I’ve decided (rather belatedly admittedly) to try and track down Romany (who many of you on here from PC will remember). Basically when we all left the borders about 9 years ago she went on permanent loan to a family nearby. I then heard that she went to a riding school in the area and I would really like to track her down and find out how she is. I have a feeling it may be Whisgills Riding School that she went to but I can’t find an email address and the phone number doesn’t seem to work (which does not bode well). If anyone knows how to get in touch with them please let me know.
Just to jog anyone’s memory, she is a 13.2hh, skewbald with totally unknown breeding who will be 24 now. She will say please with her near foreleg for a polo and tends (maybe this should be changed to ‘always’) to rear if she has to go somewhere alone. Very safe out on the roads but known to spook at really scary things like leaves (but fine with massive lorries and tractors… obviously ). Hates men with a fiery passion particularly vets! Very very sound, the only time we ever had the vet out to her except for her jabs was when she decided to knee a wall (the day before I was due to take her to the PC games… of course!!). I’ve attached a few photos of her and if you recognize her or know anyone who does I would love to hear from them.
I k now I should have done this ages ago and feel rather ashamed at only getting round to it now. Anyway, fingers crossed that someone knows where she is and lets us know how the little madam is doing now.
As Tazz had the physio yesterday we had a quiet day yesterday. I was hoping to get out on the roads for a stroll but there are currently big metal plates down on the yard to let the big lorries in (they are doing something with the water) which is like an ice-rink for horses so going out is a no-go. So thought we’d do some groundwork/join-up instead. First to muck out the bed, easiest thing to do is to pop Tazz in the small sand arena while I do this, but stupidly I took his rug off before putting him out – what was the first thing he did? ROLLED!!! In the wettest patch of sand he could find. Here is the proof of the pudding (terrible picture but that big puddle to the left of him… that’s what he decided to roll in)!!
So did join-up with him which he responds to fantastically and was glued to me by the end of the session. The beginning of the session was interesting though. True to how he is to ride he much prefers going round on the left rein rather than the right. The first time I asked him to switch direction he leapt straight up in the air twisted and bronced… which had me in hysterics
We also did some carrot stretches (both sides and between his front legs) which he’s also great at so clearly he doesn’t think he’s 17… he’s still 5 in his head! And I also got bullied into scratching his shoulders for about 15 minutes while he stole my kinder bueno (which is very yummy but requires pulling faces while eating it).
So no riding but we had a great time. Thursday it’s back in the school for the Tazz Monster!! Lets just hope it doesn’t pour down or he’s not going to be very happy.
Well I seem to have found a share horse that is going to work out which is fabulous. I put up an advert detailing my experience and what I was looking for and about a month later Corry and Onno contacted me. They have a 17 year old ex-trotter called Fantastic One (yes, that is actually his name ) but we call him Tazz or Tazzie. They don’t ride him anymore due to various reasons so had a couple of sharers. After losing one of them they contacted me. So a few weeks ago I went to try him out.
Well, he is so much like my old horse, Jeremy, personality wise it’s scary. He’s such a nice ‘person’. Yet when you get on board if you know what you are doing he has that extra zing to make life a bit more interesting (but put a 2 year old on him and he’s as safe as houses).
The first time I rode him we just went into the school, he does have some tricks he uses to try and evade your aids such as sticking his nose out in front as far as possible and shaking his head from side to side (no, there are no health problems, its just him being a ninny) while ‘talking’ – he is the chattiest horse I’ve ever know, very cute. Lots of transitions and leg and he realises this doesn’t work and starts to come softer and accept the contact. We still need to do a lot of work to get him swinging through from behind better but he is improving every time I ride him and is obviously a quick learner. I have a few of my own issues that I need to work on (like my stupid right arm which is far too stiff and tends to lock at either the elbow or shoulder, though weirdly if I lock at the elbow I still have a nice bend to it… I’m just weird. I then try and make my right arm relax and concentrate on that too much and I lose stability in my lower leg… fix that and my arm stiffens again, etc etc. Think I need to find an instructor to just yell at me )
Anyway, he’s also great out on the roads as well, we’ve been out for an explore and went up to the lake to have a paddle. We also had a nice fast canter (no gallop yet) while we were out which apparently makes me crazy as it was only the third time I’d sat on him – though personally I think the people who get on horses who have been stabled for 3 weeks without a hat on are crazy (yes, someone actually did this – different safety cultures I guess). Anyway, I got some pictures while we were out and about:
Having a paddle
A very tired sausage
“Stop taking photos and give me my dinner… I’m tired!!”
