# ugly ducklings? lets see your before and after pics!



## diggerbez (13 February 2012)

i was just browsing through some old photos and i found V's baby photos from when i bought him- can't believe how much he has changed! i have a video of him somewhere from when i went to see him....must try and find it as would probably be very interesting 3 years down the line! 

as a rising 4 year old:






Last season as a 6 year old:













did anyone else buy an ugly duckling that has turned out ok?! 

(sorry if the pics are huge- no idea how to resize!)


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## Emma S (13 February 2012)

Your boy looks fab 

This was my little brat at 18months, still not sure why I bought him 







And this is how he turned out as a 5yo


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## Jackson (13 February 2012)

Both your horses are stunning  I would personally say that they were before too 

Jack.. well, looked like an obese dinosaur when he came to us.






Then he turned in to.. a slightly less obese dinosaur


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## diggerbez (13 February 2012)

emma...i don't believe that is the same pony! he looks fab!


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## diggerbez (13 February 2012)

jackson...is your horse HUGE or are you tiny?


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## vicky86 (13 February 2012)

Great thread, love seeing how they transform. Diggerbez your horse is beautiful. Emma s that jump is huge you would not have believed the pony in the first photo would have that in him 

This is Zak at rising 4  - I would say he would have been classed as a very ugly wild looking duckling. 







After a few years work he did however make it to swan (well he did in my eyes he has been a fabulous horse to me and is now 16 and will never go anywhere 














Eta - sorry for lack of hat, it is actually was a very rare occasion when I don't wear it.


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## Jackson (13 February 2012)

diggerbez said:



			jackson...is your horse HUGE or are you tiny? 

Click to expand...

It's an optical illusion! I'm 5ft 9 

ETA Zak is stunning.


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## kirstyhen (13 February 2012)

Before as a rather scruffy, green 7 year old...







After and a far more polished 14 year old...













And now as a distinguished old, scruffy gentleman...







   Although I think he is rather handsome in all his forms 

Mally's is far less dramatic as she has always been a swan!

Before as a 4.5 year old...













And now as a proper growed up 5.5 year old (officially 6 I guess!)...


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## Emma S (13 February 2012)

vicky86 said:



			Great thread, love seeing how they transform. Diggerbez your horse is beautiful. Emma s that jump is huge you would not have believed the pony in the first photo would have that in him 

Click to expand...

Thanks that fence is 1.20mx1.20m and my little chap only ever made 11.3hh  but he was a rig so i think that made him really gutsy! 

Your chap is a real stunner


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## Jackson (13 February 2012)

Oh, Kirstyhen, can your old gentleman come and live with me, pleeease?


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## kirstyhen (13 February 2012)

Jackson said:



			Oh, Kirstyhen, can your old gentleman come and live with me, pleeease? 

Click to expand...

He has far too much fun beating the young foals into shape here  Oh and hacking out with Mally, winding her up by jumping at nothing, then bogging off across a field with my novice Dad  Someone has regressed to say the very least


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## flashmans (13 February 2012)

I think my girl was definitely an ugly duckling! Two years old in this one.






Looking better now - minus the crazy mane!  Four in this one!


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## Dexter (14 February 2012)

I promise this is the same horse although it doesnt look like it!

Dexter the day he arrived:
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/34173_405613238666_606503666_4542099_4203881_n.jpg

Dexter a couple of months ago:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...42373873667_606503666_8815258_743293374_n.jpg


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## amyneave (14 February 2012)

Dexter said:



			I promise this is the same horse although it doesnt look like it!

Dexter the day he arrived:
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/34173_405613238666_606503666_4542099_4203881_n.jpg

Dexter a couple of months ago:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...42373873667_606503666_8815258_743293374_n.jpg

Click to expand...

Gosh !!!! He looks so different


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## trickivicki (14 February 2012)

Peej when we went to try him-






Peej last summer-






Plain and Simple (not boring brown I keep telling myself!!)


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## Sol (14 February 2012)

Nearly 5yr old Dante:





Nearly 7yr old Dante:


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## Lisamd (14 February 2012)

Borris when I bought him as a 5 yr old - 2010







Now as a 7 yr old













Impy when I bought him as a 4 yr old - 2008







Now as an 8 yr old



















Sorry got a bit carried away....


