Co-eee! NEW MEMBERS - tell us about yourself

[Natch]

Since this forum seems to have attracted a sudden influx of new members, many of whom are already jumping in and ferociously posting (some very ferociously too!

) perhaps you could use this thread to tell us a bit about yourself. Whereabouts do you live, why you joined, how many horses you own, and in light of recent debate, what is your stance on recuing horses from France?

This would really help existing members to communicate with you much better, rather than joining and jumping straight down the throat of existing members, as has sadly happened a few times recently.

Perhaps Admin could even make this a sticky?

Thanks in advance, and Welcome to the new people

 

[Fairynuff]

would you like me to make some sarnies and get the beers in? Much better than popcorn

. Hope you realise that "silence" can be very noisey! M.xx

 

[sam1am]

hi,

Im new!!
no idea how to put pics on here but will when i get a chance..

im an event rider(or was) used to ride full time but now own a business so sold all horses but will get back into it!

Have a thing for TB's, bar one always evented them and did well. enjoyed(enjoy?) reschoolling them but do not consider them rescue cases.
(well the ones i had anyway)

AM feeling proud as the love of my life alfie (8yo TB) that i sold recently to a lovely young rider i know and keeps him at the yard i used to work in completed their first CCI * insept last.
alfie was in traning as racehorse till age 5 when i took him over and despite a few issues flew through grades and is incredible.
I WILL BUY HIM BACK!!!!

 

[Natch]

Hello Sam_i_am and welcome

mairi - sandwiches and cold beer would be lovely please

I always thought silence was golden though!?

 

[bailey14]

OOh dear - the bit about ferociously posting. I tend to do that but its only because I have no internet access other than at work in my lunch break, so I tend to pack it all in, in the space of an hour. I am relatively new, I live in Solihull at home with parents, I have a 17.1hh bay dutch WB gelding called Bailey who I love to pieces, my other half (8 yrs) works and lives at the local riding club, I work in Birmingham City Centre for the countries biggest insurance company and I love my life. I compete dressage, I am aiming to join BD and affiliate sometime soon, but I have to get my horse assessed as he has 260BD points as he was an import and I cannot do Prix St George level just yet!!! I sometimes get fed up with livery yard life (all the bitchiness and ague) and wish I could just go up and enjoy my horse without feeling anxious all the time about what people think and what they are saying about me, but hey ho we can't have everything. It is nice to meet you anyway. x

 

[wilder]

i don,t think i have ever introduced myself lol
i have six horses cb/tb, cob normand,newforest,welsh mountain and new to us two new forest foals

i am basically happy hacking but due to a jumping mad daughter i am slave to her and her ponies and cringe when she makes me jump lol

i used to run a saddlery shop but now do just online (more free time)

i have got a horse from france (cob normand) and feel you don,t need so called rescue websites to bring one back

but then again i only went to the sales to fetch some horse wormers and brought back two new forest foals lol

 

[Hollys_mum]

hello i'm newish i finally joined last month and the reason was i really needed some good advice and thats what i got so very happy i finally did it was so worried tho. I have two horses holly a 15.1hh id x grey mare "well brown at the min" 10 yrs she's a hand full but a fantastic ride i thought horses as nice as her dont come along often so i wanted to clone her but couldnt afford that so i put her infoal to a friends stallion hoping to have a mini holly and she is due in early june and the boy he is a 4 yr old cb x about 16.0hh and he really is a lovely boy so lucky i have him. Oh and i really cant spell

 

[barbaraNcolin]

I'm not exactly new but have never introduced myself.

I believe charity starts at home

I have two horses, a 16yo 16.3hh Shire x TB called Barbara whom I've had for 8 years. She's just into happy hacking and popping the odd xc fence. My other horse is Welsh D x TB and he's called Colin. He's 11yo and 16.1hh, I've owned him for 6 years. Our 6 years have been quite full of issues but I believe we've ironed most of them out now. We compete at unaffliated dressage after quitting showjumping just over 1yr ago due to too many crashes!

