I was on holiday in August 2017 and was doing my daily search online to get my fix of horses when I found myself scrolling down horsemart (like I do everyday) looking at welsh ponies as I missed my first pony Will and was also at the time riding a welsh that I was schooling. I came across a 14.2 Chestnut gelding who was literally a chestnut version of my first pony Will who was bay. After showing my boyfriend I somehow managed to convince him to travel down to see him and that If he was right HE would buy him if I was too school him and we could sell him in around 6 months time. DEAL! I get another pony to ride and only had to pay for any outings and competition I went to.
Ed was being sold from the field, very green after his owner not having the time or experience to deal with him. Even though he was 9 he had only been backed at the age of 6 for the summer and then tuned out. Anyone who knows Welsh's well will know they are quirky and strong willed! We travelled 3 hours in the box ( tempting fate?!) to see him on the lunge. We loved him as soon as we saw him knowing he was so weak and underweight I knew that he has so much more potential! it wasn't until we got him home we realised just how skinny he was.
The work began to feed him up slowly and for a month we only did ground work mainly to get him stronger on the ground before we re-backed him. We soon realised Ed was extremely scared of anything and everything that moved, breathed, stayed still and was none existent. The smallest of things would make him panic and he would loose him marbles about it. HOWEVER he schooled amazing, was never nasty or did anything malicious and after a month or so we found that he jumped and I mean JUMPED!!!!!!! His back legs are the legs that showjumpers dream about and since then I can probably count on my 2 hands the amount of poles he has had down he is super careful.
Before we knew it it was summer (the 6 month turnaround had passed) and Ed was still around and he has come on leaps and bounds, he had actually learnt to trust humans, he had qualified for trailblazers so I used the excuse that wouldn't it be great if he could go and experience the atmosphere of a stay away show as we had been the year before with another of my horses, and that I just knew that he would go round a BE course. He was slowly getting fitter and putting on weight and muscle thanks to the feeds and advice from Keyflow Feeds and a lot of hill work. I now feel like an expert in putting condition on a horse and would recommend Pink Mash, Key Plus and Stay Cool to anyone! Ed turns his nose up at any feed without his unicorn pink mash in, making it a very stressful time with Mike shouting at me when we nearly run out, because his royal highness (Ed) is likely to clearly starve!!
September comes and Ed is still around, he had been placed top 10 in all his showjumping classes at Trailblazers, winning both of his workers at Trailblazers, flew round 3 BE courses, and was just a general all round superstar.
Mike pretended he was fine with selling him but really I don't think he was so we agreed that it would be of benefit if we kept him over the winter as who is buying a horse through winter!!!! I think Mike just wanted to teach him new tricks after teaching him to laugh and say please by lifting his front leg! :'D
Ed has competed British Dressage and British Show jumping and improves every time we go out.
He is now going to stay for the summer of 2019 and we are aiming for more BE's BS and BDs. Also to go to trailblazers again and to just all round gain some miles on the clock for Ed.
Anybody that knows Ed fully knows how far he has come and that you wouldn't even think he is the same horse, he definitely earnt his stay as a not so project pony!! Mike says he is for sale at any time, I don't think so!
Comments