THE    HORSES    PART   IV

GALLEON   -   [   GALLEON'S  THEORY  ]

Galleon arrived up here in October 2013. He was spotted for us by a good friend who thought he would be perfect for Rod to ride as he is so big and very, very quiet.  [  The horse that is, not the bloke!]  In fact once Galleon was here he was snapped up by Tracy, who owns Coco, and she bought him before Rod's foot ever got in the stirrup. Two and a half years later Galleon has suffered through two hard winters in his adjustment to High Country living, but he has fattened up now and rides out with Tracy. He kind of hangs out with other geldings and is just a big, soppy goofball of a horse who thinks everyone loves him, horse or human.

MILLIE  -  [  SEELSTARS  BLUE  CHIP  ]

Millie is an SPCA  Rescued horse. We were trying to downsize our numbers when the SPCA contacted us  and pleaded for us to re-home her. We discovered from her brand that Millie was a very good harness racing horse and had done a lot of races. Once off the racing circuit she had fallen on hard times, as so many of them do, and now needed a loving home. Her previous trainer was appalled at the state of her and paid all her veterinary and other treatments. Millie waited here for quite a while until our chiropractor could come up and sort out her painful back. Now she is pain free and lives with boyfriend Davey. We have backed and re-started her but she still needs expert and calm handling so has to fit her rides in away from Customer treks, where our concentration is all needed for them.

Millie  On   19-11-13  -  A  Much,  Fitter,  Fatter,  Happier  Horse

SHIMMER

We first met Shimmer when a French couple were staying here. They planned to do a South Island trek from north to south and were staying here while they searched for and bought horses and prepared all their gear for the planned four month trip. We sold them one of our Standardbreds, Jaccka. One of the local horses they went to try out was Shimmer, a pretty little Appaloosa mare. They didn't like her so didn't purchase her but Rod and I were quickly hooked and bought her instead  despite our down sizing numbers rule.  Shimmer loves it here!  She has been treated, twice so far, by the chiropractor, but we think she still has such bad memories of the pain that she stresses about it. We continue to work with her and she is very happy living with Bowie and Cat.

Shimmer   With   Rachael   2015

Shimmer   And   Rachael  Summer  2016

HARRY     -     [  SOLE  AGENT   ]

Harry comes from one of the trainers we have had a lot of horses from over the years and they have all been good, strong, well handled horses. He had been off the track for a few months and was looking for a good home, but word is out that we are down sizing so nobody asked us. When we went to get him he proved unwilling to leave his current family and broke away from the trainer and galloped off to get back to his mates. There have been a few issues over Personal Space, his and ours, but he is learning fast, hasn't squished anyone lately and now lives with some of the older, very quiet horses to learn some better manners.

Harry  in 2016.  Part of the herd now and very happy.

CHILE      -     [  CHILLI  BEAN, RED  HOT  CHILLI  PEPPER !!  ]

Chile is a Stationbred, liver chestnut mare belonging to friends of ours. She originally came here to be started by Rod in 2005 but, during the course of her getting going she proved to have the most magnificent talent for bucking, not just once or twice but  a real rodeo performance. Once she had gaily sprinkled a few good riders all over the paddock we were running out of willing Volunteers. This was pre our chiropractor days but eventually she was seen and treated and it was discovered she had several vertebra badly out of place. Some of the horses will put up with back pain and suffer in silence but Chile was not one of these. She would ride round like an old riding school pony for exactly five minutes and then away she would go until she unseated her rider. Once treated she was ridden for all of one winter by a Scots girl and was really going well. These days she isn't ridden but continues to live here as she gets looked after, gets her feet and teeth and other things done and, in any case, she is Sergeant Pepper's best girl friend and he gets stressed without her.  If she goes home way, way up the valley she won't be ridden either and will eventually be dog tuckered as their last stallion has died, so no foals for Chile.  Sweet little pony to look after and quite happy just to be a horse thank you.

SQUIRT   -   [  MISS  SMOOTHIES  SONG  ]

This is NOT  a fat horse! She has fluid retention or potential muscle but she is NOT FAT. So says her owner Linda. Linda bought Squirt from us years ago when she could no longer tolerate Rod putting other people on her back, which he did regularly to provoke Linda into buying her. This is the most spoiled horse on the property. She and Linda are soul mates and woe betide anyone who dares to make disparaging remarks  about this portly pony. She has recently been retired from riding as she has permanent lameness issues. She tends to hang around with Boogie and Coco. She is over Boogie but under Coco who bites her on the backside whenever he can reach and she responds with an almighty double barrel.