Equine Transformation - WH Jedda

This story is from Horse Deals July 2019 magazine.

WH Jedda and Eliza Wassell.

Our Equine Transformation series shows what a little bit of hard work, persistence, determination and vision can achieve...

Tell us about Jedda.
His show name is WH Jedda, hopefully to be named Bulla’s Edge once registered. He is a 6 year old, 16.1hh gelding by Racer’s Edge, out of Centaine Miss.

When was Jedda rescued and what was his condition?
Jedda was rescued as a part of the RSPCA Bulla case back in 2016. He was emaciated with a body score of zero.

Did he have any health issues as a result?
There were many complications that came as a result of being severely underweight and not properly cared for during his developing years. Jedda was also extremely toed-out, however this has improved over time with proper shoeing and regular trims. I’m unsure if he was just born that way or if it was caused by malnutrition and not getting his feet trimmed often enough when he was younger.

Once in ridden work he presented with soreness, the cause of which the chiropractor discovered to be three cervical vertebrae being “out” and he also showed signs of a traumatic event at some stage. We can’t be certain if this occurred before or after taking him in, however we suspect it could have been caused by a fall in the paddock post-rescue as he loves to play with his paddock mate Keanu. This issue caused lameness for two months followed by six months rehab. He has since been sound.

How long was the rehabilitation process and what were the organisations involved?
After being rescued Jedda went straight to Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary and was there for four months before coming to the Winged Horse Equine Welfare to finish his rehabilitation for the next few months. He then just chilled out in the paddock for a few more months before commencing ridden work. I can’t thank these organisations enough for the massive role they played in Jedda’s recovery. Without them Jedda and I would not be the team we are today, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

How did you feel the first time you laid eyes on Jedda?
In all honesty at first impression I didn’t think a lot of him. He looked quite scrawny and he was still young and developing. His tail was eaten off by the other horses and his leg conformation was far from perfect. My experience with Jedda has definitely taught me not to judge a book by its cover though!

When did you decide he was the horse for you?
After being in and out of work during 2017 I decided to send him Simon Tainsh at Kia Ora Performance Horses to give him a better education and to see if he would be able to be an event horse. After five weeks he came back a completely different horse and I adopted him the day after he came back.

Had Jedda been backed before his rehabilitation?
We believe he was backed and had done very minimal work undersaddle, but we will never really know for sure as I have never been told what was done with him before his rehabilitation. I did a bit of ground work with him and some undersaddle basics before sending him off for further training at Simon’s.

When was your first ride and what was he like?
My first ride was in April 2017, exactly a year after the rescue case. I had a friend who was more experienced ride him first a couple of times before riding him myself. He was very well behaved but also very basic, as he was still getting used to the leg aids, steering and going forwards at that stage.

How did he respond to each new step in his training?
He often needed his time to process new things during training and still does, but once he’s got the hang of something he doesn’t forget it.

What was his first outing and how did he cope? His first outing was a pony club rally and it was such a breeze you would have thought he’d done it a million times. No matter where I take him he never puts a foot wrong and is just so chilled out!

What is Jedda up to today?
He is currently eventing in EvA80 and just had his first go at Prelim dressage. He loves going to the beach and enjoys the occasional trail ride too.

How would you best describe his personality?
The best! He never fails to make me laugh. He’s always picking up brushes, buckets, whips, etc. and throwing them on the ground. His favourite trick is to pick up water buckets at competitions and empty them right after they have been filled, which isn’t fun for me. He can be cheeky at times, but that’s what makes him such a loveable horse.

What’s been the biggest challenge with Jedda?
Definitely him being so green. Prior to taking him on I had never ridden a horse as young and as uneducated as him. He was very spooky and enjoyed a buck, which tested my confidence a lot at the start. It was also quite hard getting him through the lameness issues. I was told during his rehab that he would probably never be able to jump again which was very disheartening, but we persevered and there’s no stopping us now!

What are his strengths?
He is so brave and honest on cross country, which gives me lots of confidence. He is just always so relaxed, which makes dressage a lot easier and lets him show off his beautiful trot. He’s just an all around cruisy horse that I can do anything with.

What was the key to his transformation?
Just giving him the time he needed. I had his first event planned, but it was a year and a half before he actually made it to an eventing competition.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to take on a rescue?
Don’t give up and don’t be afraid to ask for help! There were so many times during the journey that I thought it was all too hard and it was never going to get better, but I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

What are your goals with Jedda going forward?
Just to enjoy each other and have fun! I’d love to climb the grades in eventing with him and we are hoping for our first 95 start at the end of the year. He has the talent to go further, but I need to get braver, so we will see how we go.

Would you do it all again?
Yes 100%. It wasn’t an easy journey but it was definitely a worthwhile one!

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