ElleSkywalker
As excited as Kitty about to be a bridesmaid
Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Elle. Elle was pony mad due to her beloved grandmother's bad influence 'look Elle, a pony' was a constant cry on all car and foot adventures. Elle like many small girls spent any time she could with ponies of any description, learning to ride bareback on a Shetland named Sixpence, falling off more times than staying on. Elle spent what little pocket money she had on riding and was thrilled to be given a second hand pair of jods by a friend of a friend and wore them proudly.
When Elle was 12, she illicted a promise from her mum that if she brought and cared for a pony herself, she could one day have one. Elle set about saving her money from a paper round and babysitting and to counter act the argument of 'its not just buying the horse it's everything that goes with it' she and her partner in crime and best friend snook into the local county show and brought headcollar, lead rope, basic vet supplies and a little leather bridle each. Elle took all of these home and for years they hung in her bedroom as a reminder that one day she would have a horse.
Seems unlikely, I hear you say that teenager could ever save up enough to buy and keep a horse completely on her own, but Elle grew up on a diet of Pullien-Thompson sisters and Ruby Ferguson so never for a second believed she wouldn't be able too.
When Elle was 15, she finally got her mother to agree to her actually getting a horse. She also got Elles grandad (husband of the grandma that have Elle her love of ponies, who had sadly and suddenly died when Elle was 13) to give her 250 toward the pony fund. The only stipulation was that Elle finish her GCSEs first.
On 13th June 1996, Elle finished her last GCSE at 11am, by 12.15 Elle and her mum were at the local horse sales looking for a suitable pony. Elle was looking for a filly aged between 2-4, and between 14-15hh, and, after a quick look round, there were two horses there that day that fitted the bill, a chestnut filly and a beautiful dales mare. Elle and mum returned to the pen with the chestnut filly to see her being lead into the sale ring. The person leading her was a employee of the auction so the only details they heard were what the auctioneers description was;
2 1/2 year old chestnut Filly, broken to harness, good in traffic.
The bidding started at 500gns, even with her life savings Elle only had 350, so though the pony was gone already......but no bids so she went down to 250. After a tense few bids where it seemed that Elle and her mum were bidding against each other the hammer went down at 300gns. Elle had her pony at last. The kind auction workers found a person to transport the pony to a friends field she'd arranged livery at and the rest of Elles life savings were spent on a cheap saddle complete with stirrups & leathers and the transport cost to get her back.
The day after, Elles first full day of horse ownership she walked down to the rented field ( a good few miles away) to brush and get to know her new pony. She tied her up to the side of tumble down stable building and the ginger pony promptly broke free and gleefully galloped around the field. Elle, in absolute floods was heartbroken. Would her pony ownership end with the pony breaking her leg just one day in, would she ever be able to look after her as she'd told her mother she could? After a good hour ginger pony decided to give up, and calmly walked into the stable and allow the lead rope to be removed. Elle learnt that day to never give up.
The years passed, Elle backed the pony herself and spent many happy years galloping about the country side. She cycled to see ginger pony on her breaks at school and learnt to drive as quick as possible in order to give up the bike for driving, paying for her own fuel of course. Elles mother never did pay a penny towards her keep except many many years later to cover some xrays while Elle was a student. Elle was incredibly grateful that her mum allowed her to have the pony, and also that she didn't realise quite what a daft idea it was to let her.
Years later, as ginger pony was quite a stroppy bag in the field and to give her new boyfriend something to do, Elle brought a scrappy little new forest foal. Dispite her grumpy nature (at the time she was turned out with a Clydesdale as it was the only thing not terrified by her) and on seeing her, ginger ponys heart exploded and she fell madly in love with the scruffy black foal.
Years later Elle tried and failed to get ginger pony in foal. 4 lots of AI failed and 8 weeks out with a stallion did nothing. The next year Elle stupidly held her for the stallion and bingo this time it worked. Elle was there when she foaled, and helped to pull the foal out herself.
Around this time Elle finally got transport so at the age of 18, ginger pony started a career in dressage. She competed up to novice but only unaffiliated. The only 1st she ever won was for an intro test when she was well past her prime many years later. Elle and ginger pony went trail hunting, did a bit of jumping and xc schooling and tried very very hard. They never dazzled, and ginger pony was never an easy ride but they trusted and loved each other.
Last year out hacking ginger pony tripped onto her front knees, although her mind was very willing, Elle decided that hacking her wasn't safe as her old pony body couldn't quite keep up. Ginger pony was retired but never really knew it. She still ruled her herd with a hoof of iron, and dispite being diagnosed with Cushings not long after the trip she looked fantastically healthy and had Elle had a school would have been in work.
On Saturday, ginger pony came in covered in sweat, it was obvious she had colic and that it was not going to be an easy buscapan fix. Two vets surgeries came out and confirmed fatty deposits were trapping parts of her intestines. Surgery would have been the only option.
Elle had never planned for what to do should ginger pony ever be nearing the end, how could she, surely ginger pony would never dare leave her, but she had decided long ago not to put any of her current horses through surgery. Certainly not one who was now nearing 25. So, in the beautiful sunshine on Saturday morning, ginger pony, the love of Elles life was gently put to sleep in Elles garden with her pony friends and daughter looking on.
So, a few things, Elle started out as a very unsuitable horse owner with an unsuitable horse. They both tried their hardest to improve, and the pony who started her life with Elle in a cheap leather saddle with no rugs, died with top of the range everything. And the owner who started out with a hand full of knowledge and a bucket load of determination ended up with an equine science degree and worked in the equine industry for years.
The bridle mentioned earlier was ginger ponys for years. And is still used for lunging.
The stirrup leathers on that cheap saddle are still used as neck straps today.
