Whilst on ebay...
23 May 2008 00:50![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glenatronWhilst on ebay the other day ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sleepsy_mouse spotted a surprisingly cheap, if old and battered horsebox. The sellers were very frank about it's failings and suggested anyone interested should come and see it before the auction ended- they could do any day but Saturday as they were going off to Guildford that day for a show. Guildford being about ten miles from us we figured it might be worth a look.
When someone says they are bringing their horses to a show, you don't necessarily expect them to be doing this with them:
Or this:
Or this:
Let alone climbing right around ( as in down the side, under the belly and back up the other side ) an Andalusian stallion at flat-out gallop.
All of this to a classic rock soundtrack. Basically you are looking atsleepsy_mouse's dream show.
Turns out our sellers were members of the Rocking Horse Productions display team.
The outcome being that we got to watch some genuinely outstanding stunt riding, then check out an old but solid horsebox that they picked up as a stopgap and has been taking them round the country to shows and filming gigs for the last year.
That was last weekend. Today I have just driven said lorry back here from Yeovil. It's noisy, the steering is an object reminder of exactly power-steering was invented, the gearbox is like stirring porridge, the fuel guage moves in time with the indicators and the whole thing is just a little nervewracking, but it got us home and it's a horsebox and we could afford it. That adds up to a small to medium sized miracle and removes one of the biggest problems we have had with our horses over the last few years. No more having to phone around desperately looking for transport or having to do everything to someone else's timescale. No more feeling anxious if the pony looks like taking a few minutes to load. It won't be cheap to run and I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to worry about ( I find driving horses around pretty stressful at the best of times ) but we have our own box and that is pretty much awesome.
sleepsy_mouse spotted a surprisingly cheap, if old and battered horsebox. The sellers were very frank about it's failings and suggested anyone interested should come and see it before the auction ended- they could do any day but Saturday as they were going off to Guildford that day for a show. Guildford being about ten miles from us we figured it might be worth a look.When someone says they are bringing their horses to a show, you don't necessarily expect them to be doing this with them:
Or this:
Or this:
Let alone climbing right around ( as in down the side, under the belly and back up the other side ) an Andalusian stallion at flat-out gallop.
All of this to a classic rock soundtrack. Basically you are looking at
sleepsy_mouse's dream show.Turns out our sellers were members of the Rocking Horse Productions display team.
The outcome being that we got to watch some genuinely outstanding stunt riding, then check out an old but solid horsebox that they picked up as a stopgap and has been taking them round the country to shows and filming gigs for the last year.
That was last weekend. Today I have just driven said lorry back here from Yeovil. It's noisy, the steering is an object reminder of exactly power-steering was invented, the gearbox is like stirring porridge, the fuel guage moves in time with the indicators and the whole thing is just a little nervewracking, but it got us home and it's a horsebox and we could afford it. That adds up to a small to medium sized miracle and removes one of the biggest problems we have had with our horses over the last few years. No more having to phone around desperately looking for transport or having to do everything to someone else's timescale. No more feeling anxious if the pony looks like taking a few minutes to load. It won't be cheap to run and I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to worry about ( I find driving horses around pretty stressful at the best of times ) but we have our own box and that is pretty much awesome.
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Date: 23 May 2008 00:11 (UTC)My mom is going to look at a trailer this weekend. I'm with you...much better when Pony can take time to load and doesn't need to be crammed on in five minutes flat.
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Date: 23 May 2008 03:42 (UTC)Congrats!
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Date: 23 May 2008 05:15 (UTC)And, HUZZAH and VIVAT the new horsebox/lorry! I remember not having one of my own for at least 8 years: how we never left the ranch to ride for pleasure elsewhere; how trips to the vet were nerve wrecking because we either had to find a place to rent a trailer, or beg a friend to drive us; and how all of our lives improved immeasurably when we got our first trailer. It was more than 20 years old, a bumper pull, two horse, straight load, extra tall, looked like a piece of shit, sturdiest thing you ever did see. Ah, freedom, sweet freedom! Trail rides, camp outs, trips to renaissance faires and to parks... I bought it for $900 USD, used and abused it for 4 years, and resold it for $450 USD. Can't beat that with a stick...
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Date: 23 May 2008 07:30 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 10:03 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 10:41 (UTC)congrats on box :)
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Date: 23 May 2008 13:12 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 15:12 (UTC)I love stunt displays like this! Second from bottom... what is he standing on? Anything or nothing?
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Date: 23 May 2008 16:30 (UTC)We'll be playing with it most of the weekend, and then it gets to take the boys to a clinic on Wednesday.
Oh, and it's blue!
I can't wait to drive it!!!!!
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Date: 23 May 2008 17:38 (UTC)- Crumpwright :D
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Date: 23 May 2008 17:48 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 21:50 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 21:57 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:19 (UTC)The minute you get on the internet someone is asking about the size of your box.
:D
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Date: 23 May 2008 22:27 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:28 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:35 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:38 (UTC)It's just going to make life so much easier...
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Date: 23 May 2008 22:38 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:53 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 22:58 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 23:16 (UTC)We thought on getting a 4x4 and a trailer, but really we can't afford to have three cars and we can't afford for one of our regular cars to be that expensive to run, not with petrol already at around $8.60 per gallon and only set to rise. Might as well keep small cars and have a big old bus for the ponies.
It's the largest class of vehicle you can drive on a regular driver's licence here in the UK and actually a few years after I passed my test they changed it so the biggest thing you can drive is now a 3.5 tonne van.
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Date: 24 May 2008 02:14 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2008 12:06 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2008 12:07 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2008 22:32 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2008 22:56 (UTC)Actually, what sounds really hectic is the plating process. Doesn't sound like that is fun at all and apparently we need to be booking it quite urgently because although it's not until August apparently they all tend to come up at that time of the year cos that was the time that registration used to happen.
Also we'd have to not tell anyone because The hire and reward laws are fucked up. (http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/article.php?aid=101474&cid=397)
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Date: 25 May 2008 19:32 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 May 2008 20:28 (UTC)