How many horses have you owned?

[GlitterPup]

Throughout your life and did you find your 'horse of a lifetime'?
After reading through a different thread, I thought i'd be nosey and find out how many horses everyone has had.

What are their Stories/Backgrounds (how did you find them or how did they find you?)
Ohh, and photo's are needed... :biggrin3:

 

[FayeFriesian]

Ive "owned" 4 horses/pony in my life, but loaned and looked after many like my own.

I guess for me, theyve all been horses of a lifetime. Zantha an arab x was my first offical loan horse, she was 3 I was 6 and I broke her for the lady who owned her. She belonged to a lady who lived a few doors up.

Woody was 13hh newforest x, my little pony of my childhood, went everywhere - Showing, cross country, dressage! and had hours and hours of fun just bezzing around open fields. I found him in a paper.

Dolly a cleveland bay was 16.2 and my first "horse" I learn that they couldnt really turn as fast, and were a different kind of fun than a 13hh pony. Again found her in the yellow ads paper - used to LOVE getting that paper on a friday!

Phoebe is I think my ultimate horse of a lifetime and i'll never let her go. Shes a 16.1hh Friesian, and I came across her when I came back into horses after a 4 year break. I was ringing round local stables and I came across a friesian stud over the fields from me. The guy who owned them didnt ride, just bred them. I started going down, and he had 10 friesians at the time. I brought them on, and basically set up his stud. I fell in love with Phoebe, and he gave me her for a decent price due to all the help id given. Shes a stubborn sharpe mare, but I absolutely understand her and she understands me. Last year, she gave me a little full friesian filly, who is 8months old. I very very nearly lost her 8 weeks ago but shes thankfully going strong. I will NEVER let these 2 go, mainly because I love them dearly and couldnt ever deal with anyone owning them, but also because I bought her with my Grans money she left me - so I almost feel so grateful for that.

I also have an ID gelding, that I had in for breaking but im actually going to buy him! He is different in a way that he'll be able to do different disciplines than the others, I'll jump & hunt him. Hes another horse of a lifetime (hence buying him) but for different reasons.

 

[cob&onion]

I guess your going off my thread?

I have had a fair few.
First palomino pony i shared with my sister - here she is when i was about 7.
She was very sharp and more my sisters than mine!
Honey had to be PTS aged 20 as she had a brain tumor

Then i had my pony of a lifetime he belonged to my aunt, he was roughly 13.2hh and some sort of fell x i think - his name was Sonny and he was amazing! truely loved him - we won the handy pony and a big trophy - i hacked to the show alone and waited all day in the pouring rain for the results!
Sadly he was PTS at age 18 when i was 12 as he had liver disease due to being kept in a ragwort field by previous owners i was devastated and it took me a long time to get over him
i don't have many pics of him and what i do have they are kept at my mms house.

Next i had a lovely ISH, owned for approx 2 years then she started to go lame, she was diagnosed with navicular aged 6 and retired at a young age. We had her till she was 16 but eventually she got bad with her legs and was PTS.

The above where all bought whilst i was younger under age 20. We had a few others inbetween and along side but these where either my sisters or my mums!

Had a break and bought a TB 4 year old myself , diagnosed with KS and had bone spavins aged 6 and PTS a year later as she deteriorated

Now aged 32 i have a cob - again going through issues - but hoping resolvable ones! she is rising 6 and a rising 4 yr old welsh D - hoping to do dressage with the welsh but if hes not suitable will sell on and the search continues for the perfect horse!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Toby: a schoolmaster hunter who a bit of a wimp! Retired to exercise beagles.
Rambler: TB cross, a nutter, grass sickness, dead
38 years gap
Dulcie, sweetest thing I ever had ......... stupidly I sold her as I had "ambition"
Baby: foal [unplanned] of above...... a real cracker with super personality sold to good home.
Pita: a problem from day one, horse of a lifetime for all the wrong reasons! sold to a forever home.

