At the beginning of 2015 I decided that I wanted to look into getting a 2nd horse, It wasnt something I wanted to rush into and I had some specific requirements for what I ideally would have liked in a 2nd horse, I had visions of me arriving back to the yard with a big 16hh+, chestnut, dressage horse with 4 perfect white socks in tow....
On the 16th September I met Matilda, then named Snippet, a 14hh, mud encrusted, dark bay Mare with unknown breeding and just one adorable white sock on her back left leg. She was 4 years old, soon to be 5 at the end of September and unbacked. She lived in a little paddock with the most lovely family and their 4 other horses, she was rescued by them and served as a companion pony to the others, so had little groundwork and education. That day I spent some time grooming her, walked her in-hand up the road and watched her float around the field with that ground-eating trot she always does.
I put a deposit down soon after and tried to visit as much as possible before she came home.
On the 5th November 2015,my little muddy, sweaty, teriffied, 14hh, dark bay mare with that one adorable white sock stepped off the lorry, my little love, Matilda, arrived home.
Its now the 17th January 2016 and looking back at photos of that little pony that first arrived, she's almost unrecognizable, now only in her weight and muscle gain but in all those little firsts we had too, first time being tied up on the yard, first time in the stable, first time being lunged, first time being free lunged (I could watch her trot all day!!) first time being long-reined, first time wearing a saddle and bridle, first time leaning over her. I can't wait for all the firsts we still have to come. Matilda is possibly the sweetest baby I have ever worked with, she genuinely has not had a single naughty moment since her arrival, which is more than I can say for her big sister, cough, Elsie, cough.
I am so incredibly happy with her progress so far and I hope you will enjoy following my journey with this special little pony.
