Hey,
So as I have already mentioned part of this blog will be equine focused. So now that I’ve introduced myself it would only be naturally fair to introduce who I will be talking about, rather a lot, and that is my horse Nixon.
Nixon is a 17yr old, 16.1hh warmblood with a not so charming history. When I first met Nixon, he was pacing up and down the fence to his field and looked rather depressed and distressed. He had made a rather negative name for himself being called things like ‘killer horse’ from busybodies in the local pet shop! Well in fact he was just one misunderstood boy who had never experienced love from anyone that came across him.
I’ve been told all sorts of stories from his past, that he’d been starved, mistreated, been passed from dealer to dealer and that he was left in a field for a year with no human contact. This is where operation ‘Save Nixon’ began. Initially it was my auntie that took pity on the rather large and unappreciated boy. In fact when I was small it was my auntie that introduced me to horses in the first place, and we all know how that ended (read the entertaining story in my about me section). I always remember she was so willing and keen to ride the ‘crazy’ horses so I must have been eager to follow in her footsteps. Anyway she and a friend whisked him away to a new yard.
They had a big task on their hands and a few incidents with Nixon and his new owner later, I was somehow introduced into the equation. With my new found passion for horses again and being a naturally quite patient person our bond blossomed. Every day without fail I went to the yard for cuddles and a chat, and after one traumatic day, when I saved him after he had nudged his fly mask over his eyes so he couldn’t see, I think he began to actually trust someone... me!
As we were getting on so well, his owner decided to loan Nixon to me and I was so happy. More cuddles and chats later we were ready to start taking the plunge into the scary monster filled world aka beyond the electric fence...!!
When I think back to this stage I literally can’t believe how far Nixon has come. Leading him from the field to the barn was simply a nightmare. He would spook at everything, try to spin, trample everyone and once tied up would just swing and pace from side to side. It was at this point I gave him the nickname ‘Babby’.
We persevered and he was starting to come round to the idea that he was a horse not a monster and after much grooming, lunging and groundwork I was even riding him too.
A couple of weeks into our new friendship and hard work, his owner decided to sell him- I was devastated! I was living 40 minutes away for university, juggling my course, job and most of all pennies. After much deliberation I just couldn’t see him go back to another dealer, so I made the plunge and decided I would have him.
It was a dream come true (kind of)! Never did I dream when blowing my candles out on my birthday, and wishing for a pony every year since I can remember, that my horse would spook, run off and I would fall off and break my wrist on the 6th day of owning him... Woops! I still don’t blame him for that at all, it was more down to my inexperience of riding. We were both learning together. Nevertheless I was able to give cuddles and do poo picking one handed so that was fine.
Fast forward a few months he was able to be in a field with others and had made a best friend, called ‘H’, who we loved hacking out with.
Everything was going swimmingly, each day we’d face a new challenge and each day we would overcome the new challenge. Unfortunately H moved homes so Nixon made friends with two mares instead, one of which is very old but thinks of Nixon as her boyfriend.
In December 2011 we had another ‘woopsie’ moment and I fell off, but this time breaking my collarbone. It was so painful and for the first time something had really knocked my confidence.
Since then the hard work has continued and we’ve been growing in confidence slowly but surely. We still have our bad days and he’s still rather green sometimes but we are getting there and this summer you can follow our progress both schooling and attempting some hacking. I will share lots more stories and am more than willing to help or answer any questions you readers may have.
On our good days which is probably 80% of the time now, everything is amazing. I don’t see there ever being an end to our journey of learning as every day we both learn something new.
However there is nothing that breaks my heart with love more than when my big brown monster trots over to give me the biggest cuddles and kisses. He is now known as 'Noodle baby' can't really remember how that came about. Not only have I taught him so much, but he has taught me so much too. You may have noticed in some of our more recent photos he’s wearing a party hat and we even had bunting hanging off of his fence, and he didn’t even flinch.
If you feel passionate enough about something you really can overcome any obstacle. It hasn't been easy but I can't thank my auntie and the lady I share the yard with enough for their help and support along the way.
Never ever give up.
Gemma xx
