Tally...

 Tally...

Was a beautiful Welsh Section D 15.3hh Lovely colour chestnut and a Flaxen mane and tail.

Tally was a really special horse to me because she was the first horse Id ridden in years, I had an illness in 2012 and had to have quite a few operations and they were not finished until 2015 was a long time to cope with. My sister said, "why don't you come and ride Tally"? I said "Oh she's too big for me but go on then I'll try" So that's what happened. The first day I think we went down the lane from the stables not so far Jennifer was walking with me. I absolutely loved it... just being out in the fresh air and Tally was a dream to ride so comfortable. So I decided to part-loan her I was riding 3 times a week I loved every minute. I went in the school and got used to her and Jennifer came out with me she was on another horse a kind lady had lent us so we could go out together. I said there and then that I would never give up riding. It was great to be back in the saddle. 

You think back to years before at secondary school one of the teachers took us to ride after school we did a Display for the whole School and the Mayor was there too it was a big thing then. And you get that confidence to ride any horse big small or naughty and I'd ridden them all come off a few times but you bounced in those days what're a few bruises 😄

              I got more confident each day I rode and it wasn't long before I was going out on my own! I was very pleased with myself and Tally. It was a challenge for me that I'd achieved this at 60-something years old. There are quite a few ladies I know that are my age that still ride. So as I had a back problem and couldn't walk far Tally was my legs to see the countryside. I'd been all around the lanes and the Loop as we call it, over the top of Ashworth valley. It gave me a new look at life.

 I used to love riding down Ashworth Valley Years before then slowly the farmers started putting barbed wire across the lanes and stopped us going that way. It was a shame because it was lovely riding through the streams. We went on a day's ride a few times with the riding school. When I had Katie and Jennifer had Midnight we went down the Valley there to Ashworth Valley (I'm sure we rode over to Bookhurst) but we had to move some wire once to get through and you could see it overgrown. Eventually, you couldn't get down I kept wishing someone from the Bridleways might re-open it but it never happened.

 I was just getting ready to ride Tally one morning Jennifer was there she wasn't coming out so I got onto Tally she just tightened my girth. Tally usually just sets off but she didn't move Jennifer said kick her on so I did no, no movement the next thing she did I couldn't believe it. Tally went down on her front legs and very gently down on her back ones I threw myself off her and she rolled slightly trapping my foot against the saddle and the step. Jennifer whipped off the saddle so it freed my foot slightly I was willing Tally to just move a little so I could get my foot free. And she did oh that hurt I thought. Then Tally got up I went to her Jennifer was hold of her, and she seemed fine but, Jennifer rang the Vet. We had been watching her weight because of her putting weight on and we didn't want her to get Laminitis, we were hoping it wasn't that. She wasn't eating although she'd eaten most of her morning net.

The Vet came an hour or two later as it was an emergency. They gave her a scan and took blood tests they couldn't see anything it was very worrying. The next day the Vet was back with the results he said "Tally has a Liver infection" Jennifer asked, "what can be done?" He said "I'll give her antibiotics and see what she's like in a few days" Oh no I'm saying... My foot had swelled like an Elephants' foot, I went to the hospital they said nothing was broken just rest it. So I did, it was swollen for 6 weeks. Anyway 4/5 days later Tally got worse the vet came again this time he said Tally now has Laminitis and that got worse so wasn't so long couple of days Jennifer had to send her over Rainbow Bridge. I wasn't there I didn't want to be, it was upsetting enough to know she had to go, but it saved her some pain and agony. I went up on the day to say goodbye it was heartbreaking she was our family and I had grown to love her on the days she was mine... and always.

Me Veronica on Tally I think she was 16 yrs old Which is not very old when Benjy lived to be 32yrs old (Katie's Foal) 

About Keeping and Loving Horses

 Hi, My Name is Veronica my story will unfold as you read... I want to welcome you to my story of 'WHY' I wanted to start a blog about keeping horses. Mainly about how hard it is to look after horses if you haven't got the money or the knowledge? Lucky for me and my sister Jennifer knew a lot about horses so we didn't need the vet in those days much.

