JJS
Well-Known Member
I've followed this thread from day one, but have just re-read it from start to finish tonight and I so enjoyed watching them grow over the course of 12 pages. They really are a credit to you, Mariposa 
Our mums to be!
- Thread starter Mariposa
- Start date
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
I've followed this thread from day one, but have just re-read it from start to finish tonight and I so enjoyed watching them grow over the course of 12 pages. They really are a credit to you, Mariposa
That's so kind of you, thank you!
AFB
Well-Known Member
This thread is so lovely to read, you have two very lovely young horses there!
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
It's been a few months since my last update so thought I'd pop up some new photos! Our babies ( can I still call them babies now they are three?!) are having the summer off, so we hoped they'd be out in the field for a few months but Cardinal had other ideas. One morning he had a sore eye, weeping and inflamed, so he was bought straight in and the vet saw it that morning, all seemed in hand but then he developed a corneal ulcer. It was treated, and again we thought it was clearing but then it came back with a vengeance. Long story short...he ended up spending 3 weeks in hospital and we did think it might not be a happy ending, but thanks to some very intensive care he had the all clear and is home. So far so good - hoping we won't have a repeat!
The sore eye
Doped for treatment
Feeling very sorry for himself
Finally feeling better!
Meanwhile Paloma is positively blooming...in fact she's had to go into the skinny field with my daughter's rotund Welsh Section A! She's looking amazing, coat the colour of burnished copper and so shiney!
They are going back 'to school' for a few weeks in the late autumn, before coming home and then the fun will really begin ( which reminds me...I really must buy a new back protector and proper crash hat!!)
The sore eye
Doped for treatment
Feeling very sorry for himself
Finally feeling better!
Meanwhile Paloma is positively blooming...in fact she's had to go into the skinny field with my daughter's rotund Welsh Section A! She's looking amazing, coat the colour of burnished copper and so shiney!
They are going back 'to school' for a few weeks in the late autumn, before coming home and then the fun will really begin ( which reminds me...I really must buy a new back protector and proper crash hat!!)
Chinchilla
...
Ooh they have grown up so stunning! Lucky you!!
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Gorgeous! Poor boy with the sore eye, glad he is better now. I do enjoy your updates.
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Thank you I am totally biased of course but I do think they're nice little horses!
I am totally biased of course but I do think they're nice little horses!
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Gosh it's been very long since I updated this thread!
So towards the end of last summer, I made the very hard decision that I needed to cut down on numbers, and realistically one of the babies would have to move on. Whilst I bred them in the hope I would play them, it has become increasingly apparent that with two young children I simply won't be returning to polo seriously any time soon.
I happened to be watching the Gold Cup final, and on looking at the pony lists it was clear one of the players had a lot of ponies by the same stallion as Paloma, and it just so happened I used to know him back in pony club polo days. Anyway, I dropped him a line, he happened to be playing at Cirencester a few days later so popped in to see her - and the rest is history. I can't deny that tears were shed, but she's gone to the best polo home I could have dreamt of, and has the opportunity to be in what is basically the best high goal string in the UK. I'm hugely proud of her, I miss her face but she is apparently doing well, and looks absolutely blooming in the instagram snap I saw. I can't wait to see her playing, imagine her tearing up the polo ground in a Gold Cup!
Here she is on the day she left :*(
We have also had several offers for Cardinal ( despite him not being for sale) but as yet I cannot bring myself to let him go. I feel stupidly emotional about it even when I think about it, but my mum (who is wiser than me!) keeps saying that you shouldn't turn down a decent price for a horse that is sitting in the field. At present he is not going anywhere, and that's fine with me. He did a little more schooling in the autumn, and has been an absolute delight to have back at home, he's the most sensible one of the lot! Here he is in his winter woolies - still looking pretty shiney underneath his rug!
I have to make a proper decision about him soon, but I'm just putting it off for now. Just like him mother, he has me wrapped around his little hoof..
So towards the end of last summer, I made the very hard decision that I needed to cut down on numbers, and realistically one of the babies would have to move on. Whilst I bred them in the hope I would play them, it has become increasingly apparent that with two young children I simply won't be returning to polo seriously any time soon.
I happened to be watching the Gold Cup final, and on looking at the pony lists it was clear one of the players had a lot of ponies by the same stallion as Paloma, and it just so happened I used to know him back in pony club polo days. Anyway, I dropped him a line, he happened to be playing at Cirencester a few days later so popped in to see her - and the rest is history. I can't deny that tears were shed, but she's gone to the best polo home I could have dreamt of, and has the opportunity to be in what is basically the best high goal string in the UK. I'm hugely proud of her, I miss her face but she is apparently doing well, and looks absolutely blooming in the instagram snap I saw. I can't wait to see her playing, imagine her tearing up the polo ground in a Gold Cup!
