I thought it would be quite fun to revisit all my horses and ponies, and remember them their talents, and quirks, and not so endearing qualities.
MAGIC
14.2 grey of mixed breeding
13yrs
The first of the bunch.
Having spent much of her life before us having foals, she took to pony club life as a beginner's pony well with me winning my very first ribbon in an egg and spoon racce...she was eventually passed around a few members. She also had a foal by a pure bred arab between owners.
Mum spent ten days riding her right around the Coromandel peninsular, plus numerous other treks, in the days when wild and woolly bush tracks were still available.
Taught me a lot, but after two years I was ready for something that wanted to jump. It was the one thing she simply could see no point in!
TINA
14.1 bay pony
6yrs
Purchased from a sale by a friend who found her too much and we initially swapped horses before she decided to give up riding altogether.
Taught me the joys of napping, rearing and the ole head between the knees trick!
And was also the first (of several) who enjoyed jumping out. This was not smiled upon by the aeroclub given her penchant for jumping out of the airfield paddock and getting in the way of the planes.
However, I had a lot of fun on her and jumped all sorts of things, including dinghy's on the beach, and the groins along the foreshore.
But, within a year, having got her going really well I was quite simply far too tall for her.
LARAME
3yo chestnut 3/4 tb by a Riverbank King Colt
approx 15.2 ?
He'd had a hard start being ridden HARD on the hills at a young age, but was a real sweetheart.
So it was off to a neighbouring farm for six months turn out to hopefully grow.
It was deemed time for him to come home when he began jumping around the farm over whatever gates and fences were in his way, and chasing the farm dogs!
Unfortunately he didn't grow enough and was eventually sold as a dead quiet confidence booster for nervous riders. He was one of those that would jump anything...just plod up to it and over he went.
You would see him standing by the fence one minute, look away for a moment, and he'd be on the other side of it.
He also was passed around pony club learners.
SAM
16.1 3yo bay
by Lucky Vollo (SB) ex Country Girl (TB)
A VERY good looking horse who scored very well dressage, and was a talented jumper. Unfortunately he was also chicken, and if things didnt go well, he would throw in the towel.
He had also been stuck in a bog while being broken, and any jump in a slightly trappy place he quite simply would go nowhere near. (Another one for whom the delights of the full rear was part of their repotoir)
Really Mum's horse, and she did many many rugged treks on him, including twice right around the peninsular. She had him from age 3 until his mid teens when he was replaced by an OTTB while mum still felt young enough to cope with a younger horse (in her 60's)
However, I 'pinched' him for several years, and did the usual pony club activities including dressage and the odd ODE we got out to (we were lucky to get out to one or two a year being unable to afford transport).
Did area trials (unfortunately following torrential run isolating Whitianga and causing slips....needless to say, there were a couple of jumps on course that resembled boggy bits - his favourite!). However, the carnage at Auckland for champs that year following rain made one very thankful at not doing well at trials! (Champs that year has become legendary for the atrocious conditions, falls, and spectators sitting on jumps to try and stop the course)
Also managed to get out to a couple of hunts where he was fabulous...what a thrill being up the front!
However, despite his talents, his intrinsically chicken heart made him unreliable to compete, and he returned to being Mum's number 1 horse...much to her delight.
AMBER
15.3 Chestnut Anglo Arab Mare
mid teens
Been there done that
Was supposed to be for me, so Mum could have her horse back, but I continued to prefer to ride Sam.
She was the most giving mare, and would try her heart out for you.
She was often loaned out for others to ride and jump, although mum did withstand a couple of hunts on her (of course I bagsed Sam). She was a law unto herself and each jump gathered more momentum.
Amber was eventually sold to a well off local with land, and it was heartbreaking to hear some time later that she had simply been turned out, neglected and died of starvation. I still cry when I think that someone treated that wonderful giving mare like that.....goes to show that what may seem to be the best home, may not be.
GOLDEN LEGEND (regd Fonce Royale!!)
15.3 OTTB Chestnut rising 5
by Regent's Tale ex Lady Bremworth
Another sweetheart!
Legs was a bit herring gutted and could be hard to keep condition on.
Absolutely quiet and sensible hacking, and a really sweet horse to have around...Until he spotted a jump -he would completely lose his marbles. I spent many hours quietly lunging him over jumps and popping over baby jumps with him.
