That one horse 'who got away'...who would yours be?

Sparkles

Sparkles

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Mine would be Splodgey. Did so much work with him and he got me back into jumping decent heights again [only as he made them feel like nothing as he jumped everything 5ft regardless most the time!]. I'd had my confidence knocked to an all time low and wouldnt even want to jump 2ft...let alone 4ft+ until he came along. He was a gem to hunt - he'd always be the horse giving leads, including the first time he ever went hunting bless him lol, he as so well behaved everyone one thought he was an old jumping pro and we ended up giving leads over everything his first day out....He'd only ever galloped properly for his first time the day previous bless him!!!

He was just a dude. Not 'easy' by any means, a complete flower as couldn't stand anything woolly/fluffy on him lol...but a complete dude. He was as close as I came to my 'dream' horse. He was related to Arko III, who I'd obsessively idolised from a young girl and naively remember saying once 'when I'm older, I want to have a Arko baby'....and that turned out to be him.
Sadly he wasn't 'mine' and did get sold after 20 months of utter fun on him....but he'll always be one of my horse of a lifetime types.

Making 1m30 feel and look like a warm-up fence.
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Cantering about
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1m20 spread piece of cake too.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/60348_486040381752_708806752_6608200_356071_n.jpg

Out hunting:
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/62484_487736946752_708806752_6641209_2639763_n.jpg

And our summer hacking with our afternoon stop in the apple orchard :)
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/59927_486936096752_708806752_6627991_1389793_n.jpg



And me getting it biblically wrong...LOL
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/62328_486055996752_708806752_6608598_207242_n.jpg





So who's yours? I'm sure everyone has a horse they regularly try and google stalk to find out about them also. [In all fairness, I did find a couple of photos of him on some random hunting photos on FB last year....but then everything just vanished :( ]
 
GG Bells said:
Milton.

He was blatantly meant for me, but was sold to the wrong people. ;)

On a serious note, I've got my horse of a lifetime, though he's a bit old now :)
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Lol! That made me chuckle. :p

Aw...I'm blessed too, my 3 are also horse of a lifetimes...but Splodgey was just 'different' somehow.
 
A lovely pony called Marie! She was amazing, a true star. (Looked a bit like 'Spirit', from thar Dreamworks movie, which I still love to this day) sadly she was sold. I could have still ridden her now, but would have been a bit of a pony squisher, haha!

I thought Ned was going to 'get away' too, as when his owner bought him, he was a 6month/year project horse. One of the yard lads fell head over heals in love with him and owner decide to keep him, as she rather liked him too! There was talk of the lad having him, but another horse came that he'd fallen in love and he went off Ned a bit. Then there was more talk, but this time of owner selling him! I opened a savings account then and there and that was my Ned fund. Turns out it was hear say and she wasn't selling, but I still kept my account.
Then last week, his owner said she was indeed selling (this was a good 8-10months after the first rumour) and I was the one she wanted to have him, if I still wanted him (Of course!!!) :D
 
Riding school pony called Domino.....Black Mare 14.1 ish, we clicked so much that I was able to join the 'owners' lessons and keep up.

Riding instructor desperately wanted me to have her, Mum enquired about buying her for me but Dad refused!! (never forgiven him!)

Would have loved to have got her out of the riding school, she was a real gem.
 
there was a beautiful exmoor pony that i viewed last year- didnt buy him as he would probably been too much for my 8 yr old novice daughter- however he captured a piece of my heart and i often wondered about him and where he ended up- as owners were desperate to sell

recently he's come up for sale again ( with new owner) and i cant stop looking at his ads- unfortunatly he's now three times the price, and out of my grasp.

but there's just something about him that i loved.... if only money grew on trees :(
 
Nah said:
A lovely pony called Marie! She was amazing, a true star. (Looked a bit like 'Spirit', from thar Dreamworks movie, which I still love to this day) sadly she was sold. I could have still ridden her now, but would have been a bit of a pony squisher, haha!

I thought Ned was going to 'get away' too, as when his owner bought him, he was a 6month/year project horse. One of the yard lads fell head over heals in love with him and owner decide to keep him, as she rather liked him too! There was talk of the lad having him, but another horse came that he'd fallen in love and he went off Ned a bit. Then there was more talk, but this time of owner selling him! I opened a savings account then and there and that was my Ned fund. Turns out it was hear say and she wasn't selling, but I still kept my account.
Then last week, his owner said she was indeed selling (this was a good 8-10months after the first rumour) and I was the one she wanted to have him, if I still wanted him (Of course!!!) :D
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That's a lovely story!!
 
A couple I was interested in when I was looking to buy mine have turned up owned by people on here. Luckily in respect of both I've been very glad to have found my girl instead.

In terms of "horse of a lifetime" I'm lucky to know that two of the horses I have loved most ended their days owned by the same riding school where I met them. And I'm pretty sure that another will have a similar life.

The one I really wonder about is a welsh D who I shared and was sold on, at the time I was gutted not to have been given chance to buy him......
 
