A Spanish fox
24 March 2007 22:11![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glenatronA while ago I mentioned going to visit our friend Kerin and meeting her charming and chunky pony Zorro. We got on very well, considering we'd never really met before and he really settled down with me.
Over the following few months Kerin started thinking that maybe he wasn't getting the attention he would like as most of her time is taken up with her (frankly stunning) mare Lottie and Zorro doesn't have a human of his own and she sent an email to us saying she was thinking of loaning him out and did we know anyone who might be able to offer him a home. That email was the first one Lou received when we got back from Canada after losing Othello. There was something a tiny bit uncanny about the timing there.
The outcome of all this is that, given that I'm going to need to have a horse again, we thought it would be worth going to visit again and seeing whether we still got on well together and whether there might be a thought to him taking over instruction in how to avoid getting my toes trodden on.
So, this is Zorro:
By breeding he is, erm, something chunky. Possibly Welsh Section D, maybe even a hint of Fresian in there, could be pretty much anything. His build is quite close to that of Joe, very heavy set and solid. He doesn't have much wither so it's quite hard to fit a conventional saddle on him, today we used a Torsion treeless. It's not nearly as comfortable as my Dartmoor and conveyed a lot less feedback from the back to my seat.
He ground ties, too. I can honestly confess to having a bit of a thing for big manes and feathers. You can't really make it out on this but there is big dent behind his shoulder which his owner thinks is probably the result of a driving accident of some kind. It's more noticeable when he has his summer coat and would probably stop him showing but it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
He wanted to be sure I was competent to handle him, but after a bit of testing he decided that I probably was and he worked very willingly for me. He can find a lot of lightness when he chooses to. Also, when we did a bit of cantering he got a bit excited and threw in a big "yeeehaaaaw" type buck that put his feet on a level with my ear. Totally not agressive but I'm glad I was at the other end of a 12' line nonetheless. Apparently when he gets excited in the field he handstands almost to vertical but although he has been known to do it under saddle it's apparently very rideable.
After a bit of ground work and leading, where he showed himself adept and very willing to listen I did a bit of riding with him after Kerin had got on to check he wasn't in a toy-throwing mood. He seemed quite happy so I hopped on and he promptly stood still. I asked for forward and he continued to stand still. As that didn't stop me asking, and just persuaded me to ask more strongly he thought he would maybe back up instead. It was enough movement for me to get him turned round and moving, though, and having tested me and found I didn't give up easily we got on pretty well. I was on his saddle with tiny short stirrup leathers which looked and felt a bit ridiculous but we got some purposeful walk and some very springy trotting going on along with some very neat turns on the quarters and forehand.
I really enjoyed myself over the day. It was a real pleasure to be doing things with a horse again, especially one who is so generous in his tries, even if he does combine that with constantly testing everything you ask him for. We're not making any decisions yet, but much like last time I met him, I was thoroughly charmed, as you can probably see from the smile on my face:
Of course, if we did take him on I would have to deal with the fact that people would assume I was doing everything for the wrong reasons and wanted another heavyweight black pony because that is what my last horse was. There is a physical resemblance, but Zorro couldn't be a more different person. Possibly I'd also have to deal with people who hadn't caught up on the last few weeks events saying "Isn't Othello looking good" when they saw him as well, which would hurt a bit. I miss that pony very much and I don't think I'm going to stop doing any time soon. Even so, it feels good to be looking forward.
Over the following few months Kerin started thinking that maybe he wasn't getting the attention he would like as most of her time is taken up with her (frankly stunning) mare Lottie and Zorro doesn't have a human of his own and she sent an email to us saying she was thinking of loaning him out and did we know anyone who might be able to offer him a home. That email was the first one Lou received when we got back from Canada after losing Othello. There was something a tiny bit uncanny about the timing there.
The outcome of all this is that, given that I'm going to need to have a horse again, we thought it would be worth going to visit again and seeing whether we still got on well together and whether there might be a thought to him taking over instruction in how to avoid getting my toes trodden on.
So, this is Zorro:
By breeding he is, erm, something chunky. Possibly Welsh Section D, maybe even a hint of Fresian in there, could be pretty much anything. His build is quite close to that of Joe, very heavy set and solid. He doesn't have much wither so it's quite hard to fit a conventional saddle on him, today we used a Torsion treeless. It's not nearly as comfortable as my Dartmoor and conveyed a lot less feedback from the back to my seat.
