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Wyllow
Platinum Member
 United Kingdom
2885 Posts |
 Posted - 12 May 2005 : 10:03:56 PM
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I'm always fascinated by the articles on the rear page of Horse and Hound about particular horses that have been special to famous riders and before that series, there was "The Ride of Your Life", with a slightly different slant, asking riders to detail the one outstanding ride of their career.....so are our horses or "rides" any the less special ?
No, our horses and our acheievements, be they large or small are every bit as amazing....so let's celebrate them!
Pick a really special horse and a special ride and share your glory days!
Mine?
Well, I asked the question and now it's hard to limit it!!!
The first time I galloped across a beach full out the whole length of the Royal Bay of Grouville.
I was about thirteen and it certainly was NOT intentional! The leader of the ride I was out with from our stables was riding an ex race horse with us over his owner's holidays....he used to gallop on the beach in his hey day...and his feet hit the sand and off he went ~ about a dozen hairy ponies in his wake!
WOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!
FLYING!!!!!!!!
Totally abandoned and completely unforgettable in sheer exhilleration!
Want to do it on Chlio.......too chicken!!!!!
OR....
A ride out in Wyoming that took half a day, way out with no civilisation in sight only mountains, forests and prairies. We went up an incline so steep, my nose was through the Arab's ears! We came down a ravine so steep, the back of my head was touching her rump all the way down!!!!! We cantered over mounds of strangely coloured volcanic ash "Hudus" and watched deer and coyotes....AMAZING!!!!!
Horse of a lifetime ?
Can I split it into pony AND horse?
Milly ~ she's been everything I'd wished I'd had as a kid and more.
Chlio is my horse of a lifetime ~ I hope we'll grow old together ~ I always wanted a white Arab mare when I was little.....she is IT!!!!
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blue
Silver Member
United Kingdom
275 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 09:07:55 AM
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Oh this is so hard to narrow it down to one thing, but here goes...
Obviously my baby Blue has to be the horse of a life time because she was my first horse, my first ARAB. It is thanks to her I am addicted to Arabs, and it is thanks to her that I am now a lot more confident in my riding and handling horses (when I got her I was convinced I'd kill her in a month that was 10yrs ago). She taught me so much, how to enjoy horses, how to treat them and respect them she is my baby  
A special ride, now this is hard to decide, riding on Redcar beach on Blue, although scary at times as you could never be sure that your brakes would work but always raised a smile(there is definitely something special about riding on a beach ) However I have also got hundreds of special memories of riding Blue in Guisborough woods and surrounding moorland that I must have one of these as a special ride too, but which to choose? Riding round Roseberry Common in the snow Doing a paper chase with the pony club (Blue was the oldest horse there but still managed to out running the rest of the field) Or simply a 4hour ride with a friend round Captain Cooks Monument, Kildale and High cliff (in the rain & thunder!)
Oh and breaking Milly has to be one of my biggest and proudest personal achievements She is my little "blonde" pony and I love her to bits
Thanks for this post Nicci, it has helped to remind me that I don't have to compete to get the enjoyment from my girls I just have to love them & appreciate them and every little achievement
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Tema & The Girls |
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danni
Silver Member
United Kingdom
268 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 09:22:28 AM
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My is also a gallop down the beach on my girl who was also my first arab.
I was with a group of friends the sun was setting and there was a gang of drunken man humming the black beauty theme tune in the sand dunes,we laughed till we cried!!! |
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DawnBrookes
Gold Member
United Kingdom
647 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 11:19:10 AM
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arabs and beaches again for me......
1) on my beautiful gelding Pharoah, friends took us up to Formby Point, galloping on the beach following in the footsteps of Red Rum (who else had the poster of rummy training on the sands????)
my boy died less than a year later...the photo of us in the sea is still on the kitchen wall...
2)On my beautiful Zala (half sister to the above) who was born by the sea! riding through newborough forest, out onto the best beach in the world...blue skies, huge waves, no-one else but us.... the fastest I have ever been in my life, it literally DID take my breath away...just when I thought we were flat out she found another gear!
