Everybody's introductory thread - moved from General

[GC2]

Great thread.
My name is Paula and I live in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, I am 27.
I am owned by the horse of my dreams Guinness (my guinny-boo)
He is 5 yrs old And I have owned him since he was 2 - I got him for my 25th birthday he is my first horse and I love him dearly.


I got married in March to my wonderful Michael (click link for the album)
http://www.weddingshots.co.uk/albums/quinn_album_v4.pdf

I have 2 beautiful daughters, India and Grace


We have lot of other pets
Here are the dogs - Jelly bean is the GSDxRottie we got her in June (rescue) and Puddin is the Heinz 57 we rescued him as pup nearly 5 yrs ago

The cats, DeCaff and penguin

and Sponge

Spud the parrot

And the guinea pigs, Jigsaw and Dumpling


I work for the local teenage pregnancy Team and I do voluntary St John Ambulance work

[marylous mum]

Hi my name is Linda, I am in my 40's and have been riding since I was 19 or so. I always wanted to ride as a child but was from a very non horsey family so Ballroom danced instead !  I started my nurse training 25 yars ago and a few months into my training met my best friend who introduced me to her horses and encouraged me to start riding. I bought my first horse a few months later and had him until he died 11 years ago.  When I met my OH he was tole love me - love my horse.
I am now an emergency care practitioner, working for the NHS, I also do some animal communication as well.

I have a variety of horses, my main girls are Marylou - a 9 year old exracer who I got off  track, life has been rocky with her, but things seem to be coming together now, and my lovely Chakira a 25 year old anglo arab. I also have a tbxcb boy who is 12, a 5 year old welsh D and a 21 year old 7/8 tb companion, (exbrood mare came to us 2 years ago when he old wner passed away) so that is my story, now for the photos


Marylou

Chakira>

Dawn ( welsh D)

I also have 2 dogs

benji a collie and gina a dobermann cross whippett

Gina

[smileyginger]

this is turning out to be a great thread!  no time to post right now but can we pin this one soon, please? 

[ludlu]

I'm guessing it will take me forever to get some nice new pictures together but I think its a great idea for a pinned thread.  Should I wait for my pictures to 'introduce' or just get on with it ?

[Fizzbw]

You can always edit your pictures into your original thread - and if anyone adds to their family then they can do the same!

It's fab hearing and seeing everyone's stories! More please!!!

Niki xxx

ps will pin it soon - sometimes things are seen more not pinned!

[ludlu]

OK, well, here I am!  I'm returning to riding after four/five years off.  I'm learning more now.  Before my time of I worked in the equine industry, but not in an equestrian role .  I used to show, mainly M&Ms,  but whatever I could really, in hand, ridden I did it all. then, feeling the need to mov on from that I took up polo which I loved, and for the first time there was a type of riding that felt easy to me.  I'm a terrible rider  but I'm determined to be a good one now I'm coming back.  My mare is my old show hunter, and her EE name is Big T , short for Big Trucks.

I also have two uterly loved Siamese cats, Nougat and Panache, a greyhound puppy, Marvellous, and I'm training my mother's Wolfhound pup. Lovely Clover too.  We also have pet cochin chickens.

Right now I live with my mother in Somerset, but my DH and I are very much together, its just he works in Italy.   He's also an EE member -Jazzsteed  :

[Fiona]

I'm Fiona, I live in Devon with my husband Graeme and my two part-time teenage children (18 and 16).

We have eight Icelandics between the three of us (my son is not a rider!)

Loads more pics on our website http://www.icelandichorse.co.uk/index/index.php but here are my special ones!

Jörð, my horse of a lifetime 





I have had her (poor troubled soul) for two and a quarter years now and could never part with her.  She's an immensely talented horse although full of hang-ups and she took me to the World Championships earlier this year in Holland.

New boy Ari, who I've only had for a couple of months



He's also a talented horse, maybe as much as Jörð although he is only five at the moment.  He's unspoilt though, and I'm working him under EE principles to try and ensure he doesn't end up like she is!

Also I have Tinna



who is Ari's half sister, a three year old who is expecting a foal for me next June/July

and Stjarna



another nice unspoilt young horse (by the highest judged four gaited stallion in the world, Stefnir frá Sandhólaferju) who is also expecting a foal around the same time.

I have been riding for 26 years, six of them on Icelandic horses, and I work part time as a bookkeeper for a company that sells yachts.  I also have a small business making embroidered clothing (and horse clothing!  :P) and I am studying to be an EETT.

