Extracts from a Fool's diary.
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skezier
Member Posts: 11,333
Hi,
Its cold and raining and I have gotten so wet so have come in to lurk…… I always have been a good lurker. I put the stereo on and got my music fix, had a bop around but have a bit too much pain today to have much of that so now am boring you good folk I am meant to be trying to get something finished to send to a mag with a hope it will be excepted but confidence is really an issue, however so are vets bills! I wonder which will prove the stronger master on that actually?
The lodgers are all growing, in fact the foals are in one case almost the mums size and the other 2 are their mums height. Thy still got baby tails though and every so often their exuberance comes out and though they are sheltering under a hedge the 3 of them keep bouncing out into the field for a good leap about and then slide back to the hedge. Their mums have more sense! Slipper boy is out with them and he also keeps leaping about joining in their game, I just watch them my exuberance days are long gone
Its got me thinking about the days when I did have it still and the dreams I had, and some I have achieved and some remain for ever tethered in the realms of never happen but remain as dreams should as a hope and something to try and achieve.
When I was a kid it was dreams that allowed me to survive childhood. The parents were bad and home was a war zone. I was the kicking post but it was ok with me cus it meant my siblings weren’t and well that’s a comfort if you think about it?
I left home before going to 6th form college and life began to get better and then I went into training and ended up working as a working pupil on a Thoroughbred Stud. I was meant to be doing the instructor course and working pupil is an euphemism for slave labour big time! 6 days a week of 7-7 and all for an hours riding tuition a day. You did live in but the lodgings were bleak and cold and the food well the food was inedible half the time. The boss even dried out tea bags to reused so even that pleasure was gone! I don’t know if things have changed but it’s a hard life being the lowest of the low.
On one occasion the T/B stallion escaped from his stable being on the instructor course had meant I had nothing to do with the stud horses till they were weaned so hadn’t really met him.
He did as the stallions do and became a prancing 5 legged thing with only one thing on his mind and he was 16 hands of pure muscle and was a 12 year old and had real presence. He was a dark brown, almost black horse and he knew what his purpose was in life and that day he was out for a bit of freelance!
I saw him come into the school yard and go for the horse in the first box. I leaped the fence around the grass and running in front of him shutting top doors cus he would have really gone for the horses as most were geldings.
The school yard was L shaped and back to it was another row of stables also L shaped as a mirror image. The path forked at the end of the two end stable, left went to the back yard and right to the covered school, the covering yard and the brood mares stable block. Thinking on my feet with this power house of excited T/B hot on my heels I decided it was silly, he was after all only a horse! I turned walked up to him and yelling that’s enough grabbed his head collar. Thankfully he listened and stood pawring the ground while the stallion man got a rope on him. That’s when I started to do the stud training as well as the instructor one……. The owner was a very unpleasant lady to work for, oh she was but she did see another avenue to exploit her fool of a working pupil and I was put on stud work as well as the school work. But I loved the mares and the Lad was ok and though he was very excitable and quick on his feet he never hurt me. We actually liked each other.
The visiting mares were incredible, the bulk were T/B’s and most had a history of not going into foal very easily. T/B’s have very low fertility rates and the Lads was quite high for a T/B. Purebred or not the visiting mares all had very good breeding and though the Lad had done very badly in his only race he had wiped the field in the showing world. His list of championships and trophy’s meant a very good clientele of mares and I learned to really love Thoroughbred’s with all their neurosis and stupidity.
The resident mares were T/B crosses, my favourite was an Angelo Arab and she was absolutely beautiful She floated on air even when she kicked her feet up. I really found my niche in the brood mare block. We were meant to all change around but I must have done something right as I was left with the broodmares and though I took my turn in the stallion yard it was in addition. I bonded with the Angelo Arab and she was so sweet. To this day I remember her like yesterday.
She was the first to foal as well. We went on turns to sit up with her and it was normally me who got the 12-3 shift and it was then she foaled. She started at 1.15am, I even remember that! She had trouble, he was a big foal and she was over date and she needed help. The boss got me to do it. I was green behind the ears and terrified as this was a life and death thing but how ever unpleasant the woman was she knew her stuff and before the vet arrived we had got a live foal and a happy mare in the stable. For me that was amazing actually. He was all legs and attitude from the moment she went into labour! He took his time getting up and she stood making soft noises to him and licking him and me (I was liberally coated in stuff by them) as I was helping to dry and stimulate him.
