ok, after the other thread: nicest horse people?

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somethingorother

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After the thread about horrible owners, let's talk about the nicest owners or yard owners we know.

One lovely lady I knew had kept her daughters pony for over 20 years even though her daughter had long ago lost interest. She had been a big pet for most of her life but was completely pampered and her owner was devoted :)
 
My horse's current loaner, she did NOT send him straight back when the vet declared him lame a few weeks after she got him, but spent the time getting it investigated (yes I did pay for this because it was related to a problem that cropped up just before she took him and I'd've felt rotten if I hadn't done) even if the vets never did totally figure it out. She also cured his mud fever and stopped it coming back (this alone makes her my hero!) and has got him back to his fantastic best. She lets me come and see him whenever I'm passing, no problems and has even let me have the odd ride. She gives me lots of updates, stays calm whenever he does do anything daft to himself and is just generally a really nice and lovely person!
 
One of my closest friends who I met during my A-levels away at college I was lucky enough that her parents decided to move house to just 15mins away from me instead of 2.5 hours! She is fab, is a brilliant hunting buddy and we are looking forward to a season of pairs/team chase together next year. We are really alike get on like a house on fire enjoy doing non-horsey stuff together (amazing since we are both antisocial :p) and she is the only person who can reduce me to continual giggles :). Shes defo one of the best horsey people i know :D
 
The many people that helped me be part of the horsey world despite anti horse parents. They loaned me ponies and horses, taught me how to care for them, took me to shows and generally looked after my passion.

Sylvia for giving me the chance to learn so much from being part of her yard and encouraging me to take the ABRS Grooms Diploma, Pat for pushing me to study for my BHSI Stable Manager, Jim and Janet for helping me to have so much fun with their ponies and horses and getting me out to shows.
 
Y ponies last owner, he was on loan for only a year, and we spoke loads on the phone just like long lost froendsxx

We have now bought him and even though he is now legally mine, I still feel like I have borrowed him..

I love him and the new friendship he has introduced me to xcxc
 
Too many to mention . . . I feel very lucky to know many lovely horsey people.

1) My trainer . . . she is endlessly encouraging and despite wondering what on earth I had brought home when I bought Kal has seen through his (ahem) challenges and really likes him now and enjoys riding and competing him (which is a huge bonus when she teaches me)

2) My YO - her prediliction for being uber cautious has stood me and many other people in good stead . . . her mantra is "it's better to be frustrated than over-horsed" and I think she's right . . . also, she's kind, funny and endlessly patient

3) My horsey friends . . . the list is too long but I have some wonderfully supportive friends who have gotten me through the worst of owning a quirky, sharp, opinionated sport horse . . . they have cajoled, coerced, encouraged and sometimes downright bullied me into doing what's right by him . . . and all because they cared (about me and about him) . . . I appreciate their input far more than anyone who stood back and wasn't prepared to be honest . . . thank you all

4) My husband . . . not once, despite me losing my job twice, has he suggested we sell my lovely boy . . . he's put up with the slow, inexorable takeover of his otherwise sane wife by horsedom. Every sentence I now utter being with "Kali did . . . " or "Kali is . . . " or (worse) "Jen (my trainer) says . . . " Without his patience and indulgence, we wouldn't have Kal at all . . . did I mention he doesn't know one end of a horse from another?

5) You lot. Enough said.

P
 
The stables I'm at now, the YO is the most fantastic woman ^^ She's so friendly and helpful! Although she doesn't have the "best" horses, she does amazing things with them! She pushes me and gives me confidence :)
She also lets me do practically whatever I want with Ned :) I'm always reading new things and seeing things I want to try and she always gives me the go ahead!
She's awesome ^^
 
Sad that this is a much shorter thread than the "other" one!

I've known and still do know, loads of lovely horsey people. But there's one who stands out: my old friend Clare. A lifelong full-time horsewoman despite a devastatingly severe broken spine (riding accident when she was young), riding instructor, tireless volunteer worker for charities for disabled people and now para dressage rider. Clare is generous, positive thinking, strong, resilient, independant, kind and funny.

I'd tell her to take a bow, but I know she won't be reading this. She'd kill me if she saw it. :D
 
Not only great owners but people who I really would like to thank.

My two mentors who guided me through when I bought my first (and only) horse. They never let me down ever and were always just a phone call away for advice.

