Post by gillybounce on Sept 15, 2009 17:54:04 GMT 1
This is the follow-on from last month's column in Cumberland News...
Last month I mentioned a certain gentleman who has recently joined our
family and promised to tell you more about him. Well…pour yourself a
nice hot drink and pull up a chair. Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin.
It has been my experience that horses often find you when you aren’t
looking for them. Rockhill Strider (Seth) was a perfect example. My
best friend had been looking for a horse for some time – in fact she’d
looked at more than forty and, like Goldilocks, had found them all to
be – not quite right. They were too big or too small, too placid or
too fiery, too chestnut or too bay. I said I’d have a look in Cumbria
– just to see what was around. I was only trying to be helpful – I
didn’t need another horse for myself – I already had one thanks very
much. But then I met Seth. Sixteen hands three inches of pure
heart-melting gorgeousness – George Clooney in horse-form. He was too
big for me – I was too small for him – but as soon as I looked into
those glorious dark eyes, I was a goner. Smitten. I did do the
honourable thing – and offered my friend first refusal, though I
hardly breathed the whole time she was looking at him. Happily for me
she preferred a pretty little mare, so I didn’t have to run away with
Seth in the dead of night as I’d (only slightly jokingly) been
contemplating.
Some years later – along came Bounce. Now of all the horses I might
ever have considered, a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse definitely was not
on the list. I certainly wouldn’t have gone looking for one – but
once again, he found me. I knew him before I met him, so to speak,
because he was part-owned by my big brother, so I heard all about his
exploits on the track – his successes and his failures, and when he
retired from racing with an injured tendon, I was happy to take him in
for a spot of rehabilitation. Still didn’t occur to me that I’d ever
actually ride him – I thought he’d be far too hotblooded for me. But
one day when his leg was all better and I was feeling adventurous, I
decided to take him out for a little stroll, just the two of us. Just
ten minutes along the road I thought – maybe twenty if he wasn’t
misbehaving. Two and a half hours later when we rode back into the
yard you couldn’t have got the smile off my face with a chisel. He’d
been an absolute honey – and I was in love all over again.
A couple of years down the line and I’m still besotted with him –
we’ve had our moments of course – he wouldn’t be a horse if he was
perfect all the time, but I can honestly say I wouldn’t swop him for
gold. He’s all the horse I could ever need. So why did I go and get
Barra Lad as well? Because he found me of course! Haven’t you been
listening to a word I’ve said? Barra’s also an ex-racehorse – he came
from Lucinda Russell’s yard up in Fife and I first heard about him
through the Scottish and Northern ex-racehorse club forum – which is
without question one of my favourite online places
(www.scotnorthexracers.co.uk then follow the tabs to the forum)and
where I can often be found loitering – though always with good intent.
Barra Lad had proved to be a bit of a slacker on the racetrack, so he
needed a new home – and for some reason as soon as I read about him on
the forum, a little light just seemed to go on in my mind. I kept
trying to ignore it – but kept being drawn back as though by some sort
of magnet. I asked a few tentative questions about him – almost
hoping the answers would put me off him. Didn’t work. So eventually
I gave in and went to see him – and that was that. Barra Lad is now
part of our gang. He and Bounce are both fantastic adverts for
ex-racers – they’re very easy to be around – they travel easily,
they’re not in the least bit bothered by bikes, lorries or any of the
agricultural monstrosities we get on roads round here.
They do have very different personalities however. Bounce is braver
and never refuses to go past anything, though he may take a look at
it. Barra will just stop in his tracks and refuse to budge. He’s
quite polite about it, but adamant. Bounce can occasionally get quite
fizzed up – so far at least, Barra has been unbelievably chilled out.
Just yesterday his stirrup caught on a hook as he was going into his
stable (yes okay – I’d forgotten to run the stirrups up – mea culpa!)
and I froze, expecting a big panic. Instead his expression plainly
said ‘Do you think you could possibly release me instead of just
standing there please?’ Leave it to a horse to make you feel daft!
So – it’s early days and my new boy and I are still getting to know
each other. I’ll let you know how we get on.