Raffles.....I had him on loan after my TB tried, and nearly succeeded, in killing me, my confidence was shot and I wouldn't jump a twig. Raffles was a TB x Connie by Just a Monarch and he would jump anything, he wasn't a novice ride, but he did my confidence wonders. Sadly he was sold and I couldn't afford to buy him but I often wonder 'what if?'

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Excuse the picture, it's the only one of him I can find and has been copied and 'fixed' as it stuck to the glass of the photo frame. :(
 
A young TB point to pointer I used to ride, I made an offer on her before she had ever raced but her owner thought she had real potential and was worth much more than I could afford. She's pointed 2 seasons now and recently broke down. I always said I'd have her when she broke but I'm not in a position to have 2 and she has value to her owner if he can get her sound and even as a brood mare. If I ever win the lottery that's the first call I'm making.
 
My "one who got away" is a hackney x welsh D gelding called Copper. I've ridden him at a riding school/trekking centre for 13 years (half my life, and nearly half of his). He's the only horse I have complete trust in, would take him anywhere and I feel like a "rider" on him, as opposed to a nervous nellie. He's strong and feisty and if other horses tried half his antics I'd probably get off! The normal rules just don't apply with him. About 8 years ago he started to get some arthritis in his knees and was unable to do the long, fast pub rides, but was too feisty for novice rides and his owner asked if I wanted him. I was just about to start my veterinary degree and had to say no :( I'm in a position to get a horse now and, if I'm honest, there's only one I want, unfortunately at 25 he is still going strong, knees no problem and now settled down enough to be very useful to his owner in the riding school. He's not got the best conformation, is a bit of a grumpy old git and not many people can see the attraction, but there's just nothing else in the world like him, he's my best mate and I adore him.

This is us in 2010 at a sponsored ride that his owner verykindly let me borrow him for, to ride with my sister on her horse. He's 23 in this picture.

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Mine was called Cliff, by Golden Cliff.
He was like a very, very athletic ID, only about 16.2hh, 5 year old.

He was already at the dealers when I started there at 19, and he was the most cocky, arsey opinionated thing I'd ever met. He was most definitely a 19 year old's horse, I remember taking him on a massive hack with about 4 others, staying on while he tried to bronc me off in the stubble fields and jumping drains because I couldn't stop.

After about 8 miles on the way home I stuck my arm out to signal right at junction. He proceeded to rodeo on the spot, turn for home without waiting for the trafffic and deposit me on my feet about 100yds from the yard gate.

However, he was as brave as I was (at the time), we'd sneak off and go gate jumping, as there was a line of five across a bridlepath near us and it saved opening them. I had my first real days hunting on him, and he looked after us both so well. I jumped my first fence with wire on, my first hedge I couldn't see over, and for the first time came home behind hounds in the dark.

We sold him to a 15 yr old girl who had seen him out hunting. He then got the better of her, and was sent to an event rider. I saw him at an event with her, thoroughly miserable, napping so badly he stopped dead in the middle of his test and had to be LED by a groom out of the arena as all he would do was buck in place.

He was the first, but not the last horse I fell for so badly, I haven't owned one myself for ten years, and luckily most I sell end up happy and well, but this one hurt me because he had so much character. To see him so miserable was awful.
 
I really regret not buying a lovely little chestnut mare I used to have lessons on. She was for sale at the right time, for the right price, but at that time I wanted to jump and her limit was 3ft. I got my mad Welsh Cob instead and blew my confidence. I don't jump any more because of her.

I wonder what would have happened had I bought her? How much better a dressage rider would I be? Would I still have her?

Then again, if I'd had her I wouldn't have met my wonderful, beautiful old mare (who was a horse in a million and "got away" last year due to colic).
 
A liver chestnut Trakehner called Icarus, who I rode every day whilst working in Switzerland. He was the nicest person - used to stick his nose through the bars of his stable and whicker when he heard my voice, and was just gorgeous to ride. He had been the Canadian National Champion at Medium level before his owners brought him home to Switzerland, so he was quite posh. I was devastated when they moved him, and even more devastated when I heard that they had sold him 6 months later. I had the money, and was looking at the time. It was just bad luck that they didn't know I was buyong, and I didn't know they were selling.
I bought Aussie instead, and he was wonderful, but Icarus was my dream horse...
 
Always think about a welsh d that I used to ride called sunny. Was only 5 and so so cheeky :)
Was offered him for sale or exchange for my boy but there was no way I could part with my lad as he is my horse of a lifetime.
Just sometimes wonder how sunny doing. Wish could have afforded to have both :)
 
A 14hh Camargue called Shadowfax! When I was working in Italy at a riding school the children were nervous of him so I got to get him back into work and I was just so in love! He threw his head around like a stallion (only gelded at 9), was beautiful pearly white with classic flowing mane and he was so stroppy, bitey and bucked a lot, but that was what made it so special when we started to get along, I really enjoyed lunging him or schooling him in a round pen, he responded to my voice and considering I found the experience pretty isolating not knowing any Italian he was my only friend there :-) I kept getting heatstroke when there and I just wish I had ridden him more and been on long rambling hacks on our own, I was probably too big for him then and would definitely squish him now, but I wish I had somehow got him over to the UK!

