Loss

It has taken me a while to get to a point where I can actually write about this subject. What started off as a good year has already turned sour. In short I am feeling somewhat morose.

Anyone who knows me will also know that I have grown up around horses, actually owning some for a good part of my life. The most we had at one point was five, in recent years this was taken down to two (this was mentioned in a previous post).
Poppy, my welsh cob whom I have owned for almost 11 years now and Thyme my white-born appaloosa whom as of this march I will of owned for 10 years.

Saturday 26th January, we had to get the vet out to Thyme as she has somehow received a nasty injury. Turns out it was only an infected blood blister and it was easily cured. Antibiotics and Bute. Thyme has a history of strange antics, she has a rather expensive hock injury from fighting with Poppy not long after we brought her. Went for X-rays and everything, thankfully nothing was wrong.
Then she foot her foot stuck in her haynet one night and somehow, to this day I have no idea how, kicked out the window and then went over the stable door. We thankfully got there in time to cut her lose. She was hanging upside down, hoof in haynet outside the stable door. Once again, got the vet down and no injuries what so ever.

For those that don't know a whiteborn horse is, its a horse that has a genetic mutation, which produces a pure white coat and unpigmented (pink skin) so the horse is not grey. Leopard spotted appaloosa like thyme are supposed to have leopard like spots all over the skin, however she did not.
so she should of been like this

but actually she was like this -


I don't think she had the lethal white foal gene.... but she may of had it. They usually die at an early age so it isn't likely.

Anyway... enough idol chatter I shall continue with the story.
Thyme's injury healed up nicely, Cai was even up helping me with her on Tuesday night. when we let her out she was running around the fields with Poppy happily.

Wednesday morning I received a phonecall... My little appaloosa has developed colic over night. Now, there had been no change in her diet or anything like that so it really was very unexpected an random. The vet gave me three options, Surgery (which would cost between £4000 and £10000 which we just didn't have), check on her and keep her health monitored or euthanasia. She had improved very quickly so we all agreed that to keep an eye on her was the best option.

I stayed with her until super late at night, she was perfectly fine by this point, happy, bright, alert and whinnying like normal. It really looked like she was better. Yet we kept her in the stable with some water and no food just to be safe.
On Wednesday morning, I got another phone call (I was already up and off to see her... it was 8:15am). Thyme had died. To say the least I was distraught, the vet had given her the all clear the night before....  she was my baby. I loved her to pieces. Poppy knows I think, she looks very depressed. No signs of any thrashing so she most likely wasn't in pain thankfully and she was still warm when they called so sadly it hadn't been long before.

It may seam sad or pathetic but I really miss her; its strange not hearing her high pitched whinny when I come on the yard to see them.
She inspired my unicorn act. This was because she was pure white and at times reminded me of a de-horned unicorn, some nights she would shine and you could see her across the fields. So to honour her memory I am saving up for a custom oil painting this is also coupled with me changing out one of my acts from a show this Saturday. I was supposed to perform my Succubus act but instead I decided to perform Unicornis, in memory of my beautiful little unicorn.  It was hard not to cry on stage.

At least she has Owen and Quest with her now. (They were two of my other horses. We found out on Friday that Quest had died last year... we had given him to a friend a few years before)

R.I.P Thyme - Poppy, Cai and I love you and miss you very much. there will never be another like you. You will always be in our hearts. <3

More Horsey fun

Okay I found some Nice images of all of the horses I have owned, I spoke before about the two that are still mine, love them to bits <3... so this time I am going to start off by talking a bit about the others.

At one point, for about 4 years I owned a grand total of five horses, yes thats right, 5. Sadly now I only own two but nonetheless I wish they were all still with me... can't have everything you want though right? Excuse the fact that some of the photos are the wrong way round, I haven't got round to righting them yet

Shortly after buying Poppy my younger sister wanted a horse and so we got Rocky... a 14.2 hh Highland X pony... built like a bloody shit brick house T-T but he was such a character and so funny. A bit on the slow side but if you got him going he would do anything for you. Though at times he reminded me of a frog, gah when he got scared his eyes seemed to bulge or 'pop' out of his head haha so cute. His show name was Cappuccino Gold.  Sadly my sister had some nasty falls off him (her own fault) and lost interest, I didn't have time to exercise all five of them and so we had to sell him, he is now happily galloping aroound the countryside, jumping hedges as a hunting pony, apparently he loves it. Not surprising as he loved chasing the other horses and racing around the fields. We had him for 6 years in total, and he was 13 when we first got him.

