[LynX]

I have been lucky enough to own and enjoy horses all my life. I have compete in show jumping and dressage in the past but these days I just enjoy clopping around the lanes. Here are the equine trio, they are all such great mates.


Here's Killy, taken last year, who I bred myself and am so attached to her and her quirky ways.


Here's Big Al. He is a lovely kind, gentle boy who I bought to have some nice quiet riding on. He is such a gent he tempted my husband to start riding again so he has been stolen


And here is me in the rain with all three. That's Hytime on the left, she is retired now but has been a fabulous horse. I had her as a youngster when I was thirty something. She taught me I didn't know quite as much as I thought I did and made me try harder.




Paddington found us when we first moved here about seven years ago. He was a poor little stray who hung around begging for food and quickly decided to move in with us and rule the household.






Oscar the Rabbit was rescued from some 'wanna-be' breeders in Wales. Through their ignorance his ears are a little shredded on the ends but he is the most wonderful loving bunny ever.








I love all animals and have always enjoyed birds but have not taken a great deal of notice of them other than putting wild bird seed out.
Two years ago a very young dove was in distress in our garden, he had been mauled and I noticed had deformed feet. I managed to save him and he gained health as he grew into a fine collared dove, but what to do with him? Kind hubby built him a lovely aviary and I bought him another dove to keep him company. Since then I have enjoyed my new birdy hobby so much I have increased 'Lucky Dove's' family to include diamond doves, a canary, zebra finches and an injured chaffinch joined the crew last summer.


That's Lucky the darker one and Pax his friend.


We added some Diamond Doves who have had four baby doves making eight altogether.


For my birthday last April I got two Zebra Finches


and a canary. (the boot lace wrapped around the branch is to help Lucky who has a problem balancing with his deformed feet.)

Sorry to hog so much space but that is the extent of my family ..... for now

[Ryn26]

Thanks for sharing all those fabby pics, great to meet you and all your family I love the one of you and your horses tis a great pic. I am a lapsed rider and also used to work as a groom in the very distant past have lost my confidence with horses these days

Paddington has a lovely smiley face

[Timbellemia]

Oh wow! What lovely, lovely pics Thanks for sharing their stories - that was really interesting to read

You obviously love all animals and care about them deeply Heartwarming to read about Lucky, your collared dove and the steps your kind hubby took in building him an aviary The way things are going I don't think it will be long before we see some new additions to your family........

[K9fan]

Oh more fantastic pictures, all lovely...what a lovely fur family you have I love the one of Paddington upside down, he has a silly grin on his face

You hog all the space you like with pictures like this

[Chapstaff]

What a kind person you are - hubby too - fancy him building an aviary for an injured wild bird, the getting another to keep it company. Lovely clear photos.

What quirky ways does Killy have?

Lovely part of the country to live in, nice quiet(ish) lanes for riding perfick!

[woodysmum]

All smashing pics, you and your husband are both very kind,

Wonder if I turned up as a stray if you would take me in , I think I like the sound of your household

[LynX]

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I am a lapsed rider and also used to work as a groom in the very distant past have lost my confidence with horses these days

That is a shame. Do you know on and off I think every rider would admit to hiccups in confidence. As you know they are not the easiest creatures to stay n board and it really hurts when you don't I hope you get another opportunity to start again, I think once a rider it's always there in the blood.

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You obviously love all animals and care about them deeply

Very much so

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I love the one of Paddington upside down, he has a silly grin on his face

He is a very happy chappy and a very gentle boy - unless you are a mouse

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What quirky ways does Killy have?

Right now where do I start.
The most obvious quirk is her enormous fear of sheep. Had I not bred her, given her a very balanced foal-hood and broken her in myself I would have put money on her having had an incident with a sheep at sometime before we met. However she didn't. I knew she wasn't happy with them from a baby as she used to shy just a little when I led her to some grazing we rented and had to pass a field of them to get there. I knew big time that this was a massive phobia when I started schooling her and took her to a friends manege. My friend asked if she should move a couple of poorly sheep out of the way who were convalescing on the quiet bank just outside. Luckily Killy was through the manage gate and shut in before she spotted woolly beasts or we would have lost her. Within seconds she was a mirror of sweat and shaking.
That was the most extreme of many similar 'sheep' incidents but she has remained phobic all her life.


Another little quirk is her dislike of hacking. She adores being schooled, I always make her schooling really fun and it's more like playing games than never ending circle after circle. Until she was nine I hardly ever took her out as she would become so anxious and unhappy it was hardly fair (or safe) to try and give her this treat (which it is for most horses) You could take her anywhere in her lorry and get out and compete in an arena, school amongst other competitors, but to leave that environment she would become a quivering wreck. I have over the years got her to (I think) enjoy a quiet hack around the lanes but you could never get her to go on her own, Big Al or another horse always has to be there.

She cannot stand being alone and if you were silly enough (like someone was once) and led the horse stabled next door to her away she climbs out of her stable. Yes, over a good high stable door and hurt herself on the concrete yard the other side. I was not too pleased with the person who did that.

She has sweet little quirks as well. We have sold our lorry now as I don't compete any more but Killy used to love it. Leading her back to it after a show she would whinny to it when she spotted it, and just to make my heart swell to bursting point she has done the same to me when she has seen me walk towards her.

For all her quirks she is also very talented and has extravagant and balanced paces and we did very well in our classes but more importantly it was all great fun.

