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.
It’s here, 2024, with a rising four-year-old on my hands, ready to be ridden away! I have patiently waited three and a half years for this!
I lightly backed Django last year (best moment ever), but sadly only at the end of the year due to him not being physically ready. So I only got as far as sitting on him, doing lots of walking and a couple of light jogs before turning him away for winter and allowing him time to develop.
Frustratingly, with what feels like rain since before the dawn of time, I have been unable to finish my arena. With my total lack of knowledge of breaking a horse Western, no facilities and very little help around, as I keep the horses at home, it made sense for me to start looking for schooling livery.
Django is now booked in for four to six weeks, where I will be visiting every weekend, so I can be a major part of his schooling, learn the very basics with him, bring him home and continue his education. I will also keep having lessons on schoolmasters in the meantime to keep learning as much as I can about this discipline. I will spend the next two weeks getting Django long reining in his tack, and lightly sat on, so he is ready to go.
I have to admit, despite knowing he is going to a very experienced yard, and I will be visiting every week, this will be the longest I have been away from him and it definitely feels a little odd. But I also know that it is OK to ask for help sometimes, to give myself and Django the best possible ridden start together.
