Heather
23rd Mar 2002, 04:16 PM
HI everyone,
I am buying another horse- I know, I know, I said I am cutting down on numbers and I am, really!! However, eventual plan was to bring another Iberian over to do demos etc alongside Fanta, but this was not to take place until next year. Then a few weeks ago I saw a stunning Lusitano x Andalusian stallion in H and H for sale, 15.3hh and rising six. He immediately caught my eye, although still very dappled grey, he was so like Fanta- a little chunkier perhaps and deeper though the girth, but still very like Fan. I pupt any thoughts out of my head of going to see him, but he stuck in my mind.
Last Wednesday, I had just ben out to check the horses at 9.30ish and came back in to find a message on the answerphone about a Luso x Andi for sale. I knew instinctively that it was this horse. It was. His breeder had been given my number by a friend of mine in Yorkshire, Sharon Peshke, who would have had the horse, Pajao as he is called, like a shot had she not already had her own Andi stallion and couldn't take on another. Sharon thought I might know of someone who would have him - seems several pepole had wanted to buy him, but Mary his breeder cringed when they rode him and wanted him to go to someone who would ride him with sensitivity. He is totally laid back as a character but very sharp and responsive under saddle, and could soon end up bad in the wrong hands.
The person who has been riding him was head girl for some years at Turville Valley, and I know that he has been treated with kindness and not forced, as he had been backed and ridden on by Lizze Robertson, ex head girl at Turville Valley Stud. He has tremendous ability to extend already- having seen his rather short fairly high knee actioned trot ( very reminiscent of Fanta a few months ago) I immediately thought that he would have difficulty lengthening- I couldn't have been more wrong! Lizzie let him open up a few times and phew, was he off the floor! Fantastic step under and real reach from the shoulder. Lizzie has done a great job on his canter though- the video showed him last year just 10 weeks from backing and although his canter was nice, it wasn't exceptional. The last bit of video showed him this year a few weeks ago and boy, is that canter something! I slowed both the lengthened trot and canter down to a frame by frame slow motion on my VCR and it is impressive to say the least. He is still basically very green, but at least with him there won't be the going back to basics that I have had to do with Fanta.
Funny thing is I spoke to Sylvia Loch yesterday and we were just chatting about which horses we had left now that she has lost Palomo and Andorrhina is doing only very light work. I mentioned Pajao to Sylvia who had also been told about him and she had thought what a lovely horse he was and was tempted herself! Then I spoke to Margaret Cox and said that I was hoping to buy this Luso x Andi stallion and she immediately said 'What, not that stunning stallion that was advertised in Horse and Hound a few weeks ago'! He had caught her eye too and she had also been very tempted to go and see him. So, he is very green but basically going nicely, super to hack on his own or in company too and basically according to Lizzie a very nice person to have around . He has eight babies to his name already, and apparently is really stamping his stock. I will keep him entire as I think that he will lose some of his sparkle, whereas Fanta needed to lose his bits to keep him sane!
So I just somehow feel it was meant to be- at least that is my story and I am sticking to it! My great friends Jon and Anne Broughton-Heyes- it was Jon who invented the simulator- are very interested in buying Lucy, as they have recently lost their old horse and will need another to keep their other horse company when they move to their new home in the Peak District with 15 acres and wonderful hacking. Anne is a lovely quiet lightweight rider and I have taught her a lot, so if I must part with Lucy, it would be a fantastic home. I am very reluctant indeed to part with Lucy as she is going better and better. She is lightness personified, bliss to sit on and so willing to please. If I could find a permanent loan home for my Arab gelding Ali, I don't think that Lucy would still be going anywhere, but I haven't time to ride three and the two boys will be better for what I want to ultimately do. I may even compete with Pajao who will have the paces that the judges would like.
Della my last years working student had a ride on Fanta today- I set him up for her and then she rode him for about twenty minutes. He went really nicely for Della and it helps me to have a chance to see how he is going with someone else on board. Last time Della rode him, a few months ago, she could barely keep him on the track- he is SO weight sensitive. Today she did much better- and he will be good for her to have some lessons on as you have to be so still and accurate or he just overdoes everything.
Biggest problem has been keeping the saddle in place on him- he has put on so much condition and muscle and is like a table top- there is just nothing for a saddle to grip onto. His own saddle is back up at Barry's having a special girthing arrangement sorted. I have had an Owen panel put on it, and Dave Johnson is also making me an Easisit with Owen panel to see if it helps to grip . It doesn't go forwards or backwards, slips sideways unless you are very, very well balanced. I used to ride sidesaddle but I don't much like horizontal! Thankfully Pajao apparently is a normal fit!
Sue saw me riding Fanta yesterday for the first time in a couple of months, and was very impressed with how differently he is going now that he is building up the strength. His trot has transformed now and is really beginning to build up some cadence, he feels like a much bigger horse now- stride must be twice the length and half the speed that it was, but with a lot more elevation too, once he is worked in.
So, I will try to get some pics of him soon and also some of Pajao. He is the nearest thing to a child's dapple grey rocking horse that you can imagine- a very lovely chap!