 

[agreenhalgh]

Ive been on here a while, but never really said hello! I joined because I needed help with my naughty horse and I wanted to find a new livery yard for her, and you guys have been amazing! I love it on here, I'm on every day!
I own on welsh sec d x heavyweight cob 15hh liver chestnut mare, we just have fun and dont compete, although we have done the odd clear round in the past and have afew rosettes for our efforts! would love my own transport as i would take her all over!

I am in between jobs at the moment as i was made redundant afew months ago....sick of job interviews!!!
I live in lancashire and have 2 dogs, a king charles cavalier and a weimaraner, so i have my hands full!
I completely support what you guys are doing to try and uncover the horror that is 'franch'... if i could rescue a horse, I would be rescuing it from my local area. I dont believe transporting such horses in the states they are all the way over here is not a sensible option. The farmers will supply and demand.
There are thousands of horses here int eh uk awaiting new homes. charity starts at home

 

[gekko]

Well I suppose I qualify as "new" because I never formally introduced my self...and seen as those REALLY invited in this thread are not likely to show, I may as well say something!

I'm Craig, I'm in South Australia,(so your coo eee suits!) I'm now a full time professional horseman, have not always played ponies full time, I've been a cop, a commercial diver, Master Mariner and even the local council ranger here!... but I've been playing with horses for well over 30 years...have ALWAYS had a horse/s, even when at sea 300 day a year, I had a horse ashore!

I have Master Farrier amongst my trades(I'm an "education junkie" - qualified in a couple of trades and have a couple of degrees too....and none of them relate to what I do nowdays except maybe Management and of course Farrier!)
I'm also the local State Emergency Services Unit Manager, and in addition to the usual things SES does(road crash, search and rescue, flooding/storm damage etc) our unit is a specialist Search unit with a Mounted Search Team...

I am married to my wonderfull wife, Shell and together we run CM Sporthorses here in Minnipa, South Australia, breeding Cleveland Bays, Warmbloods and coloured Sporthorses... Minnipa is near bloody desert, with summer temps that would kill most poms!

Hell you lot start dropping dead at 30*C and we get to over 50*C!

Before moving here when we purchased Shell's family property 5 years back, we managed a TB stud in the NSW Upper Hunter...centre of Australias TB breeding industry...

We break in, educate and market others horses too so we probaly fit the mould of what you would term dealers...although we only really sell for a couple of other studs with which we have a close relationship.

I rarely shoe horses at all nowdays due to a stuffed back and only trim for our own and a select group of clients...make occasional exceptions for specialist corrective stuff that noone else here can do...

We have 39 horses on the place atm... thats the highest number ever I think! normally in the mid 20's...

Have 6 foals on the ground so far this year, 7 more to go from this season, but another 7 aswell before the end of the year too that are "next" seasons foals...

Our horses include 4 Stallions ranging from a 17.3hh CB/Holstiener to a 15.1hh QH...the other 2 are 3/4CBx 1/4TB
The rest are broodies, either part CB's WB's or a few TB's and a couple of geldings, my Buckskin Hanovarian "Buck" (colour and behaviour), our 8.2hh teaser denny and a couple of kid sized ponies.. and a few foals aswell..

You soon learn I'm blunt...I call a spade a spade and If necessary I'll call it a @#$%^ shovel to get the point across...apparently some folks can't handle that, but most seem to appreciate knowing EXACTLY where I stand on something! My theory is tact creates confusion, and if you sugar coat things, people suck off the sugar and spit out what they don't want to hear!

I'm a smart ass, some will call me sarcastic, but in a lot of cases it's more a case of very pointed satire to get a point across....some folks just don't get it! lol

Well, I'd say I 've probably written more than we'll see out of our FRANCH friends.....

I've had my little comments in a few of those threads and I'm sure you'll see where i stand on the issue pretty quick!
I'm all for a quick and mercifull death, even if it means a plate, rather than drawn out suffering.

Like I said, bet the volume of my post beats every FRANCH poster combined when it comes to this thread!

And I know how to use the shift key!

