Hi y'all,
Returning after many years absent from HEE (Think I last played consistently back in 2016?), I figure it's time to spam y'all with my ponies.
I'm an amateur showjumper and dressage rider living in France. I used to compete in the 110's with my previous schoolmaster, Rethy (a massive light bay anglo-arab with a chip on his shoulder), until 2019 decided to be a very bad year, with Rethy having to be PTS, me breaking my pelvis in a tumble whilst showing the less-reliable Hermes and then being diagnosed with bone cancer.
Anyhow, less heavy stuff, here's the ponies!
Some of y'all might, possibly, remember this guy:
This is Hermes, apple of my eye, pain in my butt and walking vet bill extraordinaire. Zangersheide with a stupid show name and a destructive love of showjumping.
Last time I was on here, he was just starting his real career as a riding horse after years of injury and ensuing behavioural issues.
Now, well, now he's a somewhat unreliable 14 year old who placed in 130's with a professional rider before coming home at the start of the pandemic to play ponies at home with me. He's since discovered that behaving himself for me is very profitable, as he gets to hack nearly every day and has field buddies to play with - though he does wish I were up to more jumping and misses competing.
Next up is Freyja:
She's a 5 year old, 17.3h chestnut Zangersheide mare, a showjumper through and through.
I bought Freyja in 2019, shortly after losing my Rethy, as an unbroken 3 year old. Frankly, I don't know how I ended up with a horse like her, as she's solid as a rock under saddle, tough as old boots and insanely talented. I haven't done a vast amount with her due to the aforementioned broken bones but she spent this summer improving her flatwork at home (working in a tiny grass arena with her out-of-shape amateur owner and no supervision) before a very short show season, which she finished by placing 3rd in her 2nd ever 115cm class.
I've watched this horse pop 160cm loose jumping as if it's barely there! She's just... fabulous.
Last, but very much not least, is Horsie:
Yes, you read that right, a horse called Horsie.
He's a 4 year old, 17.1h grey anglo-arab - French bred, like all the best anglos 😉. He was, in fact, born 5 minutes down the road from where I live!
I bought Horf in 2020, after falling head-over-heels for him at my trainers, where he was being vetted for an overseas buyer. That all fell through and I was offered him for a price I just couldn't refuse.
He came broken in but very green and a stallion, so I had him gelded and left him for a year to mature at home before really trying to do anything with him. He's mastered some things though, as he hacks out alone and has been to a couple of tiny shows with my trainer!
He's still very physically immature though, so I don't have any concrete plans for him, but I have a feeling that this guy will be an upper level dressage horse due to his fancy movement and sweet personality despite being eventing/showjumping bloodlines (dad was a 3* eventer and damsire a 150 showjumper).
Moderate Temperatures and Overcast