So I’m now riding 2 weeknights and Sundays which should be interesting through the winter! But it makes the riding in the summer all the more appreciated. We’re also hoping to get to the beach some time soon which will be amazing! Also, I have discovered that I am still able to fully muck out a straw bed in 10 minutes.
Going up this evening and just having a quiet stroll about as he had new shoes and the physio yesterday. The physio apparently commented on how well he’s moving at the moment due to the work I’ve been doing with him which made me feel very proud!
I was reading the Horse & Hound Forums today and someone linked this video (watch it with the sound on if you can). It is so funny, mainly because it’s true and I can remember days in our horsey childhood that were very similar.
I love the fact that when they’ve finished riding they go and start jumping the course by themselves. I remember myself and my sisters would spend all day up at the stables grooming and riding and just generally getting dirty and playing with horses, then we’d get home and spend the entire evening building showjumping courses in the back garden out of garden chairs and bamboo canes and either jump around ourselves or get the dogs to jump round (Hamish was the best, he could jump about 4 foot!!). This was usually followed by getting yelled at by Dad as we invariably ended up breaking most of the bamboo canes so he had none left for the tomatoes, peas and beans in the garden! So we then moved on to brooms which really hurt when you whacked them!!
Various other childhood escapes include:
When Lorna’s fish (Delia) died Sally decided the best and kindest way to break it to her was to wait till she was coming downstairs and then sang “Guess who died in the tank today, the tank today, the tank today, guess who died in the tank today…. DELIA” Poor Lorna
On the subject of Sally’s singing (otherwise known as Slappy the Seal – I do love you really Sally), she was once in the corner of one of the stables singing and, no word of a lie, while she was singing a bird literally died and landed on her head!!
Jenny eating cat food for a dare – she first got out 3 different flavours to see which one would probably taste the nicest.
Lorna throwing a poo covered shavings fork at Jenny and it hit her in the face!
Jenny was mucking out once on her own, went to throw the pitchfork into the bed (deep litter beds so the forks stood up in them) and managed to throw it right through her own foot – and then carried on mucking out and feeding before going inside and thinking the hospital might be a good idea (well horses can’t muck themselves out you know)!
Playing ‘javelin’ with a garden fork and Jenny managed to throw it into Sally’s kneecap.
Cow-poo frisbees.. and of course chucking horse poo at each other. If I had the choice I’d rather it was the horse poo, its much less offensive, in fact horse poo doesn’t smell bad at all!
Getting very drunk during school on vodka and Dad having to stop the car on the way home so I could lean out of the door and throw up!! Mum and Dad didn’t realise I was drunk (the joy of vodka) and I was obviously ‘so ill’ I got the day off school the next day. MWA HAHA!!
Jenny and Sally got stuck in the mud up to their knees (we had the stickiest mud EVER in our field) and couldn’t move either of their feet, then decided to try and fight each other!! It was like something out of gladiators – only with mud wrestling! Then once they were both head to toe in mud turned up at the front door like mud monsters and mum completely flipped
Lorna pretending to be Mel B out of the Spice Girls by balancing a ball bearing on her tongue… which she promptly swallowed. A few days later she was at her friend’s house and came home and announced that the ball bearing was no longer with her!! Slash… doink!!
Sally had a bogey stuck once and thought she’d use a ball off those ‘sticky willie’ plants to hoik it out. Well the ball got stuck and she had to go to the hospital to get it professionally removed from her nostril!!
We used to get the big round bales of hay for the horses which were kept in the garage. They used to make a little triangle in the corner which Jenny and Sally decided to see if they could fit down. Well Sally did… and got stuck!! Well you can’t bend your knees once you’re in there. Jenny then phoned Mum as she couldn’t get Sally and came out with the immortal words “she’s getting rather frantic…. should I feed her?”. We did eventually get her out using stirrup leathers slung over the roof beams!
When Mum and Dad were having a fancy dinner party at our house with friends we all got sent off to amuse ourselves so the grown-ups could talk. Well my parents’ bedroom was above the kitchen so we tied string around some dolls necks and threw them out of the window. All of a sudden Mum and Dad and friends looked over to see 3 dolls dangling in front of the kitchen window looking like they were being hung!!
And of course one of our favourite summer passtimes – going swimming in the river with the horses!!! Romany was the best, at Pony Club camp all the kids wanted a go on her!!
Please add your own crazy childhood stories. I’ll try and think up some more - no doubt my sisters will let me know if I’ve missed anything (after killing me for embarassing them)
). Hates men with a fiery passion particularly vets! Very very sound, the only time we ever had the vet out to her except for her jabs was when she decided to knee a wall (the day before I was due to take her to the PC games… of course!!). I’ve attached a few photos of her and if you recognize her or know anyone who does I would love to hear from them.