 

[JM07]

my name is JM....

i'm sure you all know the rest......................

 

[Vetty]

Hi, I'm new too! I've ridden all my life but had a break to have my kids and am recently back in the saddle. I have a horse-mad 6 year old daughter so I am now re-living my own childhood hanging around riding stables!!!!

I'm a bit lacking in confidence these days, not helped by a crunching fall in September (doh!) so I'm building that back up on a riding school safe horse......

At the moment I read much mroe than I post because I don't really feel qualified to offer much advice.....

I don't agree with the french rescue thing - sounds lovely in theory but it's not going to stop the breeders is it?

Does that help, lol?!

 

[china]

QR
im fairley new.only joined before xmas and havent ever really introdced myself.
i am 17

18 in a month. i have a TB which i do everything on but havnt done much last two years as i have only just moved to a yard with an arena again. just started competing aff dressage! just started jumping him again. i work in a tack shop/ feed merchant on a sunday and a GAME shop on a saturday. i go to college 3 days a week studying a national diploma in horse managment im in my last year. then i am going to apply to be a polic community support officer. i like to think of myself as extremley independant. not many 17 year olds would see to there horse twice a day and work there ass off to pay for him ( well i only know of a few so hope i havt offended any one

) and cook there own tea at night

I am always told i look about 20. which is an advantage for me when i go to the pub. haha!!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Hi, I didn't really introduce myself because I registered to answer a post on a topic I had experience of. I have 'lurked' for a while and contributed my opinions to my sister's posts . She posted a pic of my IDx mare when we got her. Our horses live at home with us in W.Yorks. I have kept horses for over 30 yrs and although I speak 'Franch' I would not 'recure' horses from there - IMO those who do are mad/deluded/gullible. I must admit to having to keep my hands firmly in my pockets if I go to Holmfirth market though.
Also as I am starving atm, thanks to Mairi for the sarnies

 

[ShellCoburn]

Im Shell Coburn - gee my user name is sooooooooooooooo far from who I am isnt it!! lol............

Im married to him who posted above - Gekko you lot know him as......

Yes, we have quite a few horses........... lol...........

I dont get to do as much with the horses as I want to these days - I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome - which kind of SUCKS big time...... well, I guess one thing it does is desensitise our horses to someone passing out in front of them on a regular basis! lol (I just done reccomend passing out in the paddock with a carving knife in hand..... and I can tell you that the 17.3hh stallion looks darn big from coronet band level! lol)

Im a photographer, artist, designer (do websites, logos, brochures, adverts etc).....

Im kind of freaking out about drawing at the moment though - I have this major 'omg I cant do it, I will fail miserably' thing going at the moment..... so I am avoiding drawing at all costs right this moment! lol...

 

[blackmagic]

I'm new-ish.
I'm Gemma, I'm 27 and I'm a happy hacker.
I bought my first horse 2 1/2 years ago after many years of lessons and a year of loaning. She's a 14.2 NFxwelshD.
She's quite spooky, and I'm quite nervous, so we're maybe not that well suited but I adore her and have learnt to manage her.
I work full time and study as well so my riding gets crammed in when I can. We're on assisted DIY so that takes the pressure off a bit. I enjoy schooling, hacking, popping a small jump and the occasional local show.
I'm sorry to sit on the fence but I don't have strong views on the Franch debate as I haven't followed it all that closely.

 

[JavaJaneW]

I'm Jane and have an addiction - to forums.
I'm new! (Well, my status thing tells me I am

I'm all for rescuing a genuine case, but am appalled by the recent threads and feel a genuine concern for one filly (which probably makes me a sucker like the people who rescue these creatures and feed the dealers...

)

 

[Shazzababs]

Hi I'm new ish, I'm Sharon and I am over 21! Currently I live near Yeovil in Somerset, although I am originally from Kent.