He started to try and get up after about 20 mins and he had over bent legs as there hadn’t been enough room in his mum for his long legs. He was like a giant spider and he needed supporting, all with his ears back I might add! It was a few hours before me and the boss left them in peace but the other trainees had gone back to bed as soon as the foaling it self was over. Good grounding as well cus my next job had a Thoroughbred brood mare and the next had 7 Arab ones. Then 2 of the lodgers had trouble foaling and I knew what to do and how to help.
I was there a year in all and was a trainee midwife to all the mares as even if it wasn’t my shift I was woken to help. 10 foals in all. We names them silly names but their real names were what the door signs said, far too long winded for us. I quietly kept an eye on the sales catalogs and my first foal went out through good sales and made quite a good price for a ¾ breed. The second went a year later. I sort of did keep an eye on them but over time you move on I guess but I do wonder what happened to the lovely mare who made my stay in hell bearable. Te boss really was an unpleasant lady………
When I had an employee I made sure I was a lot nicer however I may have been on edge and desperately unhappy there but I really did learn! Mistakes were not tolerated and she nit picked and swore at you all day. Days off you got away, I even visited my mother for a break
Hope your all still awake and have a god day. Cris x
Its cold and raining and I have gotten so wet so have come in to lurk…… I always have been a good lurker. I put the stereo on and got my music fix, had a bop around but have a bit too much pain today to have much of that so now am boring you good folk I am meant to be trying to get something finished to send to a mag with a hope it will be excepted but confidence is really an issue, however so are vets bills! I wonder which will prove the stronger master on that actually?
The lodgers are all growing, in fact the foals are in one case almost the mums size and the other 2 are their mums height. Thy still got baby tails though and every so often their exuberance comes out and though they are sheltering under a hedge the 3 of them keep bouncing out into the field for a good leap about and then slide back to the hedge. Their mums have more sense! Slipper boy is out with them and he also keeps leaping about joining in their game, I just watch them my exuberance days are long gone
Its got me thinking about the days when I did have it still and the dreams I had, and some I have achieved and some remain for ever tethered in the realms of never happen but remain as dreams should as a hope and something to try and achieve.
When I was a kid it was dreams that allowed me to survive childhood. The parents were bad and home was a war zone. I was the kicking post but it was ok with me cus it meant my siblings weren’t and well that’s a comfort if you think about it?
I left home before going to 6th form college and life began to get better and then I went into training and ended up working as a working pupil on a Thoroughbred Stud. I was meant to be doing the instructor course and working pupil is an euphemism for slave labour big time! 6 days a week of 7-7 and all for an hours riding tuition a day. You did live in but the lodgings were bleak and cold and the food well the food was inedible half the time. The boss even dried out tea bags to reused so even that pleasure was gone! I don’t know if things have changed but it’s a hard life being the lowest of the low.
On one occasion the T/B stallion escaped from his stable being on the instructor course had meant I had nothing to do with the stud horses till they were weaned so hadn’t really met him.
He did as the stallions do and became a prancing 5 legged thing with only one thing on his mind and he was 16 hands of pure muscle and was a 12 year old and had real presence. He was a dark brown, almost black horse and he knew what his purpose was in life and that day he was out for a bit of freelance!
I saw him come into the school yard and go for the horse in the first box. I leaped the fence around the grass and running in front of him shutting top doors cus he would have really gone for the horses as most were geldings.
The school yard was L shaped and back to it was another row of stables also L shaped as a mirror image. The path forked at the end of the two end stable, left went to the back yard and right to the covered school, the covering yard and the brood mares stable block. Thinking on my feet with this power house of excited T/B hot on my heels I decided it was silly, he was after all only a horse! I turned walked up to him and yelling that’s enough grabbed his head collar. Thankfully he listened and stood pawring the ground while the stallion man got a rope on him. That’s when I started to do the stud training as well as the instructor one……. The owner was a very unpleasant lady to work for, oh she was but she did see another avenue to exploit her fool of a working pupil and I was put on stud work as well as the school work. But I loved the mares and the Lad was ok and though he was very excitable and quick on his feet he never hurt me. We actually liked each other.
The visiting mares were incredible, the bulk were T/B’s and most had a history of not going into foal very easily. T/B’s have very low fertility rates and the Lads was quite high for a T/B. Purebred or not the visiting mares all had very good breeding and though the Lad had done very badly in his only race he had wiped the field in the showing world. His list of championships and trophy’s meant a very good clientele of mares and I learned to really love Thoroughbred’s with all their neurosis and stupidity.
The resident mares were T/B crosses, my favourite was an Angelo Arab and she was absolutely beautiful She floated on air even when she kicked her feet up. I really found my niche in the brood mare block. We were meant to all change around but I must have done something right as I was left with the broodmares and though I took my turn in the stallion yard it was in addition. I bonded with the Angelo Arab and she was so sweet. To this day I remember her like yesterday.
