves before pinging over the jumps at the last second, if you can get her in line with a jumps that's great no problem, but steering a straight line at the same speed is about as easy as flying a lead balloon. Fern's stout build, smooth paces and dependability, make her a dream compared to this one.
the other nice thing about Fern, is that really I'm just competing her for my own satisfaction, not to win the Olympics, not to sell on, or to produce for someone else, shes just for me to have fun on, and this makes it all the more enjoyable. doesn't mean i don't want to win on her (I'm a very competitive person), just everything she does is a an achievement, because she comes from nothing,  so its all the more satisfying when she achieve something.

Also i love the fact that people always come up and say they never thought she would be anything, anyone who saw her when she first arrived and rolled their eyes at my little project ponies, is now congratulating me on how nice they turned out! Secretly i really like betting on the underdog, and proving people wrong, and with the wild horses i was doing just that, although even i didn't think i would get something as remarkable as this little mare..

4 comments:

  1. Looks fantastic you've done a great job

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  2. Simply gorgeous photos. She sounds like a dream horse. I love reading about the success of your wild ones.


    Judi
    Author of "Trail Training for the Horse and Rider" and "Trail Horse Adventures and Advice"

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  3. Thanks guys love getting your comments

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