A couple of horse photos, Lori. They aren't current but it's the best I can do right now. I have hundreds of photos of the horses but they aren't all digital. I need to take the time to do that some day.
I am not one to look back. That personality trait was helpful when I was in the business. Breeding is all about the next one, all about the future. Of course there's the present, but looking ahead is what you do. Going through some of this is making me look back at all the years and realizing how much time has passed. I haven't had a foal here in over a decade. I stopped, not only because the market went in the toilet, but also because I started having almost a panic when someone was interested in buying a horse. Being in the business allows you to get a close look at the underbelly and it's rancid. Humans have a high propensity for cruelty and they do like to use it on animals. They really like to use it on large animals. Fear plays a role in this, but not exclusively. Let's just say I soured.
Not on the beasties, nope. Horses are complex characters. They adore routine, so we got along fine. Madame Routine here! They form relationships with one another. Topper and two of his boys are always together. They play their head games together, eat at the bales together and crab at one another. His other boy learned to hang out with the "big guys" I think because he is a skittish guy and for some reason they give him cover. His name is Bright, aka Frighty Brighty.
I do not have a patient nature, which is potentially deadly with horses. They taught me to behave like a grown up and use the supposedly large brain we are said to have. They taught me to hold my temper and think before acting. It's said our personalities don't change and I think that is probably true, but I am proof that we can modify who we are. If we have the proper motivation. Like 1000 pounds of sentient being on four legs telling you to knock it off!
I guess that's enough horse talk for now. We are having a one day warm up before we nosedive tonight. I have some winterizing to do, as I see it is winter. Happy trails.
12 comments:
Great horse chat today. I could take a lot of this shop talk.
Boud, don't encourage me, I have decades of it!
Thank you! Thank you! What a tack room. Do you still have all of that stuff? I have given away or sold so much of mine. Down to one saddle.....an Albion SL dressage saddle, a couple bridles and hackamores, and several saddle pads. Just gave 3 Rambos to a friend. I have no need for them anymore and still have 5 left plus the new ones for Rebel and Seamus. I only had 6 horses at once....can't imagine what it was like for you! I had these grand intentions of breeding my Anglo Trakehner mare by Abdullah and selling foals. What a joke! I can't part with any animals that I have. Horses, Dogs, Cats..... after Berlin was born I never bred Marieke again. I need to know that all will be well taken care of for the rest of their lives. Appreciate you sharing the photos and horse history.
My cousin lives in Wellington Florida. She moved there because of the horses; she's actually English but wanted something different. She wanted to set up a horse centre at one point, she just loves horses. She also loves winter which I think is weird:)
Your horses are beautiful and I didn't think about it but yeah, selling a horse to someone, you would want to trust that person to love and care for that horse.
Lori, I still have too much but not that much. I had saddles for different disciplines and for different horses. I didn't have 40 horses consistently, sometimes I had client horses here, mares in for breeding or here for foaling. I think for many years I probably had 30 horses on a regular basis.Still a lot. I did sell quite a few horses but I started to freeze up. The horses that remain here were all born here. Some I intended to keep, others I didn't sell. Market and just not able to do it anymore. Frighty Brighty was one who had to stay with me. That boy is jumpy!
Pixie, your cousin is probably lucky she just kept her love of horses out of the profession! I am weird, I like winter. : )
I considered my horses my creative outlet. There are wonderful people who will care for an animal all of its life. Then there are those who discard them without a thought. More of those than I like to think about. I rescues a few horses and a whole lot of dogs.
The trainer is in DeLeon Springs. I don't know if it's anywhere near Wellington.
Humans and Cruelty seem to be rampant these days and Cruelty is often the Point of those prone to it. The Rescue Pit Bull The Grandsons have was from a Dark Past and it's amazing to me how resiliently Loving Animals can still be even if mistreated in a former 'life' with awful Humans. Tyson is the sweetest Fur Baby and a big Goofball, I couldn't even imagine anyone being mean towards him. But, Yes, Fear for Humans is a factor, I think that's why Pit Bulls get a bad rap, people Fear their Power and ability to defend themselves, much like Horses, if they want you to knock it off, they can MAKE you and that scares shit out of Humans without the ability to Control themselves and act Right towards any Sentient Being. Bullies usually are Cowards under the cover of their aggression. Anyway, it was great to hear the back story of your Horses and bond with them. I'm not Patient either, not a Virtue of mine, so it's like Life Tested it severely to TEACH me Patience. *Winks*
Yes, Dawn. Fearful people need to display that they aren't afraid. I suppose that is why we have so many semiautomatic guns in the country. Horses try not to hurt you, but they sure can. Like Tyson can. I'm much more patient than I was and I attribute it to the calming influence of the horses.
I have two English saddles but never took lessons in them, I just liked how light they were and loved riding in them as they were very close to being bareback.
My favorite saddle that was a fluke was finding a Stonewall Saddle.
Stunningly beautiful tack room. Very impressive. My saddles are on saddle racks in a horse trailer. The Tack Room hubby was to build never happened.
However, it keeps them safe.
I think my patience with animals is so much more than with some people.
I had a lady who sold me my mare tell me: If she misbehaves, smile with your butt checks and don't get mad at her. It won't help. You guys are just miscommunicating.
Smile with your butt cheeks-- it got me through a lot.
Good horse talk.
Val, smile with your butt cheeks! Love it. There are two western saddles in there, along the opposite side, one is fancy, but they weren't used much. We used hunt seat, and dressage. I used the saddleseat with my ASB gelding. The tack room doesn't look like this now since I'm not able to do anything with it. The trailer is a perfectly good place to keep saddles.
37paddington:
You lead an interesting life in community with your horses, I can imagine it became hard to let them go, not knowing the treatment they might receive. I learned a lot from this post, city slicker that I am.
paddington, I am/was a city slicker with horses. I'm still seen as one even though I've lived here nearly 30 years! It did become hard. I had to stop what I was doing if I couldn't let them go. And I couldn't.
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