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zooscat
Gold Member
 United Kingdom
882 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 05:06:00 AM
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Hello again, dear Arabian Lines friends!  . I'm back, too!
After deciding that Aragon the Paragon would have a far better home with someone else (September 2012) I gave up all things Arabian.
At one point, giving up on life was seeming like a sensible option, too: but, clinging on to The Grippet's scrawny tail, and Miss Cat's loud, demanding purr, I somehow floated through.
In January 2013, I bought a roughly broken, very scruffy little 4 year old Exmoor cross who knows, probably cob, mare from some travellers. She reminded me off my first "proper" pony who I had from when I was six, until graduating to the big hunters at twelve.
My rationale in getting her was as follows: life without a horse was thin and grey. Buy something low key and bring on quietly to potter about on, under the radar, whilst I produced a rounded, sensible, well schooled go anywhere, do anything,child's second pony.
When I dropped off the earning enough/being mentally and physically fit enough to carry on bough, (I am 70 plus, and still in a full time demanding and dangerous trade), she would be reasonably assured of a good life as a reliable, fun Pony Club mount.
At 13.3hh, sound, cheerful, fast, reliable and a very talented little 4x4 go anywhere, win anything jumping machine, (she does love her jumping)! that is exactly what she has turned out to be.
She comes to call, lives on good grass and fresh air, (and a good multi-vit/mineral supplement) looks a million dollars with a glass-bright dapple brown coat, glossy black flowing mane and tail and a pretty head. She loads and travels like a pro, is in self carriage almost all the time, does low key dressage, medium height cross country, show jumping, Le Trec, pleasure rides dressed up as The Christmas Fairy, you name it, we can do it! She has been the recipient of huge amounts of time, money, thoughtful management and skilled quiet schooling (the latter supported by three times a week training with the lovely YM and input by my dressage instructor) and my usual Best Of Everything regime. It has paid off, big time.
She also proved a brilliant mother to the exquisite huge Exmoor x ? Standardbred 15 month 13.2hh gelding tri-coloured Surprise she presented us with on April 21st last year! He's off in the bottom yard paddocks, with the other youngsters, preparing to be the YM's next Badminton horse. Utterly stunning and a lovely person.
As well as being Miss Perfect Pony, Exxie can also be a very powerful, opinionated, pushy, 400kg thug. Not often, but the young cob mare/shut down/survival mode/deal with rough early life strategies occasionally arrive when she wants/doesn't want to do something. Usually coinciding with being in season: getting less on a herbal supplement. (£46 a pot - eek!). But. She's whacked me into the stable wall, pulled me sideways into a gate and been a bargey brat once too often. Again, very rarely. But enough. There is not a lot of me, these days (7stone 8lbs of determined Old Bones) and I rely on experience, a classical seat, long legs and good balance to survive my horsey enterprises. Those don't provide much padding or anchorage in times of Exxie teen tantrums.
And - she isn't an Arab. That has turned out to be the fly in our otherwise very effective horsey ointment. The ultimate, unfortunate deal breaker.
So, I have taken an opportunity which the gods of keeping one's nerve, kick on, and just do it, have kindly set in my way. All being well, (fingers and toes, paws and claws, hooves, eyes and teeth all crossed) a lovely relative of the beloved Ryazan (1989 -2010) will be in my permanent care from early August.
Exxie is going to carry on her trade of being a cracking little pony with a good Pony Club family who have had, and still have two of my other, smaller, older rescue ponies. They also became star turns. I shall miss her bright little face with its "what you got and where is it?" expression over the door in the morning.
But - I achieved what I set out to do with her, and she is equipped to go on with the life she enjoys, under my at-a-distance long watch.
The gnawing ache of grief left by the loss of Ratty Ry has never gone away: it has stopped me truly bonding with any horse since, even A the P. But I have never ceased looking for the Ratty feeling, even though I knew he was gone.
When I first met The Possibility, I looked, spoke, stroked and scratched. No: not Ratty. No good. Then I realised that it could be ok again. I rode him and that fabulous Ratty ride feeling was back. The glittering excitement. The feeling safe. Phew: home again.