She was the first to foal as well. We went on turns to sit up with her and it was normally me who got the 12-3 shift and it was then she foaled. She started at 1.15am, I even remember that! She had trouble, he was a big foal and she was over date and she needed help. The boss got me to do it. I was green behind the ears and terrified as this was a life and death thing but how ever unpleasant the woman was she knew her stuff and before the vet arrived we had got a live foal and a happy mare in the stable. For me that was amazing actually. He was all legs and attitude from the moment she went into labour! He took his time getting up and she stood making soft noises to him and licking him and me (I was liberally coated in stuff by them) as I was helping to dry and stimulate him.
He started to try and get up after about 20 mins and he had over bent legs as there hadn’t been enough room in his mum for his long legs. He was like a giant spider and he needed supporting, all with his ears back I might add! It was a few hours before me and the boss left them in peace but the other trainees had gone back to bed as soon as the foaling it self was over. Good grounding as well cus my next job had a Thoroughbred brood mare and the next had 7 Arab ones. Then 2 of the lodgers had trouble foaling and I knew what to do and how to help.
I was there a year in all and was a trainee midwife to all the mares as even if it wasn’t my shift I was woken to help. 10 foals in all. We names them silly names but their real names were what the door signs said, far too long winded for us. I quietly kept an eye on the sales catalogs and my first foal went out through good sales and made quite a good price for a ¾ breed. The second went a year later. I sort of did keep an eye on them but over time you move on I guess but I do wonder what happened to the lovely mare who made my stay in hell bearable. Te boss really was an unpleasant lady………
When I had an employee I made sure I was a lot nicer however I may have been on edge and desperately unhappy there but I really did learn! Mistakes were not tolerated and she nit picked and swore at you all day. Days off you got away, I even visited my mother for a break
Hope your all still awake and have a god day. Cris x
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Comments
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Hi Cris
always enjoy reading your stuff
bubbles xxxx0 -
Wow Cris!
Good story - well not a story really is it. Very interesting and explains a biut about you and your love of Flower and the others.
Thanks for that and I hope you will be posting more???
I for one enjoyed it - well done
Love
Toni xx0 -
Hi Cris
I really enjoyed reading about your experiences with the horses. Your love and understanding of animals shines through.
Only one thing-- Why do you call it a Fool's diary? You can't possibly be referring to yourself. Anyone less like a fool I have yet to meet. You have had an unusual and very interesting life, and I would like to hear more.
Joan
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Thanks for a great read!
What happens next??
Arna x 0 -
Yes, next chapter, please..........
Annie0 -
Cris,
Your love for horses shines through. A really interesting chunk of your diary, more please.
Can i be really nosy and ask to you run a farm? I hear you talking about your animals, how many and what kind do you have?
Anne x0 -
aw, Cris, that was lovely. More please
Jackie x0 -
Hi Cris
Was lovely to get to know you a little better, very interesting. Now I know why you love your animals so much. The horses sound amazing, why do thorough breds have such long fancy names?
All to do with their pedigree I guess? Let us know in the next instalment.
Catch you later
Chris
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Hi Cris,you always amaze me with your stories.
Well done again.
luv debs0 -
Cris
That was some reading. It is very interesting. I cannot wait for the next part.
I hope you get it all finished soon. Good luck, will keep my fingers crossed for you.
love trish xxx0 -
Lovely!
Can you not show everyone the beautiful film of the lodgers Cris? I cry every time I look at it.0 -
Hi Anne,
Not a farm, no. Its a registered small holding and it was meant to be worked as one BUT I got the conscience and though I have got sheep and used to have a cow they have and will die of old age related stuff. I became a veggie to some degree and well the rest are the waifs and strays that have either been dumped on me or else my conscience went into (and still goes into) overdrive on Hope your ok? x
Hi Jackie,
Its all me and no made up stuff and I am here with my own name (I use a pseudo name for stuff destined to be rejected ) but I am so glad you all liked it so yep I will do more..........I really do need to get some confidence! Hope you and your hubby are fine? x
Hi Chris,
Yep Ange is talking about video I made of the employers. I don't know how to do the photobucket stuff but if you would like to see one (I have so many as some of you know only too well ) then pm me and we could swap email addresses cus I know how to do it that way.