I had a horse years before a Palomino Welsh cross called Katie my uncle was selling her his children had lost interest, she was three yrs old. They had had her from a foal. So I bought her she needed to be re-bitted she wouldn't open her mouth for the bit. She wouldn't do a lot of things but once she got to know me we did gel, and she was lovely for me and for my children to ride at the time. We went everywhere but the traffic wasn't as busy then. From Birtle to Holcomb Hill. from Birtle through Ashworth Valley up to Bookhurst and from Birtle to Greenmount. What fun rides and the horses used to wear their shoes out then. I remember Katie having this tink sound and I had to prize the loose shoe off it was so thin at the front of the shoe, or it could have hurt her it was half off anyway. These days they seem to need their hooves trimmed before they have had much wear on the shoes. 

At the place where I was working then, the owner said he was breeding Arab horses, I stood there with my mouth open "wow Arab horses I don't think I have ever never seen one!" So Bernard invited me and my two girls to see the new foals that had just been born. Of course, they were adorable! And he asked if I want him to save the yearling filly for me until I had enough money to buy it? I almost jumped in with both feet, but I'd already said to my uncle I would have Katie. And although the filly was gorgeous it wasn't the right horse for me. Where Katie was a bit stocky being half welsh and had an attitude with it but funny😆. The yearling was very fine-boned and I didn't think it would be big enough. It was more a show pony, I'm not into that I'd done it years before with a riding school, and it's not for everyone.

So then Bernard asked me did I want to put Katie in foal with his stallion Arab horse King he was lovely I think he was around 15.2/3hh for half the price as I'd only get half an Arab foal😄. I thought about it then I went ahead and rode Katie to Bernard's Farm where he introduced her to King. The first time Bernard had put Katie with King he padded her back hooves just in case she kicked King in the process. He asked if I would take her down the yard by the gate and my sister Jennifer came with me. We waited and he came out with King he was prancing about then jumped onto Katie, all we could see was the legs of King coming towards us. It was a bit scary. Katie was a good girl she didn't kick out or anything bet she was glad we were there with her. (No health and safety then)

It wasn't long before Katie was in foal. 

photo here

Then at the time of foaling, she was dripping milk that's a sign she was coming into labour. My sister said "shall we wait"? so we waited and waited I think we were still there at midnight (that was what my sister's horse was called, the horse she had at the time Midnight He was part thoroughbred)she was in the field with Midnight nothing happening so we went home. Came back around 7am the farmer's wife said "have you seen your foal"? I said "aw has she had it? we waited last night but nothing happened", "oh she had it about an hour ago". So we went into the field to see a gorgeous chestnut colt! I had a photo with my arms around Katie and Benji her beautiful colt, but the photo didn't come out very well you will see them soon I have a photo.

Midnight was like a proud father following them around and watching over them while they slept. He was a lovely horse, he was about 14.2 and sensible. Why do I say that? Because Katie some years after foaling we were on our own not a problem often ridden alone. This man was in his garden watering his plants with a hosepipe, Katie looked at the hose and just took off straight into the main road she just flew we were so lucky it was quite busy, of course, all the traffic stopped until I could calm her down. I turned her into a fence and spoke to her calmly patting her neck she was shaking a bit. We had to walk past the end of the road we had just flown out from to get back to the stables and she was watching waiting for that snake or whatever she thought it was to appear but the man or the hosepipe was nowhere to be seen. She had never done that before, but I later learned my uncle used to wash her with a hosepipe and she hated it! There is always a reason for something like that to happen.

Katie and her new foal Benji 1980s yes Barbed wire fencing 🙄

Katie was a great Mum she looked after Benjy and didn't let him out of her sight and when they were sleeping Midnight used to stand guard over them as if he was the father but he couldn't have been he was a gelding.

Benjy the foal lived to be 32 years old and my sister had him more or less from the day he was born 💟

I'll have to look for some photos of him he still looked like a young horse when he was older.