Well, within hours of my post complaining about the pitfalls of buying horses, Fate intervened and I had arranged to see another one the following day. It was a yard we had been to earlier in our search, so the guy that runs it already knew what I was looking for and having seen me ride, thought she might be suitable. Mum and I were shown towards her stable, took one look at her, turned to each other and grinned. Maybe, just maybe this could be the one.
So, meet Heralie. She's a ten year old Oldenburg mare and arrived in the UK sometime late last year or early this year. She has been with us less than 48 hours but seems to have settled in really quickly; proving to be as calm and quiet as we hoped, unless she runs out of hay as Mum discovered at 5:00 yesterday morning.
The pictures are from a handful of quick snaps that Matt took for me yesterday, but I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.
Having seen her ridden, I sat on her that day, and again later in the week and she didn't put a foot wrong. We negotiated a price, and I arranged for her to be vetted the following Friday (21st June). I had a really good feeling about her, and she ticked all the boxes, but having had one fail the vetting before, I was trying very hard not to get my hopes up too much; talking about her as an 'if' rather than a 'when'.
We met her vet at the seller's yard on Friday morning. The last two times I had seen him were making the decision to have Murphy put down, and the failed vetting, we shook hands desperately hoping this time would have a happier ending. I needn't have worried, she passed with flying colours. In his words, he had been trying to find things to comment on. The flexion tests, which have brought bad news for me in the past, both from a buying and a selling perspective, were 'spot
on'. The deal was done. We arranged for her to be brought to Mum and Dad's, where she'll be stabled, later on that day. Finally I could start to believe.
So, meet Heralie. She's a ten year old Oldenburg mare and arrived in the UK sometime late last year or early this year. She has been with us less than 48 hours but seems to have settled in really quickly; proving to be as calm and quiet as we hoped, unless she runs out of hay as Mum discovered at 5:00 yesterday morning.
We understand that she show-jumped up to 1.25m or so on the continent and has evented at a low level. But right now, she's the provider of fresh air and gentle hacking to aid my recovery. The keeper of my sanity. My equine therapy.
The pictures are from a handful of quick snaps that Matt took for me yesterday, but I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.
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