Horses of a lifetime

[Kelly1982]

Reading a post in the gallery has made me wonder, do you think that you only have one horse of a lifetime. By that i mean the one you have that extra special bond with?

My second pony was the 'one'. I had such a bond with him and i have never even come close to it with another horse. He was my soul mate and it broke my heart to sell him and i still think about him everyday even after 10years.

I am hoping to get that bond again with my mare eventually, so what do you guys think?

 

[Rambo]

Well, by definition, a horse of a lifetime is a one-off. However, I think that many people use the term to describe an exceptionally talented horse. After all, how do you know that at some point in the future, there isn't going to be an even better one come along

 

[Murphs_Mum]

My horse of a life time was a 14.3hh Connemara, Grey who I trusted with anything, would jump anything on and go anywhere, He was naughty would spook was strong but I worshipped him. I spent one night sleeping in his stable when I had a huge "teenage" row with boyfriend and he stood over me nuzzling me all night. We lost him aged thirty something nearly a year ago now of a displaced elbow. Had two after him that I loved but not the same but I have to say I am starting to feel that bond with Murphy. I adore him and he totally has a home for life.

 

[annaellie]

Yes I do think that I had a mare we knew each other inside out she was nothing special in the comp stakes shealways tried but she would never affilated. I still miss her now and I had her pts in may. I hope to get that bond with another but find it highly unlikely.

 

[katiejaye]

I hope not...I love my boy so so much and for me his a horse in a billion. It breaks my heart to think of life without him. I always wonder how easy it will be to find another one as special as him when the time comes...I also wonder if I ever will. I think each horse you own will have a different something special about them which makes them individual. I am sure I will care about another horse as I do Louis but he will always be extra special to me as he has been my first horse I have competed with and we have been on such a journey together.

 

[EllieBeast]

I have only ever had one horse of my very own, and i honestly cannot imagine having such a bond with any other horse. She has taken me from a 13yr old nervous wreck who just wanted to hack about and had only jumped about 1ft (and not at all in the 2 years previous). To now, she has taught me everything - we completed the milton keynes 3DE this year (intermediate). We storm round 3'6 XC and SJ and always have so much fun. We have taught each other so much, and have such trust between us. She has saved my bacon on numerous occasions (both in the saddle and out) and i honestly could never dream of selling her. My little superstar (toad) pony!

 

[Tempi]

you forgot to add nearly killing you whilst trying to clip her!

 

[Tempi]

Bloss is definately my horse in a million. Shes taught me so much its untrue. I feel sad when i think about her passing away as we've been through so much together. One of the reasons im desparate to breed from her next year is so that i can have a little something of her to keep when shes gone.....

 

[eahotson]

Yes. His name was Toshak. I bought him because no one else wanted him (broken winded) and that was a few years ago. He was just so brilliant.I can't find words to describe him.I will never have another one like him if I spend the rest of my life looking.

 

[seaview]

Well I kinda agree and kinda dont,
I have my mare whom I have had for 11 years this Christmas Day (best suprise ever!!!) she is the most amazing person and knows me better than anyone,
competitively speaking she has done a lot for me but not as much as the horse I sold in March, he was special in a different way and I have to say I do regret selling him big time!

however if you are talking about Best Friends I would say April is my horse of a lifetime (she was even at my wedding thanks to my human best friend LOL)

Nat
xx

 

[EllieBeast]

Lol, well there is that!! (can you see how i gloss the bad bits!) She most certainly has her faults - many of them - but they are her building blocks too! she may be my horse of a lifetime but i doubt anyone else would have her!

 

[seaview]

thats the same with mine LOL!
x

 

[Kelly1982]

Sorry maybe i worded that wrong, i mean horse of a life time as in best friend regardless of talent.

My pony was ok and always got me placed but he wasn't a winning machine and he would of never affiliated, i just loved him for him. he was my best mate and i dont think i will ever find another one like him.