Thanks for reading.
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 07:34:32 AM
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Welcome back, loved reading this, I adore all equines, but there is nothing like an Arabian |
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ali bali
Gold Member
Scotland
641 Posts |
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glo
Gold Member
England
1297 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 10:00:43 AM
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I totally agree, if your a Arab person, it has to be a Arab!
Welcome back. |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 12:57:52 PM
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Zooscat this is really odd - only yesterday I was wondering how you are and whether a pm from here would reach you, and today here you are! Fantastic! So glad that you have been busy and having fun with your little girl - I was a bit concerned when I realised you were arabless (when A the P left). Very exciting to hear about The Possibility - do tell us all about him when he arrives 
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  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 1:05:39 PM
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| Welcome back zoocat:) can't wait to see pictures of your new one. |
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lulu
Gold Member
763 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 1:06:01 PM
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| I really must be an odd person. My best horse ever was my crabbett part bred when she was pts I had a very hard time finding a replacement, I had always wanted a pure bred which I did and had many happy years with Thea when she died due to twisted gut I did a very unfortunate thing I bought the same week another arab mare we got on well for a few years but as I had got older she got more dotty and I found I couldn't cope in fact lost my nerve and didn't ride for a year she has gone to a good home and I now have a welsh cob on permenant loan from her breeder who I know very well. She has taken the place of my much loved and still missed part arab. I feel safe and have found my love of riding again. I can admire arabs from the sidelines and have enjoyed my time with them but Dolly Grey and I will go into the future together. As you see I still like to pop on here and see how you are all doing. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good result for you all in The Case. |
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FireLight
Gold Member
620 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 1:14:32 PM
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Just brilliant, loved reading your post, welcome back.
My friends refer to me as the mad Arab lady who would have a much easier horsey life with a cob! Unthinkable, Life without an Arabian to share it with....pointless.! 
Enjoy your new partner. Keep us posted. |
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Ari
Platinum Member
1657 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 5:56:15 PM
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Welcome back, what a journey you have been on. There have been times when I have looked at natives and cobs with envy at how easy they cope with strange things and are never phased in any situation and thought why can't my Arab boy be like that. Then I remind myself how gentle he is, how totally reliable and respectful on the ground and in his stable. Yes he is prone to swerve at a plant or stone and does have the odd can't do...ok I will moment nothing remotely dangerous. The big things that frighten all horse he copes with fine. However he strides out over our moorland rides with that feeling only an Arab can give. We have a mutual love and respect for each other.
All the very best with your new Arab pal
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sab2
Platinum Member
8467 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 6:14:33 PM
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| Welcome back zooscat , loved reading about Exxie, i would love an Exmoor and if i hadn,t just bought back a Shettie i bred 4 yrs ago i would of had one as just been offered one this week. Sadly not to be as my homebred babies will always have to come first, but once hes gelded , up to weight and i have found a suitable home for him you never know i may just get my Exmoor. Look forward to reading lots more tales from you and once again back |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 7:34:08 PM
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| Welcome back - I was only thinking about you the other day and wondering how you are! So pleased you have found another Arab friend and also given Exxie such a great start. |
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zooscat
Gold Member
United Kingdom
882 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2015 : 06:58:19 AM
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Good heavens, folk - I am honoured and humbled to read that ALiners even remembered that I existed, yet alone have been holding me in mind and wondering how I was getting on in an Arab-less universe.
I often wonder how various ALiners are, now they no longer post on here. I left because I was becoming dangerously vulnerable to the contents of some threads. Reality can be a harsh place and the internet sits in the inbetween land. It is there, but I find it difficult, sometimes, to correctly decode the intention behind the conversations. It is too one dimensional. The result can be that I spiral further into feeling overwhelmed by my inadequacies. So, I went into survival mode - sit still and become unseen.
Fortunately, I'm a tough old bat, from famous tough old bat stock. We survive!
