This website is dedicated to one very special Standardbred that came into our lives at the very beginning of what was soon to be a very addictive but rewarding hobby.....
Meet Arnie aka Jacques La Mer
I came across an advert of a lovely standardbred gelding for sale..his add read that great that I decided to buy him sight unseen and pick him up the following day. Upon arrival we saw him standing in his small paddock with his combo rug on..it had been cool weather and rain the previous days and the owner said she had kept him rugged all the time.. so I didn't worry about taking his rug off, his nature won me over.. he stood easily at 16.3hands and was a sook. So we loaded him and all his gear that came with him on the truck and headed off for home, 2 hours away
When we eventually took his rug off we where very shocked at what we saw, he was pretty much skin and bone, his hair was so thick it was like a woolly mammoths coat.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> My heart sunk and his sad eyes met mine and it was that very moment I knew I wanted to save these horses. We called him "Arnie" because I knew when we finished fattening him up he'd be like a tank and Arnold Schwarzenegger came to mind. We fell in love with Arnie and he was a part of the family and in return he was loyal and loving... It didn't take long for the big tank to be just that, he and my daughter bonded and they where inseperable..he loved trail riding and going through the bush tracks and was just fantastic under saddle. |  |
After just 3 months Arnie was starting to look as he should...Magnificent!!
The time came when my daughter wanted to change directions in riding and get into Western Pleasure and Showing. It was a very hard and emotional decision to decide to move Arnie on to someone else that could get the love and joy that he had given us rather than see him sit in a paddock, he deserved nothing less. It wasn't long before the right buyer came along and Arnie just clicked with them. We cried the day he left us but we knew in our hearts it was the right decision. We cannot keep them all is what I have to keep reminding myself, however I can make sure they get the home they deserve...forever.....
Arnie and his new owners are still together this very day. I have recently been in contact with them and they tell me how much they love and adore him. He even takes bows now and loves his treats. It's endings like this that keep my going...keep me believing that what we are doing is worth it because at the end of the day.. A Standardbred has been saved from going to the Knackery or ending up in a home of neglect.
It was an honour and most certainly a pleasure having the privilege of having you in our lives big fella....