 

[KarenX]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry maybe i worded that wrong, i mean horse of a life time as in best friend regardless of talent.

My pony was ok and always got me placed but he wasn't a winning machine and he would of never affiliated, i just loved him for him. he was my best mate and i dont think i will ever find another one like him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats so nice!

 

[kirstyfk]

I have to admit that I have never had a horse of a lifetime. I think thats because I have had lots of good horses on loan and therefore only had them for 2 years at most. Hopefully one day I will find my perfect horse someday.

 

[Kelly1982]

Think loan horses are different, i had a horse on loan and i never let myself get attached to her in case she was taken away and also deep down i knew she wasn't mine.

Thats not saying you dont love them you just dont get as attached. Thats my opinion anyway, i could be wrong

 

[KatB]

Hmm, my pony will always be amazing in my eyes as he is the bravest and probably most fun i've ever had with a horse, but the most stand offish and mostly unaffectionate pony ever! So was amazing to own, and love him to bits, but never had that personal bond. G on the other hand has sooooooo much personality it is unreal! He squeals to me every morning, and is very definitely "mine". However, as of yet, not sure if he will give me quite as much as my pony did.... we will see!!

 

[xspiralx]

Taz was the one for me. He was so so special, and we had a truly incredible bond.

Anytime I fell off him, even if it was in the middle of a field or open space, he would stop and stand beside me. He'd follow me without a leadrope or stay in his stable with the door open when I was off making his feed and stuff. Sometimes he'd come out a bit, but I'd say "Taz....." and he'd shuffle back in.

We never achieved anything great, not in terms of anybody else, but when I got him he didn't trust anyone, couldn't cope with a contact from leg or hand, would barely trot properly and his canter was completely messed up, continuously disunited, bouncing around, changing leads - he was totally tense. After a year and a half together his flatwork was good enough for a dressage test, and he trusted me to jump him over anything.

Selling him broke my heart, and I doubt I'll ever find that again, RIP taz.

 

[tabithakat64]

The pony I shared for seven years, Kia-ora, I used to spoil her rotten and go to the macdonalds drive thru and things, she would do anything I asked her too without hesitation and used to follow me around like a dog. Everyone else hated her, she used to rear, wouldn't be caught, shod, have her bridle on, but she meant the world to me....

 

[Bri]

Sid was mine - he was an utter screwball and I couldn't have given him away - yet to me he was perfect.
He gave me back my passion for riding and horses - everytime I was with him I felt incredibly blessed to be able to know such a wonderful creature. I always came home beaming - sadly feel like I'm starting to lose that passion again now he's gone.
He really was my horse in a lifetime, one in a billion and an absolute star. We just had the greatest bond and it saddens me to think I have a whole life ahead of me that will be empty of Sid

So yes I think you can have them - I know I certainly did.

 

[SSM]

Stinker Stonker touched my heart in a way no other horse has done, or I think will again. She came to me completely green and seemed to trust me completly, followed me everywhere like a dog and continually demanded affection.

 

[Kelly1982]

It was your post that inspired me.

The bond you had with Sid made me think about my pony and got me wondering if everyone has that extra special bond and if you only have it with one horse.

I know i have only had it with him, he adored me and i adored him, he would go mental when he saw me from miles away and we had loads of checky tricks we used to do together (some of them other people didn't find very amusing though LOL) and i just cant imagine having that bond with any other horse.

I think your still grieving over Sid though so you will get your passion back it just takes time when you lose such a good friend.

 

[Broodle]

Reading your post made me think of my very special second pony, Bubbles, who I got when I was about 14. He was a cheeky little 18 year old 13.2 welshx with many many bad habits, but lots and lots of love. He taught me so much (not least how to hang on tight!) and shared all my teenage 'problems' with me. We had so much fun at PC together that he used to race up the trailer ramp (he came to us as a jaded ex-showjumper with a trailer phobia)! Our crowning glory was the day we did a charity mounted games gala and the great Lucinda Green rode him in the bending! A piccie of this momentous occasion even made it into h&h (luckily they didn't publish one of him trying to buck her off... she was wearing spurs....)!