I also spotted a palomino Welsh D on Horsemart that was much too expensive and not even 4, I'm sure if I went to see I would never have gone for it but I KEEP finding myself having those little daydreams... the advert is not up anymore boohoo!
 
i am now looking for ponies i sold years ago that i know would suit my daughters now.....for myself, theres one mare i sold three years ago..i bought her as a 5 year old for 2300 euros, she hadnt done much, i just liked her..i had her for two years and we did a bit but she threw me off so many times with her bucking..we did some eventing together and many lessons,,but she kept throwing me off...i was told that many times to sell her.....that i did!!!....o sold her and built an areana with the money i got ..
i have been showjumping alot more since and now my son is a great rider at 17 years old.......i would love her now....
she was soooo good..
 
I have 2


A horse called Blue. He was only 4/5 and newly broken But I was allowed to ride him in the riding school in my lessons - - he was a private owned horse. He was LOVELY. He was so different from the plods, you could feel the power behind him but he was a real gentleman given that I was 12 and only been riding just over a year.
I wanted to buy him, and so did my parents, but he was too expensive :(. He was STUNNING though.

The other is a Bavarian Warmblood called Realto that I used to work with...............I also had the option of buying him but again, finances stood in the way. He was a dude!! He liked to groom you and give you kisses and loved plums...............and he looked almost completely black, but he wasnt. And his coat was sooo soft........he introduced me to lateral work and flying changes as he was a push button ride!
 
Many years ago at a riding school they had a horse who I adored. He was a TB who'd been bred to race NH. But he grew to be just over 18hh, so they decided not to race him. He was sold on to someone who retrained him to be a showjumper, but he wouldn't/couldn't jump anything bigger than 3ft. So they sent him to a family member who had the riding school because he had such a quite disposition. I ended up being put on him all the time, and I loved him to bits. I felt very safe and comfortable sitting up on him, and he went very nicely for me.

I was in a position to buy a horse a couple of years later and asked about him, but he'd been sold to a family who rode at the yard. They kept him at the yard, and were letting him be ridden on a few lessons a week by the tall riders (there were at least half a dozen 5'10"+ riders at the yard)

Anyways, a few years later I was looking for a horse again and turned out the people had sold him back to the riding school, so I went to ask about him, but someone else told me there was no way the yard would sell him to anyone ever again. So I chickened out.

A few months later I though oh what the hell and went to ask about him, only to discover he'd died a few days earlier :(

They had another horse on the yard who is smaller than himself, but rides just like him, he was for sale, so I bought him, got his passport and discovered he's the-one-that-got-away's nephew!
 
A an ex racer TB who was an absolute nutjob that her owners were petrified of her. She had an odd retarded looking trot, no clear style with jumping and could turn into a mad horse in a split second, having taken the entire gate off its hinges and chasing her owner round the yard. BUT she had attitude and when you got to know her a real loving side. I rode her for the owners alot as I seemed to 'click' with her and she flew round the cross country course at Tweseldown with me shutting my eyes over several large jumps. She tried her best for you. They offered her to me and upon a 5* vetting, it was thought she had the start of navicular so i turned her down. I already had one horse bringing in the vet bills.

I always think of what we could have done together:o
 
I was fortunate enough to have two! One was just 6 years old when he broke his legs in the field and had to be pts. He was a 17.1/17.2hh ID and truly a one in a million. For the two years before the accident he had never ever put a foot wrong, a bombproof hack and just perfect. I had gone from a 13hh pony to him! I so miss him and always wonder what we would be doing right now if I had him.

Second one was my little coblet, he was a 14.3hh heinz 57 and again a true one in a million. I got him on loan after breaking my back after previous horse had thrown himself over on top of me. I had known him since he was 2 and he hadn't done anything (bought off of travellers so was already backed) for about 8 years! I brought him in and just jumped on. I hacked him loads and he was perfect so I bought him. He gave me the most amazing 4 years of my life and got me from being too scared to do more than a walk to out hunting, jumping, XC etc. I sold him 2 and 1/2 years ago now and really miss him but he went to a lovely lady who had lost her horse in a freak thunderstorm and had been looking for a bombproof hack to plod around on - which he was!

I then got my boy. He completely knocked my confidence as he repetitively dumped me and my yard manager and old owners (who found me via youtube - bought him from a dealer who they had loaned to!) told me to PTS as hes dangerous. I then missed my Toby! Fortunately now we have worked through it and he is a fab horse to ride, safe enough for children and novices to sit on too.
 
I had one a welsh sec D, bought him as a 2 yr old and broke him in, he could be abit quirky and abit stubben but I just really clicked with him. Always used to give me kisses and groom me back ect, never met a more friendly horse. had to sell him at christmas because i'm away at uni and he's to much for my younger sisters, I know he's gone to a really good home but I miss him :( & can't help wondering what we would of acheived if i'd got into a local uni.
 
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