Here she is on the day she left :*(
We have also had several offers for Cardinal ( despite him not being for sale) but as yet I cannot bring myself to let him go. I feel stupidly emotional about it even when I think about it, but my mum (who is wiser than me!) keeps saying that you shouldn't turn down a decent price for a horse that is sitting in the field. At present he is not going anywhere, and that's fine with me. He did a little more schooling in the autumn, and has been an absolute delight to have back at home, he's the most sensible one of the lot! Here he is in his winter woolies - still looking pretty shiney underneath his rug!
I have to make a proper decision about him soon, but I'm just putting it off for now. Just like him mother, he has me wrapped around his little hoof..
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
My sensible head agrees with your mother, my heart says he doesn't mind sitting in a field!
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
My sensible head agrees with your mother, my heart says he doesn't mind sitting in a field!
I'm all about the heart!
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
What a lovely thread I really enjoyed reading it, I am glad Paloma has found a lovely home and I can totally understand you not wanting to part with Cardinal he us just lovely, if his very quiet he might just be worth hanging onto for you to have a nice safe hacking horse
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Well its been a while, so I thought it was long overdue to give a little update!
Paloma is still at her (not so) new home and from all accounts doing really well - I am hoping to see her play towards the end of the season when her player comes up to our neck of the woods!
Cardinal is also very well! He has taken much longer to get going - I don't know if it's a gelding thing? He has been with a friend of mine just near home for a few months, and we've taken it very slowly as he developed a bit of fear when he saw an arm/leg out of the corner of his eye. However, they've made good progress, just taken it wonderfully slowly. He is now happily stick and balling at a canter and played his first chukka last week! He's now having a holiday and he'll come back into work in September before a proper break at home with us. He is still the sweetest horse, and so so good in the yard, it's easy to forget he's a baby still! And his mum is now also back in work and playing really well...so who knows, we might end up with mother and son playing on the same team!
Here he is on the weekend...this is a horse who is not having any hard feed, living off grass and hay! A seriously good doer!!
Stick n balling!
His mum on the weekend!
And a throwback to 4 years ago......
Paloma is still at her (not so) new home and from all accounts doing really well - I am hoping to see her play towards the end of the season when her player comes up to our neck of the woods!
Cardinal is also very well! He has taken much longer to get going - I don't know if it's a gelding thing? He has been with a friend of mine just near home for a few months, and we've taken it very slowly as he developed a bit of fear when he saw an arm/leg out of the corner of his eye. However, they've made good progress, just taken it wonderfully slowly. He is now happily stick and balling at a canter and played his first chukka last week! He's now having a holiday and he'll come back into work in September before a proper break at home with us. He is still the sweetest horse, and so so good in the yard, it's easy to forget he's a baby still! And his mum is now also back in work and playing really well...so who knows, we might end up with mother and son playing on the same team!
Here he is on the weekend...this is a horse who is not having any hard feed, living off grass and hay! A seriously good doer!!
Stick n balling!
His mum on the weekend!
And a throwback to 4 years ago......
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Well its been a while, so I thought it was long overdue to give a little update!
Paloma is still at her (not so) new home and from all accounts doing really well - I am hoping to see her play towards the end of the season when her player comes up to our neck of the woods!
Cardinal is also very well! He has taken much longer to get going - I don't know if it's a gelding thing? He has been with a friend of mine just near home for a few months, and we've taken it very slowly as he developed a bit of fear when he saw an arm/leg out of the corner of his eye. However, they've made good progress, just taken it wonderfully slowly. He is now happily stick and balling at a canter and played his first chukka last week! He's now having a holiday and he'll come back into work in September before a proper break at home with us. He is still the sweetest horse, and so so good in the yard, it's easy to forget he's a baby still! And his mum is now also back in work and playing really well...so who knows, we might end up with mother and son playing on the same team!
Here he is on the weekend...this is a horse who is not having any hard feed, living off grass and hay! A seriously good doer!!
Stick n balling!
His mum on the weekend!
And a throwback to 4 years ago......
I love your updates
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Hello all, I thought I'd pop on and give a little Cardinal update as he just arrived home from 'school' today!
Can you believe that tiny leggy foal is now a proper grown up? I can't! He had a slow summer, as he clearly isn't the type to be rushed. He needs to be taught, reassured and given confidence so they took things very slowly, and he was turned away for 6 weeks towards the end of the summer, with a gang of other young ponies - which seemed to be the making of him as he got over his strange fear of other horses cantering near him ( not an ideal fear for a polo pony!) Anyway, we popped over to see him on the weekend and off he rode up the road, bold as brass, leading the other youngsters. He schooled like a pro, flying changes on a loose rein and most excitedly he can speed up so quickly and then happily come back in hand!
Anyway, he's back home and settled, being roughed off for the winter. He's going to go back into work in the spring and then....polo! Eek...could this be that our little homebred is actually going to make a polo pony?! I think so!
