OK, after all the support you lot have given me, I can't very well ignore all of your requests for a diary to track our adventures, so here we go! I'm also hoping it will be good to look back on to see how far we've come.
Day 2 -
Bella and Millie's owner went down first thing and said that Bella was seriously not happy - charging around, and squealing and being the grumpy mare she always is when there's a new horse in town. She does this awful thing of squealing, and striking out with a front foot and back foot at the same time. It's very unnerving! Her owner thought that maybe she'd calm down if Millie went back in with her, and it seemed to do the trick. Meanwhile, Tango couldn't care less! He was totally fine with being on his own - and the other horses are in the next door field now. I have electrified the fence as I don't want Bella getting too close though! :hot:
I have driven past the field a number of times just to make sure everything was ok and EVERY time I have, Tango has been head down, quite happy! :happy:
I was due to meet my friend (Bella's owner) up there at 5.30pm tonight and she was going to take him out for a little hack. The RS had assured me I could get on him yesterday and he would have been fine, and I'm also aware that he has already done a lot less work this week than he usually does so didn't want to leave it too long.
I got there a bit early as it was threatening to rain so I (bravely) got him in by myself. I don't know if you remember but my last loan horse, Hetty, would not walk 10 steps away from the paddock because she couldn't bear to be parted from Bella and the walk to the stables with her was horrendous with her spinning in front of me every step of the way. That has taken it's toll and I am now worried about just bringing him in from the field to the stable. BUT he was fine! I walked straight up to him and caught him and he walked nicely all the way. He was a bit wide eyed but he'd never been there so understandable. Anyway - I did it!
I tied him up outside the stable and started grooming him and then my friend arrived and I was glad as he was not hugely settled. Nothing major but swinging about a bit, chewing the lead rope, a bit worried. Gave him a quick groom but had to get a move on as the black cloud was looking more threatening.
My friend rode him and I walked with her. This is the same friend who came to try him for me on my second viewing. Ideally we would have ridden Bella out with us - I could have ridden her. But there was no way she would have behaved herself the way she is at the moment. We wouldn't even have been able to tie her up safely to tack up. So we decided to try him alone. Now he has not done a lot of hacking alone in the last 4 years - if at all. So didn't know what to expect. My friend said he was faster walking out - but at least he did walk out, I was quite prepared for a refusal. After all, he doesn't know who we are, he hasn't made friends with the other horses, he didn't know where we were going and he had no other horse to hold his hand and tell him it was ok.
Anyway, long story short (ha this is already long!!) he was great. He walked fast the whole way round. I certainly had a workout! So that's not great as I liked him slow, but maybe it was nervous/excited energy? When she trotted him though, his lovely slow but long stiding trot was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief - that's more like it. I think he napped about 3 times in the hour we were out. No spinning or trying to turn round, just a few steps backwards probably to just see "what happens if I....?" The first 2 my friend managed to kick him on after a few seconds. After that I gave her a whip and the next time he did it, she gave him a tap and he went straight off.
We were mainly on grass tracks - my worry area - and she said he never tried to tank off. In trot she shortened her reins as if she was going to canter but he didn't speed up or anticipate. She did some sitting trot on the grass tracks and he didn't anticipate a canter. On the last open stretch of grass fairly close to home she asked him to canter. She lost a stirrup and had a squeal (its involuntary!) and he didn't react. He does trot on for quite a while after a canter almost like he can't stop but she said it feels like he is trying to stop but just can't slow down quick enough. But that he's not strong with it and you can tell that he's trying to stop!
Once back at the stables I groomed him all over and he seemed much calmer. I put him back and poo picked. Wow that horse can poo! He had twice as much in his field as Bella and Millie put together!
So all in all, a good ride. Will do something else with him Friday. May just ride in the field and then I could do a bit. Maybe. Am not rushing myself and my friend said she loves riding him so she's happy to ride him to keep him going. Stupid I know as he's my horse, who I have dreamed of for so long, but if I could skip these settling in weeks I would!
