As you may have seen on my last Instagram post here or on my last blog post (which you can find here) I’ve just started loaning Ghillie- an oversized yellow sun highland. I haven’t actually managed to spend too much time with him yet because the week he arrived he had to quarantine in a paddock since he was coming from another yard (safety first!), and then I’ve been on holiday this last week.
So, today was the first chance I’ve had to spend a bit of time with him and to get to know him. I woke up this morning at 7:30AM and couldn’t stop thinking about our ride. To my surprise, I was excited, not nervous in the slightest. It used to be that when I rode new horses I would feel so nervous. Recently though all I’ve felt is pure excitement and enjoyment.
I hacked Bo first with my mum which was nice- I enjoy a relaxing hack and Bo seemed to be quite glad to get back out. He has also not been ridden in two weeks because he had to quarantine with Ghillie.
Then, I went down to get Ghillie to bring him in. At first, he was a little reluctant to leave all his new friends but he came round quickly and toodled in happily. He then got a good brush down and it was straight to the school.
He was nervous going into the new environment and shouted to his friends frequently as we rode round. Despite GG’s screams for help, he did listen well for the most part and I found he was really responsive. It’s clear he has had a good education and he remembers, but he does lack a bit of concentration at times. When he is listening, all it takes is a small shift in your weight to turn him and a breath in to stop.
It was just a short session to help him settle today and I plan to do the same thing tomorrow. I’m hoping after a few times he will feel a little more relaxed in his new environment.
Overall, a successful first session with GG.
Happy Horsing!
BBequines 