Lilys progress :)

Lily is a 15.2hh saddlebred appaloosa mare, 9 years old.

She's apparently an ex showjumper, but I find that hard to believe.
She's has two foals with her previous owner, and has since only been ridden about once a month (if that)
By her current owner due to work commitments. This is where I come in - lily is currently for sale,
And her owner has asked me to ride her & get her into shape and basically help myself to her until she is sold...

Getting her into shape is going to be some task, as she is rather fat and many people have actually asked if she is in foal.
LOL poor girl. I've been riding her for two weeks now, ridden her about 6 times.

The first ride...well...it wasnt really much of a ride.
I got on her at the mounting block, she started backing up & attempting to rear straight away, then when I tried to get her out of the gate to get her into the riding paddock she reared. High. I lunged her, then got back on her but only managed to walk her once around the paddock, whilst shaking like a leaf, before bursting into tears and getting off her because I was so scared of her.

First of all I figured it was just her, being out of work for a while & just throwing a temper tantrum. I checked all her tack, asked her owner when her teeth were last done etc. her owner then explained she doesnt respond to hands, only to seat & voice aids. Which explained the rearing, im a heavy handed rider since I usually ride strong horses.

Next day I took her into the lunging paddock & just done some ground work etc, gaining her trust. It seemed to go well, she seemed alot more relaxed around me.

I stuck to doing the same for the next couple of days, then I tacked her up, took her to the paddock, lunged her & got on her. At first all I could do was sit on her, before getting off out of fear. But I forced myself to get back on, and I walked her around & slowly got my confidence back with her. I just stuck to walk and trot work for the next few days, and I've completely figured out how to ride her now and realised she's actually a very sweet mare :)

I've since had a couple of (very unbalanced) canters on her, and taken her for a short ride around the country roads.

Heres the two pictures of our first "ride" if you can actually class it as a ride.
And some of me lunging her and taking her for a walk around the roads and just a couple to check her weight. I don't think she's lost alot yet, but she has definitely lost some. Hard to tell from the photos though.. first one is before I started riding her, and the next from a couple of days ago.

I'll keep everyone updated on rides & pictures to check how her weight is looking & how we're getting along.

I remember you first post about your first ride on her. I'm so happy for you that you were able to work it out and that you both are having good rides :)

Her coloring is really, really cool too!

haha thank you, I am too :)
& yeah I love her colour, she actually only has two spots on her whole body, one on her bum & the under her belly on the left side :P I have a feeling she'll have more spots when her summer coat comes through though, I can kinda see a couple of faded ones under the fuzz lol

Yeah, the coolest part is when they change color!

I don't have an appy personally but I know a couple and with one, from each summer to the next, he is a different color!

ive yet to wittness this magical changing colour horse :P I can't wait until the summer though.. I just hope she hasnt been sold by then. </3

that's the problem, I get asked to look after these horses, I get attached, then they get sold >.<

I have that too. Its hard. You get attached when your part of a breakthrough, but the part for me that I get attached to the most is each individual personality and discovering it. No two horses are the same!

completely agree.
I seemed to get attached most to the horses that are seriously messed up though. Im certain lily used to be abused, she is REALLY head shy, and when you ride her, she listens to voice commands such as clicking your tongue to make her move, but she actually jumps when you click your tongue, like she's scared you're going to do something if she doesnt move :S
She seems to be a very nervous horse just generally aswell, constantly turning her head and keeping an eye on everything around her, even while you're riding her she's constantly looking around like she can't relax. Poor girl.

Rode lily today in the paddock, lunged her before I got on because she seemed to be a little excitable today. She behaved though :) every time I asked her to trot she squealed, arched her neck and jumped into it lol silly horse. Rode her round the roads for a little while after too :)

Some pictures from today:

Bumpppp.

Had some major problems with Lily today. Two people came to view her to buy, but she was being a total butthead. The first lady came in the morning, I got on as usual, took her to the paddock & warmed her up, as soon as I asked her to trot she stuck her head down and threw it around. I said to her owner she's not happy with something, I tried to ask for trot again & she stuck her head between her knees and started bucking. Figured out her saddle doesnt fit her anymore, as she's lost quite a bit of weight. The lady said she would come back in a couple of weeks and see how she is then. Me and her owner went and got another saddle from her house, which seemed to fit her. Got on her and trotted her up and down the road, no problems she seemed fine. Waited for the next lady to come, I held lily outside the barn while the woman and her husband checked her legs, picked up her feet etc. lily was kicking up a fuss, fidgeting and doing silly little rears about a foot off the ground. Ignored her and still got on, she reared when I was on her. The woman had a saddle in her car, we tried that on her. Checked it over and it seemed to fit her really well, got back on but she was still being a pain, backing up and trying to rear. The woman decided she had seen enough, she didnt want her and went home... as soon as the woman had left, and I took her back into the barn she completely calmed down... I swear this horse knows she's going to be sold, and doesnt want it to happen lol