Long distance relationship with your horse?

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millreef

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Hi all
I'm a pretty avid reader of the H&H forum bur rarely ever post. However, I would love to know if there are any folks out there like me!? I live in Hong Kong where I work for an international school, but my own horses are thousands of miles away in Morocco (where my husband is from originally), and I only get to see them during the summer months. I dream, save, practice, think about my lovely boys and girls ALL year (I ride about three times a week here in to keep in practice), but when the summer comes I ride twice a day for seven weeks and spend sun-up to sun-down at the yard. It's heartbreaking to say goodbye at the end of the summer, getting products to them is almost impossible, getting tack fitted is nightmare and not speaking the language adds to it all.
I'm also BHS trained and some of the methods are alien to the people where my horses are kept. They've taught me some good things though and I've taught them a thing or two. Speaking English has also been an advantage as people want to learn and practice their skills so you always have company! Anyone got anything similar? Please share.
 
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Can I ask what your job is?
What prevents you from having your horses with you where you work, and why do you get a 7 week holiday? Utter curiosity here! I've never come across anyone with such a set up :)

I don't cross international borders with my (loan) horses, but like many university students my horses are kept hundreds of miles away from where I am based.

Luckily university holidays mean I spend 4 weeks at Christmas, and 4 weeks at Easter, as well as 12 weeks in the summer with them. I just hack so they don't really lose schooling, and there is a young school girl who rides them when I'm at university so they retain a lot of fitness.
For me it would be far too expensive to have them at university (although the owners would allow it, I think), and I'd lack the time for the commitment. I know they have the most fantastic care when I'm not there and the owner (who no longer rides) has excellent facilities.
 
Yes :( I started part loaning Kelly 5 years ago and now more or less, loan her when I am home. Luckily her owner is exceptionally good with me and we are more like friends now and hack both her girls out together :)
However, she is in Manchester and I am away at uni in Lincoln. I get 2 or 3 updates a week and get home at weekends when I can to see her. I also have holidays off and see her daily :)
Sometimes though its just those horsey cuddles I miss! :(
K x
ETA it is also hard in those times when she is broken like she has been recently....but it makes seeing her ever more worth the 2 hour drive! :)
 
Trolt said:
Can I ask what your job is?
What prevents you from having your horses with you where you work, and why do you get a 7 week holiday? Utter curiosity here! I've never come across anyone with such a set up :)

I'm a teacher in an international school and my son has just started university here in Hong Kong, plus my daughter started secondary school too. I'm in the situation where I can stay in Hong Kong and earn pretty good money and afford to have my own horses, plus send my kids to excellent schools OR pack up and be happy but broke in Morocco, not be able to afford my horses and have illiterate children!! The problem in Hong Kong is that there are just not enough places to have your horse at livery. There are four clubs owned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (one is private and membership costs an arm and a leg), to get in here there is a four year waiting list. There are two others which are privately owned and again these are very, very expensive and the geography of Hong Kong means that they NEVER hack out. They also don't have facilities available to turn out the horses, so they're always in the school - paddocks are pretty rare here. My boys are all stallions too and I don't think this would go down too well.
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Millreef ,welcome to the lunatic asylum, we all do crazy things for our horses,"but you might just be in the special wing"I am so curious as to why you chose one of the greatest thoroughbreds as your on line name. Are you a TB fanatic ? I am intriged by your lifestyle and I guess you have already found out that just because it isnt the BHS way doesnt make it wrong. I look forward to hearing more from you.
 
Mike007 said:
Millreef ,welcome to the lunatic asylum, we all do crazy things for our horses,"but you might just be in the special wing"I am so curious as to why you chose one of the greatest thoroughbreds as your on line name. Are you a TB fanatic ? I am intriged by your lifestyle and I guess you have already found out that just because it isnt the BHS way doesnt make it wrong. I look forward to hearing more from you.
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I was lucky enough to own one of Mill reef's (great) granddaughters but she sadly passed away two years ago aged 20yrs. She was poetry in motion and a real lady. I have two TB's and an Anglo Arab plus two Barbs, which are native Moroccan horses (completely mad, it's like they speak a completely different horse language to the rest of them)! Speaking of the BHS way not being the be-and-end-all, I was trying to check my A/Arabs teeth and one of the stable boys rammed his whole arm down my horses throat to show me that I shouldn't be afraid of his mouth!... My eyes nearly popped out.
 
Welcome to HHO! Its so interesting to read about other peoples lives and how horses fit into it. Yours sounds fascinating as do your horses - do you have any photos particularly of the barbs?

How are horses kept in HK ? Are horses only part of the 'exclusive' club or can children get involved with them I.e at grass roots level?

(sorry nothing to do with your original question about long distance relationships with horses but just interested !)
 
Jericho said:
Welcome to HHO! Its so interesting to read about other peoples lives and how horses fit into it. Yours sounds fascinating as do your horses - do you have any photos particularly of the barbs?

How are horses kept in HK ? Are horses only part of the 'exclusive' club or can children get involved with them I.e at grass roots level?
Sorry but just getting the hang of loading pictures! Here is my Barb pony Chocolat, He's a maniac and I believe just after this photo was taken he thought it would be a bit of a lark to attempt to eat his groom (a brave local friend of mine who thought the whole affair rather funny).

I'll try and get some more of the photos uploaded.
In Hong Kong once you're in (if you can get in) then you're OK and people are really friendly BUT it's such a small place that I dare not fall out with anyone as everyone knows everyone else.
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My youngster is kept 2000 miles away in Wellington, Florida, because he's currently entire which we don't have the facilities for. Like you, I spend time there with him when I can (I'm here now actually) and my mom and I bring our horses from 'home' so that they can gradually be introduced.

It is hard, and I do feel that I have much less of a bond with him, but the people looking after him for me send regular updates, photos and videos, so I'm still involved with his life.

Thankfully he's meant to be coming home next month, if he can stay out of the vet clinic... :rolleyes:
 
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