Even though he was pts nearly 10 years ago I still really really miss him!!

Anyway, to answer your question, I don't think I will ever find another like him. But think that he was only my "horse of a lifetime" for that period in my life - think (hope!) there will be another before long!

 

[SilGathien]

I don't know whether Jack fits the description or not, because bless him, he's such a grump! I think we have a rather one sided relationship.

However, after my little fizzbomb, he was the one who really taught me how to ride, and last year (at some mid-twenty age!), he won numerous combined training, and the odd dressage test. On the flat, he's never really gone well for anybody else, and he made such a dramatic change over the years I had him in his way of going, despite his age.

Our jumping on the other hand was a little erratic. To begin with, he'd jump 3ft (which was a big deal for me) and we even did 3ft6 at home despite his age (we didn't know how old he was at the time). He was also the pony that lost me my confidence in jumping after 3 falls in 1 hour. The last was the worst, but I never blamed him. For us an jumping, it went downhill and I would fall off repeatedly, but eventually, I stuck and I think in a way, he taught me that. And because of that, he is officially dubbed 'toad' by my mother.

Also, he's never had the best of teeth, but the vet now reckons he's 5 years older than we thought he was, because it breaks my heart to think that I have less time with him. He might live many years, but he's not blessed with the best health.

He developed a huge abcess after a reaction to an injection last year, and had to have that treated. I regret not riding him more after that now, even though he's still with me. I don't think he'd go half as well because of his age, and he deserves a well earned retirement.

Sorry, rather long!

xx

 

[Bossanova]

I like to think that I will find my horse of a lifetime in the future....
Boss is exceptionally special and has taught me so, so much but there's a part of his character that distances him from people and although I think we have a good bond and make a good partnership, he doesnt have the most generous nature at all times and we do fall out on occasision!!

 

[JoBo]

Ella was my one. I got to the point on her where I felt invincible (not sure if that was good or not), felt like we could do anything together. She gave me so much confidence, and I still miss her like mad.

 

[Weezy]

Cercano - without a shadow of a doubt he was and always will be my horse of a lifetime (he is the grey in my sig - not the one on the right, thats Boss!)

He was absolutely amazing and he and I were mind readers - we loved each other to death, played tag a lot in the school, he was fantastic to do anything with although as sharp as a tack and didnt suffer fools he was, *sigh* I just cannot put him into words - he is an awesome horse and I feel VERY proud to have had the privilidge to have ridden him to such great things

Only downside in all this is that I gauge EVERY horse against him, which isnt fair and is unobtainable!

 

[Madam_max]

Corroy is definately my horse of a lifetime. I have such a good bond with her that would be hard to beat. She still has far more talent that I would ever need. Most of all she is a very good friend.

 

[Parkranger]

I always thought that my first 'horse' was my horse of a lifetime. When he was put down I thought my world had ended!

The bond i have with Ty is alot different but just as special.....he's alot more challenging but is such a baby with me that I can't get too angry with him.....

So for me, I'm not sure if I have had a horse of a lifetime, just lots of wonderful horses.

 

[MagicMelon]

I think Ive always developed a bond with all my horses, but the bond always differs. Like say with 2 of the ones I have now - one is my welshie who is a stroppy childish sod who I have my arguments with (we are very much alike personality wise so we often clash and get grumpy with each other!), yet he is also a horse who has taught me so much and probably the only horse who Ive ever really respected. He does have a really nice side to him where he basically will bite me for fun one minute then pull me in for a cuddle the next! Whereas my other horse is very much quieter - he is extremely well mannered and polite. He happily follows me about and we have got a very trusting relationship.

So really, the bond you get I think very much changes between horses.