Tell me your horse of a lifetime stories..

[Damnation]

Like, how did you "know" that this horse would be "the one" that you could do anything with and trust completely?

I went to try my current mare and I was the only one who could ride her properly out of everyone who tried her. They had to ask other viewers to get off her!
She was the only one I tried and when I first rode her in a XC field around the jumps. I had never felt so safe on a horse in an open field before. I had to have her! Don't get me wrong we are still ironing out issues but I love her to bits!

Whats your story?

 

[Spotsrock]

She was purple with white spots and she was looking at me. She just was mine from the moment I saw her. Unbroken, mellow and never left her field but I knew she was mine. I backed her and now she looks after me totally, appears a headcase and takes over when my nerves kick in, makes me look much better than I am!

 

[Hedwards]

My horse of a lifetime was the chestnut in my sig.

She was in the yard i had learnt to ride at from 5 years old - they'd stopped being a standard riding school and focussed on being an event yard - 'Betty' had been an event horse, and on the yard for many years but ended up being used in lessons as her owner (a japanese exchange student - had to return home). Known as 'sweaty Betty' by most of the other clients - she was everyone's least favourite horse to ride, she would go round like a giraffe and jog - generally didnt enjoy being in the riding school - but for me, she would be an angel - i loved her completely - the trainer always said you had to have the 'knack' with Betty - and i had it. when i was 14 my parents relented and agreed it was time i had a horse of my own - and low and behold - Betty's owner - who had been keeping up with what she'd been doing, suddenly put her up for sale. i wanted her, she failed her initial vetting, but after scoping passed, within 2 weeks she was mine, and moved to a yard down the road from me.

the first couple of years were very testing - she didnt like a small yard at all, and did get stressy - i disliked her enough to put an add together to sell her - however i continued working with her for a few years and started to really like her again (she was always brilliant to ride), took her to university with me where everything changed, a big bustling yard and she was the best horse in the world - used by the university for demos on the tredmill, out jumping, XC & dressaging, while at the same time my best friend.

I had Betty for 12-13 years, and sadly in her last couple we were plagued with lameness - eventually i had her pts - she had a 10cm leision on her DDFT - aged 21 - and unlikely to enjoy retirement - the most difficult decision i have ever made - but she taught me so much, there will never be another one like her, and while she probably wasnt the most sensible horse i could have bought - i wouldnt change a single thing!

RIP Betty Boo - still miss you!

 

[bexcy-bee]

My little boy was my pony of a life time [=

I was 8 when I got him. Had had another horse on trial, which had pedalbone rotation (sp?) at 6yrs old, due to stress, so lame everytime she would have gone anywhere. So, I was upset, mum took me to the tack shop to chear me up, he was on the sign there. Went to try him, LOVED him! jumped the biggest I ever had on him that day. Was like the saturday before pony club camp, and that started on the monday. Said we were really interested, please hold him till after camp. They told us to take him to camp as a trial, after all he would be doing pony club things, so no better trial! Remember when we picked him up, he ran away from me in his headcollar, through the bonfire dust, in his new leadrein and new travel boots! I knew that day he was for me! haha

Obviously very honest sellers, he looked after me through camp, brought him straight after. Since then, we competed regularly, always won/placed 2' 2'3'', got me where I am now! Before him I had a crazy welsh mare, used to head shake, rear, nap, the works! Would have given up without him!

Used to jump literally sideways for me xD

I remember one competition, I decided I was going to do acut in a jump off. Mum said you wont make it, i was adamant I would. And we did [=. Cut off a good 3 secs of everyone else! 2 other people after me tried it, both failed [=

He was the only pony in the team to be clear at every single event in one year. He is 22 now, and on loan to a lovely girl, giving her all the confidence in the world [=

Ha, my life story of my awesome pony, I was a very lucky girl! Had a true bond with him

bexcy-bee x

 

[turkana]

A friend sent her mare away to stud, she told me they had some nice youngters so I arranged a visit & told them what I was looking for & they told me they had a 3 year old that would be suitable, all I knew was that it was a mare. When we got to the field full of youngsters I saw a nice chestnut, so I said to my fiend "I like the chestnut" she said "maybe that's the one" I just shrugged as it couldn't possibly but it was
.
I didn't have the money at the time so I asked them for first refusal & said I would be back in 3 months with the cash, I offered a deposit but they said no need.

In the mean time they backed her & realised she was actually a very valuable horse but they still sold her to me for the agreed price (£450)

She went on to be amazing, I was once offered £10,000, a dealer offerd me £7000, some body came up to me at a team chase after she had stormed round as lead horse & offered me a blank cheque.

