I got her back at last!

[freckles22uk]

Lovely story, shes like a Black Beauty story but with all happy chapters

 

[Lanky Loll]

Aww lovely to hear

 

[Shadowdancing]

Have you thought of sending your story to Your Horse/Horse etc? I'm sure lots more Horselovers would enjoy reading it!

 

[Clannad48]

With so much bad press about travellers, gypsies, etc it is nice to hear some positivity. Some of these people (and I hate labelling people) are misjudged and berated by members of the horsey community and some of the traditional ways go back hundreds of years. They are horsemen through and through and know their horses inside out and treat them very well. Sadly the minority of travellers who do cause trouble means that most of the time they are all tarred with the same brush.

Can I say how much I agree with this comment. Not far from us lived a gypsy (his word not mine) who up until a couple of years ago had a couple of ponies in a field close by. I defy anyone to better the care and love those ponies were showered with whilst they were with him. Unfortunately old age caught up with him and the ponies were given to another member of his family,however he still visits them when his health allows it. He used to spend hours just sitting with them, hand feeding them and grooming them.

 

[lewis2015]

What a wonderful story - so glad you got her back! Really cheered me up reading this

 

[atropa]

Oh man this made me well up! What a lovely story, wishing you many more happy years together.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

She's gorgeous! How lovely that you have her back.

 

[Magnadoodle]

I know the chap behind smokey....and probably knew the horse! I used to groom for him and his wife as a horse mad teenager......I was madly in love with a cracking mare they had, stable name of Rosie (Denton Cover) .... and would love to know where she ended her days xx so happy you have your girl back x

EDITED.... Looked at photo again on ipad. .. don't think it's the person I first thought it was in the blue and white......back to specsavers for me.......

 

[Lintel]

Wow.
Isn't it nice to hear and lovely story now and then
All the best to you both xx

 

[Crosshill Pacers]

I know the chap behind smokey....and probably knew the horse! I used to groom for him and his wife as a horse mad teenager......I was madly in love with a cracking mare they had, stable name of Rosie (Denton Cover) .... and would love to know where she ended her days xx so happy you have your girl back x

EDITED.... Looked at photo again on ipad. .. don't think it's the person I first thought it was in the blue and white......back to specsavers for me.......

Magnadoodle - who did you work for? ETA the guy in the blue and white is a man called Derek Pritchard, lives near the Hereford border. His wife Ruth rides out all of their horses (they have the largest number in training I believe) on a daily basis...and she's 65 this year! She does have help from her 18yo grandson when he's back from jockey school or whatever it's called. She once told me she's had more falls than I've had hot dinners, and I believe her!

The lady driving her is Shelley Tucker (was Jones at the time), sells boots at the Royal Welsh and various other shows and married to a bookmaker who is friends with my OH. Smokey raced a handful of times on the Wales & Borders (amateur) circuit, picked up very small prize money and possibly won a couple of races but was erratic and was sold off as a rider to a lovely lady who lived on a farm with an elderly farmer and worked as a cleaner-type person in exchange for free board and a field for her two Standardbreds.

Incidentally, after Smokey broke my elbow, my dad decided she was 'too neurotic' for him to ride so he went back to the lady on the farm who'd sold her to us and bought her other mare as well, a 17yo pacer called Vyrnwy Donna. Donna had 3 colt foals with us, was a great shepherding horse for my dad, and returned to the seller when she was 22 where she lived out her days until she passed away aged 24.

Smokey has more than settled in in her new home. OH says it's like she's been here all her life. She's palled up with the alpha female (being naturally submissive herself) who is another 'lifer' (OH's late grandfather's favourite mare who is the dam of 2 of our racehorses and was born and bred by the family). Together they've been working the two sides of the fence that meet the road and pavements, accosting all passers-by for treats and strokes. I caught them at it last night with two unsuspecting dog-walkers who found themselves being followed along the fence line by two pony-like mares. I had to get out of the car to call them back so I found myself occupied for half an hour making sure everyone had equal amounts of neck scratches (the 2 year old filly waited patiently until the end!)