Fiona

[Casey76]

I'm Katrina, a Briton currently living in Basel, Switzerland where I've been for the past 5 years.  I'm hopefully moving over the border into France next year!

I am from a completely non-horsey family, and as such didn't really start riding until I moved to Switzerland when I was 25.  Several mishaps over the years had left me with a very deep ingrained fear of riding outdoors (even trying to school in a field was a no-no 2 yers ago!) and of going faster than a trot in general.

In May 2005 my wonderful dad died of leukaemia and I decided that life was too short to plod along as I had been, and with the help of a new friend I started looking for my own horse.

After trying out a gorgeous PRE gelding and an enormous Brandenburger WB I bought Pinto after specifically saying I would look at anything... but I didn't want a cob, and I didn't want a coloured  :



After a seemingly easy settling in period, it became clear that Pinto had a lot of hidden issues, e.g. an absolute fear of whips and ropes... but only if they were held in a certain way.

Over the past 2-and-a-bit years we have come on so much.

Pinto has discovered a love of jumping (both with and without a rider):





And Pinto has shown me that hacking needn't be a torturous experience!



In my spare (!) time I enjoy making my own jewelry and beadweaving:

[smileyginger]

I'm giving this one a bump to see if we can pin it, please?

thx!

Justine

[Louise C]

I thought I hadn't seen this before!!  I'll post later!

[Ebyss]

I'll jump in too - even though I've been here quite a while, I haven't been posting as much due to an abysmal internet connection. So, I'm Ebony, I'm from Wicklow, Ireland and here are my lot :


War Cry, my 6 year old Spanish Mustang stallion. He's only 14hh, but what a horse! He is extremely intelligent and extremely tough, full of spirit but quiet as you like. The rider in the pic isn't me, I think I had the flu that day so my trainer rode him - at least it meant I got pics for once!




And next is his future wife, two and a half year old Spanish Mustang filly RE Golden Warbird:




This is Outlaw, same age as Warbird, and he's a Spanish Mustang too - but he's gelded. First pic is of him as a foal on the Cayuse ranch:




Jake is my dear old Irish Draught who was diagnosed with Pedal Osteitis a few years back. Thanks to Richard (rvialls)he is well on his way to being 100% sound (actually, he is there, but we want a teeny bit more improvement in his feet).



Then there's Tully, an 11 year old ISH who is sadly for sale as I just don't have time to take care of all these horses and do a full time job as well (again, not me riding - this is a pic from when I bought him).



Finally there's funny old Pirate - a more ornery fellow you could not meet. He is a scream to have around, one hell of a character. These have to be two of the worst pics ever taken of a horse, he really is quite normal looking, though he did get all the spare parts from the bargain basement :




Lastly; these are the two stinkers that run the show - Proton (under the cover) and Ion :

[shoveltrash]

great thread!!!  i love reading everyone's bios 
and i've only just discovered it - must've missed it early on?

i'll do mine soon (it's close to bedtime now for me  )

edited because i'm too tired to spell correctly

[Claire]

where's this thread been?

well, no photos on the laptop and would need to scan some in...

now 52.  started riding age about 7 or 8 at local yard where you were told how to get on, to go up and down in trot, and that was it.  seem to recall it was a coloured shetland... yard no longer there, developed into houses!

mother preferred to spend her money on a private education than a horse for me....so just had the occasional riding holiday for many years then started lessons again seriously in my 20's - but boring! 

at the time, driving a bus round newcastle.....

eventually qualified as a solicitor; bought my first horse Marcus when still in my training contract and haven't had much money since!  that was in 1990, kept him on full livery at first whilst I learnt about stable management then after a couple of years went on DIY and been on that ever since.

sold him on to another first time owner to stay on teh same yard and  bought Billy, a 17hh 3" beautiful bay;  he'd been the whip's horse with teh Zetland and had his picture in H & H!  supposedly his legs were knacked, but we didn't think so.  He wasnt' quite right for me and had a terror of parked cars.  cound't get a saddle to fit him and looking back now he had a bit of atrophy; lunged him for 6 weeks after i'd decided to sell him and he went to a good home, people we knew

then bought Queen of Timber, TB mare (Timber King out of Maroyal, foaled 1982) from my then friend; she'd had two foals  Molly, then a yearling, and Fred, then 6 months.  I bought her 1995, october, and she was the right horse for me.  she'd evented (pre novice & novice, they didn't have Intro then) and had a good nature and was pretty bomb proof.  not a flighty TB at all and the exception that proves the rule for chestnut mares.  I still have her, she's retired up in allendale - she'd started to develop that sway back thing and had spurs on both front naviculars (natural balance shoes on the front, now of course unshod and sound!).  She'd been ridden from when she was 4 in a narrow to medium saddle which previous owner insisted was what she wanted.  had 2 saddlers check my saddle on her they both wrongly said it was right - she was wide!  but she taught me loads, and taught partner a fair bit - despite the scary moving christmas trees on a bridge above her one day, partner stayed on and they came home in good order!

