I got her back at last!

Crosshill Pacers

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Took me a while to find it but here's the thread I posted a few years back after finally coming to terms with the fact I would never find my first horse again:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?594284-Feeling-really-down-(

Twelve months later, whilst working in the STAGBI office, a transfer of ownership application for her landed on my desk. I cried hysterically for hours just knowing she was alive.

I've kept in touch with her owner, who bought her off the person we sold her to and had her for the past 9 years, and he kept saying when he'd stopped breeding from her then I could have her for nothing so he'd know she would live out her days in comfort.

A couple of weeks ago he rang to say he'd had her scanned and she was empty and if I could help him find a younger mare to buy then I could have her. I did just that and yesterday morning at 5am my friend and I set off for West Brom to deliver the new mare (owned by a third party we both knew) and collect Smokey, as well as a racehorse my friend had purchased. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, and to cut a long story short we returned to my house this morning at 5.30am after 24 hours on the road and a stop at most services on the M5, M6 and M74. I slept for 2 hours before getting up and going to my work, and I've slept for an hour and a half this evening. A cruel twist of fate sees me driving back to West Brom tomorrow for my work and heading back to Scotland on Wednesday (having never been to WB in my life, it seems a bit ridiculous to go there twice in 3 days) but once this week is over then I can relax because...

Smokey, my wonderful (if unpredictable) first horse who is now 22 is right this minute happily grazing in a field with another five of our horses. This is her last home. I haven't cried yet because I'm so exhausted but I suspect when I get a chance to go and sit with her down the field at the end of the week then it will hit me like a train. I have loved this horse like no other.

The obligatory photos:

Smokey racing in the days before I owned her:


Smokey and I out hunting in November 2003:


Smokey with the only foal we bred from her in 2004:


And photos from tonight before she was turned out in the field:




The relief is unreal!

As an aside, she is looking and moving brilliantly for her age. The gentleman who has looked after her so wonderfully for me for the last 9 years happens to be a young travelling man with an assortment of Standardbreds, stepping horses and cobs, who travels to Appleby each year for his family's annual holiday. He brought one of his young sons with him to collect/deliver and the lad was on the box saying goodbye to Smokey and having a good look at his dad's new mare. If he grows up to treat his horses the way his father does then he'll be just as much the horseman. We'll be good friends for a long time to come.

Smiles all round!
 

nato

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What a heartwarming story and you left me feeling a little emotional :) Very happy for you OP.
 

ILuvCowparsely

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Took me a while to find it but here's the thread I posted a few years back after finally coming to terms with the fact I would never find my first horse again:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?594284-Feeling-really-down-(

Twelve months later, whilst working in the STAGBI office, a transfer of ownership application for her landed on my desk. I cried hysterically for hours just knowing she was alive.

I've kept in touch with her owner, who bought her off the person we sold her to and had her for the past 9 years, and he kept saying when he'd stopped breeding from her then I could have her for nothing so he'd know she would live out her days in comfort.

A couple of weeks ago he rang to say he'd had her scanned and she was empty and if I could help him find a younger mare to buy then I could have her. I did just that and yesterday morning at 5am my friend and I set off for West Brom to deliver the new mare (owned by a third party we both knew) and collect Smokey, as well as a racehorse my friend had purchased. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, and to cut a long story short we returned to my house this morning at 5.30am after 24 hours on the road and a stop at most services on the M5, M6 and M74. I slept for 2 hours before getting up and going to my work, and I've slept for an hour and a half this evening. A cruel twist of fate sees me driving back to West Brom tomorrow for my work and heading back to Scotland on Wednesday (having never been to WB in my life, it seems a bit ridiculous to go there twice in 3 days) but once this week is over then I can relax because...

Smokey, my wonderful (if unpredictable) first horse who is now 22 is right this minute happily grazing in a field with another five of our horses. This is her last home. I haven't cried yet because I'm so exhausted but I suspect when I get a chance to go and sit with her down the field at the end of the week then it will hit me like a train. I have loved this horse like no other.

The obligatory photos:

Smokey racing in the days before I owned her:


Smokey and I out hunting in November 2003:


Smokey with the only foal we bred from her in 2004:


And photos from tonight before she was turned out in the field:




The relief is unreal!

As an aside, she is looking and moving brilliantly for her age. The gentleman who has looked after her so wonderfully for me for the last 9 years happens to be a young travelling man with an assortment of Standardbreds, stepping horses and cobs, who travels to Appleby each year for his family's annual holiday. He brought one of his young sons with him to collect/deliver and the lad was on the box saying goodbye to Smokey and having a good look at his dad's new mare. If he grows up to treat his horses the way his father does then he'll be just as much the horseman. We'll be good friends for a long time to come.

Smiles all round!
what a wonderful wonderful story, and so happy you have her back xxxx
 

JJS

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I welled up reading this! I'm so very happy that you found her and are now reunited.
 

MargotC

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This is the loveliest thing I have read all week and I did tear up. She looks great and what a kind eye. I am so happy for you and her that it worked out so beautifully.
 

Deltaflyer

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What a great way to start the day reading this.

I think every single person on here can relate to your story. I suspect we've all had that one special horse. I am so happy for you getting her back and she looks so bright eyed in that last pic. What a lucky horse she is :) :) :)
 

benz

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I'm crying for you! Had to sell my standardbred mare over a year ago and it broke my heart, she was my soulmate, so glad you got her back and she has been well cared for x
 

Antw23uk

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Oh blimey, wasn't expecting to be choked up at this time of the morning on a Tuesday! *ahem* What a lovely, lovely post, thank you for sharing you are a truly wonderful person and I hope you have many happy years with her :)
 

Crosshill Pacers

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Putting the feel-good factor into the start of the week!! Thank you for all your kind words :)

I went down the field to check on them this morning and found the six of them dozing in the morning sun together. Tried to have a conversation with OH about herd dynamics because it fascinates me but think it was a bit early for him! Smokey seems to have fitted in fine and I suspect she'll pal up with the two year old filly because unless she's had a personality transplant, she's too friendly to fight her way up the pecking order.

Princess16 - I hoped she would but I think her reaction to me would have been the same as with anyone. She's very docile and friendly, loves affection and I think that's because she's never had anybody treat her badly. I knew her breeder, her first owner, her second owner, I was her third owner, she was only with her fourth owner less than 6 months and then she went to the guy I got her back off and he has looked after her impeccably. She seems to assume everybody is kind.

I always hoped she'd have a good life after she left me and it's clear to see she has. Now I know I have the power to make sure that she lives out her days as comfortably as possible :) fingers crossed she's around for a little while yet!
 

applecart14

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Took me a while to find it but here's the thread I posted a few years back after finally coming to terms with the fact I would never find my first horse again:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?594284-Feeling-really-down-(

The gentleman who has looked after her so wonderfully for me for the last 9 years happens to be a young travelling man with an assortment of Standardbreds, stepping horses and cobs, who travels to Appleby each year for his family's annual holiday. He brought one of his young sons with him to collect/deliver and the lad was on the box saying goodbye to Smokey and having a good look at his dad's new mare. If he grows up to treat his horses the way his father does then he'll be just as much the horseman. We'll be good friends for a long time to come.

Smiles all round!

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.
 
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