Day 2 -
Bella and Millie's owner went down first thing and said that Bella was seriously not happy - charging around, and squealing and being the grumpy mare she always is when there's a new horse in town. She does this awful thing of squealing, and striking out with a front foot and back foot at the same time. It's very unnerving! Her owner thought that maybe she'd calm down if Millie went back in with her, and it seemed to do the trick. Meanwhile, Tango couldn't care less! He was totally fine with being on his own - and the other horses are in the next door field now. I have electrified the fence as I don't want Bella getting too close though! :hot:
I have driven past the field a number of times just to make sure everything was ok and EVERY time I have, Tango has been head down, quite happy! :happy:
I was due to meet my friend (Bella's owner) up there at 5.30pm tonight and she was going to take him out for a little hack. The RS had assured me I could get on him yesterday and he would have been fine, and I'm also aware that he has already done a lot less work this week than he usually does so didn't want to leave it too long.
I got there a bit early as it was threatening to rain so I (bravely) got him in by myself. I don't know if you remember but my last loan horse, Hetty, would not walk 10 steps away from the paddock because she couldn't bear to be parted from Bella and the walk to the stables with her was horrendous with her spinning in front of me every step of the way. That has taken it's toll and I am now worried about just bringing him in from the field to the stable. BUT he was fine! I walked straight up to him and caught him and he walked nicely all the way. He was a bit wide eyed but he'd never been there so understandable. Anyway - I did it!
I tied him up outside the stable and started grooming him and then my friend arrived and I was glad as he was not hugely settled. Nothing major but swinging about a bit, chewing the lead rope, a bit worried. Gave him a quick groom but had to get a move on as the black cloud was looking more threatening.
My friend rode him and I walked with her. This is the same friend who came to try him for me on my second viewing. Ideally we would have ridden Bella out with us - I could have ridden her. But there was no way she would have behaved herself the way she is at the moment. We wouldn't even have been able to tie her up safely to tack up. So we decided to try him alone. Now he has not done a lot of hacking alone in the last 4 years - if at all. So didn't know what to expect. My friend said he was faster walking out - but at least he did walk out, I was quite prepared for a refusal. After all, he doesn't know who we are, he hasn't made friends with the other horses, he didn't know where we were going and he had no other horse to hold his hand and tell him it was ok.
Anyway, long story short (ha this is already long!!) he was great. He walked fast the whole way round. I certainly had a workout! So that's not great as I liked him slow, but maybe it was nervous/excited energy? When she trotted him though, his lovely slow but long stiding trot was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief - that's more like it. I think he napped about 3 times in the hour we were out. No spinning or trying to turn round, just a few steps backwards probably to just see "what happens if I....?" The first 2 my friend managed to kick him on after a few seconds. After that I gave her a whip and the next time he did it, she gave him a tap and he went straight off.
We were mainly on grass tracks - my worry area - and she said he never tried to tank off. In trot she shortened her reins as if she was going to canter but he didn't speed up or anticipate. She did some sitting trot on the grass tracks and he didn't anticipate a canter. On the last open stretch of grass fairly close to home she asked him to canter. She lost a stirrup and had a squeal (its involuntary!) and he didn't react. He does trot on for quite a while after a canter almost like he can't stop but she said it feels like he is trying to stop but just can't slow down quick enough. But that he's not strong with it and you can tell that he's trying to stop!
Once back at the stables I groomed him all over and he seemed much calmer. I put him back and poo picked. Wow that horse can poo! He had twice as much in his field as Bella and Millie put together!
So all in all, a good ride. Will do something else with him Friday. May just ride in the field and then I could do a bit. Maybe. Am not rushing myself and my friend said she loves riding him so she's happy to ride him to keep him going. Stupid I know as he's my horse, who I have dreamed of for so long, but if I could skip these settling in weeks I would!