Elle never forgot where she and ginger pony started.
Elle and ginger pony never set the world alight. But they were each other's world.
My favourite picture taken the spring after I got her. Rest in peace Willow. Thank you for everything.
When Elle was 12, she illicted a promise from her mum that if she brought and cared for a pony herself, she could one day have one. Elle set about saving her money from a paper round and babysitting and to counter act the argument of 'its not just buying the horse it's everything that goes with it' she and her partner in crime and best friend snook into the local county show and brought headcollar, lead rope, basic vet supplies and a little leather bridle each. Elle took all of these home and for years they hung in her bedroom as a reminder that one day she would have a horse.
Seems unlikely, I hear you say that teenager could ever save up enough to buy and keep a horse completely on her own, but Elle grew up on a diet of Pullien-Thompson sisters and Ruby Ferguson so never for a second believed she wouldn't be able too.
When Elle was 15, she finally got her mother to agree to her actually getting a horse. She also got Elles grandad (husband of the grandma that have Elle her love of ponies, who had sadly and suddenly died when Elle was 13) to give her 250 toward the pony fund. The only stipulation was that Elle finish her GCSEs first.
On 13th June 1996, Elle finished her last GCSE at 11am, by 12.15 Elle and her mum were at the local horse sales looking for a suitable pony. Elle was looking for a filly aged between 2-4, and between 14-15hh, and, after a quick look round, there were two horses there that day that fitted the bill, a chestnut filly and a beautiful dales mare. Elle and mum returned to the pen with the chestnut filly to see her being lead into the sale ring. The person leading her was a employee of the auction so the only details they heard were what the auctioneers description was;
2 1/2 year old chestnut Filly, broken to harness, good in traffic.
The bidding started at 500gns, even with her life savings Elle only had 350, so though the pony was gone already......but no bids so she went down to 250. After a tense few bids where it seemed that Elle and her mum were bidding against each other the hammer went down at 300gns. Elle had her pony at last. The kind auction workers found a person to transport the pony to a friends field she'd arranged livery at and the rest of Elles life savings were spent on a cheap saddle complete with stirrups & leathers and the transport cost to get her back.
The day after, Elles first full day of horse ownership she walked down to the rented field ( a good few miles away) to brush and get to know her new pony. She tied her up to the side of tumble down stable building and the ginger pony promptly broke free and gleefully galloped around the field. Elle, in absolute floods was heartbroken. Would her pony ownership end with the pony breaking her leg just one day in, would she ever be able to look after her as she'd told her mother she could? After a good hour ginger pony decided to give up, and calmly walked into the stable and allow the lead rope to be removed. Elle learnt that day to never give up.
The years passed, Elle backed the pony herself and spent many happy years galloping about the country side. She cycled to see ginger pony on her breaks at school and learnt to drive as quick as possible in order to give up the bike for driving, paying for her own fuel of course. Elles mother never did pay a penny towards her keep except many many years later to cover some xrays while Elle was a student. Elle was incredibly grateful that her mum allowed her to have the pony, and also that she didn't realise quite what a daft idea it was to let her.
Years later, as ginger pony was quite a stroppy bag in the field and to give her new boyfriend something to do, Elle brought a scrappy little new forest foal. Dispite her grumpy nature (at the time she was turned out with a Clydesdale as it was the only thing not terrified by her) and on seeing her, ginger ponys heart exploded and she fell madly in love with the scruffy black foal.
Years later Elle tried and failed to get ginger pony in foal. 4 lots of AI failed and 8 weeks out with a stallion did nothing. The next year Elle stupidly held her for the stallion and bingo this time it worked. Elle was there when she foaled, and helped to pull the foal out herself.
Around this time Elle finally got transport so at the age of 18, ginger pony started a career in dressage. She competed up to novice but only unaffiliated. The only 1st she ever won was for an intro test when she was well past her prime many years later. Elle and ginger pony went trail hunting, did a bit of jumping and xc schooling and tried very very hard. They never dazzled, and ginger pony was never an easy ride but they trusted and loved each other.
Last year out hacking ginger pony tripped onto her front knees, although her mind was very willing, Elle decided that hacking her wasn't safe as her old pony body couldn't quite keep up. Ginger pony was retired but never really knew it. She still ruled her herd with a hoof of iron, and dispite being diagnosed with Cushings not long after the trip she looked fantastically healthy and had Elle had a school would have been in work.
On Saturday, ginger pony came in covered in sweat, it was obvious she had colic and that it was not going to be an easy buscapan fix. Two vets surgeries came out and confirmed fatty deposits were trapping parts of her intestines. Surgery would have been the only option.
Elle had never planned for what to do should ginger pony ever be nearing the end, how could she, surely ginger pony would never dare leave her, but she had decided long ago not to put any of her current horses through surgery. Certainly not one who was now nearing 25. So, in the beautiful sunshine on Saturday morning, ginger pony, the love of Elles life was gently put to sleep in Elles garden with her pony friends and daughter looking on.
So, a few things, Elle started out as a very unsuitable horse owner with an unsuitable horse. They both tried their hardest to improve, and the pony who started her life with Elle in a cheap leather saddle with no rugs, died with top of the range everything. And the owner who started out with a hand full of knowledge and a bucket load of determination ended up with an equine science degree and worked in the equine industry for years.
The bridle mentioned earlier was ginger ponys for years. And is still used for lunging.
The stirrup leathers on that cheap saddle are still used as neck straps today.
Elle never forgot where she and ginger pony started.
Elle and ginger pony never set the world alight. But they were each other's world.
My favourite picture taken the spring after I got her. Rest in peace Willow. Thank you for everything.
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such a lovely tribute to your pony. RIP xx