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## showjump (14 February 2012)

How she came to her prev owner..





As a 3 year old..










As a 5 year old..


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## diggerbez (14 February 2012)

some amazing transformations here folks!  when i bought V i was really unsure how he would turn out as i couldn't see past the scrawny fluffiness! showjump...i would never believe that was the same horse from first to last pic!


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## ArcticFox (14 February 2012)

sorry for pic size

J when I bought him 2 years ago 






last year 

















Little superstar that he is


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## domane (14 February 2012)

Jack arrived a year ago, underweight, sad, dull and labelled as "stubborn"







By the summer, Dr Green and a bit of TLC had changed him somewhat....


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## tigers_eye (14 February 2012)

Some absolutely stunning transformations, particularly impressed with Peej.

Missy, although always a sweetheart, was undoubtedly not the most attractive yearling:






But she turned out pretty in the end, 4 in these pics!













This transformation I was particularly pleased with, a 5yo I produced for someone in the UK for about 6 weeks I think, photos when he arrived and then that we used for selling.













And this 7yo mare, who I bought as a project and sold a few months later (I'm still in touch with her owner, best bit of match-making I ever did)! Betsy the day she arrived and her selling pics:


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## miskettie (14 February 2012)

Lovely thread - some of the changes in the horses are massive!



Here is Ettie when I went to go and see her.  She was four at the time:






(bit like a greyhound )

And ridden:









Then when she was 7:







Ridden:


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## diggerbez (14 February 2012)

its made me think....baby horses really are ugly aren't they


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## Puppy (14 February 2012)

Oh this thread does give me hope about my rising 5 year old....


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## vallin (14 February 2012)

Frenchie as an 8/9yo












Frenchie as a 12yo


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## steph21 (14 February 2012)

Ohhh yes and we still have a way to go!!

Storm when she arrived from Ireland 3 1/2 year old






First Dressage Outing as an almost 4 year old






First baby Jump 






And the most recent as a 5 year old at her first ODE


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## peanut (14 February 2012)

Lovely thread


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## hoorayhenry (14 February 2012)

steph21 said:



			Ohhh yes and we still have a way to go!!

Storm when she arrived from Ireland 3 1/2 year old






First Dressage Outing as an almost 4 year old






First baby Jump 






And the most recent as a 5 year old at her first ODE















Click to expand...

Steph she's gorgeous, biased for a grey http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/icons/icon12.gif

They all changed so much its amasing some very stunning horses


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## Lolo (14 February 2012)

kirstyhen said:



			He has far too much fun beating the young foals into shape here  Oh and hacking out with Mally, winding her up by jumping at nothing, then bogging off across a field with my novice Dad  Someone has regressed to say the very least 

Click to expand...

My old boy did that- progressively got more and more outrageous in his antics. It took me 40 minutes to get him past a (stationery, off) tractor. He'd lived on farms for the past 14 years. Eventually, the farmer got out and helped me drag him past, trying to console me with "These young ones have to learn!". Cheeky was 26...

Don't know if Fregga counts. He's always been a pretty boy in my horrendously biased opinion!












2 years of hard work


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## dollymix (14 February 2012)

Dolly came from an auction (very unplanned and not advisable) as a very scruffy 5 yr old...











This is when she was about 7yrs old - still hairy, but much tidier!






This is when she was about 9yrs old....






This one is one aged about 13, doing some in-hand showing with my friend's daughter - I think she looks much better!


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## squiz22 (14 February 2012)

How do you post pics?


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## Lolo (14 February 2012)

squiz22 said:



			How do you post pics?
		
Click to expand...

Do you have fb? If you do, right click your photo and select 'copy image URL' and the paste it between 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 (no spaces)

If not, upload onto a photobucket account


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## squiz22 (14 February 2012)

Winnie as he arrived as an unbacked 3yo





Winnie as he arrived as an unbacked 3yo





Last summer - just turned 6





Last summer - just turned 6


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## squiz22 (14 February 2012)

Lolo said:



			Do you have fb? If you do, right click your photo and select 'copy image URL' and the paste it between 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 (no spaces)

If not, upload onto a photobucket account 

Click to expand...

