A heart-warming story of love
and patience
A personal experience of a Stabletalk reader

I'm 14 and after years of waiting I was finally aloud a horse. The search began and I finally heard about a 14.2hh Welsh Sec D. Not quite what I was looking for, I was aiming more for a 16hh Irish Thoroughbred type but I wasn't going to be fussy and Welsh had always been my favourite breed. It was just size that worried me but I was reassured that he was a big chap. I went after school a couple of days later to just see him. From what I'd heard about him I was expecting a gorgeous perfectly immaculate Welsh. Instead I found a sad little pony that looked like it had spent many a winter in a muddy field. He wasn't particularly pretty and he was a lot smaller than I thought, but there was just something. I think that it was more that I felt so sorry for him. I had never seen such a sad looking pony. He was very withdrawn and looked very depressed. He had a lovely conformation and was the right build for a great little jumper which is just what I wanted. He didn't have shoes and his feet weren't in very good condition but that was only because they hadn't been seen to. I came the next weekend to try him. I knew even before I'd tried him that I was going to have him. I couldn't leave him there. As soon as I sat on him I knew I was in for trouble. He was very on the for hand and totally oblivious to me even being there. He totally ignored the hands and leg but I knew he didn't mean bad he just didn't have a clue what I meant. I hacked him out and he looked at everything and spooked numerous times and then spooked and galloped up the road with me. Most normal people would of run a mile but I had big plans for this little, sad hairy pony. He was mine and was delivered to my yard about 3 weeks later. It was obvious he'd had no real handling because he was the most gentle honest beast I'd ever known but he just didn't have a clue of how to communicate with me. I spent the whole day just sat in his stable and grooming him but he didn't even look at me. I rode him the next day as I thought it would be best because he couldn't go out because of his worming plan and I thought it would be better to ride him before he got too fresh. It was a total disaster. From the second I got on him. He couldn't walk in a line and anything even slightly resembling a circle was a joke. He was like a bomb ready to explode at any second, he bucked, spooked and reared and then he did all three at the same time. I had never in my whole life ridden anything with such power. But from the terror in his eyes it was like he had a fear of being ridden. I got off after about 10 minutes I think. I was just so shaken up I felt sick and was shaking uncontrollably. For the next week I just lunged him and tried to school him like that. It wasn't very successful either. He would just freak out and gallop round in circles. At the end of the week I finally gathered up the courage to ride him in my lesson. I was really worried about riding him. Never had a horse scare me as much as he did. About 10 minutes into the lesson he did one of his handstand bucks and sent me flying towards the floor. This really did it. However much I tried I just couldn't get on him. I wanted to but when I came to, my body would just not do it. The lady who owned the yard was amazing with horses and together herself and my mum slowly got him to be rideable. It was about two months before I got on him again. I couldn't believe it was the same pony. By the end of the lesson I had cantered him happily and was 95% confident on him. I owe everything to my mum and the yard owner and nothing will be able to say thankyou enough for what they have done. I have now had him nearly 5 months. He's at a new livery yard that is just down the road from me. We now love jumping and he's an amazing jumper, galloping and hacking. He is no longer the sad hairy pony but instead a gorgeous welsh. Everybody who sees him always says how beautiful he is. He also has a totally different character now. He's happy and laid back and VERY cheeky, he's no longer depressed and spooky. He's my best friend, I love him more than anything and I'd never sell him. I just glad that nobody would let me give up on him because I just couldn't imagine my life without him.