However, he was an extremely talented jumper: he was like a grasshopper and could jump from anywhere off a couple of sideways strides. Stephen Davis once remarked on a clinic "you have no idea what you are sitting on"
Eventing wasnt really his thing as although he would jump he could be quite difficult, and had an extremely sensitive mouth. Despite having a 'rubber neck' and a tendency to throw his head up when excited, I refused to use a running martingale on him due to his sensitivity (resulted in a blood nose, and stitched eyebrow on a couple of occasions).
He did A1 at the very first Timberlands as a 5yo. (Before the heights were reduced from Intermediate size down to 1.05)
He was sold when I gave up riding at 20, going to a rider in Auckland.
Approaching the age of 28, I moved to Tokoroa and being surrounded by horses it was not long before I was looking for a horse. These were the days when Tokoroa had a very strong pony club movement, adult riding, and numerous succesful riders in the area there including Trudy Boyce, Nicoli Fife, Carol Stewart, Peter & Margaret Kuizinas, and before long also Bryce Newman and John Gray.
ZACHARY (regd Liditz)
16.1 rising 4 OTTB
by Diamante D ex Easter Maid
A rising 4 yo OTTB is probably not what would normally be recommended for someone returning to riding after so many years!
An unlikely looking TB, with rather a plain head, and quite heavily built. The joke among friends was as to what had jumped the fence!
However, he was basically quiet, but wasn't particularly generous. Indeed he could be very 'doggy'.
However, I did do my first novice HT with him.
He was incredibly hard work, but I could just about get him around if it werent for ditches!
He had an absolutely genuine fear of ditches, something I had never struck with any horse before. I schooled and schooled over them, and could generally get him over a training sized ditch, but unless there was an option on XC at novice level, there our day ended.
Another who was actually a very talented jumper - despite dangling below the knees he gave everything such height that he remains the cleanest jumper I have ridden.
Bryce Newman got on him once, and soon had the jumps put up to humungous proportions. He told me that the horse was capable of jumping the really big stuff, but did have to say that he really didnt think that the ditch problem could be overcome.
Zach was also a horse that seemed to get bored with jumping very quickly. If he had jumped the previous weekend he became even harder work, but give him several months off jumping and he was quite enthusiastic, with the bucks increasing in directly proportion to the height of the fences.
The first couple of starts each season would fill me with renewed hope to the season, and then he would simply switch off.
I did find however, that hunting sparked his enthusiasm and he was a great full wire hunter. Given his LAZY nature, one could simply sit and steer (no worries about brakes).
When I finally decided at aged 7 that he simply didnt want to be an eventer, I sold him as a hunter.
MAYHILL BENJAMIN
by Bullsbrook ex
15.3 7yo OTTB
Having been told of a 16.2 6yo TB that had been rescued, and was for sale, I met Ben.
His mane and tail were LONG and matted, and he was thin and extremely neglected. He had been rescued from his breeder, a Dotty Johnson of Tirau, along with quite a few other horses. Basically it was the tougher ones that survived, and dead horses dotted the property. And Ben was indeed a toughie.
Despite him being too small, I felt sorry for him and took him on ; paying WAY too much for him ($2000)
He was extremely green, and indeed to start with could barely walk a straight line with a rider aboard, but he had a wonderful temperament and tried his heart out. He very quickly became quite well schooled, and even got some dressage points.
Despite his best efforts however, he was simply not destined to become a jumper. And he had the smarts to know his limits.
Basically, training level (with the odd 1.00 jump) were his limit. But up to that height he was reliable and honest, and tried his heart out.
I had always felt he was far too small for me, and his jumping limitations decided me to sell him on. I think me catching a foot on the out jump of the cascades jump at the Crossing really hit it home to me that he was not only too small, but simply didnt have the scope for Novice.
He went as a first hack, then a learners horse, before funnily enough ending up with an adult rider who had initially been interested in him when I first listed him for sale. At that point she had decided to give her current horse one more try.
It was wonderful to hear how much she was enjoying him, and that he would have a home with her for life. I enjoyed her updates until I lost her contact details when shifting.
I think nowadays he would have been quite successful in Show Hunter, as he kept a lovely rhythm, and jumped in nice style.
RICK (Mr Copperfield)
by Manfield ex Jan's Ward
7 yo TB 16.1h
Already had 1 HT pt
Enough of the greenies! Time to get something with a little mileage.