Now he looks like a dopey donkey in this photo but still! He is not on any hard feed and looks really well, and so relaxed
I've also uploaded a short clip of him cantering in case anyone is bored! https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bf5eg7egdwnr4c/9f58179572fd49a7a89bf78e7bd577a1.MOV?dl=0
Can you believe that tiny leggy foal is now a proper grown up? I can't! He had a slow summer, as he clearly isn't the type to be rushed. He needs to be taught, reassured and given confidence so they took things very slowly, and he was turned away for 6 weeks towards the end of the summer, with a gang of other young ponies - which seemed to be the making of him as he got over his strange fear of other horses cantering near him ( not an ideal fear for a polo pony!) Anyway, we popped over to see him on the weekend and off he rode up the road, bold as brass, leading the other youngsters. He schooled like a pro, flying changes on a loose rein and most excitedly he can speed up so quickly and then happily come back in hand!
Anyway, he's back home and settled, being roughed off for the winter. He's going to go back into work in the spring and then....polo! Eek...could this be that our little homebred is actually going to make a polo pony?! I think so!
Now he looks like a dopey donkey in this photo but still! He is not on any hard feed and looks really well, and so relaxed
I've also uploaded a short clip of him cantering in case anyone is bored! https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bf5eg7egdwnr4c/9f58179572fd49a7a89bf78e7bd577a1.MOV?dl=0
Noble
Well-Known Member
What a wonderful thread, please keep updating it! Thoroughly enjoyed reading it through from start to the latest post.
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Gosh, well it’s been a while since I updated this, but today I saw Paloma for the first time since I sold her and it jogged me to update this!Paloma is, to quote her player, “absolutely amazing” . She was playing in a final today and I saw her big chestnut ears in the pony lines and rushed over to see her! She is huge, looks amazing, played so so well - I suppose this is the best possible outcome when you sell a homebred, that they go on to do the job you bred them to do? I felt massively emotional seeing her pelt down the ground, she is Beautiful and what a polo pony!
Meanwhile Cardinal is still with us! We decided that polo wasn’t for him and by then we were too fond of him to sell him! He has had some wonderful months hacking at a yard nr Cheltenham and is now home and officially my beautiful hack!
We also still have both the dams, both still much loved. It’s so lovely to see this thread and see how far we’ve come. I am sure Cardinal would have played polo successfully perhaps if we’d pushed him harder but he is much happier doing what he’s doing. He had a home for life and I hope he’ll be my horse of a lifetime.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
great update and beautiful horses
LadyGascoyne
Well-Known Member
How lovely! Thanks for posting.
I still want dibs Paloma’s retirement days, Mariposa. She’s absolutely smashing.
I still want dibs Paloma’s retirement days, Mariposa. She’s absolutely smashing.
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Isn't she!
Such a lovely little horse ( hard to imagine when she was a teeny tiny little orange foal!)
Lammy
Well-Known Member
Mariposa it’s lovely to see how they’re doing. Paloma looks as fabulous as ever, nice to see she’s enjoying her job!
I might be wrong but I follow Mill Farm hunters on Instagram and I’m sure I saw Cardinal make an appearance on there? He looks such a sweet chap no wonder you can’t part with him!
I might be wrong but I follow Mill Farm hunters on Instagram and I’m sure I saw Cardinal make an appearance on there? He looks such a sweet chap no wonder you can’t part with him!
The Irish Draft 2022
Well-Known Member
Lovely update
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
.
Yes!! That was him with Tim!
He is actually back there now as I’m busy with work, Tim is taking him cubbing! I have told him to sit tight! Mill Farm are so lovely , such a friendly team and Tim is a horse whisperer!
Emilieu
Well-Known Member
I was so excited when I saw how long ago the foal pics were. What absolutely beautiful horses, I so enjoyed watching them grow through your posts.
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Another year has passed! So time for mini update? The good news, both Cardinal and Paloma are well - the bad, neither is owned by me anymore.
Paloma is still playing polo, near us in Cirencester, and by all accounts is a great pony. She was sold on from the original player and I'm in contact with her new owner, with a request for first refusal if he moves her on.
.
Cardinal is also went onto a new home - the DREAM home I think for him. I realised I just didn't have the time for him that he needed, and he would be better suited to a home where he was out doing things, hunting and having fun. So he's gone to an amazing home, with a brilliant brave young jockey and I just couldn't be happier or prouder. Such a lovely home, and he is thriving.
So many years later, I go to my yard and I only have the two dams, who are both still so loved. I am so proud of the careers both babies have gone on to enjoy, one in polo, one on the hunting field. It's been quite the journey, but totally worth it.
Paloma is still playing polo, near us in Cirencester, and by all accounts is a great pony. She was sold on from the original player and I'm in contact with her new owner, with a request for first refusal if he moves her on.
.
Cardinal is also went onto a new home - the DREAM home I think for him. I realised I just didn't have the time for him that he needed, and he would be better suited to a home where he was out doing things, hunting and having fun. So he's gone to an amazing home, with a brilliant brave young jockey and I just couldn't be happier or prouder. Such a lovely home, and he is thriving.
So many years later, I go to my yard and I only have the two dams, who are both still so loved. I am so proud of the careers both babies have gone on to enjoy, one in polo, one on the hunting field. It's been quite the journey, but totally worth it.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
What a fabulous update. It’s absolutely brilliant, this thread.
LadyGascoyne
Well-Known Member
They are such lovely horses! You must be so proud of both of them.