 

[Lolo]

Well, if you include loaned, a lot...

My first pony was Solo, then Goldie, Waltzer, Joey, Patrick, Ebony then Cheeky... Cheeky was my horse of a lifetime undoubtedly.

My sister has had Muffin, Smokey, Lucy, Red, Misty, Bramble, Henry, Imogen, Ellie and currently has Reggie and Smokey (a different one!).

We've had a lot of ponies because we started loaning when we were quite young so rapidly outgrew them (in either height or ability).

 

[GlitterPup]

Yes, it was your thread, cob&onion, but I didn't want to hijack it :biggrin3:

 

[touchstone]

My grandfather was a bit of a dealer, so I had lots of ponies! Most memorable were two chestnut shetlands, a 13hh appaloosa, 14hh palomino that was my favourite and her foal, and blue roan and another couple of tb types. I went on to work with horses as a BHSAI, so rode and cared for lots of various types. I currently only have one pony that I've owned for 16 years, but she is very special and is here until the day she meets her maker. (not for a long time yet I hope!)

 

[kathantoinette]

I've only had two.

Baron - heavyweight coloured cob, he was 12 yrs old when I bought him - ideal first horse, he was a cardboard cut out! - my first horse (bought him when i was 30 yrs old) Sold him just over a year ago to a local riding school. Owned him for nearly 5 years.
Hector - lightweight cob, he was 5 yrs old when I bought him - bit of a wake up call compared to the above (owned him for nearly 2 1/2 years) Few issues to start for the first year but he's settled down now. He's still with me and will remain so.

 

[Bazzel]

My first pony was an 11hh grey called Polo, superstar but sadly PTS
Second pony was an adorable 12hh mare called Tilly, she was as quiet as a lamb and I adored her, kept her forever until she died of old age a few years ago. She turned out to be in foal so had my 3rd pony on loan who was a rescue case turned pony club pony called Phoenix.
Fourth pony was a jumping schoolmistress 13hh grey mare called Shadowfax who I could never part with so was loaned out to three different children over her life and is now enjoying her retirement ruling the roost with us at the grand age of 25. She is a huge character!
Fifth pony I had on loan from an older friend in pony club - a bright bay section C called Guto Goch. I was (and still am) completely in love with him he taught me so so much and I owe him a lot.
Sixth pony was Tilly's foal all grown up! Schooled him and brought him on over a year then he was turned away from a few years to grow up and mature which worked wonders as he is now my Mum's fun pony who I occasionally steal to take to fun showjumping competitions. He's also the 'spare' for anyone at Pony Club whose pony goes lame as he's as good as gold, anyone's ride and adores being worked.
So seventh ride was on loan, my first horse and the absolute horse of a lifetime, Arctic Puffin. I had the best year of my life with her, we won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Broomes showjumping championships, Welsh League championships, reserve Welsh final champions and competed at the National PC Intermediate champs to name but a few titles! We never ever came less than 3rd place in a SJ competition. But the loan came to an end and my heart broke so the beautiful Puff went home to be a brood mare. Also been lucky enough to ride her soon which was cool.
8th horse I absolutely love, but he (unbenknownst to us) had a dreadful history of abuse and was sold wrongly. I had the opportunity to send him back and have a full refund after a horrific accident but I couldn't bear to put him through that. So he's still with me happy hacking and going to Pony Club camp as he loves all the little ones giving him cuddles!
Breaks my heart to write about my 9th horse. Lovely Laura was my absolute horse of a life time and a complete dream come true. The day we tried her out was utterly perfect. (welling up writing this even now) but after 5 short months of dream riding, championships at my first attempt at WH, passed my B test, double wins at openXC and teaching my nervous mum to jump, she got colic. She died in my arms and I miss her every single day, she was the most beautiful, kind, genuine horse I've ever met and I'll never forget my time with her. RIP sweetheart. x
So a very hard act to follow. My 10th horse was Bonnie - a stunning mare half sister to William Fox-Pitts 'Cool Mountain'. We had a successful first season but after a nasty fall our jumping steadily got worse so we stuck to dressage where I got my first dressage win ever! But made the tough decision to sell after we just weren't clicking after losing my confidence jumping. She's now in a fab home and it was completely the right decision, even if I do miss her.
And finally, my latest horse! Daydream Believer! I have always wanted a dun and we were looking for a connemara cross as we love their temperaments. Made the 20 hour round trip (despite breaking down a million times) and found my dream horse. He is a complete clean slate so I can mould him exactly the way I like and he is proving to be a cracked. I love him and he is such a sweetie, here he is..

