quote of the day...

"Horsemanship is not merely a matter of bodily skills, but is based on
scholarship and, therefore is a matter of the mind and intellect. Good
horsemanship is based on proper character development and, therefore, is
also a matter of mentality and spirit. Without the correct attitudes and
insights, there cannot be the right sport." - Charles de Kunffy

quote of the day...

"A horse will never tire of a rider who possesses both tact and
sensitivity because he will never be pushed beyond his possibilities."
- Nuno Oliveira

musing of the day - second chances...

How many horses are never given a chance to show what they can be? I
have known many horses that will never be more than a slightly nutty
nag, along with a few crazies and unsound, unfit for riding or breeding
types. Unless they are lucky enough to have someone to love and care for
them, I am sadly accepting of the fact that these horses usually end up
at the slaughterhouse at some point. This does upset me, but it seems a
little easier to swallow than allowing the population of "useless"
horses being starved in dirt paddocks to grow.

But what about the gems of horses that meet the same fate, who, if
plucked out of that situation by someone equipped to train/feed up and
rehome them, could have a second chance at a happy and useful future?

Whether they are a quiet gentleman suited to a novice rider, or a
phenomenal mare born to event - there are so many that have either the
temperament or talent to become a rider's new best friend or superstar.

I keep telling myself I'll never buy "another bloody racehorse!" but the
truth is...I enjoy it. I enjoy riding hot horses and giving the
unnoticed diamond in the rough a second chance. I could save a lot of
money in the long run by outlaying a small amount for a nice but average
warmblood...or I could spend "meat money" on the racehorse that doesn't
look like much, YET. I've picked option B four times so far, and each
time have ended up with a horse I never could have afforded to purchase
had it been of warmblood breeding. Fingers crossed Miss Ziggy will bloom
into something special like the others did - but that isn't the point.
The point is, that by being open minded and looking past nice topline,
fat, and a shiny coat, I have found some exceptional horses that would
have gone unnoticed and quite likely to a sad fate had I chosen not to
look past their condition or lack of training.

So next time you're in the market...don't look past the cheapies that
need work if you're equipped to deal with the challenge they present, be
that financial, time wise, or in their training. Many are duds, but the
nice ones are worth the effort and often have the potential to eclipse
their high-price-tag, warmblooded competition in the future. In four
words, ALWAYS BE OPEN MINDED!

you know you're horsey when...

...you refer to your car as "getting shod this afternoon, just fronts"
when having new tyres fitted...

you know you're horsey when...

You hear the phrase "suspensory ligament" on TV and wonder what
racehorse has injured itslef...then find out that, actually, it's just a
boring old human athlete!

reason #18 to love your horse

The secret kisses they give you in the quiet of the morning when you go
to feed them before the sun is awake :)

quote of the day...

"...and he whispered to the horse, trust no man in whose eyes you do not
see yourself reflected as an equal." -unknown

introducing Ziggy - "Brindisi Desire"

I received a call the other night about a mare who had been rescued from being sent to the doggers 8 weeks ago and needed a new home by this Friday due to loss of agistment. I was a bit dubious, but at 16.3ish, 8yo and quiet, I thought I'd go have a look anyway.

She was in poor condition (though clearly better than in some of the older photos the owner sent through, kudos to her for saving this sweetheart and introducing her to this thing called food!), but at first glance she had a beautiful kind eye, quite good legs considering her hard life, and with fat and muscle in all the right places looked like she'd come up nicely.

She was, however, very foot sore on the rock hard ground due to a dodgy trim that left her cut back way too far and walking on her soles, poor darling! However I knew I needed to see how soundly she otherwise moved if I was going to take her so we gave her a quick lunge. Lunging manners, yep; total ignorance of the commotion going on 20m away with a shed being pulled down, yep; acceptance of the bit in running reins after a quick in hand lesson (she didn't have a clue at first but learned very quickly), yep; trotting decently in a frame, yep; canter leads, yep; flying changes if she picked up the wrong one, yep; maintaining frame and not disuniting in canter, yep!

Despite being concerned about how sore she was and whether it was anything worse, I said I'd take her. Her type reminds me quite a bit of Matty in the early days and that is just my kind of horse, so I figured it was worth the risk - too many nice horses end up at the doggers!

She was reluctant to get on the float but once she did, she travelled like an absolute dream and while excited and curious when she got off, she was on her best behaviour when introducing her to her new paddock and companion. I was most impressed to see her bravely walk straight over ditches and jump up and down banks getting up the driveway to the gate - eventer much?

When we let her go in the paddock, she buddied up with her new friend and off they trotted..I had the camera out and actually put it down as my jaw dropped - when she started trotting on the better ground, she looked absolutely stunning despite her condition. It appeared I'd found a very elegant mare hiding in a scrubby package!

I can't get over her temperament - she is quite willing (excepting the float but we'll fix that soon enough) and just isn't fazed by anything. The sheep gave her a fright at first and she just stopped with her head in the air, snorted, then soon enough walked straight past it to get to the trough having figured out it wasn't that scary. She can put up with a bit of pressure as we discovered on the lunge, she just isn't that typical nervy TB type at all!

She has quite an interesting history, which I will explain in further posts - but in short, she was infamous on the track for being a head case. She is very intelligent and was often misunderstood causing some problems. Luckily she had a kind, caring and understanding trainer who made a big effort to always do the right thing for her. The trainer kept her on at their own expense when she retired, until they could find a good home. Sadly, the home wasn't right and within six months she was a serious rescue case. The lady I bought her from had been told that the meat man's truck was on its way and that if she didn't pick her up within the half hour, that would be the end for the mare. Lucky for Ziggy, as we now know her, the lady DID pick her up, and she will be my new project horse as she continues her journey back to health.

So for now, the plan is to fix her feet, start fattening her up, and have chiro/dentist both check her over, and start doing a bit of light lunging to begin building up some muscle and fitness. When I'm allowed to ride again we'll take things as they come and see how she turns out as a riding horse (I haven't seen her ridden, only a few photos as we had no gear!)

Here is the big girl, Ziggy - she raced as "Goodonya Ziggy", but in keeping with the Muse theme, she will be "Brindisi Desire" after the current single which has fast become one of my favourite Muse songs...the lyrics are just perfect.


I know you've suffered
But I don't want you to hide
It's cold and loveless
I won't let you be denied

Soothing
I'll make you feel pure
Trust me
You can be sure

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognize your beauty's not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

You trick your lovers that you're wicked and divine
You may be a sinner
But your innocence is mine
Please me
Show me how it's done
Tease me
You are the one

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognize your beauty's not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

Please me
Show me how it's done
Trust me
You are the one

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognize your beauty's not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart


BRINDISI DESIRE

update time!

I am currently living without internet, which makes it very hard to update about the many horsey goings on at present!

I still can't ride for a while yet, and when I start again it will just be light riding, so Lou has gone to stay with my friend to be looked after and she will be working with him for a few months, with a view to some competitions in the near future.

Here they are in action together at her farm!

My other big news will be in the form of the next post...


LOU AND BEC