Last month I mentioned a certain gentleman who has recently joined our
family and promised to tell you more about him. Well…pour yourself a
nice hot drink and pull up a chair. Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin.
It has been my experience that horses often find you when you aren’t
looking for them. Rockhill Strider (Seth) was a perfect example. My
best friend had been looking for a horse for some time – in fact she’d
looked at more than forty and, like Goldilocks, had found them all to
be – not quite right. They were too big or too small, too placid or
too fiery, too chestnut or too bay. I said I’d have a look in Cumbria
– just to see what was around. I was only trying to be helpful – I
didn’t need another horse for myself – I already had one thanks very
much. But then I met Seth. Sixteen hands three inches of pure
heart-melting gorgeousness – George Clooney in horse-form. He was too
big for me – I was too small for him – but as soon as I looked into
those glorious dark eyes, I was a goner. Smitten. I did do the
honourable thing – and offered my friend first refusal, though I
hardly breathed the whole time she was looking at him. Happily for me
she preferred a pretty little mare, so I didn’t have to run away with
Seth in the dead of night as I’d (only slightly jokingly) been
contemplating.
Some years later – along came Bounce. Now of all the horses I might
ever have considered, a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse definitely was not
on the list. I certainly wouldn’t have gone looking for one – but
once again, he found me. I knew him before I met him, so to speak,
because he was part-owned by my big brother, so I heard all about his
exploits on the track – his successes and his failures, and when he
retired from racing with an injured tendon, I was happy to take him in
for a spot of rehabilitation. Still didn’t occur to me that I’d ever
actually ride him – I thought he’d be far too hotblooded for me. But
one day when his leg was all better and I was feeling adventurous, I
decided to take him out for a little stroll, just the two of us. Just
ten minutes along the road I thought – maybe twenty if he wasn’t
misbehaving. Two and a half hours later when we rode back into the
yard you couldn’t have got the smile off my face with a chisel. He’d
been an absolute honey – and I was in love all over again.
A couple of years down the line and I’m still besotted with him –
we’ve had our moments of course – he wouldn’t be a horse if he was
perfect all the time, but I can honestly say I wouldn’t swop him for
gold. He’s all the horse I could ever need. So why did I go and get
Barra Lad as well? Because he found me of course! Haven’t you been
listening to a word I’ve said? Barra’s also an ex-racehorse – he came
from Lucinda Russell’s yard up in Fife and I first heard about him
through the Scottish and Northern ex-racehorse club forum – which is
without question one of my favourite online places
(www.scotnorthexracers.co.uk then follow the tabs to the forum)and
where I can often be found loitering – though always with good intent.
Barra Lad had proved to be a bit of a slacker on the racetrack, so he
needed a new home – and for some reason as soon as I read about him on
the forum, a little light just seemed to go on in my mind. I kept
trying to ignore it – but kept being drawn back as though by some sort
of magnet. I asked a few tentative questions about him – almost
hoping the answers would put me off him. Didn’t work. So eventually
I gave in and went to see him – and that was that. Barra Lad is now
part of our gang. He and Bounce are both fantastic adverts for
ex-racers – they’re very easy to be around – they travel easily,
they’re not in the least bit bothered by bikes, lorries or any of the
agricultural monstrosities we get on roads round here.
They do have very different personalities however. Bounce is braver
and never refuses to go past anything, though he may take a look at
it. Barra will just stop in his tracks and refuse to budge. He’s
quite polite about it, but adamant. Bounce can occasionally get quite
fizzed up – so far at least, Barra has been unbelievably chilled out.
Just yesterday his stirrup caught on a hook as he was going into his
stable (yes okay – I’d forgotten to run the stirrups up – mea culpa!)
and I froze, expecting a big panic. Instead his expression plainly
said ‘Do you think you could possibly release me instead of just
standing there please?’ Leave it to a horse to make you feel daft!
So – it’s early days and my new boy and I are still getting to know
each other. I’ll let you know how we get on.
You sound like you have 2 lovely yet very different boys. Eddie was on a forum too & I looked at him over & over again on the forum, until I just had to go & see him & it was the best decision I ever made 
weapons of grass destruction