Thank you so much for the congratulations – I’m very excited and a little daunted at the moment. While Levi isn’t my first horse, he’s the first I’ve gone out to buy for myself as an adult, and the first I’ll be wholly responsible for. It’s still sinking in.
Levi is 5 years old, I don’t know exactly how tall he is, but I think just under 16hh. I found him by accident – I was messing about on Facebook and came across his owner’s page. She breeds and imports PREs for sale, and also for her/her family’s use. I’d been inclined to look for another warmblood so hadn’t considered a PRE – and actually I’ve had mixed experiences of riding Iberian horses – but I was swayed by the pictures of horses she had posted who were obviously happy and doing varied work. I knew I wanted to find a young(ish) horse to do mostly dressage with, but I also wanted a horse who hadn’t been relentlessly schooled.
So I asked if she might have anything suitable, and she sent me some photos and videos of Levi, schooling and hacking and playing with obstacles. He was described as a stallion who could easily be a gelding and doesn’t display any stallion behaviour anyway. He proved the truth of this when I came to try him and there was a mare and stallion turned out together for covering in a paddock near the school. Although a little lit up he behaved impeccably, and I felt that if we were alright together in those circumstances we would probably get along okay.
Things came together very quickly – I first met him on a Saturday, came back to hack him out a few days later (delightful), then had him vetted on the Friday. He passed with flying colours, I transferred the agreed price, and he was mine! Eeep!
Then my first act as his new owner was to send him off to the vets to have his balls off, which was a little sad but necessary. I agreed with the lady I bought him from that he would go back to her yard for his recovery before I moved him to livery nearer me. Apparently they can remain fertile for a while after the op (I didn’t know this, ownership is a learning curve already) and I certainly don’t want any accidents!
It’s been a strange few weeks – although I own Levi it doesn’t quite feel real because I haven’t yet brought him “home”. I’ve been to see him several times of course, and am riding him now that he is recovered enough to be exercised. But he isn’t close enough to visit every day, and it’ll be another few weeks until I can collect him.