Long names, I think cus everyone's born was a dream that he/she would become a great racehorse. Show ponies especially have huge names at times but the T/B's are restricted to so many characters which is why you also get some 'odd' spellings xx
Hi Debs,
You know I talk too much as well as have too many pictures xx
Hi Trish,
All finished and put to bed thy send you an assortment of woofs, slurps, meows, purrs and baaaaaaa's ((( ))) xx
Hi Ange,
Its kinda emotional isn't it that vid? It became more so since the 3 left but they do have such wonderful faces and eyes eh? You must get your self another dog you know. ((( ))) xx0 -
Hi again,
Well what a fool....... I deleted the first post...... all that writing and thank yous so I shall try again.......
Hi Page,
Glad you liked it ((( ))) and bubbles x
Hi Toni,
Your kids will verify just how nice Flower is She has the same sweetness that the brood mare had and almost as nice as my own mare had It also explains why I get so cross over the way they are 'looked after' and why I do so much for them.
Hi Joan,
Oh I am a fool and prove it so often. Its been an interesting journey and well I have enjoyed most of it x
Hi Rehab,
Glad you liked it I may have to pick your brains about this photo bucket stuff cus it can't mean what it conjures up can it x
Hi Arna and Annie,
Oh there is so much cus this was when I was 18 I like animals, they don't scare me hence walking up to the Lad like I did. Hope you both had a good day?x
Now lets hope this one posts with out messing up....... I really don't understand this techno stuff 0 -
Hi cris
i know i have seen your animals but if poss i would like to see vid, you got my email add can send it again if you need me to
and i agree with joan you are no fool :!:
do you still have Ben? how is he doing?
take care
diddy sends you snot bubbles as she has another cold. nice 0 -
Hi Cris
Thank you for saying about your life it was hard but lovely,
i know how you felt.
reading it it was like reading from a book.
lovely i know what it's like too stay up all night with horse's.
it's like being in another world.
joan xxtake care
joan xx0 -
dachshund wrote:Hi Cris
Thank you for saying about your life it was hard but lovely,
i know how you felt.
reading it it was like reading from a book.
lovely i know what it's like too stay up all night with horse's.
it's like being in another world.
joan xx
Hi Page,
Cores I will...... I can't really take the recent losses out but they were also so beautiful There is one of the lodgers and their foals and one of the employers..... the music's iffy but complies with copyright The ones here have stuff that wouldn't..... For the employers they have Britney’s Piece of me
He is still really bad with the lodgers but better with cats...... I know why he wasn't wanted I think
Oh poor Diddy, bless her I hope she soon throws it off and I am sending her snotty bubbles back cus I got one as well ((( ))) and bubbles oh and part 2 :oops: xx
Hi Joan,
Night sitting...... I helped raise an orphan foal once and the shed was teaming with rats as well....... Not nice. How are you doing today and is Sue ok? Luv Cris x0 -
Hi,
Well I have done a bit more (sorry to those of you who would rather I shut up). Its sunny today and I have been out trying to do a few repairs, the lodgers love to break fences, and suddenly remembered I hadn’t taken my tablets!
Back to long ago………
Actually it was slightly longer than a year there, but only by a couple of months. The Stud Diploma used to be in five sections. Breeding, Breaking, Riding, Show production/Presentation and Horse Management. The Assistant instructors one was only Horse Management and Teaching, there were other differences as well, the BHS only wanted 57% in each category where as the NPS one was 70% in all categories……… Much harder actually but more enjoyable. Except the covering bit, that was horrible and really was rape. Always in hand and the mares were hobbled and twitched. Your talking even then horses that were worth huge amounts of money and the idea was to minimise all risks to both the mare and stallion.
Well that’s what I thought till I saw one running with the mares. Then its not just rape its abuse as well. They are completely governed by one thing. Its no wonder they will kill each other, hell they even kill their foals sometimes and the colts are going to be in trouble very young with their own fathers. Hey aren’t horrible creatures but they are what they are and its no wonder most are gelded!
They are thankfully, in good homes, well trained and the Lad never tried to jump till he was told to. The little teaser stallion, well he was evil! He also was very well trained but you were very unwise to go into his box without knowing where he was and till he knew you and knew you were competent you needed something to keep him away from you. This was what I was thrown into going to the stud side. I don’t have any fear back then but the small one was a close call.
By the end of 8-9 months it was all becoming first nature but there was still the show production and presentation side. There was a big 3 day show down the road and we were asked if we would like to choose a horse to take. I asked if I could take my friend the Angelo and she said yes but you wont win. I said I didn’t mind that, and she was entered for the mare with foal at foot and also the veterans class, both mares were 24. The other mare was also in the same class. This is when I found out just how petty this woman was, and how mean spirited! The other mare was out of her favourite horse, a part bred T/B who did very well in the showing world. Her dad was a pure breed so she was 5/8ths. She was nice actually, gentle and kind. my Angelo was a bit flightily and not very trusting, though with me well I could do anything with her and she was so sweet. Her speciality was knee capping but she never once raised a foot towards me.
