Wait, wrong ...the other thing.
Horse?
I am torn because I don't even want to think about getting another horse. I feel it would be a betrayal to mein Sohn Baasha. But I need to ride, and he needs a companion. It would solve both problems.
And since Baasha is sadly a social delinquent, I will probably have to arrange for some daily separation for feedings, so he will be able to eat his mash.
How do I even begin to think about this? Have any of you only had one horse for 23 years, your first horse?
When I think about how long it took to find him, (I was 17!), and how in the end he made the decision easy by choosing me, I realize I may have to give up my one big wish: Never to own another grey.
Agh, I cannot stand this, but I have to start this process.
So, let's go.
Methodically I am visiting every Arabian breeder in our state (you knew I was only thinking of Arabians, right?: ))
(Besides, the Honda CRV I want to buy tomorrow as a hauling vehicle can only pull 2,000 kilos. Whew, good thing Arabs are dainty.)
It's unfortunate that even in Germany, we need two cars. But I chose to live in a place so remote, no trains come here. It's a rare pocket of this country without train service. A sacrifice I'm happy to make if we can live rurally, which we do.
Now I wish Mikael were online to help me out with my story. She already knows it and can probably add wonderful details.
I decided to start my search with the Arabian farm closest to our home. Last Saturday I drove down there and when I arrived, I saw the street name had their stable name, "Alemich." And that they own the entire hill it is built upon.
As I pull up to the gate, the trainer has her hand on it, and she tells me to wait as they call the horses in.
Finally the grooms bring in the last of the groups and I'm allowed to drive in.
The owner comes out to meet me. She is wearing business attire and makeup. And shoes too nice to be walking into horse stalls.
I made the mistake of telling her I came because they are closeby. She was insulted, "I would hope you would visit us because of our reputation."
I admitted I don't know anything about Russian Arabians. Nothing at all.
The Alemich horses are all race and show horses. She said, "No matter how pretty, they all go to the track first."
She took me immediately to see two riding geldings and I tried not to gasp audibly because they were amazing. They were tall, identical, and their faces were almost freakishly typy, with eyes that seemed too big for their faces.
They were affectionate and huge (did I mention their size?) ...
...and grey.
The filly is 2 1/2, bay with an ice tail (oooooooh!) and she stood her up for me. I couldn't see past the show/race trim toes on this baby, how they made her entire pastern seem longer. I said so and the owner was offended. Of course, the horses are all perfect to her.
I asked to see her move. The groom came to help and they used plastic bags on whips to trot the filly around the arena. She was spectacular with her icy tail over her back, her exquisite face, her wonderful bay coat, but 2 1/2!? I don't want to wait 2 years to ride. (Although in a follow-up email she told me they start them under saddle at 2.5 for racing, I would still have a long wait.)
I wish I had pictures, but I did not bring my camera that day. So I've taken some pics from their website and I took some photos from the brochure she gave me, just so you can see what these horses look like.
The lady didn't have much time, and she kept apologizing about that, but she wanted me to see her two main stallions before I left.
Like I said, I don't know anything about Russian Tersk-based lines. But by the minute I was gaining an appreciation for this type. They were all big, had substantial bone and really typy faces. Interestingly they all had really awful ears. You can see in the photos that the ears are not tight like we expect. (I also think it is illegal to trim ear hair in show horses here; thus all the hairy ears, which I find cute, but an odd combination with a greasy muzzle.)
One of their foundation sires from Tersk, but he's Egyptian --Nazeer just like Baasha. His name is Narav Ibn Aswan.
I felt kind of like an idiot when she told me how many of the horses there have the status ELITE. What does ELITE even mean, I had no idea. The Internet says it is when the horses go through a rigorous evaluation process (Koering) before a tribunal which includes a critique of conformation, functionality, performance records, health, x-rays, and the reproductive system. A small percentage is granted the ELITE status, meaning "The best representative of the breed." (See, I'm learning!) It is also based on the number of champion get a horse has.
Alemich has a stable full of ELITES and I'm starting to feel outclassed.
But as I turned away from Nagadir's stall I saw a big empty stall with a plaque on the door:
Kilimandscharo.
WTH? They owned Kilimandscharo!? Even I knew who this horse was. Apparently they keep his stall empty in his memory.
I thanked her and went home.
The next day I asked about prices. She refused to give pricing information via email. She said she wants me to come back but I have not heard from her. I think she might not want to sell me a horse afterall, based on my ignorance of Russian Arabians. We'll see. I'd really like to see those two grey geldings go around under saddle. Since now I find myself opening my mind...