The loss of Ratty Ry has been a grim burden to carry. In many ways, he was an extremely difficult and complex horse, but I felt a deep connection with him which I have not had with any of my other horses, or indeed other animals, apart from Zoos the Killer Burmese. They were both "Take no prisoners: stand back, I'm coming through" characters. They were my henchmen, and I felt, in a rather mad way, protected by them. ZeeZe, the GSD, who was the third henchman, was a more reserved person: she sat and watched and had an excellent line in hard stares. She had considerable presence. All gone, now. All pts before their arthritis and (Zoos and Ze) kidney failure overcame them. Easeful and peaceful deaths.
The Grippet, Miss Cat and Exxie are all survivors, too, but with a different method. They use charm, and clever manipulation of the "Aaah, what a sweet little cat/dog/pony" button to get what they need. Less abrasive and probably more effective in the long run.
Exxie will learn, as she matures, to leave the thug button alone, as it doesn't get her what she wants.
In thinking, now, about The Possibility, and what it was that spoke to me; it was his initial "P*** off and leave me alone" (a Ratty strategy when anxious) look and body movements. Very subtle cues, but loud, if one is tuned in: then . . . the bravery to look again . . . the dare to believe . . . it might be . . . ok? The turn of the head; the exchange of eye contact. The mutual " hmm, maybe . . ." Then, the generosity and gaiety of the ride - " Alright - where we off to? Let's go!"
It took RR years to feel secure enough to dare to believe that it could be ok, and it was never entirely safe, but in his later years it was ok for about 90% of the time. He was such a beautiful horse, huge character and fabulous ride that however dreadful he was (and I still have all the physical scars caused by his outrageous behaviour!) I adored him.
I still can't quite believe I have found TP: it won't feel real until he is home, in a couple of interminable weeks, if all goes to plan. I'm going for another visit tomorrow and a ride on the saddle which B, his current owner, is willing to sell with him.
Much appreciation to B, who is patiently putting up with my endless questions and old lady demands for tall mounting blocks! |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2015 : 11:40:36 AM
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Fingers crossed that it all goes to plan
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Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2015 : 10:31:13 PM
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Welcome back, great to hear from you again. Even better that you are joining the "Arab owners" again, they are addictive!
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faymouse
Silver Member
United Kingdom
412 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 8:00:47 PM
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Thanks for your comment on my post where I am missing my boy.
I had to laugh re the pony as I went down that road too and learned they are much too swift and changeable for my ancient bod having parted company on a few occasions!!!
Now if at all. it will be an arab again for me. Had them over 30 years and silly to change what worked so well. Congrats on your soon to be new addition and enjoy! x |
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 8:46:26 PM
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Great to have you back Zooscat, and look forward to hearing detailed and hilarious exploits!
Caryn |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
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zooscat
Gold Member
United Kingdom
882 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 9:14:11 PM
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Oh dear, slight hiccups and worries going on reTP - or rather - his current custodian. Don't want to say too much: Meanwhile, another (aged, with some health issues and a fed-up owner wanting gone) Ratty Ry relative for sale/loan has appeared 5 miles down the road, and well known to my instructor! And a third fabulous youngster, also related to the late RR is for sale on AL!
Nothing, and then 3 of the creatures arrive at once!
Going to see the old boy tomorrow afternoon and TP again, I hope, at the weekend.
So - should I scoop up the old horse with alleged chronic health issues (good vet, experienced YM and calm consistent management usually make things better) and potter about hacking and low level everything else, or schlep across country for two hours to seeTP again, and ignore the worry that there is something not quite right - ownership, history, Something.
Meanwhile, the lovely youngster flounces over the sales page saying - "who cares about the price - I am young, beautiful and will make a fabulous all rounder".
WWYD?
Meanwhile, Faymouse, how are you getting on? We can have them all, and share a herd! Exxie is doing her best to remind me why she is moving to my friends, when they come back from a good Hickstead. She has been barge-monster central, so it's back to ground work and staring at the mutinous gold dapple brown Exxie bum as she refuses to move it ANYWHERE at all where you intend it to go!
