We would like to showcase the horses which will attend the Pure Practical Performance in Sydney/Australia from 6 to 13th April 2010.

We will list them there as they become confirmed. If you would like to meet others and talk to them, please make your way over to our beautiful forum.

Sirocco

commonly called “Rocky” or sometimes “Bubby”

Hanovarian Warmblood (Sire) and Thoroughbred (Dam), 15 Years old, 1.65m, Gelded.

All pictures are less than two years old.

I truly have only one wish for him, which is to find that connection to his own joyful self, to help him become whole.

Shimshek

I came across Shimshek whilst working as an Equine Therapist and was treating at a stable on another horse that was stabled beside Shimshek. Shimshek kept trying to get my attention whilst I was treating the other horse – he kept nibbling and tugging at the bottom of my jeans. When I was able to, I looked at him and could not believe the pain I could see in this poor horse’s eyes. He was constantly twitching all down the right side of his face and it was an effort for him to open his right eye – this was not caused from an injury but purely a horse in agony created from his owners and his surrounds.  When I was finished I asked the owner would it be ok for me to spend a little time with Shimshek free of charge – I just wanted to help this poor horse. The trainers reply was “he is a killer horse – no-one can handle or ride him - he is a bolter – and he said it was just the flies annoying his face and that was causing him to switch” …….. and the story went on….. his owner had no idea just how bad Shimshek was.

Anyway to cut a long story short I went back the following week and the trainer had decided they were selling him off because he was highly dangerous and no good for anything – that night I phoned the trainer and asked how much he would take for him and I ended up buying him the next day - 10 minutes before he was to go the sale.

I brought him home and put him in the high round yard for 2 days just so he could get familiar with his new surrounds - he was trying to climb out over the top – I was concerned for his safety and was worried that he would just go straight through the fences and hurt himself if I just let him straight out as this poor horse had only ever been stabled since he was a foal – he is a very well bred Thoroughbred – my other 5 horses in paddocks near his so I led him out and just quietly stood with him – he very quickly reached around and tore the jeans off my leg – I didn’t react at all – and he just stood there twitching and shaking - I then led him around the boundary of his paddock – then let him go as he was becoming very unsettled – he had absolutely no idea what to do when free in an open space – he just did this huge trot out to the centre of his paddock and just stood and trembled and that was basically where he stayed for the next 8 days – I would take water and feed down to him – he did not acknowledge me or the other horses at all in adjoining paddocks  - and then finally on the eighth day he decided to follow me back up to the water trough – I just wanted everything he did to be his idea as his whole life was full of being bullied and he needed to learn how to be free.

3 weeks later when he was more comfortable in his own paddock I introduced the quietest horse to him and let them run together in his paddock – he just stayed as far away from the other horse as he could – gradually I introduced the other horses to him over the next few weeks – again no contact with the other horses he just stayed right away. One of my other horses is a very cheeky colt and he would canter over and around him trying to get Shimshek to play – this cheeky colt just would not let up on him – flashing past him and nipping him on the bottom and quickly taking off again – it was quite funny to watch - but still no reaction from Shimshek – then finally one day after about 3 months of running all the horses together the same cheeky colt went right over to Shimshek and raced past him, nipping him on the bottom as he had done so many times before but this time flew past and Shimshek just flattened his ears and took chase after this cheeky colt trying to bite him back. Ever since that day he has played with that colt and started to mix with the other horses - most of the time.

Photos taken of Shimshek in 2010

Navarre

Navarre my 3/4 Friesian  1/4 Hackney pal brings to me the gentle part of my life.

As a wildlife officer in employ I often see commercialism and unkindness to wild animals in my role but Navarre has only ever known kindness in his life.

He is gentle, kind & strong yet always inquisitive in nature and always willing to say hello. I met him as a 7mth old gelding. Although separated and then reunited with his mum. I bought him and mum and their paddock mate as the bond was strong.

As a 4 1/2yrold he remains with his mum, her new foal and best friend "Barney" his paddock mate he has known all his life.

Navarre has always had large acreage and mates in his life. In my care , never will Navarre have a bit in his mouth. Nor will he be ridden until 6yr old.

Navarre thinks too much about food but simply is a gorgeous boy in all respects although both of us could probably get to know each other a whole lot more, if I knew more about connecting.

Amber