Your horsey journeys over the years ..

[Montyforever]

Just thinking today its nearly been 4 years since i first decided to finally (after years of liking them lots

) get involved with horseys

Woaah its been a bumpy ride lol
Well i started off working sundays at a riding school and really loved a horse up there a big chestnut thoroughbred with v.dodgey tendons! Called Khan, i loved him loads! after working there about a year and a half me and a friend were getting a bit annoyed with the yards new manager and the way things where changing and decided to leave.
A few weeks later we found a new place

We thought it was great! Nice small and quiet.
But times change and everyone ended up at the new yard and it got crowded and busy, not to mention it wasnt run very well! But i stuck to it (friend had left) and started to look after a retierd pony just grooming him and loving him

He was called Monty and he can from the riding school i was at before, i went up everyday just to see him, groom him and i did this for about a year before after years and years of pleading i managed to convice my mum to let me have a pony on full loan!
I had almost given up looking for a nice ploddy cob .. where are they all?!
And decided to get a shetty or welshie as i wasnt too keen on riding! And i found Bobby ..
I got him and kept him at the 2nd riding school.
Worked with him, got him safe to be ridden again, lunging ect as he did nothing when i got him .. and was the most bargy little [****] and after all that work .. and 8mnths of love and god nos how much money spent on him the owners took him back, completly broke my heart and i said id never get another horse again!
A few days after he had gone, friend from the riding school (which i left a few months before pony was taken back) who was also a dealer invited me down to her yard and said she had a foal for sale .. i went, not expecting to want to buy a horse after what had happend. But when i got down there really liked the look of one of the mares and asked more about her, groomed her and really liked her. A week after i said id never get another horse .. ive bought one hehe
So much for that promise!
So after years and years i finally have my own horse and its great

Soo hot chocolate for getting this far!!
I wanna hear our stories what horses youve had, what youve regretted ect ..

Before i forget, both Khan and Monty where put down last year :'(
RipKhanOct08
RipMonty11thDec08

 

[Birker2020]

Hi. I first sat on an equine on the beach at Woolacombe aged three when my lovely grandma paid for me to have a ride. My godparents daughter had a pony and I sat on that a couple of times in front of her on the saddle. Mum decided that when I was 11 I could have lessons. This was followed by working at riding stables at weekends, salami sandwiches and chicken soup in a flask were my staple diet for many years. Then when I was about 14 I had a horse on loan, followed by two more then aged 17 my Grandad gave me money to buy a horse of my own (Grandpa used to be in the mounted police). The mare was nothing but trouble, totally unsuitable, she used to rear, bolt, buck. Turned out she had 3 vetebrae out in her back, so as she had fab breeding she was sold as a broodmare. Then I had a gap of about 8 years from horses before buying my first 'real' horse Biggles when I was aged 25 in 1995, a 17h bay warmblood x TB who was a grade B showjumper. Sadly we lost him 2.5 years later as a result of an accident on a pleasure ride, he was followed by Miki, totally unsuitable plodder Miki was five, but had no sparkle, was nothing like Biggles and I wanted to sell him. He sadly broke his leg in the field playing with his friends and was PTS. Thus followed lovely Billy who was a smashing WB, I was able to do a bit of everything on Billy. He dropped down dead of a heart attack aged 13. I had Rommy next, he was great, did loads of new stuff on him, he had a smashing jump and we used to compete up to discovery level BSJA. He was diagnosed with untreatable wobblers aged 10 and was PTS. Now I have Bailey, who I have had for five years. He is a 17.1h belgian warmblood aged 12 now. I've done BSJA, unaffiliated dressage at elementary level, Le Trec, Fun Rides, one and three day events unaffiliated and at one time endless hours of glorious hacking (he is totally unsuitable for hacking on his own now sadly and I really miss it). The one thing I have learned through all my horsey experiences is that you never stop learning. Horses are a lot of heartache, but you are left with some wonderful precious memories of some fab times together. As for regrets, yes there's a few, but only those ones where I am unable to change the course of fate with my horses dying and no one can do that, so they are not real regrets as such. I love my horsey life, I have survived through two recessions with them, although I am losing my job in August I am confident that my horse will not suffer through lack of money, but they are time and money draining for certain. Interesting post HannaandHoney, thanks.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

My story is;