Here she is as a six year old training for her Novice tests.
And for all her little quirks I wouldn't change her for the world.

Blimey-don't I go on, remember not to ask me any more questions There is nothing I like more than talking about my 'friends'. Except learning about other peoples special 'friends' too of course

[valk]

Lovely pics. I love Paddington he is the image of my Dougal who died many years ago.

[rogue2k1]

Oh your horses are gorgeous! I love Big Al

Just to add, sorry I meant to post this reply this morning and forgot! I have just read about Killy, she sounds like a real character but so lovely too. My boy is a bit quirk as well and my mare, well, she's chestnut and welsh and lives up to the reputation of both! Although she loves me when I work her hard, it's the only time she's affectionate is when we've finished a good schooling/lunging session!

This post has been edited by rogue2k1: 23 January 2010 - 02:08 PM

[tangles]

Blimey you've certainly got your hands full
Your photos are lovely

[kaz4]

Your photos are lovely. I, too, am a lapsed rider and I was a groom for years and miss it like mad. Still, things change!

I used to keep zebra finches and they can be quite entertaining little birds. (Next door's cats used to think so)

[LynX]

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Wonder if I turned up as a stray if you would take me in

You would be more than welcome. Especially if you brought that dear little dog on your avatar along with you.

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I love Paddington he is the image of my Dougal who died many years ago

Oh I'm sorry Dougal has passed on. There is something about a ginger cat isn't there. I love all cat colours but I have to admit to being a bit partial to ginger.

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I love Big Al

Yes Ally is a real poppet, he's the sort of horse you look for for all your life and once you've found him he's here to stay. Just a bit miffed my husband has bagged him, I quite fancied doing lots on him myself.
I've just had a peep at your gorgeous two on your utube clip, what a cracking pair. It looks like you have a lot of fun on them and that is brilliant. We'll have to have some horsey chats on here. My brother lives in East Grinstead, it's a small world.

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Blimey you've certainly got your hands full

Ooooh yes.

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I used to keep zebra finches and they can be quite entertaining little birds

Well I'm very new to birds and loving learning all about them. I too love the little Zebbies, what a lot of noise from such a little bird, they are like little clowns.
Yes things do change and I do hope you manage to start riding again. The yearn is always there once you become an adict

[ridgebackx]

what a beautiful family!

[rogue2k1]

Oh really, it is a small world! I am just outside of East Grinstead, on the outskirts of a village called Lingfield (you may know the racecourse), and we have another member from East Grinstead as well
As for the ponies they are a handful at times what with Olly being the worlds biggest wuss and Baby being an argumentative, cantankerous b!tch (I have never come across another youngster like her - she's only 5!) but I wouldn't change them for the world. I know what you mean about Big Al being so easy to do, Olly tried his heart out for you and is just such a lovely boy he has definitely got a home for life with me!

[LynX]

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Baby being an argumentative, cantankerous b!tch

My first ever pony was a Welsh Cob Chestnut mare. She was ancient, had only one eye and wa retired from a riding school. She had all of Baby's 'attributes' and was quite mean to her little girl (me) owner. After all that she was also a lovely forward ride and I think she did a good job of setting me up for an equestrian life that has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination.
Your Olly looks a treasure. So glad you found each other, it looks like you have loads of fun together.

[kicks]

lovely pics! I'm another Paddington fan - he's gorgeous!

[rogue2k1]

LOL I was thinking yesterday after one of our arguing sessions (schooling) that she is going to make me a lot better rider as if I don't sit up and ride her through she will deck me! And being one of the "barrel and no wither" ponies, when she slams her brakes on it's all too easy to go out the front door!
Olly is my soul mate, it beaks my heart to think of what he went through in the 5 years before I got him, to make him so nervous, and head-shy. He is a lot better than he was but still an anxious pony, I think of him as a little old man in a pony body!

[LynX]

Oh bless him did Olly have a bad home before you found him.
Is his story on here anywhere, I would love to know about him.

[rogue2k1]

I think it has been deleted, we had some problems on the site a wee while ago. Olly was owned by some 'travelers' who basically pulled him out of the field every few months, put him in harness and drove him. When I went to see him he had never really been ridden but was backed to saddle and rider. He was very head-shy and is still a bit ear-shy, I am not sure but I am pretty sure he was beaten by a previous owner
He is incredibly anxious and gets very worried if he doesn't understand what you want him to do, he is so willing, genuine and really wants to please you. If you are a bit rough with him he tends to panic a bit, so I have to be very careful in how I handle him and ask him to do something. If I am upset or annoyed about something there is no point trying to work him as I would just upset him

[LynX]

I do love the sound of Olly. He was so lucky you bought him and understand him.
Funnily enough it is the big cobby horses who are the more sensitive. Big Al is just the same as have been anything middle weight I have dealt with in the past. They look solid and strong but their minds are very dependable.
He would have hated being dragged out of a field and slammed into work, he must have been so unhappy.
I'm so glad you cherish your little man, he deserves it.
Something that has worked for me in the past with head-shy horses is to offer a towel massage. I don't know why it works but it does seem to. If you hold a hand towel by each corner and quietly offer to rub behind his ears with the cloth he will (hopefully) push his head into the towel and allow you to rub away all over his head (especially the eyes). It may take some time and is not a complete cure but it's a step forwards.