I've had him a week and there have been a few ups and downs. He is definitely going to take a little while to settle as he has only ever lived at one farm although I have only moved him down the road so we will be hacking out in the same places around the beach and the sand dunes. Hoping this doesn't mean he is going to start napping to "go home" to the old farm but so far so good - no napping anyway.
First ride out was a little eventful. Having gone perfectly for most of the ride, despite it not only being his first ride from his new home but his first ride after two months of turnout, he was on his best behaviour and didn't put a foot wrong until ... the other girls decided to jump some logs. I turned him away as I decided not to; I've not really got much experience jumping. Unfortunately, didn't realise exactly what they were doing only to turn him at the wrong moment just as they took off. He bolted after them, I fell on his neck, he jumped in the air and then galloped off and I was left lying on the floor. As if that wasn't bad enough, he gallops off passing his owner out on a trek with loads of customers and half the liveries from that yard too and I had to walk past them all on foot and wait for my friend to retrieve him from the other side of the river where he was rolling tack and all in his old field.
He has also got a little pushy in the stable trying to get out and refused to come in from the field after his second turnout and got quite aggressive. After an hour and a half trying to catch him in a very muddy field, he ended up being left out all night (he didn't mind that as it is what he used to but what he didn't realise is all the other horses come in at night on the new yard and there is no hay in the field unlike his old farm). I was a little worried what he would be like to catch in the morning but he was as quiet as a lamb so hopefully he has learned his lesson.
Second ride out last week was a little nerve wracking but I thought we going to take it quietly until my friends decided to gallop through the dunes and I had no choice but to follow. Didn't feel like it at the time but probably did help my confidence and today I felt brave enough to risk my first solo ride. Didn't go far just down the road and was only out for about 10 minutes in total but felt like quite an achievement doing it completely on our own. Feeling very proud of us both but think I need to enlist a friend on foot or in a car next time if I go a bit further just til I get more confident.