I wanted to ride when i was little but for years my parent swouldn't let me, saying it was too expensive. The best I'd get were pony rides in walk at the local village fair, I used to go back again and again just to be led in walk up and down a 50metre stretch. Then I eventually persuaded them to let me have lessons and had to wait a whole year before the riding school had any spaces! But eventually I went (aged 9) and loved it. A few years later i started helping at this stables at the weekends and school holidays, I fell in love with a little stubborn pony called Thistle who no one else liked as she was naughty and was always dragging people into the haybarn so she could eat! I had her on loan for several holidays until I eventually outgrew her at 15. Then I started to loan a 15.1hh cob called Barley (still at the same yard). He was another one no one liked! This time because he was very grumpy and would bite and kick people. He had been very mistreated as a youngster though and over time he learnt to trust me and was nice to me! (He was still horrible to everyone else though). When I was 16 I persuaded my parents to let me have him on permanent loan rather than just in the holidays, this was brilliant, I could now go down almost everyday and ride him and our relationship got loads better as a result.

Then when I was 18 my parents wanted me to go to university, I really didn't want to go as it would mean I'd have to leave Barley behind. So they said that if I went they would buy Barley for me so I could take him with me. I was so happy, the day I went to Barley's owner and asked her if I could buy him and she said yes was the happiest day of my life, I walked round grinning all day, I couldn't believe it.

So me and Barl went off to uni and had lots of fun for two years but then by the third year I was realising I wanted to do a lot more than Barley was capable of. He was a stocky, not very athletic and laid back cob, I wanted to jump bigger, do harder dressage etc.

It was the hardest decision ever but i knew I had to sell him, neither of us were happy anymore as I just kept trying to push him to do things he couldn't do. Quite a few people came to see him but no one wanted him as he was grumpy and lazy. I was beginning to loose hope. Then my yard manager at uni suggested some people she knew, a lovely family who wanted to hack and do hunter trials, they lovely Barley and he was perfect for them, so he went to a lovely home.

The yard manager also knew of a horse for sale, Luca, a rather nutty, sharp horse who was too much for his owner. I went to see him and loved riding him (he was so responsive!) so I got him on trial and he never went back. We had some issues at the start (he thought rein contact meant go faster and used to bolt with me regualarly). But over time we resolved this and he is now a lovely allrounder who always tries for me.

When I finished uni I went back home with Luca to work at the riding school i had grown up at for awhile. I was sad to hear that they were deciding to close the school and just do liveries so all the school horses would have to be sold. They found new homes for all the horses except one, who no one really wanted, an aged, slightly crazy anglo arab gelding who had a reputation for always injuring himself or having something wrong with him. He also has the sweetest nature and had always been one of my favourites. They asked me if I would like to have him. I said yes!

So lovely little Roscoe came to live with me and has been perfectly happy and healthy ever since. He is still a bit nutty but I quite like that in horses! So now I have two lovely boys, Roscoe and Luca and that completes my horsey story so far

PS: I think I should take up novel writing!

 

[Grey_Arab]

I first started to get the love for horses when I was 7 as a friend (Steve Winwood's daughter!) had ponies at home and I loved them and always wanted to go and see them when I was there.

I had my first riding lesson for my 8th birthday and loved it even more! Started riding seriously when I was 8. The yard that I learned to ride at closed down at the end of 1998 so I had a break from it and went back there in 1999 under the new owner. There opening on April Fools day in 1999 was a dressage comp, and I won the walk and trot test on a pony called George and because of that I was offered him on lease.

I leased 3 ponies from them for 3 years, I learned a heck of a lot and had a wonderful time. I was then bought my current pony in 2002 and kept him there till last year. It was a very different experience as I had more control over what was going on and there was a new instructer who I really got on well with.

Moved my boy from there in 2008 to the yard where my instructer had gone as it was a smaller, quieter riding school while I am away at uni, and am loving it there as well.

So there we go, that's me

 

[Apercrumbie]

I'm one of those lucky people who have been riding as long as they can remember, although it took me 12 years to finally get a horse!! Since I was 5 i helped out at the riding stables across the road and when I was 10, I was allowed a little 12.2 pony for part loan. Several boltings later (and I thought he was lazy

) we got along perfectly and to this day (he's now very old) I still adore him.

When I was 12, I was left some money by my grandmother so I bought my very own pony, Apple. Apple was a 14.1 appaloosa with the best jump I have ever seen or felt. Sadly this bought many problems - she was absolutely nutty!! It took me a year before I could compete her properly and when I'd really got going with her, she got back problems and became a chronic rearer. I stuck with her for a year and solved the rearing but as my feet went down to her knees I though, I thought I should sell her.