then in october 2003 I got Molly (by Golden Lahab), and retired Queenie....had always had a fancy for having Molly, so being offered her for nowt was interesting.... and 3 1/2 years later we are still working on issues.  I did get her to reback.....essentially, took Queenie up to Allendale and came back with Molly.  Molly is as good as her ma to handle, and has produced a lovely foal.  but oooohhhh she's a b****r.  something went adrift in her youth, but we don't know what.  She got a fence stake through her chest at 6 months, and at  3 1/2 had a nasty accident in a wagon when being dropped off to be backed.....apparently will never pass the vet because of her off hind, and probably not clever to jump so it's just as well i don't.

her story is on my blog

and I'm a claimant PI solicitor specialising in industrial diseases (virbation white finger, noise induced hearing loss, dermatitis, whatever...) and horse related accidents... (but only those where there is definitely something to complain about! and I did defend one once against an infant claimant and won...)

[Trudi]

What fantastic 'pics from you all, I'd missed this completely!

I grew up, a pony mad kid, in Warwickshire. I showed, hunted, jumped and hunter trialled and in my early teens  I 'started' my first youngster, a TB mare. I've always loved TB's and over the years have owned quite a few. I had a break when I was studying (electronics and telecommunications, yawn!!!) and then got back into riding and in particular dressage.

I have since owned warmbloods, ISH's, more TB's, a Friesian and now three Spanish boys (PRE).

I soon realised that engineering and I were not compatible and so joined BA as a trolley dolly, I had a fabby 13 years in a great job with loads of time off, which enabled me to keep training and enjoying my horses. I became an understudy trainer for a group called Dressage for All and ultimately became a trainer.

I studied to be a dressage judge, inspired by my trainer at the time Inger Bryant, herself a list one judge and extraordinary teacher. Sadly, I left England before taking my judging exams but not without learning a great deal from some very knowledgeable people.

I moved with my husband Patrick and daughter, Lydia, to France in 2003. Our hope was to set up a dressage-training centre where we could offer training holidays. The system in France is vastly different to the UK and after 3 years running our holiday homes and B and B (but unable to easily run the dressage school) we decided to cash in on our property, buy somewhere smaller and semi-retire!!
So we recently crossed the border from the Limousin (Haute Vienne) into the Aquitaine region (Dordogne) and are currently putting in our stables and school.

My great love is classical dressage and I met Heather on ‘another’ forum and feel she is a kindred spirit in the classical world. I hope to learn lots from other people’s experiences on here and get to know you better.
  Fidget and Moralejo, mud buddies in the field today

Chapiro, my 2yo

Fidget

Moralejo in the school, a work in progress



Fidge warming up

Oh and Heather doesn't know but one day I will make it to one of her courses and she has PROMISED to come and help me when she comes to this part of France next!!!

Trudi

[epona]

Great thread 

Well as most of you know  My name is Vicky, I am 35 and mother to two kiddies, a partner called Chris who also doubles up as cheif groom and chauffer! and have two horses (well one is my daughters  )
I have had a varied career but at the moment I am an office manager and GDB in a fast paced office which I really enjoy.
I also practise Reiki and try to live to the Reiki principles which are wonderful guidelines to a happy and healthy life, plus I do a bit of Tarot / Angel card readings too!

My daughter Amy


My son Harry


Chris and a fine looking bird!


Antsje my friesian mare, who is my horse of a lifetime and the best teacher I will ever have 




And Barney my daughters TB x Connemara 




My passion is classical dressage and the more I learn the more and more sucked in I get!  Its a completley addictive and enriching hobby 

I am an avid member of EE and this forum has been instrumental in my learning more about my favourite subject and also making some very wonderful special friends

Im a very lucky person to have such great kids & Parnter, amazing horses and such wonderful friends - I get pretty high on life really which can be a tad annoying for those around me as I generally bounce around a lot      Im a big believer of life is what you make it, and I dont intend in wasting a single minute