My ex-race horse

by Kieran

Hello, it is Kieran again I have published before.... Well this is a bit about how I built Millie's trust!

It was on a Monday when I was told I was getting her and that she would be coming on Friday. Excited as I was I went out bought her everything she needed. I couldn't wait to see her as I was at school when my Mum and Dad went to look at her.

On the Friday she came I was like OMG she is beautiful! Then we unloaded her out of the box and brought her into the stable. She had a lot of energy and was quite head shy. So if you were leading her the best thing to do was give her a bit of slack rope so I was not pulling on her head. When I first showed her the tack she was probably thinking not that again because she might of thought she had to race. I showed her and told her it's okay and she was a bit jumpy at first then I just lunged her with the tack on.

Mean while a few days later I tried riding her she was like what do I do? So I jumped of and just decided to break her in again. And I did this by simple ground work: showing her the tack, lunging her which would get her used to my voice,long reining her and she was good at long reining in the paddock. I began to do it round the yard and out on bridle paths this would get her use to her bridle and reins, then I did join up and she would follow me. After all this I began to get her used to me mounting on and of her, that led to me being able to lean over her, then to ride her. It has taken me a year to get her this way but it was fun watching her learn!!

She is now three and is a totally different horse!!

Thank you