Quick update......

Diesel is being an absolute star.

Alyssa is the perfect rider for my young man. She has a lovely gentle way about her and he really responds well to the way she works him. She doesnt have really short reins and jam him up, she lets him relax into himself and he is really driving through from his hind quarters. They are doing some lovely lovely work in the paddock and I just know it was the right thing to do getting her to ride him.

In fact it is going so well that Diesel and Alyssa went to their first show the other week. It was only the Silverdale Funday but it was a great start.

Diesel got off the float, had a little wander around and was then saddled up and away they went. He did all the flat classes in the morning and got 2 ribbons and a bag of carrots. In the afternoon was the jumping (which they have not done any together before) and he refused a couple of times and instead of pushing and pushing Alyssa retired out of the ring, but took him over to the practise jump to get him over just one and then we left him at the float for 30 minutes to just chill out before taking him home. I was so pleased with his behaviour, he was a total star in my eyes and I look forward to the day it is me doing it with him, but in the meantime Alyssa is absolutely PERFECT for him.

As for Leah and the jumping, Diesel had one lesson and did really really well. It ended up that Leah is aspiring to the Special Olympics and was looking at Diesel as a potential back up horse, but after looking into it more I decided that I dont really want Diesel going overseas and that with me owning him it was just going to get too tricky so pulled the plug on it.

Anyway, better go but will upload some new photos of the boy at his first show, and jumping lesson over the next week when I get some more time.

I AM SO GLAD THAT I HAVNT SOLD MY MAN!!!!!!!

Exciting times ahead for my boy.....

So, I thought it was time to update the young mans blog as its been a wee while.

Diesel now has not one, but two lovely riders. I was put onto a lovely lady called Alyssa who was looking for a horse to ride. She came and tried him the other week and they seemed to get on well so she has taken over that side of it. She rides him very nicely, has a nice and relaxed way about her and he is really starting to do some lovely flatwork. His transitions are coming along well too so I am uber pleased with what she has done with him so far.

The other rider for him is my dear friend Leah. Leah called me and asked me if she could teach Diesel how to jump......so of course I said a big YES to that.

He had his first jump lesson this week and he was an absolute star. It was his first time in an arena with jumps everywhere and he was so good. We floated him all the way over to South Auckland with Chevy and he unloaded, had a good look around and was genuinly interested in being somewhere new without being an idiot.

He was ridden by Leah first and he went in, had a couple of spooks and that was about it. He was first put through trotting pole set-ups to get him straight and then went onto little x-poles. He jumped about 60cms and seemed to really enjoy himself. I was watching my young man with awe as he just looked superb.

He is going to be a busy little man this summer so I am taking a backwards swep and letting Alyssa and Leah do their thing with him.....

I am SO SO SO glad I didnt sell him, and with this mileage one day me and him are going to be AWESOME!!!!

New decision.....

So, after all this too-ing and fro-ing I have come to the conclusion that I just CANT sell my boy. I have been doing more with him over the last week or so and have had a blast with him. I think he is just really bored. Soooooooo.......

I am going to either keep him here and just find someone who wants to ride and look after a young horse or will find someone to lease him for a year and go from there.

I just think that once I get my confidence back, and Diesel gets a bit more mileage we will be perfect for one another....and I dont want to give up after 4 years!

I am sure there is someone out there that will be willing to put the time and mileage into him, he is a nice horse and I would love to be able to offer the oportunity to someone who would otherwise not be able to afford a horse like him....

But the person is going to have to be perfect lol...now just need to put my feelers out to find them.

Why am I dithering?????

Gawd, I am really struggling with my decisions about Diesel at the moment.

He hasnt been up to Weiti much as the first he had a small abcess and was just a bit off so didnt want him worked.....and since then the weather Gods have been miserable and it has not stopped raining.

So he was supposed to go up again today but Weiti Station have had their arena redone and it was being levelled off so again had to postone....but as the float was already hitched to my car I thought I would just do a bit of float training with the boy.

I was nervous but had no reason to be atall. Once again he was a gem and we ust had some really lovely moments together. Sounds terribly soppy but it was actually quite touching seeing him really put his trust in me and me in him. Something clicked again today with us and I just dont know if I am ready to give up totally on a horse that I have owned for 4 years just because we are at different stages of our riding.

I think if I had continued riding when I first got him it would be a different story but I didnt, I have not ridden properly for these 4 years so I need to get back into it again.

A few weeks ago I rode Anna's percheron x, Cruise in the forest and didnt have a care in the world....and then the next week I rode a clyde x mare called Breeze and again had a blast with no worries atall. In fact Breeze was available to lease and as I need something to get me back into riding I have got her here and to be honest it is wonderful, if I want to go anywhere I just load her on the float and away we go...and I dont worry!