Next: A stable with the same name as Baasha's birth stable, and actual photos I took. Including leg conformation issues....
P.S. This process will take a very long time, I think. Although I've been asked to ride prospects, I am not at that stage yet - I just want to visit stables and see what is out there, and for what price. I also have clear ideas of what I want, temperament-wise. Mare, gelding, grey/bay/chestnut, who knows, but I do intend to take my time.
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19 comments:
It will be fun and interesting!!! To see your journey and delving into the European horse culture to find another one!!!
Good luck!!!
Dont be afraid to ask questions, tell them its the lanquage barrier LOL
It is amazing to me how different the horse culture is from the US!!!
What impressive horse flesh... and an impressive operation! Wow!
I can't wait to see what else you find!
reddunappy, i sure did use that excuse with her, language barrier - until she told me to just try english, which i did, but you never know if they understand.
this will take some time. you'll love my next entry cuz it has so many photos i took, and it's a real family farm. with mud underfoot.
Now this is exciting!
I'm guessing they want as much for one of those horses as you paid for your car :-))
I told Mr. Fry I wanted to live above my horses and Mr. Fry crinkled his nose and said, "Ewwww!"
Greetings folks from the Amish community of Lebanon county. Richard from Amish Stories.
I had no idea there was such a thing as Russian bred Arabians either. But my! How stunning they are, and yes, with great big eyes!
I also noticed the O-ring bits and wondered if that is what is typically in Russia or Germany? The O-Ring, D, and Egg-Butt bits we have here tend to be very large.
Interesting that they morphed the name of Kilimanjaro into Kilimandscharo, when the original spelling is supposed to mean "Shining Mountain".
I am guessing that Kilimandscharo doesn't actually have any meaning. But boy! What a handsome equine!
I am so excited for you that you are open to a new horse in your life. And I'm glad that you are including us in your horse shopping, too. I hope your horse finds you, just like Baasha once did. Have you ever considering purchasing one from Mikael and having it sent to you in Germany, like you did with Baasha?
~Lisa
My friend who breeds Arabs favors Russian Arabians. I was just thinking the other day that it really pays to take your time when making any kind of large purchase, or a purchase of something that will last at least 10 years, because at some point you run out of room, so you may as well get the best to begin with since it will become a part of your life. Of course, I was thinking more along the lines of furniture and vehicles, but it's true with horses too. If we lived forever, we could always say, "Well, I'll get that later," but when something stays with us for say, 20 or 30 years, it's good to make sure it is exactly what we want.
I had a attached garage at a house I use to rent before we found a house we wanted to buy. The garage had a solid dirt floor. The landlord had no problem with us turning it into a stall for 2 horses. We leveled it and put in sand, gravel and then stall mats. It was great! The only thing separating me from my two boys was my bedroom wall so I got fall asleep listening to them snuffle and eat and nicker.
dreaming, i doubt i'll see anything as good as what i saw there. not including mikael's horses of course!
wazzoo, that is so cool that your horses were on the other side of your bedroom wall!!!
leah, i am dying to know, so i won't just drop this - i'll try to get another visit. the horse market is as strong as ever here in germany.
amish, thank you for visiting.
lisa, maybe you've heard of the stallion muscat, a russian horse who was imported to america and became us/canadian champion. i'd at least heard of a couple of them.
i don't know what to say about the bits - maybe you mean those show halter bit things? ask your neighbor, she probably knows.
for the original spelling of the word kilimanjaro we'd have to ask the african tribes who named it. go to wikipedia and click through the other languages to see how they spell it. polish uses a z!
i've talked to mikael about buying one of her horses but shipping is between 6 and 11K - so still more than i can afford.
nm, your comment is just serendipitous because we spent so much time discussing which car to buy. my father in law and a friend of ours are both pushing for us to get a DACIA. this is a romanian car with a french engine (!!!!!). it's only been on the market for 1 year. no freaking way. they're incredibly cheap and i see them everywhere now, but i stand by my conviction that a car must prove itself over time and this car has not had enough. i stand by japanese vehicles for reliability, period. we will pay more but we will have confidence everytime we turn the key (or press Power) that we'll be going somewhere. have you seen this award winning honda commercial? trust me it's cool: http://autorepair.about.com/library/multimedia/hhonda-ad-300k.swf
i find it odd that horses can be so expensive, when they are just as likely to have an accident and break a leg as a cheap horse. of course there is insurance, but over only a little time we might pay more for insurance than the horse is worth...so?