Phew, think that's everyone, there have been a few others in between but think that's quite enough!! Sorry for the essay I sound rather spoilt but have always been given freebies or paid very little for my horses, and am lucky enough to have a fab horsey mum too.

 

[Shantara]

I 100% officially own one. Cookie...while I own him and can do what I like with him, I still like friend who I got him from to have a say and she is always welcome to have him back if she misses him too much! So I would call Cookie 80% owned by me!

I loaned 4 (different times) when I was a child - Lucky, Tessa, Snowy and William. They were so sweet! Lucky was a 30+yr old bay and he was amazing. We would walk across the fields, then turn around and canter back never put a foot wrong! Tessa was sweet, but a little too much for 8yr old me. Snowy was a gorgeous grey, but also a little too much, I couldn't deal with his napping. William was like a dog. You could tell him to stay, then call him and he'd come cantering!

Cookie

Neddy

Lucky <3

Tessa!

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I've had 4 of my own, and one of them is certainly my "horse of a lifetime": my coloured gelding Finnegan.
First pony I used to ride (not my own) was a little 11.2hh 14 y/o Dartmoor mare- very naughty and would tuck her head between her knees and bronc you off. She was unbeatable at mounted games though, won loads on her at my local riding club.

Loan pony was a 7y/o 12.2hh Welsh X Shetland.. and didn't you know it ! Cheeky wasn't the word. I just messed about in the fields and did the odd hack. Didn't have him long as I outgrew him and he was sold (once I'd done the work and brought on of course) to a more suitable home, think he ended up at a riding school under the name 'Prince'. Black pony with two back socks , a star and a snip if anyone knows him!

First one of my own, a 14.2hh now 11 y/o warmblood x mare. Green as grass, stubborn as a mule and took forever to teach anything! she's not the brightest spark.. Did end up doing well with her at jumping but only if she knew the jumps and the venue otherwise she put on the brakes and wouldn't jump! When she DID know the venue, she won pretty much everything. Still have her 6 years later. My sister hunts her

2nd one of my own is my lovely 15.2hh coloured ISH, now a 9yo. Total nutter when I bought him, reared, buggered off with me in the school. Every time I took him in a jumping ring he locked on to the arena fence/rope and carted off over it with me. Now he's brill and wouldn't dream of doing anything like that. Jumps absolutely anything and can do a great clear round, works beautiful on the flat and bombproof . Deffo my horse of a lifetime He's also gorgeous

I then had Oscar, 14.2hh 5 y/o Connemara. Absolute sweetheart and the quietest, most bombproof pony on the planet.. while still having bags of ability. Sold him to lovely local home where he is getting a nervous mum back in to riding and a share with her daughter.

Last but not least (and probably not last for long ) my 14.2hh 6y/o Connemara, Owen. Not had him long but he's such an affectionate loving chap. Lots of talent and think he's going to do very well !

 

[Goldenstar]

Not sure exactly but must be around fifty .
I found my horse of a lifetime in an add in the local paper we bought her thinking she might hunt for my OH that did not work but she took me to Bramham in three years having never evented before she was magic I still dream sometimes I am riding her, it's c**p when I wake up.

