Update.....

So, after the disasterous ride I was really sore. My back was twinging, I had a really sore chest, sore wrists and generally muscle sore all over. I was ready to give the whole 'young horse thing' up. After a few days and having a chat with alot of friends, and Diesel I felt a bit differently.

Diesel has gone back to Weiti to finish being broken in. I spoke to Alice there the day after I came off and she basically said that he had only been ridden for that first week as the second week there he had been sick so to get him back there. He was taken over in his new Apex float I picked up last month and he travelled beautifully in it so was very pleased with that.

I got a text on Day 2 saying 'Morning, Diesel was cool this morn, rode him down to the arena by himself and worked him there, very lazy!! But no dramas.'

Day 4 text update was 'Yr pony had a bit of a smacked bum today! he didnt like it but hes a changed man! Cantered around and around :-) We're away laughing now Keri'

I went and watched Alice ride him in the arena yesterday (4th March). She rode him down the road to the arena by himself and he was definitely looking around alot but didnt do anything wrong atall. She walked, trotted and cantered him around the arena and he was aewsome. Very lazy and took alot of work from Alice to get him going (which to be honest I really really liked).

So I then had a really good think about what I wanted for me and Diesel over the next few months and this is my solution:

Diesel is officially broken in after this weekend but is going to stay there for another week for Alice to hack him out and do some schooling with him. I am going to go up at the end of the week and Alice is going to give me a quick lesson on him.

The next week Alice is away at HOY so I am going to pay for Diesel to graze there still and I will be going up there to ride him in the arena that he is familiar in.

The week after that he is going to stay there still and once again Alice is going to do more schooling and hacking (which gives him the 2 weeks schooling we had planned to do all along after being broken in. Then he will come home!!!!

I am being very realistic about me and Diesel. I am really quite excited about riding him again after seeing Alice ride him the other day. If for any reason I do not feel safe enough riding him or he totally freaks me out I will sell him, I dont see the point in me owning a young green horse if I dont want, or cant pluck up the courage to ride it. Just a waste of money sitting out there waiting for me to get really brave, which in all reality might just happen.

If I find it enjoyable riding him then obviously he will be staying forever (like the original plan). Time will tell, and there is no point in rushing this......