When Apple was having her meltdown I got a 15.2 one eyed tbxwelsh on loan for a dressage horse. Luckily for Byron, he is very comfy to ride because he was so awful on the ground that we nearly had to send him back. (He sent me flying several times and has caused many injuries) Luckily I stuck with him and we competed at dressage quite successfully. We now completely need each other (his words, not mine

) and he is definitely my horse of a lifetime.

After selling Apple, I found it really hard to find a new horse. We bought a lovely girl called Lily who had several issues so she had to go back. I really regret it but I know that I couldnt have coped so it was the right decision. I ended up with a 14.2 Andalusian who was practically unbroken. Mr Turnip (I know) was so naughty and I found it too hard to properly cope with him. I sorted him out and then sold him on to a lovely home.

After Mr Turnip, my confidence was in shreds so I started looking for a very safe cob type to do a bit of everything on. I very quickly found Ted who is a saint. When Byron was very badly injured this winter, it was lovely to have an uncomplicated horse to deal with when I had to spend hours every day looking after Byron.

And here we are now, I now have Byron permanently and a mini shetland for him to look after, and I have another saintly horse too. Although I will never be a confident rider again, I love my boys to bits and I am so grateful for everything they do, even when Ted corkscrews with me and Byron thinks its funny to never stop galloping, even when we hit roads!

Sorry for the rather long story. Muffins for reading!

 

[Erehwemos]

Oh yay, something to keep me occupied for a while during my otherwise very boring day at work!!!

I was born into the horsey way of life. Mum had worked at numerous racing yards during her late teens and early twenties, and Dad was a farrier in Lambourn. I was first put on a horse - my mum's Arab x Dartmoor pony, Caddy - at the age of 6 months. Caddy shied at a tractor and I fell off....Mum couldnt catch me quick enough, and I landed head first on the tarmac (no hat, obviously, as my head was too small

)! No long lasting damage was done, although I do have a big scar somewhere under my mop of hair, and Mum incurred the wrath of Dad and my Nan for several days

My very first pony didnt last long - he was a cheeky little Sec A who was really more of a driving pony than a riding one! I was only 18 months or so, and after he managed to even buck Mum off when she tried to ride him to calm him down, he went back to his owner and his carriage

Then came Lable

He was an absolute darling; we got him from Peter Walwyn, and although he was elderly and looking quite poor when we got him, within a few months you would never have guessed he was 32 years old! Lable and I became king of the local Lead Rein Jumping scene, although we did have a few problems when my dad got so carried away that he would gallop right to the end of the course, only to find me sat bawling on the floor after Fence Three

At the same time, we were also champions of Fancy Dress, beginning our career as Mermaid & Rock, moving on to Butterfly and Tree, and emerging most victorious as Bumblebee & Flower

They were good times, and I beat Prince Harry - dressed as a soldier on horseback, if I recall correctly - on several occasions

Lable and I were together for three lovely years, and he saw me safely off the lead rein by the time I was four. He was eventually PTS aged 37 - he really was a stunning little pony!

Next came Sophie Jane - or Rollwright Erin

She was very, very pretty and she knew it - she lorded it over me in every possible way. We won an awful lot at local level lead rein showing, but I was never confident off the lead rein with her so after a few months she was passed on to my friend, who was (and still is!) a much braver and gutsier rider than me

She was only on loan to us, however, and when she eventually went back to her owners, aged 12, she was PTS within a year with chronic laminitis

Next was Pippa the Perfect Pony - much coveted by all in the surrounding area. Yet even with a pony who was literally the last word in perfection - I dont think Pippa had ever bucked, reared or refused in her life - I still managed to develop a reputation as 'the girl who always falls off'

I really was useless! But Pip and I did an awful lot together - showing, jumping and PC ODEing, and had a fab time

Pip was with us all through her retirement, until she was PTS aged 34 back in 2001.

We had owned Raffles - a chestnut Sec B - since he was six months old - Mum hoped that I would grow out of Pippa and into Raffs, but he was far too sharp for me, and although my friend (the same one who had Sophie for a while) took him on for a few months, he was eventually sold to a family who wanted to do games with him

So then came Shandy; my Dad found her for me from one of his clients. She was an angel, a perfect second pony, although I still managed to cement my reputation by falling off at every opportunity

At one PC camp, I made history by falling off 19 times in one week - seven of the falls were in the water jump

Shandy and I did lots of PC ODEing, often spoilt by my phobia of ditches

She was a fab working hunter pony though, and we won many championships at the local shows