I stayed in touch with her breeder & used to take them photos, I thanked them for selling her to me for such a bargain price when they could have got so much more for her, they said that they got so much pleasure from seeing her pictures & hearing how much I fun I had with her that it was worth it.

She died last May at the age of 30, a true horse of a life time & one that somebody with my budget would never be able to afford, I'll always be gratefull to those people for keeping to their word to a virtual stranger, when they didn't have to. It was thanks to them that a 17 year old buying her first horse was able to get her hands on a total star.

 

[bexcy-bee]

Thought I would add in some photos to show him off

This is us last year, winning the horse and hound at Swallowfield Show, 2nd year of winning combination in a row, we shall make it 3 this year this is him 20 and 21, with big hefta me on top, still managing it haha:

This was us in our hayday:

and just to add, this is him last week with his new lovely loaner:

Oh, and his competition name is Little Star, he lives up to it fully!

bexcy-bee x

 

[PC Steele]

Mine was Atlanta my old police horse!!! He joined the force when he was three when I joined the mounted branch he was twelve!! Officers are not usually issued with their own horse straight away but after two weeks I was told because I had ridden before I was getting a horse that had basically become unridable and kept bolting. I thought great why have I joined this branch!! Anyway I read his report that said he was an extremely strong horse and should only be ridden by strong experienced riders. Also said amoungst other things 'This horse is not under any circumstance to be cantered on the soft ground' There was references saying the horse obviously wasn't the complete package and maybe it should be sold. To cut a long story short 2 1/2 years later Im on duty with a good friend of mine riding Atlanta we are in Richmond Park and I say 'Fancy a canter'? she nods and off we go!! I shout to her 'Just remember NEVER canter this horse on the soft ground!!!!' He retired from duty two years ago I have now got him at home and still enjoy hacking once a week. We completely understand each other he is the best

 

[BMA]

Mine is the horse I have now...i guess hence why I still have him.

I worked at a riding school for years. Then a friend of the families daughter moved abroad with her boyf so I had her horse on loan for several years- totally broke my heart when the she who had been out the picture for years came back to the family home and i once had him tacked up to ride and she said I fancy going out and just took him. By this point I had looked after him 365 days a year for 5 years - that kept happening, once mid way through clipping and I was still expected to look after him but I was being treated like such a mug that I walked away. He was the perfect school master...a stroppy so and so that hated dressage but he'd evented to Intermediate and done a fair bit of show jumping too...but was always the worst behaved horse out hunting. We were both 15...

After having to walk away from this horse I did the sensible thing of buying the first horse that I saw (idiot)...he turned out to be a pig. No worse...a pig from hell. I hated him - he was horrid to handle, tried to kick you when you groomed him, bucked me off everytime I tried to go hunting and this this could buck like nothing I have ever sat on before. I had hunted for years on riding school horses that I would help myself to and the loan horse...and this new horse was supposed to be my hunter. The farrier couldn't keep front shoes on him...the list went on and on.

So I decided to sell him...and whilst in the process I made the mistake of 'just having a look at some local horses'.

I wanted to find the clone copy of my loan horse (albeit that I didn't want an older horse and certainly couldn't afford an Intermediate eventer). But I wanted a brown, 15.3hh irish gelding.

I found a horse that matched all that - he seemed honest over a set of hunt fences and I thought he'd do. He didn't wow me like the ginger pig did when I first sat on him - but hey, the ginger pig had got me no where!

Anyway I went aboard the H&H ad for the ginger pig ran out and I thought about putting him on sales livery. Radomly someone contacted me after seeing my add in a 4 week old H&H and came to see him and to cut a long story short offered me £200 less that what I paid for the pig, no vetting and he would be gone tomorrow! bye bye pig.

So I went back to see the 15.3hh irish horse that i thought 'would do' they had a couple of people out in the mean time but no one could get on with him and he is very very sharp and nervous to handle and can also be a tad like it to ride. I hated his walk, he had a stupid mane but seemed honest.

Well - I have now done 11 seasons hunting on the horse 'that will do' endless unaff competitions and eventing up to pre nov...for me he is the horse of a lifetime. He's not the bravest eventing - combinations can wig him out hence me not seeing the point going further than pre nov...i'll just be paying to stop and fall off! But I have done everything on him - proper jack of all trades. But hunting - my god, this little horse would jump the moon for me, biggest hedge, biggest gate, jacket over wire - he never lets me down and I owe him so much and he owes me nothing.