He ground ties, too. I can honestly confess to having a bit of a thing for big manes and feathers. You can't really make it out on this but there is big dent behind his shoulder which his owner thinks is probably the result of a driving accident of some kind. It's more noticeable when he has his summer coat and would probably stop him showing but it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
He wanted to be sure I was competent to handle him, but after a bit of testing he decided that I probably was and he worked very willingly for me. He can find a lot of lightness when he chooses to. Also, when we did a bit of cantering he got a bit excited and threw in a big "yeeehaaaaw" type buck that put his feet on a level with my ear. Totally not agressive but I'm glad I was at the other end of a 12' line nonetheless. Apparently when he gets excited in the field he handstands almost to vertical but although he has been known to do it under saddle it's apparently very rideable.
After a bit of ground work and leading, where he showed himself adept and very willing to listen I did a bit of riding with him after Kerin had got on to check he wasn't in a toy-throwing mood. He seemed quite happy so I hopped on and he promptly stood still. I asked for forward and he continued to stand still. As that didn't stop me asking, and just persuaded me to ask more strongly he thought he would maybe back up instead. It was enough movement for me to get him turned round and moving, though, and having tested me and found I didn't give up easily we got on pretty well. I was on his saddle with tiny short stirrup leathers which looked and felt a bit ridiculous but we got some purposeful walk and some very springy trotting going on along with some very neat turns on the quarters and forehand.
I really enjoyed myself over the day. It was a real pleasure to be doing things with a horse again, especially one who is so generous in his tries, even if he does combine that with constantly testing everything you ask him for. We're not making any decisions yet, but much like last time I met him, I was thoroughly charmed, as you can probably see from the smile on my face:
Of course, if we did take him on I would have to deal with the fact that people would assume I was doing everything for the wrong reasons and wanted another heavyweight black pony because that is what my last horse was. There is a physical resemblance, but Zorro couldn't be a more different person. Possibly I'd also have to deal with people who hadn't caught up on the last few weeks events saying "Isn't Othello looking good" when they saw him as well, which would hurt a bit. I miss that pony very much and I don't think I'm going to stop doing any time soon. Even so, it feels good to be looking forward.
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no subject
Date: 24 Mar 2007 22:59 (UTC)At the end of the day why you get another horse when you get another horse is no ones business but your own. I cant imagine you would just go out and take anything that comes along. You are clearly thinking about it all carefully. Everyone at the yard by now should know what happened to Othello. Rumours spread quickly in the horse world.
It was only 3 weeks after Minion was put to sleep that we took his mother to stud again. Nobody thinks we did that to replace Minion or because we wanted another Minion and all that. This next foal will be SO different to Minion and even now before its born it already is so VERY different to him. On the ultrasound scans he be essentially look the same but I will never think of it as the same. I think its a colt but I dont think it is just because Minion was.
When you are ready you will know. If Zorro is the right pony for you, you will know. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Othello was your first and he will ALWAYS be in yor heart and you will cherish every memory of him for the rest of your life, but life does go on. You cant give up riding just because of what people might think.
You are not replacing Othello, you are adding another pony to your heart. Good luck, I hope you make the right decision, whichever way that is.
no subject
Date: 24 Mar 2007 23:16 (UTC)I did get a couple of pictures of me riding him and a couple of video clips, but nothing I'd really like to present to the world. The short stirrup leathers do mean the leprechaun-on-a-shetland look is only enhanced...
no subject
Date: 25 Mar 2007 01:46 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Mar 2007 20:36 (UTC)no subject
Date: 27 Mar 2007 09:46 (UTC)That's a smile?!?
:P
no subject
Date: 28 Mar 2007 14:19 (UTC)Imagine him with a slightly more slender build and less fuzz... and you'd have Onyx... my baby... also black with White stripe down his face... with 3 white socks thrown in.
no subject
Date: 28 Mar 2007 15:25 (UTC)no subject
Date: 29 Mar 2007 20:02 (UTC)I don't say that getting another horse because he is like the one you thought was amazing is wrong in any way.
We had a labrador-colly cross when I was little and I would probably get another if I could because he had a brilliant temperament and made a fantastic pet. Would you rather get a completely different horse just because it was different and always think what a shame that it wasn't anything like your old horse?