I bought a giant horse

I didn’t even know that I needed or wanted a new horse, in fact, I actively, categorically, didn’t want another one, no, no, no. Being the owner of a collection of eight at the moment I was absolutely not in the market for another. This herd includes home-bred youngsters, broodmares, retired field ornaments and a couple that I compete.

Nah, I was definitely not someone in the market for another horse. So when I tried to start my lorry one morning for a training session with my friend Sandra Low-Mitchell, buying another horse was the furthest thing from my mind.

The only thing was my lorry wouldn’t start, nope absolutely nothing when I turned the key. In that optimistic way that owners of older lorries do – I turned it again with a faint hope that it was just cold and this time it would cough into life. But no it was, as we say in Scotland, as deid as a doornail.

As I was supposed to be sharing my lesson with a friend who lives miles away and whom I don’t see enough of, I called Sandra to say that unfortunately, I wouldn’t be bringing a horse but that I would come over anyway to see Ali.

‘Oh bring your hat’, she said, ‘I am sure I can find you something to ride.’

Those of you who know Sandra will already know that that is where I made my fatal error – I did just that. I chucked my hat in the car and headed over to Balcormo Stud, famous home of the Low-Mitchell family.

When I got there Sandra pointed me in the direction of a gorgeous looking bay head gazing over the stable door and said ‘that’s His Lordship, grab some tack and you can ride him.’

My first impression on entering the stable was his sheer size, I have ridden plenty of big horses but this lad was a giant. Still, he seemed to have a fabulous temperament as I slung a saddle up high and he dipped his head a little to help me put the bridle over his towering ears.

Mounting required dragging over the tall block. I rode around and he felt green (he is only just 6) but he felt safe and happy to be working. The wind was blowing a hooley and the sides of the indoor school were shuddering so much that Ali’s horse was a little freaked by the noise and took a long time to settle. The magnificent His Lordship seemed not to be fazed and settled to work. So much so that I soon forgot that I had only just sat on him for the first time.

We started jumping and I that is when I really started enjoying myself, for such a big horse he had a manageable stride, erring on the short rather than the long side and we popped some small fences and then a course.

At the end Sandra put up an oxer to a decent 1.25m and said, ‘Just come to that, keep the canter even and let him work it out.’

Not having had a horse that was jumping fences that size for while, I came too quietly off the corner the first time and we rolled a pole. ‘Come again and this time with a little more canter,’ was the advice. We did just that and he popped the fence for fun and I confess that it felt great to be sitting on a lovely young, scopey horse. ‘He has never jumped a fence that size before,’ Sandra laughed and with that the damage was done.

When I got home that night I started scheming about how I could possibly afford such a lovely youngster. The answer, no matter how I looked at it was no, simple as that; unless I sold one.

When I got home that night I started scheming about how I could possibly afford such a lovely youngster. The answer, no matter how I looked at it was no, simple as that; unless I sold one.

Now Ed had been with me for over a year and we were enjoying doing a bit of everything and I had turned him into a very easy all-round horse to ride but not one that I felt entirely compatible with for various reasons.  Mainly because I had got him by default (I won’t bore you with the details here) but suffice to say that he would not have been my first choice of horse but he ended up staying as he had such a kind temperament and attitude that he wormed his way into my heart. However it was absolutely the right time for him to find his perfect home – so, to cut a long story short Ed went to the home of his dreams and His Lordship is now in his stable here.

I have now had him since February 2018 and he has already changed a lot, muscled up and come on a treat. His size does mean that he will be slow to mature and need a lot of time to grow and produce but he will be worth the wait, of that I am sure. And his fabulous laid back personality means that everyone who comes into contact with him comments on what a lovely gentle giant horse he is. Follow this blog for 2020 updates.