Post by clairebearnz on Feb 18, 2009 1:04:45 GMT 1
With the stress of moving and all that, I totally forgot about our anniversary. It was some time in Feb, I know that, and it was after Valentine's Day (don't ask!), but not long after. I decided on the 16th to be *our* date...then forgot about it.
Way back when in 2005/2006 (yes, it's back that far!), I was told by a friend of my sister that someone had a horse for sale who suited my needs. I was just coming off ponies and wanted a small horse, as I'm rather short, and wanted an eventer. He sounded perfect and he was local, so I went to have a look. I was met by a scruffy, unpulled, fat horse who had shoes so loose that he clanked. He then promptly pushed his owner over while she was leading him, and bit her when she did up the girth. I was in love! Since he'd been off work for a couple of years after he flipped over an XC jump onto her, he needed to get fit, so I was offered him on an indefinitely long trial to test and show and see what I thought of him.
My first ride, I swear I look taller then.
The first real jump. Fail on my part.
I got him fit and took him to a show. My aim was to have a trot around the 50cm/1'6" but once I got there and popped him over the practice jump, the lady running it, who was also my instructor, changed my entry to the 1m/3'3" round. Tally jumped two clear rounds for third, the only reason he didn't win was because I turned the wrong way in the jump off. We did another show at Levin and he won the 3'3"
And got our faces in the local paper.
However, he then went lame and the vet diagnosed navicular, so I went him back. I was absolutely gutted and refused to look at other horses, pouring all my time into Sparky (which worked remarkably well!). I did eventually try more horses when Sparky's arthritis became apparent, but none measured up to Tally. I kept in touch with his owner and was upset to hear he'd gone on trial to someone, but he returned after bucking the kid off a couple of times. He'd had his feet x-rayed and there was no changes to the bone. Mum eventually asked whether I wanted to see him again...I did...
I then bought him. No horse I found was EVER going to make me feel like he did. Did I make the wrong decision? On paper, yes, especially when the vet check threw up arthritic hocks, but I have never, never regretted it.
Tally then moved in during February:
And I started riding him...
And jumping him...
I did my first 1.10m/3'6" for the hell of it at a Foxton show.
Tried out free-jumping
And took him eventing, he jumped clear in the show-jumping, did a decent dressage and had one stop due to me:
6th!
Then the problems started. He was reluctant under saddle, especially in canter and would throw himself around, bucking if I even asked for it. He wasn't happy, and I knew it, so I tried other saddles and different joint supplements, and nothing worked, so I turned him out for the rest of winter, with some gentle long-lining to keep him in shape.
I began bringing him back into work...and my sister got a flash camera...
Christina met him (he looks a lot shorter next to her doesn't he?)
I took him to his first show back and he exploded something royal in the flat classes then...uh...jumped expressively! This was October '07
We kept jumping
We did Area Dressage, and he went beserk during the prize-giving and attempted to cause a stampede by setting off the entire team parade into spasms of bucks and rears.
Then we went eventing again...in long grass!
I took him to the beach...and he tried to buck me off
We show-jumped at the AP&I show in January '08 where I met his previous owners who told me about his..uh..illustrious career as a driving pony, then a hunter.
Practiced our dressage
We then did our first Training ODE at Wanganui. He went absolutely mental before the cross-country (and I was wetting myself with fear) but I could not have been prouder of him by the end, he jumped everything beautifully.
Back when he was fit...
Tally had his moments, especially if it dared to rain:
Then I took him to Aoukautere. It just all went wrong, he was so hyped before the cross-country I had to lead him to the start box and he was rearing while I led him. He went absolutely so fast over the first three jumps, hit the 4th and refused to go any further, so I retired.
Photo courtesy of Dina
I went back home to reassess. There was something not quite right with him, so I called an equine chiropractor, he had his hocks injected and eventually, his shoes taken off. Plus I got dressage lessons.
Running with Sparks
Dressage schooling
Being dramatic
I treated him like an equine couch
We had another shot at Aoukautere, and got around with the assistance of the next person, who Tally promptly passed. He did get 2nd in the dressage though.
80cm was a bit small for the show-jumping...
I then threw him into the Traning (3') class at the QE2 event because his problem wasn't with the jumps and it at least came him something decent to tackle. He won the dressage, had a stop in the show-jumping but we didn't even make it over the first fence XC.
So I started jumping lessons with a local Advanced eventer, Natalie.
We celebrated X-Mas
I continued to use him as a couch...
We got braver...
We once again jumped at the AP&I show.
And at Waikanae Sports.
And then on Saturday, I took him to the beach
And Monday, we both moved up to uni in Palmerston North.
