A year on
Henry's life has undergone some pretty big changes in the past year. He finished racing in April 2017 after 2 starts. He was pretty terrible and lost both of them. From racing he started being retrained by a show rider, who then sold him to me.
When I got him, he had been off the track about 5 weeks and had very little education. He was still in race condition and had no idea how to be a horse.
Gradually, he has discovered how to relax, how to graze, and how to play. Coolie has taught him when he has over stepped the mark, there will be consequences. He has learnt how to negotiate hills and corners at all paces with and without a rider.
His digestive system took months to start to process food normally. When he first came his poo looked like what he was eating. Now it looks like poo!
Henry knows what treats are now and will have a go at eating whatever I offer him. He comes right up to me in the paddock to say hi, or to help out with what we are doing. Sometimes he tries to play with me but I put an end to that pretty quick!
Riding wise he is still quite green, but he can walk, trot and canter in a frame. He accepts the contact and is reasonable consistent into the contact. He has moments of self carriage. He can bend and counter bend, leg yield, and do shoulder fore.
He has started jumps and had a tiny taste of cross country. Henry had gotten over his fear of water (mostly!) and been trail riding a heap. He loves going bush! Henry has had lessons and has been to several clinics.
Henry's list of firsts this past year has grown and grown, from his first set of steel shoes, to his first competition, first jump, first lesson. We have packed a lot in the last year and it has been so fun watching him grow and learn.
Overall Henry has been an amazing OTTB. He has been very relaxed about most things and tries so hard to be a good boy. The changes I have seen in him have been vast.
When I got him, he had been off the track about 5 weeks and had very little education. He was still in race condition and had no idea how to be a horse.
Gradually, he has discovered how to relax, how to graze, and how to play. Coolie has taught him when he has over stepped the mark, there will be consequences. He has learnt how to negotiate hills and corners at all paces with and without a rider.
His digestive system took months to start to process food normally. When he first came his poo looked like what he was eating. Now it looks like poo!
Henry knows what treats are now and will have a go at eating whatever I offer him. He comes right up to me in the paddock to say hi, or to help out with what we are doing. Sometimes he tries to play with me but I put an end to that pretty quick!
Riding wise he is still quite green, but he can walk, trot and canter in a frame. He accepts the contact and is reasonable consistent into the contact. He has moments of self carriage. He can bend and counter bend, leg yield, and do shoulder fore.
He has started jumps and had a tiny taste of cross country. Henry had gotten over his fear of water (mostly!) and been trail riding a heap. He loves going bush! Henry has had lessons and has been to several clinics.
Henry's list of firsts this past year has grown and grown, from his first set of steel shoes, to his first competition, first jump, first lesson. We have packed a lot in the last year and it has been so fun watching him grow and learn.
Overall Henry has been an amazing OTTB. He has been very relaxed about most things and tries so hard to be a good boy. The changes I have seen in him have been vast.
Comments
Post a Comment