Quest, show name Royal Quest is a little pony we brought because my sister said she needed a faster horse than Rocky... fair enough... however Thyme was just a bit too fast to say the least so we went on a search and found this little beauty. He is such a pretty Gelding. Lovely jumper, we placed in several showjumping events and dressage, he had a lovely gait. Sadly he was a rescue, as was Thyme. Quest had been originally found abandoned in the previous owners field and she looked after him until we brought him. He is a 13.2 hh Welsh section C X Arabian Pony. Lovely little chestnut thing. Sadly due to my sister loosing interest we gave him away to a nice new home, hope he is happy.

The Next one really upsets me to write, T-T. Ever since I first had Poppy, we have always known this pony and he was old. When we moved from the first yard he was given to us for retirement and gladly we took him on. Owen, the 14.1hh Icelandic pony, Show Name was Oberon. Before we found out that the owner had rescued him, we are not sure where from but it must of been bad, since if you touched his legs he would freak out, a select few would be able to touch them and also bring him in from the field, myself being one of them. You always knew something was wrong because he would let anyone pick his feet up if they hurt. We owned him for a grand total of 5 years in that time my niece took him on rides and we even showed him. Him won the veteran classes against horses who were less than half his age. Bless him he moved beautifully and had no ailments such as arthiritus etc. Sadly, on January 1st 2009 Owen was put down, I did not agree with the act. He was getting old and dodderly and also his vision was beginning to fade to the point where he couldn't see where he was going in the dark and used to walk into the stable walls. Plus the fact that the new yard we were moving to wouldn't allow him on the yard, saying that the other horses would pick on him and hurt him (I really doubt it). Not even the horse retirement homes and rescue centres could take him, being fully to the brim at the time and so we had no choice but to put him down. I was made to hold the lead rope and stood petting him the entire time. It really upset me, I will openly admit. I miss him so much, he was my lovely fluffy teddy-bear. R.I.P Owen <3  Died age 42

Here are some more photos of poppy, Thyme... even one of Milo (a friends horse and Thyme) plus a one showing part of my rosette collection.

Boredom... so lets chat ponies

Okay.. boredom + making dreads + ebay = too much spending T-T but too be fair it is on things I need to get. SO I suppose there isn't too much for me to say. Finally got to spend wome proper time with my two little babies (horses) ^^ Poppy and Thyme.

Poppy, whose show name is Lothiel is a 14.3hh Purebred Welsh cob mare, currently 12 years old and I have had her since she was 2... thats a huge ten years and she is my baby still. There isn't a thing she wont do for me unless she can't physically obviously. Together we have been through so much and won sooo many competions including 4ft showjumping... she loves jumps too much. I love her to bits... here is an image or two of her.

Thyme, show name Celebfea... is a 13.3hh White Born Appaloosa X Mare. Professionally trained at mounted games she's a bit of a lunatic X-X but I love her for it. A white Born Appaloosa should have spots... they show in the skin but they do not come through into the coat, this is a genetic disorder and most white boran foals die after a few weeks... so she is a lucky little girl. Not to mention she hung herself upside down outside the stable door... she had been in her stable beforehand. Yep she somehow got her foot caught in her haynet and got over the door... needless to say she now isn't allowed a haynet. I have owned her for 8 years now and competed in mounted games and showing. To her age.. she is 14 years old now.
Here she is...

I used to have three other horses... Owen, Rocky and Quest. Owen sadly passed away, Myself and my sister outgrew quest and my sister lost interest in Rocky, I would of kept him but I just didn't have time with looking after my own mares and Quest and Owen at the time. I will post images of them in my next entry.