My current horse is Fitz, a 11yr old 16.1hh Cleveland Bay x TB who I bought to novice event at 18 months old. Sadly he dislocated a stifle at the age of 5 and is now mechanically lame because of the scar tissue to the joint. Although he is is no pain and the Vet has said that can do anything I want with him, BHS Eventing or Dressage competing is definately out as I get fed up getting hooted at halfway through the test! Anyway we compete at local level in Hunter Trials and SJ, and we do the local 2 Day Event, where I am on first name terms with their regular vet as I always have to see him to examine my 'my horse isn't lame lame' paperwork before I can jump!

I also have my childhood pony, called Tinker, 13.1hh who is 34 and still going strong (although retired). In her active days she used to hunt and keep up with all the horses, and enjoyed doing as little as she could get away with, with several generations of pony club kids!

I'd love to have enough cash to buy a second horse and get back to some regular eventing and dressage comps, but I am saving up and enjoying what I have for now.

I'm lucky enough to have my horses in my back garden, a childhood dream that I still can't believe I've actually achieved.

 

[happyhaffie]

hi guys
well im a happy hacker at the moment, ive just come back into riding after a 3 year break (having a kiddie), couldnt stay away any longer, ive got a 5 year haflinger imported from belguim - not a rescue lol, and ive also got a 12.2 grey mare who needs a bath desperately, i work full time, im also studying accountancy at college

im always worrying even if theirs nothing to worry about, i need to win the lottery to fund my shopping habit and possibly horse one and dream of owning my own farm one day

 

[amanda123]

Hi Iv'e been guilty of posting on here without introducing myself, so here goes: Iv'e ridden most of my life and spent a number of years after leaving school working with horses, dealers, hunt horses, point 2 pointers and NH horses. I had 2 rides point 2 pointing (the first one was on a horse who had never got round over hurdles!), rode in the Newmarket Town Plate 3 times and had about 8 rides Arab Racing. The horses did better without me on board! But it was great fun. Now work full - time away from horses. I recently had my horse of a lifetime pts due to an injury. He evented up to BE Novice and was regularly placed including a PN3DE, again without me on board! I did however do most of the work at home and some unaffiliated dressage on him, he also won a bit BSJA. I had him for 11 years since he was an unbroken 3 yr old. At present I have a TB who is 10 and was given to me for my ex OH to ride as he had failed the vet, he was bred to point 2 point, and failed on the flexion test because of a bone spavin (touch wood he has never been even slightly unlevel with me) he has done 3 BE events, placed in a PN and an Intro, however due to having had 2 operations as a foal in the stud due to a virus he has low grade colic 2-3 times a year and doesn't stand hard work(he probably has some adhesions/ulcers. My ex OH rode him about 4 times and left him with me when he left. Iv'e had him about 3 1/2 years. He is a very sensible hack and good in traffic (another HHOer has ridden him a couple of times to keep me company on hacks) I have done a bit of unaf dressage with him, hunted him a few times, and done a couple of hunter trails, he is a bit short of brakes out hunting and hunter trialing!
I have a teenage daughter who has had a pony since she was about 7 and currently has a 14.2hh 8 year old that we bought unbroken from his breeder, he is Highland x TB, at 5 1/2 years. My daughter has had a bit of an up an down relationship with him as he is very different to the 13.2hh she had alongside him and we sold last year. They are now really starting to be a partnership and he seems to jump almost everything out hunting, is doing Discoveries junior BSJA and is aiming for PC Area Novice Eventing this year. He is turning in to a superstar!
We keep our horses in our own yard which is about 1 1/2 miles from my house. We dont have a school (until I win the lottery), just a field and some stables. Sometimes I miss the company of a livery yard but not the yard politics!
Oh and my neighbour recently rescued a horse from france! I'm not sure what it cost but it was a 2 year old colt, which she recently had cut, he got an infection and I think he now stands her about the price of a talented Novice eventer! I personally think she is off her head. It seems to be a way of conning people out of a lot of money.
PS Mairi is there any pudding?