 

[Lgd]

Seven and still have 5 of them

P - my heart horse, 7/8TB mare, fell in love with her as a foal and bought her as an unbacked 4yo having shown her in hand for her breeder. Done a bit of everything, although bought to event. She hated SJ phase with a passion once the fences got bigger - clear round or nothing - yet was fine XC. So when eventing she either won the class on her dressage score or was eliminated in the SJ. My flat trainer challenged me to see how far she would go in the dressage and she finished up competing at Inter I/working GP. Took me to regionals at all levels from elementary to PSG and was placed most times. I made the decision when she was 14yo to breed, wanted something of her to keep and it was clear that at best we would scrape low 60's at GP and would probably break her doing it. So, I spent best part of 2 years hubby hunting for her. She had her first foal at 17yo - a filly as ordered Came back into work then retired from competition at 19yo. Had foal number 2 aged 21yo and foal number 3 at 22yo then retired from breeding. She was looking unlevel towards the end of her last pregnancy so investigated to find she had arthritis and treated it. She felt so good that a couple of weeks later she was fruit looping in the field and almost severed her SFDT. Against all predictions she has come sound and is my happy hacker at almost 25yo.

Gem was next on the roster, 13.2hh Welsh B x TB mare, shared between the kids. We had her 6 years, the last 3 of which she was on loan to various friends and taught lots of kids the ropes. She was 18yo when we sold her to her next little person and was still going into her mid-20's when I eventually lost track of her.
T is half mine and half my eldest's horse (she no longer rides due to severe allergy). She is a 15.2hh Russian Orlov x bought for C to learn how to bring on a young horse then I took over the ride when allergies took hold. The hangover horse - she is so kind anyone can ride her, great with nervous riders and has outperformed all expectations competing to PSG level and does most of the GP work as well. Graded into head mare book of SHB-GB as a 17yo. She had a colt foal in 2011. Came back into competition last autumn as a pinch hitter for the Northern region inter county comp and managed to help her team to 6th place (from nearly 30 teams) after 3 years away from the competition arena. Off to regional champs with her in February. Probably her last one with me as she is 19yo this year, but will continue at a lower level schoolmastering a friend.

B is the first of my homebreds, KWPN registered, by Mooiman out of P. Reserve champion at her keuring as a foal. Proper little redhead at times but very talented. Currently on rehab after injuring a suspensory in the field but vet is optimistic as it has healed completely in 12 weeks. She was competing elementary and almost ready for medium prior to injury but will take my time getting her back out - probably autumn if all goes well.

F is number 2 of the homebreds, Full brother to B. Bred him to sell but he had a penetrating nail injury to a foot as a yearling. Made a good recovery but while that was going on lost his baby sister so couldn't bear to part with him. He got a higher first premium at the BEF futurity and was eligible for the equine bridge if he went back last year. Due to personal circumstances I couldn't go so have missed out on that. He is still entire due to his sterling temperament and will be backed in the spring. He is still rather babyish so will go slow and present him for grading once he has grown up a bit more and has a decent competition record. He is very laid back like his Mum. Had his saddle on for the first time at Xmas and was completely unbothered.

grace was my 3rd foal. She took ill at less than 24hrs old with colitis. The stud nursed her through it but sadly at 9 weeks old she had a recurrence after some antibiotics and despite coming through emergency surgery to repair it we lost her to a ruptured bowel about 12 hours post surgery.

V is the last one of the clan, T's first (and last) foal. Rising 2yo by the AES stallion Spyder GB. Beautiful nature like his Mum. good first premium at the futurity as an eventer, although he moves well enough for pure dressage. Was intending to sell but now hanging onto him for as his Mum has melanomas which have started to enlarge and have now found another two at a site well removed from the original so vet has advised no benefit in doing anything. She is well at the moment but this is one of the reasons for stepping back her work and letting her have an easier life until the decision has to be made.

 

[kerrieberry2]

I've owned 3, still own the same 3!