So, my concern with selling Diesel is what IF he is my perfect horse, but just not yet....what IF i make a really big mistake selling him....what IF i lease him out for a couple of years to someone while I have fun with Breeze and get my confidence back up there...so many questions with only me to answer them!??!?!?!?!

It really is doing my head in, one day I know its right to sell him, and then after a day like today all I want to do it keep him. I really do love the fella and will miss him terribly....arrrggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess time will tell.

First ride....

Took Diesel up to Alice at Weiti Station today to be brought back into work. He was a legend. Loaded fine, travelled and unloaded great and was pretty chilled out at the yards with the other horses.

He was straight away tacked up and Alice got on and rode him to down to the arena. Once there he was fantastic. Alice didnt waste any time, just straight into some work.

Walk. trot and canter on both leads, no worries atall. If anything he was a little lazy so I think Alice is going to to put some spurs on to get him moving.

We are going back again on Thursday and she is going to take him to a grass area they are currently riding on to really get him to kick up a gear....hopefully when there she can pop him over a jump too!

She did say he was a tad overweight, but not sure how to slim him down as he in not on any hay or hardfeed, and the grass is just normal.....little fat babba.

Very exciting seeing him worked and cant wait until Thursday.....

A couple of pics of todays session.....

The decision is made!

Wow, what a week. Not even sure how this big decision came about but it did, and I've decided and I guess thats that. :o(

What is my big decision......I am going to sell Diesel. I know I have talked about it time and time again and it never eventuates but this time it is different.

I have just finally realised that having a young horse is not beneficial for either myself or the horse involved. A young green horse is not what I should be riding, and not what I should be trying to teach.

I know that I cant train Diesel properly and all I seem to end up doing is NOTHING, its easier to just handle him and potter around that actually get on and wonder if we are doing it right.

He has never done anything wrong when he is being ridden, he does everything I would expect a young horse to do when it is learning but for me I dont feel confident when he does the young horse things. I am not cut out for taking him to the beach for the first time, or the forest, or a show and although I am not admitting defeat I am admitting that it is now too much for me.

I need a horse that I can drag out of the paddock once a week and be able to ride it anywhere without worrying, I want a horse that I can go and jump an 80cm course on without having to train it to jump first and I want a horse I can go around a x-country course on and enjoy myself.

Basically I want an older horse that has done everything and wants a slower pace in life.

I have enjoyed raising Diesel so much, I have learned heaps and so has he but I know its time to hand the reins over to someone else now for them to get him out there and doing more than I can.

So, whats my plan??????

For the next few weeks I am taking him up to Weiti Station for Alice to bring him back into work, but as they are only 5 minutes away he will continue living here with me which is great.

Then in a couple of week he will be put on Trade Me by Alice and I will continue to take him up there so he is kept in work and then if anyone wants to see him I just again take him there. Win win situation for me as it means I still get to spend time with him before he is sold......and then I will look for another horse that is more suitable for my Nanna-self!!!!!

I am going to miss Diesel so much when he is gone, and I just really hope that whoever buys him will allow me to keep in touch and be updated on his progress.

Latest update.....

Soooooo, I have decided that I am definitely not a motivated person during the winter months, just want to sit of my ass and watch the time go by!!!! Its not the cold that I mind, just the miserable wet rain that just keeps relentlessly coming and coming, am over it!

Poor old Diesel is getting hardly any attention atall, he is lucky if he gets out of the paddock once a week for a feed and brush, that is how unmotivated I am, although I am sure that he doesnt mind one bit.

Today I had the farrier out and it was blowing an absolute gale.....the wind was so cold my face was hurting and thank god I had a beanie on as I think my ears would have been blown clean off my head otherwise!

I thought that given the lack of handling, combined with the blardy awful weather, that Diesel would have been an absolute toad....how wrong I was. I think he was just so darn happy to see me and know he was going to get some attention that he would have done anything for me. His behaviour was impeccable, a true gentleman in all ways and I am stoked with him. Had lovely cuddles and just a in general a nice chill out together.

Now for my big news, well for me anyway, on 01 - 03 October I have booked me and Diesel if to attend a Steve Brady Clinic held near Woodhill Sands. Anna has told me heaps about them and that she really thinks that we will benefit from attending so instead of me doing the usual 'yeah yeah, will look into it' I have gone 'Yep, lets do this!'. Have put deposit down to hold my spot and am a little excited about doing this. I just feel that if me and Diesel keep going the way we are that I will never really get back into the sport and will end up selling him so this is my way of saying, 'lets move forward and start an enjoyable time together'......