The Not-So-Secret Diary of Diva the Shetland Pony - Floof!
18/04/2024Diva (Melland Queen of Scots) usually gets her summer coat quite early compared to other horses and ponies, but this year she has been holding onto hers for a lot longer.
I am finding it hard to believe we are a quarter of the way through 2023 already, it feels like time has flown by, equally on reflection, I don't even know where to start with the small steps towards big goals!
Django hasn't been off the yard since last year, but this year he has been a bit broken, accepted and saddled and is fully ready to start long reining, in preparation to breaking this year. Since he was six months old, he has been well handled, been taught a lot of groundwork and join up, and has been going to in-hand shows three to four times a year. This solid foundation has meant any new scenarios he has encountered he has taken in his stride. Hopefully a few months of long reining will be the final piece of the puzzle before ridden work starts.
Mister (the new one!) has just been a unicorn of a horse! After a dramatic start to life here with near death colic, he has yet to put a foot wrong and sometimes it is easy to forget he is an ex-racehorse and not a seaside donkey. I have taken him to his first ever cross-country training, show jump training and a few dressage tests. In this time, I haven't had a spook, a refusal, or an ounce of over excitement, just a forward and truly wonderful nature. We even attended our first showing show and I really did think being in an arena with lots of other horses cantering around may awaken the racehorse, but still no. I was able to ride him on the buckle end though!
Ben has had a wonderful 2023. He has qualified for the RoR championships in April, BD associate RoR championships in October and just needs one more test to qualify for the BD Area Festivals, all at Novice level! Not bad for a 19-year-old, who raced 164 times! In fact, I'd say pretty impressive!
If these horses carry on like this, I am going to have to dream bigger with ambitions and goals for all of them! But as we all know, it is horses, so I shall refrain from holding my breath, especially while I also don't owe any vet bills, because if it seems too good to be true. Equally I shall appreciate every moment of having three horses all on fighting fit form and on track with 2023 aims!