Both these mares had been foaled in 1952. They had shown in hand as yearlings and my girl had beaten the other one and got reserve champion as well. She was not sold, despite good money being offered and was never allowed in a show ring again. After a few years she was sold to a non showing horrible home, was knocked about, neglected and damaged mentally. Thankfully the boss herd about it and brought back, so the woman did have some conscience! The other having lost the biggest rival went on to win in shows very well. I found it staggering anyone could have been so mean!
The morning of the show me and the other girl had both the mares absolutely immaculate. Mistakes being unaccepted made us so good and also cus she told me I would never win, well my girl and I were actually out to prove a point! I think our bond was born from an understanding and dislike if not hatred of the Boss! I knew the theory and all the tricks and she was beautiful. She was a bright bay with white socks on her back feet and a small star on her face, she had the most expressionate eyes and she looked amazing. Her plats were all the right and uniformed size (I had redone some so often!) and her in hand bridle was highly polished. The Little Boy was too young for plats but he also shone and was very well presented. Me I looked like a wild thing and had to change and become presentable quite quickly!
We loaded up and arrived at the show ground. Both mares went up on their toes and grew 2”. We picked up our numbers and went into the mare with foal at foot class almost immediately. Walking her about she was so full of life, she was well behaved but really just waiting to do one of her leaps. We did the trotting and then lined up for the judge to have a good look. Trotted her up for him and the foal was perfect as well as mum and went back to the line. The judge carried on down and then called us out. Bless her she came first again in a county show that was only her second time out. Her foal came second. The other mare came second and her foal forth.
We won the veterans as well, the other coming second, and cus we had won the mare with foal at foot we went into the championship class. She won Champion, Supreme Champion and Best in Field that day! The judge was beaming when he gave me the 3 rosettes and said how beautiful she was and why hadn’t been shown more. I said I didn’t know well what else could I have said. He asked my if I would trot her around once more so everyone could see why he had awarded her so much. She was so proud as if she knew it was her day. She floated and was better than I had ever seen her. I think she liked the applause. You know as days go that was one of my best. It was all her, I knew what to do but she knew what she should do. Best of all it was my two fingered salute at that horrible woman who had enslaved us both.
Hope you all have a decent day. xx0 -
NIce one Cris!!!!
good to see you getting the upper hand for once!!!
I reckon it would have been a wonderful day for her too. 24 is a little old isn't it? Did she get shown again ever?
Thanks for this Cris
I AM enjoying it
Love
Toni x0 -
Like it
thanks for vid have to wait for OH to get in to watch it as it is saying i have to download something to see it and ive messed computer up before so will wait for him to do it.
its very windy here again today hope its ok at yours.
sharon x0 -
What a great story and what a great achievement!
Thanks for taking the time to share with us again xx
Arna x0 -
Wow, Cris,
I didn't like you calling yourself a fool as I told you once. Reading what you have written, I can see why you call yourself it and why, it makes sense in a way.
The title may link you, but is not you at all. You are a caring, kind hearted person, you carry on that way Cris, You know I will always have my fingers crossed for you on being a success
love Trish xxx0 -
Hi Toni,
I would think it unlikely she ever showed again judging from the boss's reaction :roll: I left the day of the exams and we didn't keep in touch I did bump in to her 10 years later but though civil she hadn't changed! xx
Hi Sharon,
It runs on windows media player. I was thinking I got xp and player 11 so I hope it will play for you.
Hope diddy is getting better now? x
Hi Arna,
Yep some revenge is sweet It was the look on her face when her 'best' horse was beaten again........ I never did understand it, they both such lovely mares and both she had breed so how she was so narrow minded I don't know........ Hope things ok with you? x
Hi Trish,
I am a fool, always have been and always will be......... You ok? More gales, and tonight they say worse but its not raining this morning! It will poss be cancelled for the gale though..... xx0 -
Nice to see you posting this one a little sad to read. not feeling like writing now too fed up with things hope the new year brings everyone better luck. love to the logers. What did you think of the wiining poem in atheritis care writing comp u got mag yet. I like it not sure on howe to write that style of peom though. liked interview with poet. one day that will be u all the best joanne Joanne0
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Hi Joanne,
Its really nice to see you Sorry your not feeling like writing at the mo and I really d hope the new year will bring you some luck.
I got it in the post today but haven't looked yet, will later for now I must go finish off evening duties and get the sheeps window mended........ Thankfully the have invented a halogen light on a 12 volt lead a ((( ))) and luv Cris x 0
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