Heather
I am buying another horse- I know, I know, I said I am cutting down on numbers and I am, really!! However, eventual plan was to bring another Iberian over to do demos etc alongside Fanta, but this was not to take place until next year. Then a few weeks ago I saw a stunning Lusitano x Andalusian stallion in H and H for sale, 15.3hh and rising six. He immediately caught my eye, although still very dappled grey, he was so like Fanta- a little chunkier perhaps and deeper though the girth, but still very like Fan. I pupt any thoughts out of my head of going to see him, but he stuck in my mind.
Last Wednesday, I had just ben out to check the horses at 9.30ish and came back in to find a message on the answerphone about a Luso x Andi for sale. I knew instinctively that it was this horse. It was. His breeder had been given my number by a friend of mine in Yorkshire, Sharon Peshke, who would have had the horse, Pajao as he is called, like a shot had she not already had her own Andi stallion and couldn't take on another. Sharon thought I might know of someone who would have him - seems several pepole had wanted to buy him, but Mary his breeder cringed when they rode him and wanted him to go to someone who would ride him with sensitivity. He is totally laid back as a character but very sharp and responsive under saddle, and could soon end up bad in the wrong hands.
The person who has been riding him was head girl for some years at Turville Valley, and I know that he has been treated with kindness and not forced, as he had been backed and ridden on by Lizze Robertson, ex head girl at Turville Valley Stud. He has tremendous ability to extend already- having seen his rather short fairly high knee actioned trot ( very reminiscent of Fanta a few months ago) I immediately thought that he would have difficulty lengthening- I couldn't have been more wrong! Lizzie let him open up a few times and phew, was he off the floor! Fantastic step under and real reach from the shoulder. Lizzie has done a great job on his canter though- the video showed him last year just 10 weeks from backing and although his canter was nice, it wasn't exceptional. The last bit of video showed him this year a few weeks ago and boy, is that canter something! I slowed both the lengthened trot and canter down to a frame by frame slow motion on my VCR and it is impressive to say the least. He is still basically very green, but at least with him there won't be the going back to basics that I have had to do with Fanta.
Funny thing is I spoke to Sylvia Loch yesterday and we were just chatting about which horses we had left now that she has lost Palomo and Andorrhina is doing only very light work. I mentioned Pajao to Sylvia who had also been told about him and she had thought what a lovely horse he was and was tempted herself! Then I spoke to Margaret Cox and said that I was hoping to buy this Luso x Andi stallion and she immediately said 'What, not that stunning stallion that was advertised in Horse and Hound a few weeks ago'! He had caught her eye too and she had also been very tempted to go and see him. So, he is very green but basically going nicely, super to hack on his own or in company too and basically according to Lizzie a very nice person to have around . He has eight babies to his name already, and apparently is really stamping his stock. I will keep him entire as I think that he will lose some of his sparkle, whereas Fanta needed to lose his bits to keep him sane!
So I just somehow feel it was meant to be- at least that is my story and I am sticking to it! My great friends Jon and Anne Broughton-Heyes- it was Jon who invented the simulator- are very interested in buying Lucy, as they have recently lost their old horse and will need another to keep their other horse company when they move to their new home in the Peak District with 15 acres and wonderful hacking. Anne is a lovely quiet lightweight rider and I have taught her a lot, so if I must part with Lucy, it would be a fantastic home. I am very reluctant indeed to part with Lucy as she is going better and better. She is lightness personified, bliss to sit on and so willing to please. If I could find a permanent loan home for my Arab gelding Ali, I don't think that Lucy would still be going anywhere, but I haven't time to ride three and the two boys will be better for what I want to ultimately do. I may even compete with Pajao who will have the paces that the judges would like.
Della my last years working student had a ride on Fanta today- I set him up for her and then she rode him for about twenty minutes. He went really nicely for Della and it helps me to have a chance to see how he is going with someone else on board. Last time Della rode him, a few months ago, she could barely keep him on the track- he is SO weight sensitive. Today she did much better- and he will be good for her to have some lessons on as you have to be so still and accurate or he just overdoes everything.
Biggest problem has been keeping the saddle in place on him- he has put on so much condition and muscle and is like a table top- there is just nothing for a saddle to grip onto. His own saddle is back up at Barry's having a special girthing arrangement sorted. I have had an Owen panel put on it, and Dave Johnson is also making me an Easisit with Owen panel to see if it helps to grip . It doesn't go forwards or backwards, slips sideways unless you are very, very well balanced. I used to ride sidesaddle but I don't much like horizontal! Thankfully Pajao apparently is a normal fit!
Sue saw me riding Fanta yesterday for the first time in a couple of months, and was very impressed with how differently he is going now that he is building up the strength. His trot has transformed now and is really beginning to build up some cadence, he feels like a much bigger horse now- stride must be twice the length and half the speed that it was, but with a lot more elevation too, once he is worked in.
So, I will try to get some pics of him soon and also some of Pajao. He is the nearest thing to a child's dapple grey rocking horse that you can imagine- a very lovely chap!
Heather