Kelsey, she will be 29 this year and I've had her 13 yrs! She's been a nightmare at times, chucked me off, trampled on me, left me in the middle of the woods and tried to take herself home, 5 miles down country lanes! before being caught by a farmer just before crossing a main A road (which would have been the 3rd time she'd crossed that on her own) she was so highly strung that I couldn't hack out in company, so we've spent 12 yrs pretty much hacking alone! despite all of this, I love every bone in her body! and wouldn't change her for the world! she hates people, but loves me! she gives the best evils ever, and kicked me in the knee a month ago because she said it was too warm for her light weight rug, despite being fully clipped haha! anyway, I think she's so perfect that I decided I wanted another one just like her! found another, same colour, same breed, to make the same size but only 7 months old, unfortunately that feel though, so I started a search for something else and found Sam

Sam is the right breed, the right age, the wrong colour and the wrong sex, he's rising 4 now, he was to make 15'2, which would have been the right size but he's already 16'1 :s its a good job im tall! He is also perfect in every way, despite being same breed as Kelsey he is the polar opposite! He's a lazy bu**er, I try long lining and lunging, he stands still and looks at me like im a weirdo! He went though a horrible stage or rearing, to the point I was scared of him, he reared up and struck out, hitting me in the face and getting away from me!! I couldn't get him in and out of the field for a good 5 months without him rearing the whole way in and out! I then moved yards in May and took him away from his gf and he suddenly changed and became totally chilled out and happy! He's cool with being tacked up and walked out in hand, and in March he's going on holiday to be back!

Then there is Jeremy! he is the best thing since sliced bread, he's my 31 inch mini Shetland! Hes about 12 now, he was a stallion until he was 9 and then cut so he could go out with the ladies, I've had him a year and a half, and I can count on 1 hand the number of times I've been able to catch him! He's really really nervous of people, he really wants to be loved but can't bring himself to be touched! after a few months of having him on his own I could just stroke his nose and he comes running when he sees me and will let me kiss his nose but I am just not allowed to touch his head collar or his body!

I love them all

 

[Alfiemoo]

I have only had one horse who I still have now. I rescued him and we have had some crazy ups and downs, I do feel like we are coming out the other side now and he is turning into a great horse. I would never sale him and he has a home for life with me but I still wouldn't say he was a horse of a lifetime. He has the potential, but we are not there yet.

 

[pinkypug1]

Over the years I've had 5 that I were my own pet/riding/competition horses ( currently have 3 of those) but over all I've had 40+ through the years as I used to buy youngsters & break, bring on & sell or take on problem projects & bring on and sell also.

 

[bexcy-bee]

I've (between me my mum and my sister) owned about 12, and loaned 5.

My mums first horse was a gorgeous coloured 7/8 Arab, very well bred, but was back in the day when coloureds weren't allowed to be Arabs, but he was gorgeous! Real rich chestnut colour and white

Then there was Cass 12.2hh typical chestnut welsh mare, who my mum bought at 6 months old, and we owned her until she was 30 odd, when she got a tumour in her mouth and was PTS. She was my first PC pony, though was promptly banned after her rearing and napping 'disrupted' too many ponies

Then we got Snowy who was my sisters first pony, 100 year old 11hh grey pony, never put a foot wrong, perfect in every way!

Then we had Heidi, lovely Norwegian fjord Connemara 13.2hh, who was an ex jumping pony. We owned her from about 16 until 40 odd, when she was PTS with Cass

Then my mum went to Reading horse market and got a lovely bay ex eventer, super horse if ridden every day, if not he was nuts! Reared up with my mum and dangles front legs over bypass from bridge, mum sold him the next day.

I then had my pony of a lifetime, Harvey, bought him when I was 8, 13 years on I still own him and he's on loan to a lovely little girl he got my confidence with jumping, won me every class we ever entered up to 2'3" (only unaff) and was just generally perfect

My sister had a pony called Monty at the same time I had Harvey, New forest 14hh, described when ridden as 'a breeze block with telegraph pole neck and concrete mouth' - mistake when bought, saw me winning with Harvey and fed up of looking for her pony

So, Monty was sold after 18months, and she loaned idris, lovely very well schooled horse, bucked for Britain!