Shandy is still around now, aged 32, and is in a permanent retirement home where she has all she could ever want

Rosie was next! Rosie belonged to fellow HHOer xxluluxx, and was the first pony I had actually had to ride properly, not just steer. She taught me a hell of a lot, and I can honestly say that if I hadnt had Rosie, I would never have become the rider I am today. She was the one who helped me turn my reputation around, for which I will ALWAYS be grateful

Rosie was PTS last year, after spending many happy years in retirement with xxluluxx

Next was the one who broke my heart

Dad came across Mickey at a yard he shod for - the horse had been beaten and then abandoned in a field by his brutal owner, seemingly after not having given him the results he wanted. The minute I saw him, I knew I had to have him regardless - in spite of the fact that he was no horse for a girl. He wasnt safe - he used to bolt with me out hacking to the point that I would arrive home with legs like jelly, but I never told a soul - I was so frightened of losing him. Sadly I did lose him - Mickey had a heart attack in his stable one night just seven months after he came to me, and died with his head in my arms, aged just 9

I never thought I would get over losing him. Shortly after Mickey's death, my dad walked out on us all and my life turned upside down. But rather than let me mope, Mum packed me off to a showjumping friend, who put me to work over the summer, taught me to ride properly on his young SJers, and made me realise that I did want another horse. We began to search again late that summer and Ellie was horse number 23

That summer I was well and truly bitten by the SJ bug, and although Ellie and I were only young, I had high hopes for our future. Within a year we were qualified for the Trailblazers SJ finals, and during that summer we were jumping and winning at Discovery and Newcomers level. We then topped off a wonderful few months by becoming reserve champs in the 95cm, then 5th overall in the 105cm at Stoneleigh

And the best moment of all was not receiving the rosette - it was when a lady in the crowd, the grandma of someone I used to be at PC with, said 'Isnt that Georgie, the girl who was always falling off? How did she ever get to be so good?'

Sadly, Ellie and I had an accident just two months later during a schooling session; she got too brave going through a grid, somersaulted over and landed on top of me

We were both ok - I broke my hand but it was nothing that wouldnt recover - but somehow my nerve was never the same. We actually managed to qualify for the Trailblazers finals again the next year, but once at Stoneleigh, my nerves kicked in and I developed a sudden irrational fear of combinations and doubles

Afterwards, I broke down and said to Mum that I just couldnt do it any more, my heart wasnt in it any longer

And so for the last 5 or so years, we have been happy - VERY happy - hackers!

Ellie is 14 now and still in her prime, and although a half hearted attempt of mine last year at trying some low level SJ again failed miserably (we went clear, but I cried all the way home - work that one out!!!) we have recently had great fun jumping some rustic fences on sponsored rides, and I am hoping that we may be able to go XC schooling at some stage, just for a play

So that's me!

 

[Kentisheventer]

Hmmm... where to start?

My sister and myself got our first pony when i was (roughly) 6. I was a typical boy, and would rather run around fields than ride. Sister went through quite a few horses, and, although i had little experience i seemed to gel quite well with them. Often before they were sold, or if they had 'issues', i would ride them, and really enjoyed it! Aged about 8/9 i got my first 'proper' pony, a 13.2hh new forest. She was amazing; never put a foot wrong! Won every showing class and took me SJing and Hunting. However, my sister (after 2 years) managed to push me off her and i looked for a horse. Decided on 14.2s and in october of '05 found the perfect pony. Bought him, and it was all fine and dandy. 3 days passed, lame horse

. Went through a 6 month legal battle as he had been drugged (wont go into detail) and spent roughly £10k on vets fees etc. Won the legal battle, and started looking again. Found a pony after a couple of months, when i tried him he wouldnt even walk! Typical SJer, but i loved him (you can tell you love a horse if youre still keen after an awful 'test drive'!). Bought him and started doing PC Showjumping, and he later took me round my first intermediate. I loved evry second of it, but dressage was always in late 40s and he was getting a bit small. In june of '07 put him on the market. Because he had his own way of jumping (ie. didnt do a perfect canter) noone liked him. After a couple of months some people came over from Jersey, and bought him. Back to horse searching. We wanted an eventer and searched far and wide. Had a horse on trial in september '07, but failed vetting

, and couldnt take another risk- it would break m heart! Was intent on a grey pony from Paul Tapner's yard, but secretly mum and dad didnt like it. The next day, they searched everywhere and at 5 o'clock we arrived in Shropshire! Tried the horse, he was so safe and fun. Thats the horse i have now. He took me to my first BE event in march of last year, and is unbelievable; always surprises you! Have had issues, mainly with SJing, and has taken much getting used to! We did our first BE novice at Downham a week ago!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

I have included links to photos of some of these horses...
I'm lucky in that my Mum has always ridden so I guess I got my interest off her. When I was 6/7 my mum would take me out on a friends pony, my only clear memory is of the pony bolting home along the road with me.

