Bit sad

Doodle92

Doodle92

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2021
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At the riding school where I worked they lost the eldest member of the team last week, Toni P (pony). What I hadn’t heard is they also lost Taz a couple of months ago. Less than a year ago is was Rory. Toni P was 30 and the other 2 late 20’s. It just made me sad. Toni P was only 11.2 and cute and was just the perfect pony and I couldn’t count how many children she had taught to ride. Rory was a bay highland who had done BD to a decent level in and younger life. He would sometimes have a throwback to his dressage life and so some shoulder in or rein back. He also carried a very disabled rider and stood like a rock while she lifted and pushed her on. And Taz well Taz had been in the school since I was there the first time and was always just there. She was incredibly laid back until there was a chase me Charlie and we would have to pull her out as she refused to say no!

Brilliant wonderful ponies who I’m sure will still be passing on their wisdom.
 
It is sad, they bring joy to so many, but it's good they got to live out their days with people and horses they know and weren't just packed off when they were too old to work.
 
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Riding schools are not very good at reporting the deaths of favourite ponies and horses. Maisie was put down without my knowing or getting to say a last goodbye. A horse I was contracted to share (but rode only once and didnt care for), died during our Covid shut down and I never knew.
But the fact of it is that anyone who rides for 20 years may have outlived 2 or 3 favourites, as I have. But all mine were kept on in retirement and turned away to be happy as long as possible.
 
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@Doodle92 I honestly don't think Skib was having a dig at your place, just musing on her experience of having lost favourite horses.

It certainly sounds as if those ponies were very special and well cared for until the end. That makes them lucky, in my book! No wonder you are sad.
 
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I just found out this week that the bull we hired in the spring was put down 6 weeks after he left us for being severely lame. It made me quite upset. Such a shame as id have hired him again, he was nice and quiet. All i can hope is he passes his sweet nature onto his babies.

Its surprising how attached we get in a short time of having them.
 
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My favourite riding school horse was put to sleep as he kept throwing his riders off and obviously didn’t want to be ridden anymore. I had just bought Ben and offered to look after this horse into their retirement (we were at the same yard) but they said no. They didn’t give me a chance to say goodbye and actually didn’t tell me at all for 2 weeks because they found it really difficult to tell me. They said that the horse was their responsibility and it wasn’t fair to pass him onto me when I already had so much going on (I had 2 children under 4 at the time). Deep down I know it was the right thing for all of us, but I am still bitter 11 years later. I cried and cried over that horse.
 
I think I came across the wrong way.

I wasn’t upset that I didn’t know. I have no reason to know directly. The riding school is part of a boarding school and I really don’t think appropriate to say anything before and have upset little girls milling around. The deeds were done for the good of the ponies and they all got their own write ups along with numerous pictures after the event.

They were all retired before being pts. And even when not “retired” they didn’t do a huge amount of work. I guess being part of the school, rather than a stand alone riding school, they do the best for the ponies and are quite happy to have them there without earning there keep so to speak as finances don’t come in to play. At the end they were happy to pay for 3 x pracend with no “return”. They had another on 9 months box rest and it earning as it was best for that particular horse.

I was not meaning my post as a dig against the school. I was leaving it as I was sad they had been pts and had all been such wonderful ponies. I repeat the best for the ponies came above everything.
 
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