When I outgrew Harvey, he got loaned out, and loaned a youngster called mischief, lovely pony and between me and my sister we got him going to a fairly good level and he went back

Then I got Beaulieu, my little JA pony, super pony, loved him a lot! But a little ***** to handle! Perfect jumping pony though

I then loaned an erratic TB from the PC DC, another banned from PC, but jumped anything I faced him at, just had to do lots and lots of circles XC to be in control, we did have an impressive cricket score every time we SJed though

We then bought Owen, who was one of the ones I recently sold, 17hh+ selle Francis coloured gelding, super super horse, miss him a lot! Took me very far!

I then got a youngster, Domino who I broke in, and sold. He was another fab JA pony, and would have done very well if his new owner wanted him for jumping

And then I got the lovely Smoke, who you all know my horse of a life time! He was super! Beautiful boy, who was yet again another fab jumper!

Then I had a horse on loan called Spook, who was for my ex, but I did some SJing on him. Lovely beginners horse, jumped like a stag with me, but impossible to keep in a field!

Inbetween these somewhere, we had 2 mini's called Kermit and jack who lived in our horses field, and were rescue, scruffy ponies!

I then sold Smoke and Owen due to work commitments, and got Gigi on share. She's a madam, but I love her

Cass



Heidi



Harvey



Beaulieu



Beanie



Owen



Domino



And the gorgeous Smoke



Gigi



Wow, bit of an essay! Sorry if the pics are massive, don't know how to resize on my phone

ETA still can't work out how to make the pictures work from my phone, grr!

Bexcy-bee x

 

[blitznbobs]

Spritely, Valyn, Esta, Katie, Minky, Joe, Rockie, Gerald, Fred, Maxi, Gypsy and Murphy

That makes 12 -- Valyn and Gerald were my horses of a life time for such different reasons...

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I've owned/loaned a fair few but it's the horse I own now that is my horse of a lifetime...he owns a part of me I've never quite given up to any other horse. He is only a youngster but I love the very bones of him.
I found him by accident while helping a friend look for a horse. Saw his ad and was instantly intrigued and decided at the price he was worth going to look at. I got out of the car to view him and the very instant I saw him I was smitten.
He seemed very depressed (long story behind him history wise) but the instant I tried to touch him he threw his head in the air and pigged off across the field in the most beautiful extended trot and took my breath away. I bought him on the spot

 

[blood_magik]

I've had four and have three of them at the moment.

I got my first horse, Echo, when I was 13 and had been messed about with my loan horse. He was 12 and a 16.2hh WBxTB. He taught me a lot but we sadly lost him at 18 to colic.

I had a four year break after Echo died and I moved to the UK for uni.
Jerry was my dad's horse and I got him a few weeks after graduation because dad bought himself another horse so he could jump at shows.
Jerry (16.2hh KWPN) was 15 when we got him and rather grumpy. I only got to jump him as a treat and he took me over my first 'big' fences - I remember getting to jump a single 1.30m upright on him in a private lesson I got for my 18th birthday. :biggrin3:
He did a hind tendon about 18 months ago and he's just started to jump again aged 23. He's currently on loan to a girl at my yard and teaching her to jump.

Timberland (16.3hh KWPN) joined the family when Jerry came to live with me in the UK. He came across about 8 weeks after Jerry did his tendon. He's a character - he's so playful under saddle and everyone seems to adore him. :tongue3:

Finally there's Beau, my 17.3hh ID x who I got in June last year as a 6yo. I love all of my horses and they've all been bought for different purposes but Beau is a little bit special - my instructor thinks he could do very well.

 

[Mithras]

10, 3 ponies and 7 horses, and I don't think I'll sell any of the three I have just now. I actually hate selling horses and if I don't sell them before age 11, I will keep them for good. Mind you, 4 of the ones I sold that I had for years, I still know where they are now and they stayed in the same home since I sold them! The other ones I only had for a short time and exchanged for others as they didn't turn out right for me.