 

[ChwaraeTeg]

What a lovely read . Thank-you for starting it Damnation.
.
Our story is too long to tell,
but my once in a lifetime horse and I were together for 33 years.
.
He officiated at our wedding
and saved my life on more than one occasion. (and I his)
.
We seemed to know what eachother were thinking ...... and I still miss him
He joined our family in 1972 as a 2 year old and left us in 2005.
.

.
I was very, very, very fortunate to have known him for so long.
.

.

 

[Damnation]

Aaaah I love reading stories like this, give you hope! Anyone else care to add theirs?

 

[Kokopelli]

Sorry mine has a sad ending and you all probably know it by now:

After 6 months of looking for the perfect horse I was beginning to lose hope. My confidence had taken a huge blow and I needed a sane horse but one with a bit of talent. After almost giving up I'm scrolling through H&H and see a tiny advert the horse was jumping a 2ft fence really looked nothing special. We rang up anyway and arranged to see him.

Then you see him in person this beautiful horse, I have never seen an appaloosa as beautiful as Koko and to this day he remains the most handsome horse I know. I fell in love with him, bought him after our second visit and brought him home.

We started off bad, he was very nervous of me but I could tell he wanted to learn. I put all my trust in him and my once diminished confidence came back so quickly and he trusted me. He was coming on in leaps and bounds his dressage went from 59% to 72% and his jumping went from 2ft to BS.

We take him to a qualifier for Scope (I think) he jumped amazingly absolutly flew and came 2nd. Afterwards when we got him he didn't look right, I put it down to working hard set the webcam up and kept an eye on him that night. He looked fine.

I go up in the morning and my once beautiful horse looked bad. He had cold sweats was shaking, we called the vet immedietly and he was admitted to the equine hospital with a chance of it being Atypical Myglobinuria- the prognosis was very bad.

6 hours he was there he fought to the very end but he couldn't find it any longer. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him, he was too far in a trance to realise who I was. (He even let the vet near him) My lovely boy was taken too soon at the age of 6. It wasn't fair.

To this day I blame myself for his death. I should have called the vet after the jumping comp when I didn't think he was right, maybe it would have saved him. I will never forgive myself for that.

I look back and I have such fond memories of him I know he is up there and one day I'll see him again and I'll give him that hug and kiss I was never able to give. Sleep well Koko you really were my once in a lifetime horse.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Lovely readings and some sad ones too

I met my girl through the first pony I ever part loaned - he was a little sod and taught me well!
I outgrew him and took on the owners mare - a 14.2hh Sect D x with a bit of a reputation on the yard Having ridden out with her on my first p/l for many years I can't say it wasn't nervewracking - I knew she was a stroppy diva! She was a napper, a kicker, bolshy and had one hell of an attitude.
She is also the most amazing horse - loving, tummy orientated and even at 17, she has never lost that spirit that streak of pure stubborness! I have been loaning her for 6 years now.

I found out in due time that she had been rescued from the gypsies - beaten, thin, and basically wild. Her owner was advised time and time again to have her PTS as she was dangerous but she kept battling with her and eventually got her to where she is now.

She still has that spirit and has come through so much - she has just been diagnosed with Cushings and we've been through 18 months of hell with her, where we thought we were losing her, but she seems (fingers crossed) to be coming through now and that old spark is coming back! She never stops fighting and she simply is the horse of a lifetime.
K x

here she is - even filthy, with a dirty rug, she is still stunning.

 

[Sanolly]

About 4 years ago I was finally in the position to get my own horse. I wasn't looking for a forever horse - more a project to do up and sell. So I tootled off to the local dealer to look at a piebald mare he had. I didn't like her so when my friend was riding her I had a look round the yard and saw this:

tied to the fence. He was smaller and more expensive than what I was looking for, but was so sweet when I was having a cuddle that I asked to try him - 20 minutes later I was writing a cheque!
After about 3 months of working with him I knew he wasn't going anywhere! He has such a willing attitude that even though he was a very worried, anxious little boy he always tried his best to please, and would turn his hairy little hooves to anything from
dressage

show jumping

sponsored rides

XC

I even had a blast mock hunting him this year even if this happened:

So, my little pony-cob, this one is for you - my best friend and soulmate, the one who makes all my stress disappear and my pony of a lifetime!

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I currently own my horse of a lifetime, had her 19years this July, I feel I just know she is the one if you know what I mean. I can never imagine anything being as perfect for me.
My parents bought her for me when I was 11yrs and I am 30 in 9 days
She has always been there for me, had very few downs really with her, she has been a superstar and can turn her hoof to anything. She is a very honest mare, and people do tend to love her, she has always been so easy to do in all ways.

