NORTHERN ARABIAN HORSE

My friend , my companion....... 

By Lauren Croft Age 15yrs

I remember the first time I saw him, a perfectly shaped dished face and sparkling eyes, peering over the stable door. He whinnied and grunted at me in a friendly way and started shaking his head up and down.

My thoughts were: he is so beautiful, like from a fairy tail, he should have a unicorn horn as he looked magical.

 He was so happy to see me, although he did not know me, never set eyes on me before. I instantly fell in love.

Truth is, I was not going to look at him to buy him, I was looking at him to loan/share. I just wished he was mine.

His owner was very nice to me and said treat him as though he is your own and that is what I did.

The first time I rode him he was so naughty, he bucked and I fell off! That did not stop me or put me off, I got back on and was more determined. But I had in mind 15hh is a long way to fall when you are small, so I better not let that happen again.

I am very lucky as my mum helps me all the time, she has good knowledge of horses and she was lucky to have her own pony as a child. It’s not the cost of having a horse that is the problem, but the time commitment due to mum’s work commitments. I was desperate for him to be mine.

I started having riding lessons from a qualified riding instructor and she began a programme of training both Zak and I. We are both coming on very nicely she says. Occasionally I will do a little bit of jumping, but his true talent is being a showman and being in the ring, showing by hand or dressage.

My riding instructor said “there is no reason why you can’t do a little bit of everything; variation is good; so with this in mind this is what I do.

As the weeks and months went by, he lost a little bit of weight due to all the riding I did, he looked good for it and started to develop nice muscle tone (but not too much)

My mum arranged lots of local shows for me and I had them marked on my calendar, I counted down the days till the next one arrived. In my mind I did not want to miss one show.

Every week on Saturday I would go to the yard, and spend all day there. Firstly I would clean his stable and put fresh clean straw down, everyone commented on how thick his bed was (how much straw!) It made me feel proud and good that he too had a nice soft, thick bed to sleep in and to keep him warm, he loves to roll in his stable and flatten all the clean fluffy straw. I felt responsible as he depended on me.

 I would start by bathing him, as you can imagine trying to keep a flea bitten grey free from poo stains and grass stains is not that easy! I would spend lots of time making sure he was sparkling. I used special show products for the best result. I would plat his mane so it was wavy, spend extra time on his tail and bandage it to keep it clean and put him a nice rug on to keep him warm and to avoid poo stains.

This would take me all day. But he was well prepared for the shows.

On his door he has his name and his show name is Xavier de Espana, I love his show name, it is so grand and really suits him.

Show days arrive and I get very nervous, my mum gives me lots of encouragement and says “Do your Best” it’s not about winning, but to gain the experience and confidence. Its time spent with Zak and he is having a day out.

I took him to his first show and entered in the handsome horse and he came 2^nd, I was so proud, but to me of course in my eyes he would always be first.

 I was approached by lots of different people, saying how nice he was, that he stood out from the crowd and I was so lucky to have him. Deep down I thought he is not really mine, but I never told anyone that of course.

I had had him for about a year and wanted him to be in my life always.   I was given lots of other details for shows and was told he would do very well there.   I became a member at quite a few riding clubs and started entering class after class after class.

My in hand classes went very well, although it’s hard to run fast when the horse is trying to nibble your arm! The judges seemed to like him and I was getting firsts, seconds, thirds etc. They all commented about his character, saying he was very cheeky!

In the whole season of 2007 I won 62 rosettes, 7 trophey’s and a sash, he qualified for the ultimate showcase and came reserve champion in the pure bred arab class.

 I was a little disappointed as he was very naughty in the ring and even had a nibble at the judge! They did not think I was his usual handler because he had misbehaved. I think he would have come first had he been good, but never mind there is always next year and the year after. Im not going to let it put me off!

My mum always tells me, if you mess up, what’s the worst that can happen, it’s not the end of the word, you learn by your mistakes and you can try again at the next show.

I am working at keep my distance from Zak now when showing so he can not nibble me, I am finding it very difficult, but I will persevere. I am trying my hand at parelli too.

 Zak was entered for the Northern Arab group at Wetherby in 2007 and I was asked if I would like to take part in the amateur day, but I was too scared, I felt it was too much of a big show for me as a beginner.  I went to the show and watched him as he was in his class, but wished it was me in there with him. I felt a wave of envy as I watched everyone else and it made me want to try really hard and enter the shows. I have plucked up the courage and I would like to say I am entering the show in April 2008. I would like to encourage other young riders out there to give showing a try, it is exciting, nerve wrecking, shaking experience, but the feeling afterwards is an experience you will not forget. That’s if you are passionate about horses and love your equine friend to pieces. I feel it bonds you together more too as it is an experience and you can build memories together.

The good thing is,: if I enter for the show in 2008, I can now enter him as my own horse now and be the exhibitor, as on Christmas day I opened a present and inside was a passport, the name said Xavier de espana and he was registered to me!

His previous owner had said she would never sell him, but the bond between Zak and me and shone through to a point where his owner felt he was no longer hers, my mum and dad bought him and I am now the proud owner. I love him so much, he keeps me going and gives me a real purpose in life.

Here is to 2008 and thanks to Angie (his previous owner) for letting him be in my life.