(going back there on 23rd may, can't wait!!!)
and many many rides too many to mention..whats that quote about 'the air that I breathe from between my horses ears' (been on nights but you get the idea!)
xxx |
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honey
Platinum Member
N. Ireland
2634 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 12:37:52 PM
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Horse of a lifetime is hard to choose between Gizzy and her mummy honey. Honey was our first horse, and has the most awkwardest temp ever, but thats what I like about her so much. Though gizzy is special, shes our first foal, and she has turned into what we wanted a little stunner. When we put our mare in foal to sistonce, we couldn't of asked for anything more, she ended up perfect.
Ride of a lifetime, again would have to be the hours we spent galloping on the beach and crashing through the water. And not too mention the forest rides, and the rides we took down the river, and hours we spent jumping up and down the bank. Just the time is so scarce lately, to spend hours on the horses. |
    
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Rach1
Gold Member
England
735 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 6:52:01 PM
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| Horse of a life time - My Ottoman. He is everthing I could ever want in a horse and much much more. It was love at first sight and if I never ride another horse ever again - well thats ok because nothing could ever come close. (excuse me while I burst into song!!!) |
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Sadika
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3520 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 7:53:53 PM
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Well I don't know if this qualifies but it's a memorable one for me - when I rode a point-to-pointer during a race...one of my more reckless moments! Anyway we were at the Cheshire Forest point-to-point during the mid '70's - it was actually Grand National day and the meeting was held during the morning as it wasn't far from Aintree and everyone wanted to get home to watch Red Rum. During the last race we were at the fence nearest to where our car was parked so we could get a quick getaway. Well a horse fell at the previous fence and stopped at ours, the steward caught him and said "I want to get off quick - who wants to ride him back?" - I said "me!", gave Pete my binoculars etc and got a leg up (wished I'd got a photo of his expression!). So we set off back to the paddock area but not the same way as the race was being run so as the field came round on the 2nd circuit we were going towards them - luckily the horse didn't try and turn and rejoin them - he'd hardly raced far as he'd fallen very early on and must have had lots of energy left! - and we cantered back to the paddock where there was virtually no-one left. The horse's rider had been taken off in the ambulance and I had a job to find someone to take the horse. I then had to walk back to Pete "in the country". The horse was called Skate's Hill - he never ran again - he had dismal form - falls, unseats etc but I still remember my one ride on a racehorse during a race! Health and safety would NEVER let that happen would they (I had no hat either!!)
I also had a memorable and very exhilarating ride on Guernsey when we were supposed to be cantering round the edge of a seashore golf course when my horse (named Penny Lane I think) decided canter was too slow and took me at speed over the greens and bunkers...straight to the beach! |
Marilyn
     
www.sweetphotography.com ** Now available online Our 2016 Galleries ** |
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joanna_piana
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3935 Posts |
Posted - 14 May 2005 : 10:06:26 PM
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| Most memorable ride for me was on Babs the thoroughbred mare I loaned when I was 22 having sold my last pony when I was 17 (big mistake, although as someone pointed out if I had kept him would I now own my own lovely arab girl who is the best thing I ever did) anyway I digress! I took her on the common for the first time and we got to the top of the long stretch and she went, I couldn't see, I couldn't breath and I certainly couldn't stop but it was just fantastic and luckily she knew to stop when she got to the end. She actually eventually died on this very stretch (not with me on board) and I always thought what a lovely way to go in the place she loved best doing the thing she enjoyed most - bless her. |
      
Harthall Rashida RIP, Binley Ishara, Bouchan
Chorleywood, Hertfordshire |
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Wyllow
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2885 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 4:30:30 PM
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I'm so glad I asked those questions ~ it seems to be encouraging wonderful warm memories ....and dare I say it ~ the BEACH seems to be featuring very much here!!!!
I have to say that one of the most memorable evenings I've spent with Milly was taking her down to the beach that was the scene of that first mad gallop on another grey pony, Bilbo, so many years before and just trotting sensibly over the sands with the beautiful granite castle at Gorey overlooking the harbout and the boats beached there in the distance.
It was good to have a pony UNDER CONTROL this time!!!