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 9:55:42 PM
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Zooscat, go and meet the new contender (How aged, what health issues?), and see TP again, and possibly the Young Contender, you will know which is the right one for you - this time you need to make the right choice, for you and your next Arab
And as for barge monsters, my welsh x tb pony is on enforced box rest for a splint at the moment, and he is being monstrous - runs you over as soon as you unbolt the stable door, spends his time kicking the stable door with his bad leg, burgles the feed room (up 3 steps and opens the door as soon as your back is turned) when allowed out in the stable yard, has opened the wheelie bin containing the fly rugs and thrown them all over the floor, has taken to chucking his feed bucket over the door as soon as it is empty, kicks his water bucket over, could hear him shrieking from over a mile away when out on a hack this morning (his cousin he has known from birth is also on box rest with laminitis, so not left on his own) terrorises the dog etc. etc. can't wait for him to recover enough to be turned out... |
Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 30 Jul 2015 10:15:20 PM |
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FireLight
Gold Member
620 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 12:55:55 PM
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| Go and see all 3, your gut feeling will tell you which is Mr Right! There are pros and cons for all 3, it is a case of which one you can't imagine being without. |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 2:33:36 PM
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| Firelight, you hit the nail on the head!! |
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zooscat
Gold Member
United Kingdom
882 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 11:44:08 PM
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Well, that's that, then: I duly trundled off to see The Aged One this afternoon. I wandered into a scruffy yard full of rather intimidating, scowly teenagers, with huge, young strapped-down show jumpers. These they later brought into the small school and roared around, flying over tall uprights and doing yank turns. The fact that TAO's owner had booked the school for 30 minutes was no deterrent. I got on TAO, amongst the teenage juggernauts, and he fled round, yanking at the reins. In my customary manner, I had a very light contact and an equally light 3 point seat. The Owner shouted lots of entirely contradictory instructions at me. Oh, heavens, why am I here. TAO is a 15:3hh tall, very bony 20 year old, with puffy legs, sunken sad eyes, and no muscle either side of his very prominent withers. He scuttles along underneath me, feeling unbalanced and anxious. Like me. I tuned out the juggernauts and The Owner, achieved a steady walk and concentrated on communicating "balance, steady, steady, balance," breathing slowly, rythmically. Success. Less scuttling, less snatching. Phew.
We went for a nice hack with The Owner on her evil little Crabbety mare, a beautiful mirror image of naughty Ratty Ry. She kindly insisted that I ride her, later - utterly divine - but a fiend in a furry coat: do as I say or I"ll bite you!
Meanwhile, the reason that TAO is coming home with me is that he has always been second best to the Evil Crabbety One. And he knows it. The Owner bought him as he is a half-sibling to The Evil Crabbety One. Their breeder thought it would be a good idea. And he was by himself in a field, looking sorry for himself.
So, TAO has had a life of loaners, some of whom rode him very hard in over strong bits, show jumped him to a standstill, and then handed him back when they bought their own horses. TAO was alone in a field again, until the next loaner. The Owner hasn't found anyone to loan him now, for ages, he is expensive and tiresome to keep and she wants him gone.
Ok - he will be very soon. He's coming back to mine, to be carefully looked after, quietly brought back into steady work, and be a pampered only horse, appreciated and wanted for what he is. A nice, polite Crabbet Arabian, with a dash of old Polish. Who will live out his days in comfort with an owner for whom he is special, and the best horse ever.
TP is a lovely mid age horse with an aptitude for endurance. He will find a lovely home if and when his owner has time to think about advertising him properly. The Fabulous Youngster is just that - bred in the purple and related to A the P as well as RR. He will stay comfortably in his current home until he is found by his lucky new owner.
TAO deserves to be the centre of somene's life for the rest of his . He will be. Mine.
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FireLight
Gold Member
620 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2015 : 05:09:50 AM
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Brilliant Zoocat. I am so glad you have found your Treasured One. For some reason your post gave me leaky eyes!  |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2015 : 06:45:03 AM
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| I seem to be copying you Firelight!! Lucky TAO! |
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zooscat
Gold Member
United Kingdom
882 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2015 : 08:05:53 AM
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Firelight, I read your post and had a bit of a snivel, too! TAO's situation is actually, physically, not bad. He has good-enough practical care, but, to me, he feels dreadfully emotionally impoverished.
