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Jan's Friends
Buttercup
Buttercup is a 10-hand mule who brings a smile to everyone who sees him. That’s his job. His other job is learning to trust people. He came to me through the Middleburg Humane Foundation, a local organization I do volunteer work for. Buttercup has very, very good reasons for being very afraid of people. But he has made great progress since I have owned him. I have discovered that mules are quite different than horses. He has taught me a lot and he is a joy to have. To find out more about the Middleburg Humane Foundation, visit their web site. |
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Merlin
Merlin is Buttercup’s best friend and sometimes arch enemy. I suppose you might say the two get along like brothers. I found Merlin at an auction in Front Royal, Virginia where he was enormously overweight, foundered and had long, curling up hooves. I suppose it was love at first sight. Merlin is a real treasure! He is very sweet and incredibly cute though I think he missed his calling as a lap dog. He lives in a small pasture with Buttercup but when I bring him into the barn for grooming or to have his hooves trimmed or whatever, it is quite a chore to get him out of the barn again! He loves attention! You can read more about these two wonderful mules by clicking on "Love Horses-Two Mule Stories"
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Harry Who?
Harry is the self-proclaimed leader of my herd, just ask him. He is 17 hands of intelligence, opinions, enthusiasm and a sense of humor. Bred in England, he is by a French Thoroughbred stallion out of a Cleveland Bay mare. I purchased him from a Canadian event rider. Harry has definitely been around! I evented Harry through advanced level until metabolic trouble caused his retirement. You can read my essay about Harry and I in GaWaNi Ponyboy’s book, “Of Women And Horses.,“ (And you can read the missing ending to the essay by clicking on “essay ending.“) I nursed Harry through EPM and Lyme disease and then had a blast foxhunting him. Harry’s favorite thing is to jump bridleless to music in front of large crowds. You can read more about this by clicking on “Bridleless Jumping Exhibitions.” The worst thing you can do to Harry is bore him!
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A Kind of Magic
Magic has been a very long term project for me. He is one of the most difficult horses I have worked with but you would hardly see it today. An off-the-track Thoroughbred, he is by Great Above out of Snow Lass. I bought him at a sale as a three-year old. I have owned him now for 15 years. Magic has a complicated personality-a big heart and a fragile mind. He has been extremely fearful, over-reactive, herd bound and highly energetic. He sees dead people. But at age 18, he is very settled and people find it hard to believe the stories I tell about his past shinanigans. Magic is a very athletic and sometimes extravagant jumper and a very good mover. It was sometimes a struggle to funnel all his energy and talent in the right direction but I persevered and was able to move him up to intermediate level eventing in early 2002. He did all right at first but then had trouble. I finally discovered he had both a minor suspensory ligament injury and EPM. He fully recovered from both but I did not compete him at all in 2003 because of my new farm. I have only evented him lightly in the past few years. |
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Good to Go
“Rocket” is a wonderful soul. He is by a Belgian Warmblood grand prix show jumper out of a Thoroughbred mare. He enjoyed lower level eventing but didn’t have the scope to do more. I hunted him a bit which he absolutely loved. A very handsome, sweet gentleman of a horse, he did not deserve to be struck by the West Nile Virus on September 11, 2003 especially after having been vaccinated against it two years in a row. But vaccines are not 100 percent effective. He spent two weeks at a veterinary hospital but made a full recovery. He very much likes bridleless riding-probably because it is easier for him to sneak mouthfuls of grass! Rocket is currently residing at Sunny's Corner Farm in Middleburg, VA where he is leased. |
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Tom Cat
Tommy is a tall, striking, very nice moving off-the-track-Thoroughbred with a sweet disposition. So what was he doing at a local slaughter sale on a snowy February Saturday in 2006? I sure did wonder so I bought him. Tommy really needed to learn to trust people, to become relaxed and to learn how not to be a race horse and he is well on his way despite having little done with him in 2007. He was going nicely and learning to jump in 2008 when he started having some problems somewhere in his body. It took about a year to figure out what was going on and after several types of treatments he is back in work and looking for some schooling shows to make his dressage and jumping debute. Tommy is by Haymaker out of Any Old Charger. |
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Xcellent Adventure
"What a cute face!" is the normal reaction out of just about everyone who meets Xcel. He is incredibly cute! And incredibly smart, sensitive, over-reactive, emotional, jealous, opinionated and quick. He gets hiccups frequently. He keeps me laughing and also very sharp. He has had more hoof trouble than any horse deserves but is sound now and wants to stay that way. Because of the problems in his hooves, Xcel will not be able to compete in eventing so I have explored "LIberty Training." We are both learning this wonderful type of training developed by Carolyn Resnick in California. Xcel is by Miner’s Mark out of a Sovereign Dancer mare. Please read all about him by clicking on "Reschooling The Thoroughbred." |
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