Thanks for that.. !


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## kit279 (14 February 2012)

Halling as a weedy 4 year old:-







Halling later on..













Kallie fresh out of racing and standing in a most unattractive manner













Kallie now













Pip when I first bought him







Pip later on


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## charlie76 (14 February 2012)

Meeka when we first got him:
[Content removed]

[Content removed]

Meeka now:

[Content removed]


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## Jesstickle (14 February 2012)

As a gangly four year old














This is the toad now (these are from his six year old year, I don't have any of this year that aren't copyrighted  )


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## JGC (14 February 2012)

What lovely jobs you've all done! 

Here is my mare when I bought her at 11, enjoying the grass a bit too much ...

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/JudyGrandChamp/n1193401376_225345_5545.jpg

And ridden:

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/JudyGrandChamp/n647130393_3128603_1209.jpg

Looking a bit thinner:

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums...540585313249_1193401376_1531787_2371572_n.jpg

And here she is at 15 (yes, I know I'm leaning back, competition nerves, I'm afraid - it's been my task for this winter!):

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums...156696947_1193401376_3052959_1734838334_n.jpg


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## Amymay (14 February 2012)

Kallie really is something to see.  Wow, wow, wow.


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## Ali16 (14 February 2012)

Oooh I want to play!

Morris, aka the Naughty Black One when he was 5yrs at a scry SJ clinic (his head was waaaay to big for his body!):







And last year as a 9yo:








Love him


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## Kat (14 February 2012)

Puppy said:



			Oh this thread does give me hope about my rising 5 year old.... 

Click to expand...

Me too!


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## rara007 (14 February 2012)

Mine is still somewhat leggy at rising 5....


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## Colivet (14 February 2012)

Not exactly the kind of transformation you mean, but this "not in work" 6 yr old got an overnight makeover

Max on Saturday.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?r...222150953812.136151.1248853279&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?r...222150953812.136151.1248853279&type=3&theater


Max on Sunday

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?r...222150953812.136151.1248853279&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?r...222150953812.136151.1248853279&type=3&theater


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## MillbrookSong (14 February 2012)

Well we have a few! And sorry for the size of the pictures

Miranda just after we got her as a just 3 year old







and now as just 4







Buster as a 3 yo just after we got him from Ascot sales







Buster at 4







Buster at 6














Buster now







Zac when we got him at 9







Zac at 10







Zac at 11


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## georgiegirl (14 February 2012)

charlie76 said:



			Meeka when we first got him:












Meeka now:


















Click to expand...

omg what a transformation! what an absolute credit he is to you!


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## kit279 (14 February 2012)

MillbrookSong said:



			Buster as a 3 yo just after we got him from Ascot sales







Buster at 4







Buster at 6














Buster now






Click to expand...

Buster is lovely - what did you end up doing with him?  Does he still event?  He's more and more grey in the photos - which is a good thing where I come from   Lovely little horse!


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## Goldenstar (14 February 2012)

Love this thread .


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## black_horse (14 February 2012)

Delicia as a 3 year old

























Now as a nine year old


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## trendybraincell (14 February 2012)

Shadow, rising 3...somehow this creature stole my heart!







Last summer, 9yrs old


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## Azbo (14 February 2012)

trendybraincell said:



			Shadow, rising 3...somehow this creature stole my heart!







Last summer, 9yrs old






Click to expand...

OMG Shadwick really was a scruffy urchin!


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## monkeybum13 (14 February 2012)

trendybraincell said:



			Shadow, rising 3...somehow this creature stole my heart!






Click to expand...

NO WAY is that Shadwick!!


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## MillbrookSong (14 February 2012)

kit279 - Buster damged his tendon racing so will have this summer off and hopfully will be back eventing 2013 - vet thinks BE90 & 100 will be fine for him to do


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## trendybraincell (14 February 2012)

Oh yes he was quite the scruffy bog monster!! I have a couple other pictures but only this one on the computer.


