Yesterday while galloping through the Hitchcock woods after the Aiken Hounds in full cry,I kept thinking about how much I love the horse I ride,Charlie Ferrari.This hore is a TB gelding ,that raced,went up to 2 star eventing,knows fourth level dressage and at age 19 is just about the finest drag horse anyone could ask for.He is gorgeous to look at ,he moves like a dream and jumps like a stag.I have been riding this horse for years.He has hunted hounds and led the field with grace and speed and the lightest footwork imaginable.
He can fly downhill as easily as up.Yet he will wait and listen at anytime upon command.He reads the land as well as the hounds always looking and knowing exactly where to go and how to get there.He is a horse that gives me a thrill and a tear every single time I have the honor to ride him.
He fits right in at paradise and should definately be on the devil list as he delights in opening any stall door,throwing the bar down with a crash and gallops down the lane as fast as he can ,laughing al the way till someone comes to catch him which is another game in itself.This happens on almost a daily basis.There are always ropes and barracades around Charlies stall door (and he still gets out!)
He thrives on his hunting and gets very hurt feelings when I choose to ride another horse.I have been so blessed with fine horses to hunt.I must make mention of my Blessed Pierre.A different sort entirely but remembered with eqaul amounts of love and admiration.
To have horses like Charlie Ferrarri , a horse that will gallop and jump yet wait with the most extreme balance and grace is simply and honor and a thrill.That is the sign of a great hunter.I am sad when people think hunting is wreckless and dangerous.It does not have to be.It takes years and years to make a great horse.It takes time to get a horse to read your mind and know your every move.
Charlie has run off with me many times.He has stopped at fences and I have gone over his head.He rarely walks back to the meet and often jigs home in a lather.Those are not the signs of a great hunter.He hates the show ring and ALWAYS refuses at the show in the woods!I have walked out of the ring mortified more than once.Oh and he won't live hunt.Not patient enough to stand around for that!
But he always knows when it is Tuesday and Saturday.He always knows when I go to clip him out that he is going to fly with the Aiken Drag the way he loves to go.And for all his other sins,he is forgiven with a huge smile and the biggest hug I can give him around his hadsome neck.He is worth an oil painting,A perpetual trophy even a bronze in my mind.I hope everyone feels that way about their horses and their days out with hounds.
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I really love your blog. I know exactly what you are talking of when you speak of a horse that is truly good at their job and a good hunt horse is a horse you appreciate sometimes even more than a good show horse. This is my first year of fox hunting although I have been riding young ottb's most of my life. I finally have two horses that I think the world of and they are truly delightful to hunt. One is a unassuming 16.1 h tb that I am retraining for CANTER Mid Atlantic. He started out as timid type of horse and although we began eventing him he really did not stand out until hunting. He just has the best mind I could ask for and is so careful and balanced. Jumps anything I point him at and is so comfortable. I come in after 3hrs loving my horse and am so glad I finally decided to start fox hunting.
The blog on the horse I hunt- http://dixierumble.wordpress.com/
Keep writing we love it!
