| How did I end up with Casey? Well, it was kinda by luck and chance. Steve (my other half) and I were in Ballarat, Victoria, watching his race horse Keltango (now sadly deceased) run at Ballarat racecourse. I had just bought my first car ('Miss Kitty', a 97 Barina. How she got her name is another story) and it was her first big trip. Anyway, I drove from Ballarat to Sunbury and dropped Steve off at work. I took the time to stop in at Sunbury Horseland and purchased a Skye Park combo summer rug for Willy (I swear that the horses are better dressed than me) and a copy of May Horse Deals. Sioux and I call Horse Deals 'Horse Porn' - we buy it every month and drool over the lovely (and often not-so-lovely) horses inside. |
|
I turned to the Quarter Horse section and on page 343 a lovely rising 6 yo grey Quarter Horse gelding caught my eye. "Leo's War Lord" was his name, and sure enough, he was by Nevada Leo Wimpy who was also Willow's sire. |
|
As you can see, Casey looks much like his sire. I needed another horse like a hole in the head but I couldn't resist - I HAD to give the seller a call..... |
| The seller said that he was quiet, friendly and a dream to handle. He had been shown at halter by his previous owner and had a few points. After being broken in he did a couple of years of Pony Club and was confidently jumping PC grade 3. I was considering buying a Hunter/Jumper/Dressage horse in a year's time, but I wasn't really looking at the time. But also, I knew that Nevada Leo Wimpy's foals tended to be big movers (more suitable for hunter/jumper/dressage than Western Pleasure) and that this horse hadn't been stuffed up by western training. He was out at Ballarat (where I had just been earlier that day!) and I decided to go out and have a test ride. |
 |
The photo of Casey in Horse Deals was when he was 16 months old. But in four years since the horse deals photo, he hadn't changed much. The photo on the left was taken on the day of the test ride. As you can see, his feet were TERRIBLE (each hoof was a different shape and at a different angle) but otherwise he was conformationally quite nice! The owner had a ride, I had a ride and then the owner's ten year old daughter had a ride. He went like a dream. I didn't try him over jumps because his feet were rather bad and I hadn't jumped in a while. On the 150km trip home, I thought long and hard - "can I afford another horse?", "do I really need another horse?", "what am I even doing looking at another horse?". But when I got home I did the hard math and realised I could afford another horse. So I organised a vet check, he passed and he was mine. Strangely enough, the vet check was at the vet's next to the Ballarat Racecourse, where my journey had started out. |
 |
He came home and instantly bonded with his sister Willow. It's odd how they have simular mannerisms and behaviour despite being raised seperately. It must be genetic. Casey is decidedly one sided and only trots and canters on the right rein. He has had a fair bit of physio and work done to get his left side built up. He is currently doing well in halter classes and I am hoping to start showing him under saddle in the new year. |