The 10yr old little girl who kept her pony at the last yard I was on. When I broke my hand on the ice last year she was the only person on the yard to offer to help out. Seeking me out to make sure I was managing ok and yes it was when everywhere was frozen solid, water had to be carried to fields. What an amazing little girl. Her mother should be so very proud of her.

The riding school who when I needed somewhere urgently for my mare, despite only taking on working liveries when I asked them if they knew anywhere thinking they might know of places I didn't immediately offered me 3.5acres to do with as I wished.
They also need my thanks for teaching a very uncordinated, unbalanced numpty with physical ailments to be able to do what passes for riding :D

My mares previous owner who saw something in me to allow me to take on this wonderful mare. How many of you would sell your girl to an ageing novice who could barely tell the eating end from the pooing end?

My daughters friend who allowed me to have my first ever ride on her horse when I was 47! Got me well and truly hooked.
 
My yard owner is now my best friend, she is kind and generous and when my horse was diagnosed with navicular and my dressage dreams in the bin, she gave my one of her horses Meg, no mean feat at 17.1 Black Hanovarian mare by Donnersong, that horse though only 10 will be the best horse I have ever ridden and known, Diane could have sold her for 20k but gave her to me, I will never get over that I cried when she told me that was what she wanted to do, and bless her she thought I was crying about losing my old horse, and was saying things like I know know she'll never replace Digs, I was just so overwhelmed at the thought of such a generous act and the thought of Meg being mine, sadly our darling girl had a tragic accident in the field in February and despite 3 weeks of intensive care we lost her, I only had Meg for 15 months, but she was my dearest friend, she taught me to ride for every stride and would not let me have anything unless asked for properly, she licked her lips when she saw the feed coming, and loved a bum scratch (human hands are so handy!) she gave kisses and pulled funny faces and she was stunning, many hacks we would meet clearly non-horsey people and they would gawp and say , oh wow that horse is beatiful, and Meg would grin as if to say yes I know! Even when the massive bill came in for the vets Diane paid half, she didn't have to, but she insisted, and she was there for me in all the deep depression that has followed since, and we have cried at our loss so many times, bless her her only insistance in all the horror was that Meg ashes should come home and be buried at the farm where she grew up and turned into the most amazing girl, which is fitting that she came home, she is buried by the trees near the pond and Diane has phoned me before in tears saying she is caught out in a shower of rain and is next to Meg, she bred her and nutured her and trained her and knew her inside out, and Meg knew Diane she knew her and respected her and loved her, only a few times in the short time of owning her did Meg run to the gate to see me, but every time she saw Diane she called and came running, I love Diane and I love Meg, its makes me cry again writing all this but some people are exceptional and Diane is one of them. x
 
There are so many...
The YO who made me ride again after my horse was PTS. She gave me her hunter to exercise and that mare showed me that I could fall in love with another horse at a time when I was ready to walk away from it all.

The people who have bought my horses and still keep in touch with visits and updates. One has named her horse after me and all say they would offer them back to me if ever they can't keep them. Lovely people for lovely horses.

A local farrier who helps everyone. Will get on and ride a loopy horse and give the owner lessons, he'll babysit first time hunters, supports anyone who buys a horse from him and will take them back if it doesn't work out.
He has come out at any time to replace a shoe even when the owner isn't there. He left his supper one night to get a twisted shoe off my farrier-phobic mare, and she stood, loose, in the stable, like a lamb while he sorted her out. His arms were swollen from being kicked earlier in the day, but he was still ready to help, even though, I'm not his client and refused payment.

The list of nice horse people is endless and far outweighs the list of bad ones.
 
Loads and loads
Firstly my Mum- without her I won't be horsey at all
My Dad for letting me keep my ponies at home (he hates horses-typical farmer)
My riding instructor and her family for letting me and my pony move in on the holidays.
Lots of people on the way.
My friend Ellie who in no small way got me back into horses after having by babies, by letting me ride her horse and being completely supportive of me getting my boy and insuring me on her horsebox before i got mine- forever in debt to her.
There really are too many to mention but I would like to add 1 further 'one' the many people have seen me struggling to load my horse by myself at shows and have offered help- thank you!!!

There are a few odd ones but I think on the whole we're a good bunch!
 
The girl who loans my horse - she has made her into the best horse she could ever be, looks after her immaculately and has become an amazing horsey friend and support in the bargin. She will patiently hack out with me at a snails pace, even though she is an great eventer and all in all a great person.
 