Then we moved to Chile and mum bought Dona Nana, a 5yr old Chilean Criollo mare, as a horse for her, but I decided I wanted to ride so I rode her too. She was NOT a child's first pony, I learnt to stick on a steer at a gallop & side-ways canter before I knew what a rising trot was. Her 'rason de etre' was chasing cows, and barrel racing. She knew the route you didn't need to steer or kick (if you wanted to stop that day) you just had to stay on and keep your feet out of the way and she would beat everyone by seconds! We had her for 8 yrs, she was the smartest/nuttiest horse I have ever known and she taught me so much. We had to sell her when we moved to Australia and she is now a broodmare, I think she is still alive though she would be 19 now.

Partially because of her I got a reputation for being able to /willing to ride anything from quite early on so from about 12 I got 'loaned' all the difficult horses on the yard (i.e. can you please sort out X habit of napping/bucking/rearing/bolting...).
Which is how I met Remington (Lucy) an Arab gelding who had had a bad fall when young and had scarred knees who was meant to be a riding school horse and failed as he wouldn't move or jump. He was mouth shy, tense, totally insecure and a stubborn mule. The idea was to try and do Endurances with him, training was such a challenge as you have to cover quite a few km's...on a horse that didn't want to leave a walk, if you touched his mouth he stopped/reared, if you hit him with a stick more than 3 times he would stop dead and actually sit down. I became a world class diplomat riding him. In the end over a year we placed 8th, 4th x 2, 1st x2, 2nd x2 - ending up 2nd in the national ranking for my category! One of my happiest memories is the moment I heard I had won my first endurance!

We also taught each other to jump (who said Arabs can't?).

Geronimo - an Anglo-Arab stallion I trained for endurances, his only problem was that he was a stallion, even though he was easier to handle than most mares I have met.

Baby (aka Cocktel) Dona Nana's filly (unplanned), a real character and a total sweety. The first horse I broke in with my mum. She followed her mum when we went out riding from day one and still followed loose when she was 3. We hadn't broken her in and she needed exercise. She is also responsible for the large dent in my shin from when she decided she objected to the horse I was riding....

She is a bit light but a classic example of what a Chilean Criollo should look like. She has impecable bloodlines if you know the breed...goes to show her mum had taste =)
Sahira - the other mare mum bought in Chile, Arab x Chilean Criollo mare with incredible elevation, who would do Caprioles down steep hills as apparently it is easier than walking...?, and a great jump.

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww346/Felicity_09/Sahira.jpg

Then we moved to Australia (2003) and after 3 depressed months of no horse we went out and bought Beau (aka Beaufort Maestro) out of a field as an unbroken 4yr old TBxWB on the basis of the extended trot he did up the field (and has yet to replicate when ridden! He was only $1000AUD (£500ish) as he was a drought victim and :. a walking skeleton (he looks alot better now i just dont have any photos to hand).

My mum and I broke him in, and I finally full filled a couple of dreams with him i.e. jump a course of SJ at a comp, and completed our 1st ODE. We still have Beau and he is honestly a dream horse who with slightly more dedicated riders could have gone far! (OK I may be biased in that judgement).

Since then I have worked with horses several times in different places over my summer hols. The horses that stand out are Lyric a NZ station bred gelding who I brought on from green broke for a trekking centre (he only dumped me 2x in 3 months...=) ) a very smart horse, with the most incredibly comfortable canter.

And then working on a QH stud in Argentina : Golondor - 3yr old QH colt the only horse I have broken in who hasn't dumped me!

Then there were the 6 other 3yr olds who all dumped me at least once, Western saddles are useless for sticking on a horse that is determined to get you off, unless you have arms of steel and can hang on to the horn...
There have been loads of others who if I was to tell you the story of all of them (Fideo, Chabuscarro, Maravilla, Ojos de Agua, Penny, Dream, Bella, Condor, Laura-Lopez, ... to name a few) it would probably end up being a short book.

These are just the horses I miss the most.

Congrats on getting this far! Drinks all round.

 

[Montyforever]

Felicity_09, looks wise, we have totally the same taste in horses

haha