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## itsonlyme (14 February 2012)

Here's Molly as a 3 year old the day we bought her













And after


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## millitiger (14 February 2012)

Vinnie as the ugliest foal you have ever seen







Vinnie as a 5yro last autumn


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## tigers_eye (14 February 2012)

I was about to say there's no such thing as an ugly foal..... 
But he turned out beautiful!


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## Sharpie (14 February 2012)

This is my boy Cruise when i viewed him in April 2011. He was rising 3 June 2011. Needless to say I bought him!!! 







After A LOT of TLC and hard work he is now still growing, maturing and filling out but has turned into the nicest little horse you could ever hope to own. I hope we continue to build on our fabulous foundations and enjoy a long and successful journey together.

Here he is now aged 3 and a half


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## Festive_Felicitations (15 February 2012)

millitiger said:



			Vinnie as the ugliest foal you have ever seen







Vinnie as a 5yro last autumn






Click to expand...

Millitiger you have no idea how relieved I am to see those pictures! 
I have something similar to the 1st pic sitting in a field at the moment tagged as my 'Future Eventer'. Except I think he is uglier as his coat is still trying to decide if he is going to be ginger, steel grey, black, or roan...


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## millitiger (15 February 2012)

tigers_eye said:



			I was about to say there's no such thing as an ugly foal..... 
But he turned out beautiful!
		
Click to expand...

That photo has convinced MANY people that foals can be extremely ugly  

Goodness only knows why I bought him but he has proved me right and turned out well apart from being 18hh!



Festive_Felicitations said:



			Millitiger you have no idea how relieved I am to see those pictures! 
I have something similar to the 1st pic sitting in a field at the moment tagged as my 'Future Eventer'. Except I think he is uglier as his coat is still trying to decide if he is going to be ginger, steel grey, black, or roan...  

Click to expand...

I have lots more ugly photos of him- he looked even better a month after this when I got him home and he straight away jumped the stable door and gave himself a HUGE hematoma on his stifle!


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## Four Seasons (15 February 2012)

millitiger said:



			Vinnie as the ugliest foal you have ever seen







Vinnie as a 5yro last autumn






Click to expand...

Wow! He was an ugly ducking... what a difference. He looks fab now.


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## millitiger (15 February 2012)

Four Seasons said:



			Wow! He was an ugly ducking... what a difference. He looks fab now.

Click to expand...

He doesn't look so fab now as he is out on his winter holidays and looking distinctly like a hairy camel!

But he is coming back from his holiday home on Sunday and I am really excited about getting him started again 

I went alone to view him and put the deposit down... my mum was rendered speechless by what I had chosen when we went to pick him up a few weeks later- I think she thought I was bonkers!


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## Amaretto (15 February 2012)

Am loving this thread, great idea!

About to attempt to upload some pics - this could get messy!


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## Amaretto (15 February 2012)

Uno January 2009 and March 2009, rising 4.

http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/Amaretto_S/?action=view&current=UnoJanuary2009.jpg

http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/Amaretto_S/?action=view&current=UnoMarch2009.jpg

Hope this works, eek!


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## Amaretto (15 February 2012)

How do you attach a photobucket picture so it shows as a picture and not as a link?  I am not great with this technical stuff, aargh!


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## Sharpie (15 February 2012)

This is my boy Cruise when i viewed him in April 2011. He was rising 3 June 2011. Needless to say I bought him!!! 








After A LOT of TLC and hard work he is now still growing, maturing and filling out but has turned into the nicest little horse you could ever hope to own. I hope we continue to build on our fabulous foundations and enjoy a long and successful journey together.

Here he is now rising 4


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## Laura_Grey (15 February 2012)

C when I had him.







Now


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## Baydale (15 February 2012)

diggerbez said:



			its made me think....baby horses really are ugly aren't they 

Click to expand...

Yes they are.  Here's Wallace at a day old:







Thankfully he got better looking a few months later:







Princess Gertie has always thought she is beautiful:







even when there is evidence to the contrary...


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## diggerbez (15 February 2012)

OMG....milltiger and baydale....they really were ducklings weren't they????  but Wallace is supercute now and Vinnie is a real stunner.... 