I love this horse more than I could ever express in words. He has the biggest personality of any animal I've met. He has so many quirks, and so many mannerisms that I can't even describe by typing. He has a huge heart and I don't know what I'd do without him.
Way back when in 2005/2006 (yes, it's back that far!), I was told by a friend of my sister that someone had a horse for sale who suited my needs. I was just coming off ponies and wanted a small horse, as I'm rather short, and wanted an eventer. He sounded perfect and he was local, so I went to have a look. I was met by a scruffy, unpulled, fat horse who had shoes so loose that he clanked. He then promptly pushed his owner over while she was leading him, and bit her when she did up the girth. I was in love! Since he'd been off work for a couple of years after he flipped over an XC jump onto her, he needed to get fit, so I was offered him on an indefinitely long trial to test and show and see what I thought of him.
My first ride, I swear I look taller then.
The first real jump. Fail on my part.
I got him fit and took him to a show. My aim was to have a trot around the 50cm/1'6" but once I got there and popped him over the practice jump, the lady running it, who was also my instructor, changed my entry to the 1m/3'3" round. Tally jumped two clear rounds for third, the only reason he didn't win was because I turned the wrong way in the jump off. We did another show at Levin and he won the 3'3"
And got our faces in the local paper.
However, he then went lame and the vet diagnosed navicular, so I went him back. I was absolutely gutted and refused to look at other horses, pouring all my time into Sparky (which worked remarkably well!). I did eventually try more horses when Sparky's arthritis became apparent, but none measured up to Tally. I kept in touch with his owner and was upset to hear he'd gone on trial to someone, but he returned after bucking the kid off a couple of times. He'd had his feet x-rayed and there was no changes to the bone. Mum eventually asked whether I wanted to see him again...I did...
I then bought him. No horse I found was EVER going to make me feel like he did. Did I make the wrong decision? On paper, yes, especially when the vet check threw up arthritic hocks, but I have never, never regretted it.
Tally then moved in during February:
And I started riding him...
And jumping him...
I did my first 1.10m/3'6" for the hell of it at a Foxton show.
Tried out free-jumping
And took him eventing, he jumped clear in the show-jumping, did a decent dressage and had one stop due to me:
6th!
Then the problems started. He was reluctant under saddle, especially in canter and would throw himself around, bucking if I even asked for it. He wasn't happy, and I knew it, so I tried other saddles and different joint supplements, and nothing worked, so I turned him out for the rest of winter, with some gentle long-lining to keep him in shape.
I began bringing him back into work...and my sister got a flash camera...
Christina met him (he looks a lot shorter next to her doesn't he?)
I took him to his first show back and he exploded something royal in the flat classes then...uh...jumped expressively! This was October '07
We kept jumping
We did Area Dressage, and he went beserk during the prize-giving and attempted to cause a stampede by setting off the entire team parade into spasms of bucks and rears.
Then we went eventing again...in long grass!
I took him to the beach...and he tried to buck me off
We show-jumped at the AP&I show in January '08 where I met his previous owners who told me about his..uh..illustrious career as a driving pony, then a hunter.
Practiced our dressage
We then did our first Training ODE at Wanganui. He went absolutely mental before the cross-country (and I was wetting myself with fear) but I could not have been prouder of him by the end, he jumped everything beautifully.
Back when he was fit...
Tally had his moments, especially if it dared to rain:
Then I took him to Aoukautere. It just all went wrong, he was so hyped before the cross-country I had to lead him to the start box and he was rearing while I led him. He went absolutely so fast over the first three jumps, hit the 4th and refused to go any further, so I retired.
Photo courtesy of Dina
I went back home to reassess. There was something not quite right with him, so I called an equine chiropractor, he had his hocks injected and eventually, his shoes taken off. Plus I got dressage lessons.
Running with Sparks
Dressage schooling
Being dramatic
I treated him like an equine couch
We had another shot at Aoukautere, and got around with the assistance of the next person, who Tally promptly passed. He did get 2nd in the dressage though.
80cm was a bit small for the show-jumping...
I then threw him into the Traning (3') class at the QE2 event because his problem wasn't with the jumps and it at least came him something decent to tackle. He won the dressage, had a stop in the show-jumping but we didn't even make it over the first fence XC.
So I started jumping lessons with a local Advanced eventer, Natalie.
We celebrated X-Mas
I continued to use him as a couch...
We got braver...
We once again jumped at the AP&I show.
And at Waikanae Sports.
And then on Saturday, I took him to the beach
And Monday, we both moved up to uni in Palmerston North.
I love this horse more than I could ever express in words. He has the biggest personality of any animal I've met. He has so many quirks, and so many mannerisms that I can't even describe by typing. He has a huge heart and I don't know what I'd do without him.