I've waited 39 years ........

[HumidClimate]

I was thinking about my two beautiful TB's Max and Duke today and to be honest I can't really believe it's true that they are my boys, not loans, riding school horses or friends horses .... they are mine. I have waited 39 years for my very own horse and now I have two of the the most wonderfully natured Thoroughbreds in the world ..... feeling very lucky

 

[Thelwell_Girl]

Aw, they're lovely!

Whats their stories? x

 

[Cazzah]

They're both very handsome, and you know what they say....the best things come to those who wait

 

[claireandnadia]

They are beautiful.

 

[**Vanner**]

Sometimes I pinch myself too x lovely feeling isn't it?

 

[HumidClimate]

Thank you , Well Duke (the bay) is 8 years old, 15.1 hh. He raced 4 times on the flat but was too slow, and was bought by a polo yard and used as a stud for 2 years. When the Polo yard owner was then given a "better" stallion Duke was gelded and trained for Polo but wasn't sharp enough so he was wintered out with no rugs or shelter and got bad rain scald and mud fever which is where I come in. I had gone to the yard to buy a retired polo pony that was 18 years old but when I got there she told me the mare had been sold but she had an 8 year old TB who was a super hack and just not sharp enough for Polo ... He came to me in a shabby state but his temperament was to die for so I looked past the cosmetic and nursed him back to health. Here he is when I got him

the black spotting on his back is the rain scald. He was very uncomfortable and depressed when I got him but he soon perked up when he saw his lovely warm stable, lots of food and hay, and would sleep all day long in his stable snoring, just happy to be out of the wind and the rain. He is the most amazing horse and is sooooooo placid and calm and gentle. The only "moment" he has is around food, he get a bit grumpy and puts his ears back if food is around, but i'm guessing when food was scarce at the polo yard he had to fight to get his share, so we ignore that behaviour as he is such a lovely horse.

Max is 10 years old 16.1 hh and he raced NH 32 times a with 4 wins. He was bred by Juddmonte farms and was moved around a bit and ended up at 4 different yards, He became very stressed by racing and began to refuse to race. His last trainer was a lovely lady called Helen Rees and she finally pulled him out of racing when he was 6 and retrained him for hunting/hacking. he was then sold 18 months ago by Helen to a family who said they wanted a hunter for life but hunted him into the ground and then dumped him back at the Ascot Sales where I bought him in April for £850 and I was bidding against the meat man. He has a lovely kind gentle nature, but he's had some health problems, which I am hoping we are over the worst of now.

So a happy ending for them both, at our yard here www.pentiresporthorses.co.uk where they live in absolute luxury, and seem to love the pampered way of life ....