I REMEMBER IN MY "FORMATIVE" YEARS, I USED TO RIDE WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM. NATURALLY, MY UTMOST CONCERN ABOUT MY HUGE 4 LEGGED FRIEND WAS SPEED, FASTER THE BETTER. NOW MIND YOU, MYSELF BEING ON A SEVERE BUDGET, NOT CAPABLE OF OWNING MY PERSONAL STEED, I FREQUENTED YOUR FRIENDLY "RENT-A-RIDE" AT A LOCAL STATE PARK. EXPERIENCING IS BELIEVING, WHEN IT COMES TO SHARING YOUR SMILE WITH THE SMILE OF THE ONE YOU ARE SITTING ON. UPON RELINQUISHING MY WEEK'S WAGES TO FURTHER MY ENHANCEMENT OF ROAMING THE HILLSIDE, IMMEDIATELY UPON TAKING THE REINS, MY TRUSTED AND NEWLY ACQUAINTED EQUESTRIAN FRIEND & I WOULD SLOWLY WALK DOWN THE TRAIL. ONCE OUT OF THE OWNERS VISUAL SIGHT, I MADE THE CUSTOMARY MACHO/HOT RODDER RIDER COMMANDS TO MY HORSE. "YEHAWWWWW!!!...GIDDY UP HORSIE!!!...LET'S GO!!!...(if you must have a visual) MY LEGS AND FEET WERE WAILING (no spurs of course)...AT THIS TIME, I FULLY EXPECTED MY HORSE TO TAKE OFF GALLUPING, SO I COULD FEEL THE BREEZE IN MY FACE. BUT OH NO, HE/SHE (i don't know how to tell the gender) SUDDENLY STOPPED! NO BIG DEAL REALLY, I MEAN, AN ABRUPT STOP WHILE DOING 1/4 MPH IS RARELY HARMFUL. I NICKNAMED THIS HORSE "SPEEDY". SPEEDY, POLITELY TURNED HIS/HER NECK AROUND & GAVE THAT KIND OF LOOK. YOU KNOW, THE KIND THAT MEANT, "COULD YOU KINDLY REFRAIN FROM POUNDING ME IN MY SIDES WITH YOUR CITY SLICKER SHOES, I JUST ATE A COUPLE BALES OF HAY EARLIER". THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WORSE THAN RENTING A SLOW RUDE HORSE. SO, I FELT, I WOULD OBTAIN AN INSTRUMENT FROM MOTHER NATURE (a near by tree), A SWITCH...EVERYTHING WAS GOING VERY SMOOTHLY. I DISMOUNTED, WALKED OVER AND RETRIEVED THE DESIRED "MOTIVATIONAL TOOL" TO ASSURE MYSELF OF THE HI-PERFORMANCE RIDE I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO!!!...AS I TURNED AROUND & BEGAN MY SHORT WALK BACK TO MY "RENTAL", THE EXACT MINUTE GOOD OLE "SPEEDY'S EYES CAME IN CONTACT WITH WHAT WAS IN MY HAND, I SAW IMMEDIATE RESULTS!!!..."SPEEDY" WAS QUITE CAPABLE OF GALLUPING (running fast), HE/HER TOOK OFF WITHOUT ME, BACK TO THE STABLES, (sigh)...YES, I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING, ANYWAYS, IT WAS ONLY AN HOUR OR SO WALK BACK, AND I HAD A YUMMY BAG OF M&M's IN MY POCKET, A HABIT I ACQUIRED FROM AN OLD FRIEND SO I WASN'T WITHOUT NOURISHMENT...I ONCE MET A TRULY AMAZING YOUNG WOMAN, MUCH LIKE THIS LELLIE WARD, OWNER OF PARADISE FARMS. I ENVISIONED THIS TRULY GIFTED & TALENTED LADY, WALKING ACROSS THE STAGE IN A RED DRESS RECEIVING THE GOLD MEDAL FOR WINNING THE 3 DAY EVENTING COMPETITION AT THE OLYMPICS...I SHARED WITH HER MY EXPERTISE IN MY TRAIL RIDING EQUESTRIAN EXPLOITS AND ASKED IF I MIGHT BE ABLE TO RIDE HER PERSONAL TRAINED EQUININES...SHE REPLIED WITH A SLY GRIN ON HER BEAUTIFUL FACE, "MY HORSES ARE "FERRARI'S", NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE ACCUSTOMED TO." A POLITE POINT MADE INDEED. IF YALL HAVE READ THIS FAR, I AM SURE SOME ARE SOMEWHAT PERPLEXED & ARE WONDERING JUST EXACTLY WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS PARTICULAR COMMENT WAS INTENDED...WELL, ALL I CAN TRUTHFULLY SAY IS...GOOD QUESTION
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