VILLAGE HORSES

December 2009

Behind the Williamson Hall are the fields belonging to Craiglinn and there live three horses belonging to Anne Scott.

Claire de Lune (Claire to her friends),is a beautiful,  palamino, 17 year old, half Arab mare. Anne has owned her for ten years and got her because her previous owners found her too difficult to handle. Anne has a very firm but sympathetic way with horses to which Claire responded and in 2003 they started competing in Endurance Riding and Claire is aiming for her Silver Thistle Award for 50 miles in a day. Her starring moment in 2009 came when she  won an engraved glass for’ Horse in Best Condition’ at the Scottish Endurance Championships at Perth Racecourse.

 While Claire was having a rest from competing Anne bought a 4 year old Pure Bred Grey rab gelding. His name was Dream Magic but Anne calls him Smokey as she had to stop smoking in order to be able to afford him; which proves that horse riding is a very healthy sport in more ways than one. She backed and broke him herself . He is now seven and has already started his Endurance career. He is a star of the future but with one problem.  Endurance horses have their heart rates taken before and after a ride to check that are fit enough. Smokey is extremely fit as he trains on the hills round Abernethy and his heart rate at home is 34 beats a minute. As soon as he gets to a ride and sees the other horses he gets wildly excited and his heart rate shoots right up. A heart rate of over 64 leads to elimination so this is always a worry with him.

Hopefully he will get more and more used to going to rides and will calm down .

The smallest member of the herd is Sparky, a 26 year old Welsh Section A grey pony. He has been at Craiglinn for 10 years. His previous owners were going to destroy him as they had no further use for him but he was rescued and Anne’s boys rode him till they out grew him. If you do not see him in the field it is because he has to watch his figure. Too much grass could make him ill so sometimes he has to be kept in a stable for his own good.

If you think I write too much about Endurance Riding when there are other Horse Sports out there you can telephone and tell me about your horse/pony and activities. I would be very pleased to talk to you and our readers would like to hear your story.