What were the odds?

[Lori]

What a great story. Beautiful horses. I know very little about horses. What is their normal life span?

You must get so attached to them.

[L Austin France]

What a great story. Beautiful horses. I know very little about horses. What is their normal life span?

You must get so attached to them.

Always best to be attached 'cos it don't half hurt when you become unattached at full gallop.
Ask me how I know?

[Veem]

What a great story. Beautiful horses. I know very little about horses. What is their normal life span?

You must get so attached to them.

Life span depends on so many things; breed, genes, freedom from disease, good fortune. Suffice to say he has outlived all the horses we've ever ridden with. One year in horse life equates approximately to 3 in human terms. So by that, he's 102. I have an aunt who is 110. So Misha is not a record breaker, but he's certainly the oldest horse I have known personally. So I wouldn't dream of tacking up and getting onboard again, though I would dearly love to.

As for emotional attachment, that's something that has been ongoing for 24 years, so it's very significant. I don't know how attached he feels though .........!!

[Lori]

I don't know how attached he feels though .........!!

I've read that horses get very attached to their owners. No idea how true that is.

[Lori]

What a great story. Beautiful horses. I know very little about horses. What is their normal life span?

You must get so attached to them.

Always best to be attached 'cos it don't half hurt when you become unattached at full gallop.
Ask me how I know?

I've only been on a horse once on a tour of the Camargue. I'll never forget that the horse must have known she/he (no idea) had an idiot on board. He would just go where ever he wanted, not following the other horses on the tour. I had to scream for someone to tell me what to do as he was going way off from the tour guide.... Idiot driver.

I cannot imagine falling off one. It was challenging enough getting on one.

[Bayleaf]

Not quite in the same league of what were the odds, but similar:

I used to own a thoroughbred, ex-hurdler racehorse. I would sometimes take him to one day events (Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country). We were galloping around a course at Bicton, Devon, one time, and our names were being broadcast on the tannoy, as is done, to say who is where on the course. My horse's racing name was Brighton Boy, and as we finished the course, I noticed a slight chap running towards us, waving his arms. Never saw him before in my life, but he came straight up to us and said "Yes, I knew it, this is the same Brighton Boy I used to race when I was a jockey!" He was overjoyed to see him, as he said he always had such a lovely temperment. I asked if he was any good when he raced, and he replied "Nah, he was rubbish, but we loved him anyway!"

He lived until his mid 20's, when navicular disease took hold - but I considered us best friends, he got me through some tough years, and I'll be eternally grateful.

[Polly]

Lovely photos and lovely stories, thank you.

[Veem]

DSC_0061.JPG

My nephew who is visiting us at the moment has guided me through how to load a photo. Thank you to all who have tried to tell me how to do this in the past and my apologies to you for failing to succeed before.
So here goes - my first attempt shows a photo and a magazine article about Misha's success at Wembley's Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) back in 2001.
Since my opening post on this thread the people who knew him all those years ago have indeed been to pay him a visit and said he hadn't changed a bit . Of course he has, but it was kind of them to say so.