Roulette
Where did it all begin for me
I’m the oldest one on the yard. Anthea bought me when I was 4 years old and ridden just a couple of times. Talk about thrown in at the deep end I jumped at Hickstead a few months later in the 4 year old class and have won lots of prizes, jumping to Foxhunter, 1.25 metres and Surrey Open. I’m retired now from jumping, but Anthea still hacks me out to keep me ticking over.
What am I up to now
At the moment I’m training the German Shepherd puppy to go out with the horse and walk to heel. I’m a bit hotheaded so it’s usually only Anthea who rides me!
I am not an easy ride and don’t really work with the usual buttons. I bet you haven’t heard of tranter. It’s where my back end trots and my front canters. I do my best to keep it up to make riding me uncomfortable and tricky.
William Funnel rode me once when Anthea was having a lesson.. He told her that if you can’t get a decent canter round a corner, you might as well give up.. "How do you think that made me feel when i heard that, a horse has feelings you know". Fortunately Anthea stuck with me, trying every sort of bit, but at the end of the day I am what I am. Certainly not a riding school horse but a really good friend,. We won quite a few rosettes too!
I had a born again experience when Ian started riding me a couple of years ago. Thought he could have a go, so I had to show him who knows best!
The day before we were going to Edenbridge and Oxted he nearly ended up over my ears as he tried to tell me what to do. Told Anthea to tell him not to but he insisted. We did really well at Edenbridge that day and I was pleased to have taken Ian round ... Ooh did I mention Felbridge .. Ian thought he’d warm me up before the 1.10 open.. He took us into the wrong warm up ring where the warm up fences were way way bigger. I think he was a little nervous. It didn't go so well ...
I've recently been to a health spa, yes, I know what you're thinking - a health spa for a horse!!!! I had cellulitis in my front legs and had several courses of very expensive antibiotic @ £250 per bottle (yipes!). It didn't really get better so the vet suggested I went to Westlands Farm at Charlwood to stay with Claire Mills for a while at her new hydrotherapy unit. I went into a sort of trailer which was then filled with mineral water which bubbled round my legs. It really didi the trick! Anthea was a bit worried when they put me out in the field with about a dozen other horses, a mule and a cow, but was pretty confident that I could outrun anything else in the field. The cow and I became best friends. I stayed there three weeks and used to whinny to Claire when I saw her in the morning to tell her I was ready for my treatment. My legs are fine now and Anthea is riding me again.