Amaretto...its something to do with IMG codes but i don't use photobucket so probably not much help!


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## GinaGem (16 February 2012)

I thought Prince was really ugly when i first saw pics of him but i totally fell in love with him in person.  This was when i first bought him:







and last year:







He always has his ears flopped back which never makes for a great picture!


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## Amaretto (16 February 2012)

diggerbez said:



			OMG....milltiger and baydale....they really were ducklings weren't they????  but Wallace is supercute now and Vinnie is a real stunner.... 

Amaretto...its something to do with IMG codes but i don't use photobucket so probably not much help!
		
Click to expand...

What do you use?


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## Vetwrap (16 February 2012)

First meeting - (March) rising three:








Four months later:


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## diggerbez (16 February 2012)

Amaretto said:



			What do you use?
		
Click to expand...

i just put them straight on from facebook....or upload them to my profile on here and do it that way....


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## BeckyMason97 (16 February 2012)

I'm new to here, so introducing my gang! Sorry about the huge photos, I have no clue how to resize!

Brandy as a fat 18yr old when I took him on part loan:







Brandy after two years on part loan and nearly retired:







Cally as a rising 3yr old from her advert photo:







Cally after around 6 months with me:







Diamond the first time I ever rode him, yes, he's a huge beast! 18.1hh:







Diamond after a few months on full loan:







Saff with my yard owner before I bought her:







Saff a few weeks after I bought her (Not a very good photo, haven't got any ridden ones yet!):







I can't say they've ever really been ugly ducklings, but they've definitely improved!


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## TuscanBunnyGirl (17 February 2012)

Selvaggia before:











and a year later:


























Bunny at 1 day:





in the house:





At 8 months





recently:






Puzzle at 2 yrs:





and as a 3 year old:





sorry for overload


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## MeganLindsx (17 February 2012)

TuscanBunnyGirl said:



			and as a 3 year old:





sorry for overload
		
Click to expand...

He looks amazing!! I want him!!!!!


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## dressagelove (18 February 2012)

This skinny donkey looked like this:







turned into this swan...


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## Littlemissmoneypenny (18 February 2012)

Here's my mare, I got her a year ago last November 







A few months later, starting to fill out






A bit pingy






Then as some bsja before xmas






And just because she's purrdy


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## Littlemissmoneypenny (18 February 2012)

Here's my mare, I got her a year ago last November 







A few months later, starting to fill out






A bit pingy






Then as some bsja before xmas






And just because she's purrdy


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## mrogers (18 February 2012)

Any excuse for a Tan pick!!although Tan was 9 when I first got her on loan in March 2011(so techinically not a ugly duckling) this is how she arrived after being on mummy duties for a few years






Alot of people said she would never be the show horse I wanted...so we proved them all wrong when we won Bridgend county in I think July after being back in work a matter of weeks due to me recovering from a knee reconstruction






and again when we qualified for our first championships under spotlight






Fashion I brought as a very wild 3yr old,unfortunatley no pics of when she first arrived but pic of her winning champion at her first show 6 weeks after arrival in July






SWPA champs in Sept






Winning supreme 1st show of the season as a 4yr old in April (she was the only mare against mature stallions)






Royal welsh in the July






and finally-Ryan when we brought him in Oct 2010 at 5 months old






Few weeks later






January


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## FrodoBeutlin (18 February 2012)

What a lovely thread! Some real transformations 

Frodo was proper ugly - don't know what I saw in him 

As a yearling:







As a 2yo, when I bought him:







Just before he was backed, at 4:



















And then, a couple of pics from last year:



















And some recent ones!!































Because I see him every day I genuinely had not realised how much he'd changed until now


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## trendybraincell (18 February 2012)

FrodoBeutlin said:



			Frodo was proper ugly - don't know what I saw in him 

As a yearling:






Click to expand...

 he was a bit of a "special" looking yearling, bless his cotton socks!!


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## FrodoBeutlin (18 February 2012)

LOL  Maybe that's why he was such a bargain!!! Not complaining, I think he's turned out pretty well


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## trendybraincell (18 February 2012)

Yeah I think you did alright!


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