The Owner and her exquisite Crabbet mare, who have apparently won everything everywhere in their respective youth (mare is in her early twenties and looks ten and acts like a bumptious four year old) are obviously completely wrapped up in each other, and every other sentence from Owner was " I should have got rid of him years ago, he gets in the way of my time with her".
TAO apparently suffers from cellulitus, azoturia, mud fever, allergies from A to Z, COPD, itchy skin, is completely accident prone and given to falling over, into and out of everything including, apparently, a double decker bus and a child's play area. The Owner said he fell into an aquarium, as well, but couldn't quite remember the circumstances!!
Because of the above, TAO is permanently fully rugged, night and day (as is the mare) with a full face mask with nose and ears, wears tendon boots and over reach boots on all legs every day and stable wraps each night.
He has soaked hay in summer and haylage the rest of the year, special chaff, competition mix, fast fibre, a balancer, livery nuts and six different supplements.
He was tacked up in a three ring gag bitted bridle (single rein on middle ring) a grackle noseband done up tight and a running martingale. I enquired why the grackle noseband, gag bit and running martingale? I was told that the previous loaner couldn't stop him without them, and the people who had tried him since needed the neck-strap on the martingale to hold on to, because they kept falling off when they asked for canter: he rushed into it and swerved round the corners of the small school and that was that.
Now, I am a very plain old-fashioned horse keeper: less is more in my experience. All my horses/ponies have prospered on daily long hours of turn out in well managed clean fields, ad lib good quality forage, chop, balancer and more or less of hard feed depending on work load. Usually less. Garlic and salt. Ratty Ry had a daily Danilon under careful veterinary advice and supervision.
All ridden in snaffles or double rein Pelhams. No nosebands unless to show respect out hunting, showing or some such. No martingales, except on A the P going cross country, and then fairly loose.
Rugged up from Autumn to Spring, but not overly so. Trace or bib clip, depending on work. TAO apparently has to be fully clipped out from Autumn to Spring, "because of his allergies and he gets *****ly heat".
TAO, who I am buying, not loaning, comes with a vast wardrobe of boots, rugs, masks, bandages, bridles, martingales; and a very nice saddle. The rugs look old, grubby and in poor repair. I was shown so many assorted boots in boxes and bags that I was bewildered by what went where, when and why. Piles of supplements, bags of feed. Heaps of different feed bowls and buckets for mixing/feeding/soaking. Heeelpp! Pony has hay, chop, a balancer, salt and a daily carrot! A the P had the same, plus some hard feed when we were doing a lot of miles getting fit for some of our longer pleasure rides. RR was on the chop, balancer, garlic and salt plus ad lib hay diet too, as were Ghosty, and The Peacock beloved Arabians of earlier years, both wonderful old Polish chaps.
My default position is throw the whole lot out (not the saddle!) ride in a nice Myler snaffle, slap on suncream on the pink nose, feed plain as above, with the joint/vits/mins supplement and observe like a hawk.
The whole thing (TAO's alleged chronic ill health) seems a bit like a Munchausen by proxy syndrome. I will now await being shot down in flames by ALiners who will accuse me of being arrogant and careless. But, I did have a long conversation with my instructor who knows The Owner and TAO very well. Instructor is highly regarded elder, Pony Club DC. She said a number of things which did not contradict my gut feelings.
Anyway, I am going out on him again today for a longer ride, and to do paperwork and hand over some money to ensure he doesn't go anywhere with anyone else in the two weeks before Exxie goes to my friends.
Please don't scream at me for querying TAO's owner's management etc. it just seems so totally over the top, and he looks so miserable and poor on it. Dunno. Will get him home, continue with feeding regime and get my wonderful, clever, old fashioned vet out for a look, a feel and a think.
Seems like A Plan, yes? |
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debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2015 : 08:36:43 AM
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Yes! Go with your gut feeling...
So looking forward to photos and progress!! :) |
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I'm back, too!