Caroline, my daughter, as opposed to Caroline my friend, who was onboard that ex race horse so long before, also took the reins for a while and we just ambled about down at the water's edge as the sun was dipping lower in the sky, casting a pink glow over the sea and sand .....and turning our white mare pink too ~ magical! |
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bayley
Bronze Member
Australia
75 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 4:40:43 PM
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Rides of my life, would have to be when, I unclipped the lead rope for the first time, for each of our 4 children and years later,for our two grandsons.
Hardly daring to breath, but with much faith and trust in the kind knowing eyes of their horses, after several minutes, the children would smile with joy excitement and pride, eyes bright and confident. awhhh magic moments to be treasured.. all of our children and grandchildren have only ever ridden purebred arabians..
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moonfruit
Silver Member
England
475 Posts |
Posted - 16 May 2005 : 3:00:29 PM
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This is a fab question! I've just sat here daydreaming remembereing loads of fantastic rides.
On holiday in mexico, riding into the sea at sunset... pretty special.
The first time I galloped Amira it was breathtaking, never been so fast.(Dawn, we really must hook up with our pair!) Up on the South Downs, looking over Sussex going so fast I could barely see or breathe.
My horse of a lifetime tho was my last one, Ilderim. He was a 6yr old stallion and I was a 14 yr old girl. He was my first Arab, and we fell in love with each other! I trusted him completely, and he never once let me down. He looked after everyone who rode or handled him and was a darling. I still miss him and dream of tracking him down. Had many 'rides of a liftime' on him cos he taught me so much. |
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Marie-ann1
Gold Member
England
1061 Posts |
Posted - 16 May 2005 : 3:50:22 PM
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WOW, what fantastic tails of fun, love and memories!
Reading all these post actually brought tears to my eyes (it is so lovely to see that I am not the only one that feels passionately about my horses).
Here are mine:
Horse of my life
Princess - I rescued her from auction Feb last year (in foal) the only other person that was bidding was the "meat man" - I just had to bid(paid £120). She is not registered, but is pure arab (We think Old Engish Crabbet). She had been badly treated and is blind in one eye she is only 4yrs old now - she is the sweetest pony (13.2HH) ever. I will never ever sell her, and I would do anything for her and she for me .
Best Ride of my life
Topper - I was given this horse, he was a TBX 16.3HH middleweight dark bay 18yrs old. We did not do anything really exciting like gallop anywhere or do anything drastic, but this horse and I had a bond right from day one. He gave me courage to go over a couple of jumps and to enter my first competition where we were place! I loved and still love this horse with all my heart and soul! I had to have him put down after a very bad surgery (sinus surgery) where he fractured his knee length wise through all three joints! How I miss him!!!.....
Well those are my favourite horses. Thank for thinking of the topic, really gets you thinking!
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Marie-Ann
Maidstone, Kent
www.arwenarabians.com/
http://milleniumjamaal.arwenarabians.com/index.html
http://www.freewebs.com/stallionbreeding/index.htm
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zoew37
Gold Member
Scotland
759 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2005 : 12:21:28 PM
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Its fantastic reading these.
Ride of my life:
Probably first time i took peri into a stubble field and let him go, i thought i was flying, we went so fast i had tears in my eyes.
Horse & Pony (have to split it im afraid)
Pony has to be Kintyre, i always feel 100% safe on her, she always puts you before her and i know she would rather hurt herself than hurt me, i just love her to the end of the earth.
Horse has to be Peri, hes the most amazing little horse ive ever sat on, he gives you 200% everytime, theres so much talent in that little body of his. I just love him to btis, and i still look at him and get tingles in my toes |
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louisejo
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1313 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2005 : 11:57:34 AM
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Ride of my life - this must have been over 10 years ago now but i will always remember how much fun it was. We took Astral and a lorry load of horses down to Camber Sands forthe first time and just let them go along the beach - it was such good fun, the horses really enjoyed it (will never forget the dead sheep that somehow managed to find its way onto the beach - nearly came a cropper trying to jump it!
Horse of my life has to be my boy Astral, i have had him now for 14 years and really couldn't imagine life without him. I was only 16 when i got him so we have been through a lot of things together, i am very much the over protective mother where he is concerned!! We have done so many miles together and been to some beautiful places, i wouldnt change him for the world - even though he is a grumpy old bugger! |
Edited by - louisejo on 20 May 2005 11:58:46 AM |
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