Post by nicxf on Jul 18, 2006 19:36:55 GMT 1
I think I've mentioned 'my' horse, Sunny a couple of times, and after reading some of your beautiful and heartbreaking stories on here, I thought I'd share him with you. I've just found this picture of me with him: I think it was taken the summer before he was PTS by his owners.
I started to look after him when I moved with my husband into a cottage onto the grounds of the property where he had just become head gardener. I had wanted a horse all by life, but due to everything else getting in the way, had never had the opportunity and at the point we moved there I had not ridden for several years. Imagine my delight then, at moving to this place where, not only was there a horse, but he was just stood in a field all day every day, 24/7 with no-one bothering much about him!
He had belonged to the daughter of the owners but since she had moved away many years previously, they had decided to keep him into retirement rather than just let him go to anyone - despite not really knowing anything about horses. They had the land to keep him, so they did! At the time I arrived he was about 19 years old and due to the lack of handling he was not particularly great to do anything with, except stand by the gate and get fed (which of course he loved since he was alone the whole time; and would come haring across the field at the first sign of anyone passing). The groundsman had been 'looking after' him when I arived, and he obviously knew nothing about horses, as poor Sunny's feet were in a terrible state, his feed and hay were never soaked, he was never, groomed, the fields were disgusting..... Anyway, I asked if they'd let me work with him and they reluctantly agreed (they were worried initially as two kids from the village had been coming to 'exercise' him, and they'd lamed him by forcing him to jump!!! At 19 years old with no contitioning work or anything!!): Once they were happy that I wouldn't overwork him, I eventually (tactfully - the groundsman wasn't really interested anyway) completely took over his care, and started to take him for gentle rides around the fields.
It was at this point that I heard about Monty Roberts, and co-incidentally my husband bought me "Perfect Partners" for my birthday - because he knew I liked horses and it had a horse on the cover ...must have been fate! After I started applying the IH techniques, we got on really well and from a pushy, bargy horse who would simply walk over you or plant his feet if he didn't want to do something, I had a kind, obliging gentleman who would go anywhere I asked. I used to walk him around the garden (think stately home type-thing here!!) when the owners weren't there, up the stone steps and under the archways and everything...tee-hee. I then had to walk around afterwards with a broom and obliterate the hoofprints! ;D
However, it gradually became clear that whatever had happened to lame his foreleg, it had started to re-occur on and off, despite the fact that he'd still behave like a speed demon across the fields at any given opportunity (especially if he saw deer. He insisted we always had to chase them and it was initially quite a fight to persuade him otherwise!) The vet diagnosed it as arthritis and he was prescribed bute, to which I also added cortaflex and cod liver oil supplements. This improved things for a while but sadly it became clear that he was getting worse as his other foreleg gradualy seemed to be affected too, and the sad decision was made to have him PTS before he had to go through another winter. This co-incided with my husband getting interested in working in France, and so not long after that, we left. I had three great years with him in which he taught me more than I ever could have imagined, made me realise things about myself that I had not understood and made me want to be a much, much better person. When he went it left a massive horse-shaped hole in my heart which, three years and a different country later, is still very much there.
Looking back, I was shockingly ignorant when I first decided to take him on, and I will be forever grateful for his almost limitless patience with me, and his amazing goodwill toward me. He was no competition horse, or fiery steed, (except for the deer thing), and I tended to take him for walks and do groundwork more than I ever rode him, but I loved my grumpy, funny, sweet old man more than anything. He'll never, ever be replaced in my heart but it is my fervent desire that one day I can have another horse, who will benefit from the many wonderful lessons my beloved Sunny taught me.
Goodbye, old friend. I hope I see you again one day.
Gosh, a bit of an essay there. If anyone actually read this far, thanks for listening. It felt good to share.
I started to look after him when I moved with my husband into a cottage onto the grounds of the property where he had just become head gardener. I had wanted a horse all by life, but due to everything else getting in the way, had never had the opportunity and at the point we moved there I had not ridden for several years. Imagine my delight then, at moving to this place where, not only was there a horse, but he was just stood in a field all day every day, 24/7 with no-one bothering much about him!
He had belonged to the daughter of the owners but since she had moved away many years previously, they had decided to keep him into retirement rather than just let him go to anyone - despite not really knowing anything about horses. They had the land to keep him, so they did! At the time I arrived he was about 19 years old and due to the lack of handling he was not particularly great to do anything with, except stand by the gate and get fed (which of course he loved since he was alone the whole time; and would come haring across the field at the first sign of anyone passing). The groundsman had been 'looking after' him when I arived, and he obviously knew nothing about horses, as poor Sunny's feet were in a terrible state, his feed and hay were never soaked, he was never, groomed, the fields were disgusting..... Anyway, I asked if they'd let me work with him and they reluctantly agreed (they were worried initially as two kids from the village had been coming to 'exercise' him, and they'd lamed him by forcing him to jump!!! At 19 years old with no contitioning work or anything!!): Once they were happy that I wouldn't overwork him, I eventually (tactfully - the groundsman wasn't really interested anyway) completely took over his care, and started to take him for gentle rides around the fields.
It was at this point that I heard about Monty Roberts, and co-incidentally my husband bought me "Perfect Partners" for my birthday - because he knew I liked horses and it had a horse on the cover ...must have been fate! After I started applying the IH techniques, we got on really well and from a pushy, bargy horse who would simply walk over you or plant his feet if he didn't want to do something, I had a kind, obliging gentleman who would go anywhere I asked. I used to walk him around the garden (think stately home type-thing here!!) when the owners weren't there, up the stone steps and under the archways and everything...tee-hee. I then had to walk around afterwards with a broom and obliterate the hoofprints! ;D
However, it gradually became clear that whatever had happened to lame his foreleg, it had started to re-occur on and off, despite the fact that he'd still behave like a speed demon across the fields at any given opportunity (especially if he saw deer. He insisted we always had to chase them and it was initially quite a fight to persuade him otherwise!) The vet diagnosed it as arthritis and he was prescribed bute, to which I also added cortaflex and cod liver oil supplements. This improved things for a while but sadly it became clear that he was getting worse as his other foreleg gradualy seemed to be affected too, and the sad decision was made to have him PTS before he had to go through another winter. This co-incided with my husband getting interested in working in France, and so not long after that, we left. I had three great years with him in which he taught me more than I ever could have imagined, made me realise things about myself that I had not understood and made me want to be a much, much better person. When he went it left a massive horse-shaped hole in my heart which, three years and a different country later, is still very much there.
Looking back, I was shockingly ignorant when I first decided to take him on, and I will be forever grateful for his almost limitless patience with me, and his amazing goodwill toward me. He was no competition horse, or fiery steed, (except for the deer thing), and I tended to take him for walks and do groundwork more than I ever rode him, but I loved my grumpy, funny, sweet old man more than anything. He'll never, ever be replaced in my heart but it is my fervent desire that one day I can have another horse, who will benefit from the many wonderful lessons my beloved Sunny taught me.
Goodbye, old friend. I hope I see you again one day.
Gosh, a bit of an essay there. If anyone actually read this far, thanks for listening. It felt good to share.