It should be an interesting journey! But you want a "using" Arab, not a show Arab, right? The mind is more important that the pretty face (altho that's a nice extra).
Did you follow Kate (A year with horses) on her search for her next horse? She was very methodical about determined what she needed, what she wanted, and what were the things that would absolutely nix the deal. And she wound up with TWO new eqines!
Good luck. I'm curious to come along for the ride.
Well you certainly are starting off looking at some fine horses. They look like the sort where even asking the price requires a certain etiquette. You may have a shock awaiting.
There used to be (and maybe still are) huge state studs in Russia. Out there cavalry was used long after the US and Britain mechanised their armies. I gather that in east Russia cavalry still is used to patrol the border with China. They have land and need horses. I've seen Russian horses imported into Britain, and some were nice, especially the Akhal Teke.
Do NOT EVER buy a Dacia. They are unmitigated rubbish. I had one in Romania - a piece of s**t that gave nothing but trouble thanks to crap quality control as you would expect from a factory paying third world salaries to whoever lacks the ability to emigrate.
One trick in Britain (not sure if it works in Germany) is to get a trailer re-plated to a lower loaded weight. It's legal if a state bureau does it. Say you have a trailer like mine (960kg empty & 2,390kg max) and a car with a 2,000kg limit then re-plate the trailer to 1,990kg knowing that one horse and gear won't weigh a tonne so you'll stay legal and have a bit in reserve.
Thinking of vehicles to avoid, another owner at the barn here has just bought a trailer that was made in Poland. It's very light and can be towed by a saloon car, but looks flimsy and probably won't last long. The Ukrainian tyres would worry me!
Anyway, have fun shopping.
I have been selected by my two horses, and while it's been rocky, there is something to be said for that.
Why not another gray? Is that an homage to Baasha?
Beautiful horses, I look forward to seeing your next post since it sounds like it was a polar opposite in terms of experience.
Also, I'm glad work is going so well! Sorry the mixer was not much of a mixing experience, but sounds like it's still a great place to be.
Wow this will be exciting! I have not had much to do with arabs, but no denying they are sure beautiful!!! I am excited to come along for the ride to a new horse!
Always a good idea to take your time and look at lots and try lots before making your decision!
I lost my loyal, handsome, one-of-a-kind Arabian gelding in 2009. It took me a year to even get on another horse for more than a walking trail ride. A friend asked me to exercise her horse in return for $$. I needed money quite badly, and thus took her up on the offer. This little mare was everything I never wanted, mostly white, APHA registered, one blue eye, under 5 years old, and the list goes on. She sold herself to me in our first ride for a number of reasons, but all I'm really trying to say is the horse you need will fall right into your lap. She or he may not be what you want, but Sugar has taught me so much already and even made me a better rider. .
Best of luck to you and I can't wait to read more about it!!
Those horses are gorgeous! I like the bigger boned ones. If you do decide to buy from a racing stable I would seriously consider the 2.5 year old that has not been started under saddle. That's just too young. If you're comfortable training yourself it also allows you to train him/her the way you like him/her trained. :) I can't wait to hear more. Horse shopping is so exciting!
Of course, you will break my heart if you don't get a standie...but then, you will break your own heart if you con't get an ARAB.
Sigh. I've done my best, but you fall for pretty faces every time. (I've met your man, you know it's true).
But....what's wrong with the ears? I didn't see a problem. Am I just used to something (ahem) more substantial, or is it not that?
What cool horses! I didn't know what Russian Arabs looked like - I had no idea they could have so much bone and still have such absolutely dainty faces. So cool. If that lady won't sell to you because you don't know enough about Russians, she's incredibly short-sighted.
That is so cool! I would love to visit some European stud farms! Those are some gorgeous horses!!
My Annie's maternal grandsire is Palas, Kilimanjaro's half brother by Aswan, out of the part Egyptian mare, Panel. Aswan was given to the Russian stud as a gift from the Egyptians. So actually, Palas was 3/4 Egyptian although he was was imported from Russia to Poland where he stood as one of their top sires for many years, greatly contributing to the Polish Arabian lines.
Annie's dam, Fantastka was imported to the USA from Poland just a few years before Annie was foaled.
Okay, that was a ramble but I get so excited following the old bloodlines.
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