Rick was a lovely looking horse, who had been ridden novice by experienced riders. He was very bold XC, but I have to say the horse I have enjoyed the least SJ...I dont know that I have had a horse take so many rails before, and seemingly not really be too concerned about it.
I had some real fun cross country on him and did quite a few novice HT, before having a go at graded dressage with him.
He did very well, and upgraded quite quickly (in the days where points were only accrued with placings)
Unfortunately, he suffered a paddock injury when slipping on a hill. Vets and massage therapists didnt really have an answer except to turn him out and give it time....which I did....Lots of it!
It must have been about a year before he seemed to be on the improve.
I stupidly allowed myself to be talked into letting someone unknown to me take him for a ride. They took him over the main road, and was apparently relishing showing off his extensions along the verges, when all I can surmise that must have happened, is that he got a fright at something, went up, and somehow went over backwards on the road.
I had had similar happen in my early days with him when we came across a piebald horse in the middle of a forestry ride...up he went, spun and tally ho.....once I had stopped him he passaged and snorted all the way back to where we had started, then took a big breath, realised it was simply another horse, and carried on (probably embarrassed at himself)
What followed was a dreadful time, with approaches from several people telling me my horse was mad and should be shot etc.
He of course was also worse for wear, and very sore.
More time off following which I gradually brought him back into work, and although he wasnt lame, I just never felt he was totally 'right'. He had lost his flamboyance at the trot, and his lovely lovely canter now felt quite stilted. I also felt that he was not completely happy in himself. He was not a horse that one would really keep as a pet, and paying for grazing also makes one think twice about doing so. So, I made the hard call. I am still happy that I did the right thing for him.
Heartbreaking though, was Jackson's daily search for his friend, and calling out for him when we got back from a ride for weeks.
JACKSON (Jay Tee)
6yo Brown Tb by Foxbay ex Monde Cherie (Dam of "Just Once")
16.2 but actually smaller given his horrendously high wither!
The naughtiest of the naughties!
A very bright cheeky horse, who learnt very quickly from his paddock mate that napping was really quite fun, and a good way to try and get out of work. A habit that he retained all his life - indeed even at the 3de he couldnt help himself on the first roads and tracks (mind you those Taupo rocks are awfully scary!).
He is also the spookiest horse I have ever had, and the one that can buck with the most energy -I think he just enjoyed it when the fancy took him.
He was purchased with a view to me getting back into low level jumping again, at that point I would have been happy to get to training, as even pre-training looked enormous.
However, he was a very safe and clever jumper and would basically jump from any spot. Indeed the jumping was never the problem....it was that blimmen napping....it seemed that on occasion if he thought there was too far between jumps, it was too boring and he would brighten up his day.
I recall one Horse Trial at Waerenga where he had jumped clear, but managed to get 130 time faults. He had napped between jumps 2 & 3, eventually I had inched our way close enough for him to see number 3 and we were away again, with no further problems!
And Kihikihi, a course he had done several times, changed where the course finished. Each time previously the jump under the roofy thing was the last jump. This time however, there were still several more jumps before the finish. Do you think he would go another step from where he thought the finish should have been? -Not likely. Fancy retiring so near to the end of the XC, and it being in the middle of the paddock!
In all his events, I think he only ever had one SJ refusal... but he would look for any excuse to nap, rear, then he'd carry on as if nothing had happened. And the same at show jumping competitions, he would jump beautifully around 1.10 tracks, and sometimes half way round do a random rear, then carry on. I think it depended what mood he was in.
However, I did have a lot of fun on him, and learnt to appreciate (?) his character.
He was also the consumate learner's pony for Saarin, taking her right through to hooning around the WEC, and jumping; he was that safe. Interesting though that he never ever put a foot wrong, until she reached the point of wanting to do more...then slowly he would do little baby naps (never anything she couldnt cope with), but I knew that it was time for a more suitably sized pony to be sought.
He's now 20, still loves kids, and will live out his days here as the family pet.
And the New boys are
WILSON (Hooray Bombay)
17.0 rising 5 OTTB
by Jetball ex Soundoration
This is his blog.
SAMPSON (Big Country)
17.3 6 yo OTTB
by Anziyan ex Country Fashion
Who also has his own blog.