 

[rachyblue]

I've had a couple on loan, but have owned three in my lifetime (I'm 33)

R - Shetland pony, originally bought by some of the girls at the yard for £40 as a foal at Beeston and brought home on the back seat of a car! I was given him at 4 because no-one really wanted him! I adored him even though he knocked me about as a kid (I was 9 when I got him). He taught me all about how to be in charge! Turned into the biggest Mummy's boy ever and I had him until he was PTS at 27 due to deteriorating health.

T - 14.3hh Cleveland Bay cross, built like a tank! Parents bought him for me when I was 15 as they decided I'd stopped growing (there were loan ponies in between). Someone had put a lot of time in schooling him at some point in his past, he was 19 when we bought him and he was the love of my life. We found him in the Farmer's guardian and I knew he was the one the minute I sat on him. Had him until he was 32 (and he was still rideable) when he was PTS due to an obstruction colic. I miss him like mad.

M - Baby, well now rising 4, Hanoverian. Think he was a bit of an impulse buy sometimes as I bought him when I knew we were going to lose R in the not too distant future and I think I panicked at the thought of life with no horses after 23 years! Bought him at 14 months. Loved him when I went in the field and his greeting was to lick my arm. Daft as brush but not really the right horse for me. Looking at sending him away for schooling and them selling him on for me as a way of weaning myself off owning him.

If/once he's gone I think I may have a year or two out before I think about another, though part of me wants another CB. I nearly bought a weanling a year after M, and regret not doing it now, as he was a good price.

 

[Meems]

I was a deprived child and despite having regular lessons and going on horsey holidays I never had my own, despite desperately wanting a pony :blue::blue:

At the grand age of 37 I became a proud horse owner for the first time and I've still got my mare, ten years later.

 

[windand rain]

First horse was an Irish tb he was a wonderful young horse jumped for fun sadly he jumped once too often and escaped his field to be killed by a car
Second was also a great jumper won and placed at loads of one day events never known to stop at a fence and very forward everyone loved him Left him behind in the north of scotland as I couldn't afford to bring him the England with me
Then had a little welsh mare who had a BOG off foal sold them and bought an arab mare and foal Sold them when I got too heavy for her and the foal went as a show horse as a yearling
Bought a Welsh cob an absolute nuttter but jumped like a stag and was a great mare to have around while I had her we bought the kids a pony from the sales she was a great pony went out with the kids on a lead rein but was soon outgrown. Bought a welsh c yearling from the hills and that was where we started showing natives she belongs to a friend now and is a grand old lady who has been a super star all her life bought another baby welsh colt who an acquaintance fell in love with and so I sold him to her. meantime the original welsh mare was still my ridden pony a lot of fun and could jump the moon when she wanted to.
Owned her for about 8 years and still had the little c mare who had a couple of foals
so just had the two While the C was in foal bought a tb mare to keep her company in the field and hoped both foals would be pals for each other sadly both foals were stillborn. At that point I gave up was devastated sold them all including my ridden mare the only pone I kept was the first c mare as she had gone back to stud and I didnt have to see her
about 6 months later I was so miserable my OH bought me 2 weanlings section a and for a while we had a small stud even then the foals cost far more than they could sell for and we ran out of money so I sold the lot again still had the section C so bought a welsh d weanling as a bigger pony should have a better and more useful market. This was the start of my county showing and from then on had a series of welsh foals from weanlings to late 3 when they were sold as riding horses. 17 years ago about at this time of year I met the most amazing Highland stallion fell immediately in love with this little chap and bought his look alike baby daughter she was a yearling at the time and the image of him she has been and still is my horse of a lifetime she has been with me through thick and thin for 17 years I love her to bits I know she wont live forever but she will never leave me. I have also had my bonnie Connemara mare from 4 months old until recently when I sold her to her rider, was given the Dartmoor as a foal who is a git and will never go from here as he is dangerous strangely I love the bones of him too and bred a filly out of my highland mare 5 years ago and she is the only one that can be sold so due to finances that may well still happen. She has proved to be very forward, a superb jumper and a real character who will make someone with confidence the best ride ever. She is a novice ride in that she has been ridden by a novice a lot but she is so forward it can get a bit scary if you dont know what you are doing especially over jumps. She is absolutely wonderful in traffic and hacks alone and in company so shouldnt be hard to sell once she grows up a bit

