Saturday 22 September 2012

Why I bought Allie.

I don't think I have ever written properly about how I bought Allie. She wasn't listed in Horse Deals, wasn't actively being advertised at all. I think I was meant to find her.

It started while researching eventing horses in my area mid horse search. Googling, I came across an anglo arab stallion called Gwaihir Aubusson.

This horse looks like he would stand up to a hard day's work, every day, his whole life.

The more I googled this stallion the more I found I liked about him. He had evented, show jumped, dressag-ed, successfully completed endurance rides, modeled in the middle of the CBD of Sydney, hacked and won at Sydney Royal. He had even done stock work. He sounded like my dream horse - multi-discipline, well comformed, hard working, super quiet temperament, with the bonus of already having plenty of successful progeny out competing in various disciplines but especially eventing. Even one olympic contender, Ari De Gwaihir.

Kind looking fellow huh?

I even liked his weird name - pronounced (with a soft G as in grape) G-why-here Oh-bus-son.

Floaty balanced trotty trotty.

I always giggle at the man having a snooze in this photo. Do you reckon he is a bored horse husband?

He jumps as do most of his progeny.



I wanted one of his babies. Needed one of his babies.

Cue mad googling. I emailed his owner to see if they had anything available (they did) and I also found this listing.

Look familiar?

I had been to see quite a few horses by the time I went to see Allie. I first went to see the other filly at Gwaihir on the same day. I fell in love with the other filly. She was an anglo, 4 years old. Just broken in, being brought into work. Shod with crappy feet (that were improving, they had just bought her back from the original breeder), but otherwise healthy. I got to meet Aubusson too. He was just as sturdy, friendly, beautiful and calm as I had been led to believe.
 

Then I went to meet Allie. She totally gave me the cold shoulder, but went really well under saddle. She was quite a bit spookier than the other filly. She did show a little interest in me when I have her a carrot but I didn't feel that connection.

I thought my mind was made up - I was going to buy the first filly. I had clicked with her better, she had been calmer, plus I liked her name (Aura) and I hated the name Alleycat (still do).

A day or so later, I started to really look at the conformation of the two horses. Allie was superior in all ways - maybe it was the warmblood in her but she looked like she would stand up to a hard day's work. Her legs were straighter, she had perfect bare feet. No rehabbing out of shoes, no worrying about less than perfect legs. She carried herself in a more rounded frame.

I returned a few weeks later to try Allie out again and this time I took $6600 and a float with me.

I returned home that day with my Aubusson baby. Just like I wanted.

2 comments:

Funder said...

Gwaihir is a fabulous name for a stud! Love your description - a horse that'll stand up to a hard day's work, over and over.

Val said...

The stallion is stunning, but it might be a while before I can figure out how to say his name. ;)

That is a great story about a wise decision. It is funny how the emotional side of buying horses can play tricks in our decisions, but you did it right!