My Current, and Past Horses :)

I got my first horse when I was 10, his name was Nipper and he was a 15yo 15.2hh Thoroughbred. Being first time horse owners we didn't realize how highly strung some tb's can be in inexperienced hands and he ended up being too much for me. Just over 6 months after buying him and after many falls and a few broken arms we decided he would be better off with a more experienced rider and put him on the market, amazingly his breeder ended up buying him back! :)

After Nipper was sold we started looking for a horse again, and a few weeks later got offered a 18yo Standardbred called Mana who was owned by one of our neighbor's, Mana is the most stubborn horse you could ever come across and he was a huge challenge, but he taught me so much and looked after me no matter what! I owned him for 4 years before I thought it was time for him to teach another new horse owner the ropes and he's now living out the rest of his days at a riding school just up the road from me :)

A year before I sold Mana I got a project horse to work on and then sell on, after looking for months I found Bella, a 13yo Thoroughbred mare who had been used as a broodmare for years after finishing her racing career. After things not working out with Nipper I was a bit apprehensive about getting another tb, but Bella was the complete opposite of your typical tb. I brought her back into work slowly and she was a dream to work with, very willing to learn, she had her moments though and could be a right little tart sometimes. 

6 Months after I got her I had an awful Skiing accident breaking my femur resulting in being airlifted to hospital and had emergency surgery getting a metal rod and screws placed in my leg to hold the shattered bone together. I was on crutches for 4 months and wasn't allowed to ride for 3 more months after that. I couldn't bring myself to sell either Bella or Mana at the time so I leased Bella out to a girl called Kayla who lived an hour from me, and found someone to exercise Mana on my property for the time I wasn't allowed to ride. Kayla did a lot of work on Bella and after the 6 month lease was up she was almost a push button pony! 

A lady contacted me a few months after I got Bella back from lease and asked if I'd be interested in swapping her for her young 4yo Anglo Arab. I went out and tried him and he was the perfect challenge 
I was looking for so I went ahead with the swap and that is how I found Ted. Before I got him he was broken in and schooled by Vicki Wilson who rides the Showtym horses up North, he was then sold on to the lady who I got him off who turned him out for a few months to give him some time to grow. I bought him back into work and started schooling him up, aiming to do some low level shows to get him back into the swing of things and after our first show together I was hooked. I've only owned him for about 2 months and he has come so far in the time I've had him. I'm so proud! My long term goal with him is to compete at Horse of the Year show jumping, and doing level 2 or 3 dressage. 

From before I bought Mana until a few weeks ago there was a small miniature pony called Midnight who lived down the road from me, my friends and I often used to take her for walks and go for little rides on her. At the beginning of this year her owners decided to sell her and offered her to me first, I jumped at the chance of finally owning her and she was with me keeping my horses company until I found her 
a new home. She's now in Taupo with a girl who has just start up a pony rides business, she's adored by every little kid who rides her! Midnight would be the perfect first pony :)

To be continued...