 

[Orangehorse]

I have owned or loaned 20 horses and ponies and every single one taught me something. And every single one had a different issue, I won't say problem, because it wasn't necessarily a problem, just something.
Which describes all horses I suppose.

I have bought privately and from dealers and had as many good ones from dealers as from private, and as many not so good. None has been a disaster, some I have lost money on, some I have made money from.
I hope to keep the present one to the end of his days, which hopefully won't be for a long while yet. While not my "best" competition horse, he is probably the best overall.

 

[russianhorse]

I've owned 3 in total

Dizzy who I've owned for 20 years
Peggy-May who I sold to a friend - I loved her but just couldn't get on with her, and then I became pregnant so didn't have enough time to do her justice (she's still with my friend and doing exceptionally well)
Willis (or Wilbur as I now call him) my young lad who I've had for a year now

And then there are loads I've ridden and looked after, but not owned

 

[mynutmeg]

I'm up to 3 now - I 'aquired' my tb but ended up having a bit of an accident with him (very long story) so he went on loan, then I got my mare, Roo, who I have now, almost 6 years later. My third is Milo, Roo's foally

 

[JinglebellJessi & MistletoeMagic]

Prince. Patricks Diamond Dream. 18 year old. Anglo arab. 16.2hh. Gelding. Rescued, fed for 3 months before being pts due to health issues.

Bandit. 6 month old. Donkey. Gelding. Bought as a companion for Magic. Ingested a fatal amount of toxic llandii conifer and died at 1yr.

Kyra. 6 year old. Appaloosa x Newforest. 14.2hh. Mare. First bought horse. Current horse.

Magic. Autumn Magic. 23 year old. Newforest pony. 13.2hh. Gelding. On loan for 2 years before succumbing to bowel cancer.

Romeo. Cremello. Welsh sec D. Gelding. On part loan. Gave up to take on Magic.

Bella. Memphis Belle. Traditional Cob. Mare. On part loan for a few months.

Tigger. Fools Entire. Thoroughbred ex racer. Gelding. On part loan. First loan, was requested back by his owner.

 

[Follysmum]

Roughly 25 over 40 years. Have 7 now and they will never be sold on.

 

[rara007]

In all honesty I've had loads of horses of a lifetime
Ajay my Shetland who I first got and did everything with, learnt to ride on at 4 and drive at 12, still have now.
Blossom my section A who I started proper competing other than showing/PPC on and had from 7-14. SJed her up to 1m and did BYRDs, not bad for an 11.3.
Pip and Ginga who I got at 13 and Ginga is still about 9 years later and Pip is out on loan teaching his trade. They've taught me how to drive both representing GB and both giving me reserve national championships and National level wins. FC has given me more wins at low levels than anything else has done winning dressage, SJ, showing. Pip has got me BD points at Elem and to the trailblazers nationals at elem as well as giving me my only cross country clear to date, jumped higher than anything else and teaching me all about schooling the less straightforward a pony.

I've been hugely lucky to have had 4 such cracking chestnut ponies None of them came made (Ajay was 4, blossom was a failed BSJA pony, Pip was unbroken to ride and hadn't driven single really, FC didn't know how to jump and again hadn't done much singles driving) but they have in turn made me

I had a 13.2 and 14.2 PC ponies, a few other small ponies and Calvin as well, but the above 4 are all horses of lifetimes.