Me age 11 sat on her, yes I know, no hat, I was just so proud that we got her and I was 11 (looked flaming awful! such a tomboy!) and at that age you just don't really think. She was 2/3 in this piccy and I just wanted a picture of us together...

And here I am with her last year

I love her to bits, she is a superstar, even if she has left me with a fractured coccyx that gives me alot of pain, I look back and it was not her fault really anyway....she is my horse of a lifetime and I think she is beautiful

 

[eva]

What a incredible array of stories! This has to be the best thread ever.
I grew up dreaming of horses every day, day and night horse would be my keenest wish, I started riding when I was 12 and my mum finally gave up and decided I'm old enough to ride. However there was no chance I could have had my own pony as we weren't very well off. I would often be scared that I'd never have my own horse ever. At the age of 26 I have managed to save up a nice sum of money for a car, but my boyfriend's parents decided they will pay the entire sum themselves, so for the first time ever I was in a position to actually really buy a horse! my very own horse! I started thinking, what kind of horse would I like? I wanted something really good, so that if I have my own horse it is a great horse not just any horse. I have ridden many many different horses, but Spanish ones amazed me with their temperament and agility. I looked at different Spanish horses for sale, long and hard, until one day I found an ad for B, and immediately I felt that he was the one. He was for sale and there was somebody coming to choose between him and a few other horses on that yard in 2 weeks time, so if I were to buy him I'd have to do it unseen as my budget didn't allow for last minute travel to Spain. Time was running out and my brain was melting, I realised it is a completely irrational decision to buy a horse unseen. One day I have even decided I'm not going to do it. It's crazy, impossible, risky. But that day I just couldn't stop crying. Nothing could cheer me up. I felt I was losing him, and it was for some reason absolutely heartbreaking as if he was the love of my life!!!

After that day I realised that it's stronger than I thought and so I took the leap and voila now it's been almost a year since I had B shipped over from Spain, seen only in pictures and videos. He is an absolute dream and the best, gentlest, bravest, cleverest hard-working horse in the whole world, he always looks after me and I know that even when he spooks he's taking care of me, and he is fantastic in every way, I couldn't have chosen a better horse. He's my reward for waiting all these years, every day I see him I'm in heaven, I'm not sure how long do such miracles last for, but I am enjoying every minute of it.

 

[brighthair]

well I sold a horse that was too much for me, and set out looking for another. I tried, looked, and was getting really fed up. Mum went and bought Loot, and there was nothing in it. I threw it down and it landed open on the garden section where there was an advert that said "Horse, good with kids and dogs"
Don't ask, I went to view him and brought him home

He was (as far as I knew then) a TB that had done a few point to points. Much research later, I found he had raced for 11 years and done over 120 races, been through Doncaster sales twice.... England, to Ireland and back more times than you could count

So as I could go on forever about him, why was he my horse of a lifetime?
Because - he was SO good. He loaded himself, had barbed wire removed with no anaesthetic or sedation, clipped without a headcollar, was fantastic in traffic, never stopped or ran out at a jump, let kids clamber all over him and was generally a complete superstar. Oh and he had not one, but 2 prophets thumbmarks!

Sadly after 5 years he developed abcesses, and various lameness, and he told me it was his time. Letting him go was the hardest thing I have ever done, and it made me quit riding. I started again for him, but it;s harder now to ride - I have to get on horses that aren't him
Here he is, about 30 mins before he went to sleep forever

 

[Natch]

My first horse henry was mine, although others have also been wonderful too.

I was 16 and happy as a riding school rider who helped for free hacks and to mess about with horses. Never thought much about owning one. One day I was asked to come and try a new horse for the riding school, and thought nothing unusual of it.turned up to see an unusually very smart horse with a kind smiley face, and my heart melted. Annoyingly I couldnt shake off my mum, who I couldnt understand why she chose that day to insist on watching me ride.

He was a saint in the school, and by the time I came back from a short hack I begged mum to consider if we had enough money to have him under the rs loan scheme. I was followed en masse to the tack room where I was told if you want him he is yours. He was on trial for me not the rs at all! I was overjoyed and spent the afternoon being fed cups of sweet tea by my yo who was worried I had gone so pale I looked like I would faint. The same yo looked after me and my henry and im so grateful.

We did pony club, we did showing, we hacked and since he was on working livery he looked after his riding school riders too. I spent hours just being with him. I remember one day I turned him out, and he stayed with me at the gate for hours just talking. He was the love of my life, and sadly he was taken from me too soon after a year by an injury in the field, where he even made a lasting impression as a gentleman during his stay in horsepital.

Rest peacefully my darling. Thank you for everything. X