Meowy Catkin
Meow!
I feel that this thread needs some photos.
With CM who was her best friend.
With CM who was her best friend.
I had never had anything to do with tbs until 10 years ago when an ex racer/ex eventer came into my life, and he's still with me now. He is kind, sweet natured , intelligent, sensitive and he adores people and other horses. He's hard to keep weight on now, and has always been prone to knocks and scrapes, which do take a while to heal, and he loves a visit from the vet, but when he goes it will break my heart.The most beautiful, intelligent, kind and fun horses you will ever meet and can gallop so fast it will make your eyes water! If I couldn't have or ride a TB for whatever reason, not sure I would have another horse.
They are a breed like no other. All the ones I have ridden try hard for the rider. My horse loved to jump, was fab to hack alone and I swear had a sense of humour. Her quirks made me laugh, she made my heart sing and was the best fun I have ever had on a horse.
My current share horse is actually orange (not chestnut!). He is a bit of a worrier but tries so hard. Fab to hack alone and in company. Not tried jumping just yet. He is a real sweetie. They just steal your heart. Can't say I've met one yet that I don't like.
Yes the vet bills can be high, they do make you worry and can require more mollying than other breeds - but they pay that back ten fold.
I honestly don't think I want to own any other breed. When I feel I can no longer ride a TB I think I may give up!
The weird thing is that she will only ever spook at small things
My advise would be get one from a charity if you want an ex racer
My first horse was an ex-racer mare, and she was so good and special that I still find it hard to read or reply to these threads without welling up and missing her desperately.
Alice was, first and foremost, pure class. Aside from being exceptionally beautiful and athletic, she had the best manners of any horse I've ever met, and seemed to manage to rub some of that calmness off onto every horse she was worked or stabled alongside.
She was very prone to colic (due to struggling with gastric ulcers), but once we had a handle on this, the only ailment she suffered from in four years was bruised soles (she did have terrible feet).
She could be shod, clipped, wormed, groomed, and tacked up loose on the yard if the fancy took you, led to and from the field without a lead, and would load herself no matter had long it had been since she last travelled.
Keeping weight on her was a slight issue, but once we found the right diet for her she looked incredible.
She was actually no more accident prone than any other horse, and on the one occasion that she did have to be poulticed, she was a dream to treat.
To ride, she was forward going, fun, sensible, and would try her heart out for you. Nothing phased her, and as long as you made it clear from the start that 'racehorse mode' wasn't what you wanted, she could be brought back from a flat out gallop by simply loosening your reins and asking her to steady up.
Even at the end, with her hind femur snapped almost in half, she was perfectly mannered, calm, and polite. Very much a one-person horse, she had a loyalty, sweetness, and sense of humour that very few saw, but which I'll never forget. I would give anything to have just one more moment spent galloping together, feeling that indescribable fifth gear kick in. Would I have another? If they were half as amazing as her, then yes, in a heartbeat.