My current YO's for encouraging me to get back on after being terrified for a couple of years. Had a bad accident then shared a field with some peeps which ended badly. Moved onto new yard and was in a deep depression which I kept to myself. The YO's and their wee ones cheered me up no end - they unkowingly saw me through the bad times.

My instructor who has pushed me in the nicest way and has believed in me when I didn't. I am at a point now where Im thinking/doing little dressage/SJ comps. This would have been impossible a year ago.

We are a small yard and there has been one particular livery who is like me and we have grown together.

But most importantly my pony has given me confidence and put up with have a quivering jelly on his back but hasn't put a hoof wrong.

Finally my hubby - not horsey - who has supported me throughout the bad times. Never once said sell. He seen to my ponies when I couldn't get out of bed through depression. :)
 
A lady who let me ride her shetland when I was young, a friend from here who has ferried me and mine back and fore when we didn't have transport (thanks kerryflower) my old yard owner who helped me out no end, if i was short on rent day she'd give me some grace and always helped when she could - never forgotten!
 
as soon as i saw the title i thought instantly of one person, i moved to a new yard nearly 3yrs ago but never really got to know this person until the last 18 months. she was always there if you needed help or advice and would stay with someone who had an ill/injured horse all night if necessary.
she never complained about helping out and never guilt tripped anyone about it either. she has helped me out numerous times.
one time my horse had come down with severely infected lymphangitis, the vet came out and said that if he's no better in 24hrs he will have to be pts. he was in a wooden stable block and only had 1 good leg so he was pivoting on that one leg. the groom and another livery tried to get him to come out of the stable before i got up there the next day but didn't force the issue, this woman turned up and knew (she was there when vet told me the options!) that if he wasn't out the stable by the time i got there then he would be pts and either way he would have to come out the stable.
she literally dragged him out and got him in the paddock in front of the block.

when i got there i walked straight past him as i had been told earlier by the other livery that he was no better and couldn't move. this woman was stood by the stable smiling that she got him out even though others were telling her she might be in trouble etc.
the vet turned up and was relieved to see him out the stable even though he still wasn't walking but if we dragged him around he would.

i still believe that if it hadn't been for her he wouldn't be here now, she was prepared to take the back lash had anything gone wrong as she knew the score. so for that day (and many others) i am very grateful to her, she's become a good friend.

i would also like to think i am a nice horse person and would do anything to help anyone and will be there if the need arises.
just to add the person above is a forum member and highly thought of on here too.
 
Nice to hear of all the nice horsey people out there.

The nicest 2 horsey people at the minute are the person who i shared my loan horse with for the last couple of months. We really clicked but as we had seperate days we didn't see that much of each other. Since his owner took him back, she found a gorgeous arab to share and is always inviting me up for a ride. His owner is a lovely person too, she wants to share her lovely boy and also always invites me up to ride. They just send me off on him, even when i hadn't even met his owner and let me go off on a nice hack :) So trusting and nice when i've been horseless. :D Have had some great hacks with him, he's a perfect lad.
 
I've a few, but one of the main ones is a family friend.
When I was 11 I broke my elbow, stuck in a finger to shoulder cast for 2 months with 4 inch pins holding my arm together. I didn't know her well but as soon as she'd heard what I'd done to myself she invited me to her house, made sure I was looking after my arm and told me horsie stories to keep me happy.
When the cast was off and I was eventually allowed to ride she brought me to her yard and let me ride her arab. After we got to know each other a bit better she encouraged me to join pony club. She ferried me round to rallies that I rode her horse at. After a while I started to look for a pony on loan. Came home one day to find a pony had been dropped at the local yard and was mine for keeps (said friend had rescued the pony and thought of me). With the new pony she took me hunting, let me tag along to hunter trials and all sorts.

This year she lent me her daughter's pony for my sister to have on loan (while her daughter was away at school). During the summer I b*ggered my ankle and have yet to get back into the saddle, but friend has taken my horse on, got him fit and has been riding him most days. She's even looked past his quirks (he has many) and has been keeping him in top form.

Bot only has she taught me so much, to the point I wouldn't be near what I am now without her help, but she's done so much more than just support my horsie life. She helped me get work experience in places I could never have gotten into without her.


I've also got to give another friend a shout out. She's been able to give me so much experience and has shown me a whole new world - the wonderful world of showing. All last summer she brought me to show after show, provided me with the opportunity to keep my horse at a top notch yard and introduce me to a whole different aspect of horses. This year I got the chance again to go to the biggest show in the country, all thanks to her.
 
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