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

Some of you will probably recognise me as I've been here a while (although I haven't really posted too much recently apart from the last week.) I'm not really new but I don't think I ever did introduce myself.
I'm Rachael, I live in Kent, I have owned 3 horses but just have the one at the moment. Zigzag is a 14.2 irish cob, 13 years old and I've had her for 6 years in July. She was meant to be my mums but can be naughty and has scared her so she rarely rides but I'm not complaining. I know she is in my siggy but I'll post a pic anyway:

As for the France thing I don't think it solves anything as any horse bought are just replaced. I don't have a problem with people buying off of the meat man as long as the horses are properly cared for prior to their journey back to the UK and the horses being bought back are not being sold on to make a profit.
I think the photos taken at the safe haven shows that the horses were not being cared for as they should have been but it is not the job of the safe haven to provide this - it should be worked out between owner and the 'rescue charity.' The buyers need to step back and look at the bigger picture and let WHW and other organisations do there job.

 

[samstar]

I forgot to introduce myself back in october

Well you can guess my first name and I am a happy hacker, I own a welsh d x nf and a dartmoor x tb. I own my own business. I'm not a confident rider so have just booked myself a lunge lesson

which I hope will help me alot.
Got 2 lovely kids(15 and 22) and a boring OH

And mairi can I have clotted cream with my pudding

 

[martlin]

I've never introduced myself:
My name is Eva, I'm Polish and 30 years old. I have showjumped all my life, at some point internationally.
Nowadays I live in Staffordshire, am about to move to Lincolnshire with my partner, we are both part time farmers and I spent the rest of time with my 7 horses, I mainly ride for a living, buy and sell a bit, produce youngsters and also breed limited number out of my grade A that is getting on a bit and prefers motherhood, and couple of others.
Most of my horses are imported, mainly from Poland, none of them are rescue cases.
I don't do rescue, I occasionally buy a troubled soul and turn it's life around, but wouldn't dream of calling myself a rescuer, as essentially I do sell them on or find them a job at my yard.
My view on the whole Franch rescue thing is that there are some abysmal practices in place. I have nothing against people buying horses from wherever in the world, but I do object to 'rescuing' from the meat trade and making the horses endure even more suffering in the name of saving them from the BAD BAD lorry!
I also eat or rather have eaten horse meat.

 

[RLF]

I don't think I did an intro when I joined either,

My name is Rachel and I'm an alcoholic

 

[sam1am]

ok this being for newbies, can anyone explain to me how to get pictures up on siggy?

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

[ QUOTE ]
ok this being for newbies, can anyone explain to me how to get pictures up on siggy?

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a step-by-step guide of how to do it in the picture gallery.

 

[samstar]

hi, go to pic gallery and there is a post all about it near the top

 

[deefor]

Hi, I've been lurking and not posting so much until recently, just using the forum for advice on bits, tack, horse cleaning and mud fever and all the usual things that worry us all. I am worried though taht I am getting too addicted to the forum! I work full time and I'm sure I shouldn't be on here now, typing this...
Although i've read a few of the Franch postings, I haven't emersed myself in the arguements, that said i am wholly against ill conceived plans which could cause more harm than good..But I also believe that sometimes, on potentially contraversial subjects, too much discussion and argument actually inflames the situation and perhaps strengthens the resolve of those in opposing views.

I have ridden pretty much all my life, lovely farm upbringing in Ireland, with lots of ponies and pony clubbing, eventing, showjumping and hunting. Done spells as groom on eventing yards and racing stables, even polo once for very short time. Now have aforementioned "proper job" to pay the bills and only one horse, 16.1 Selle Francais / Hanoverian / Irish. He's been a very fancy dressage horse in his past, but now is a genuine all rounder, having spent the winter hunting at least once a week or more if we could. He'll be doing some indoor sj, dressage, hunter trials and WH as the year progesses (although may have to sell soon sadly). And last year we did do BE very happily, but not sure monies will allow this season.

Think an admin sticky to this post would be a nice idea too...

 

[martyfisch]

Photobucket, use the image codes

At least that's how I did it

Hi, I never introduced myself either; I live under the sea, have one seapony called Tori, am doing A levels and like blowing bubbles

 

[sam1am]

am i being completly thick by not being able to find pic gallery!!???SORRY!!!