Before buying Vicky, I had a hunting pony that had been recommended by a friend. I tried him….hacked him up a busy bypass, rode across open fields, cantered, jumped and worked him in the school. When collecting him, I was a little concerned when the Chifney came out…..but that was the least of my troubles. After 3 days at home he started to nap. Day 4, he wouldn’t leave the yard. Day 5, he pinned me in the stable. Day 7, I was in hospital with a broken arm. So where do you go after such an experience….you buy a horse that you’ve never sat on, from someone you don’t know, from a country you have only visited on a handful of occasions!
I saw Vicky advertised on Horse Quest. She was everything I wasn’t looking for. A coloured, cob, mare! But I was so taken with her video and, after a long conversation with Gerty, I put my name on her.
After a week of sleepless nights, nose bleeds and hoping she’d fail the vet, Vicky (now called Vicky Pollard, on account of her chunkiness) arrived. I can’t exactly say it was love at first sight. Stabled next to my L.W. 15.2hh T.B. she did look a thumping great lump. I felt compelled to wear a bum sticker saying “my other horse is a thoroughbred”. But despite Gerty telling me she was not a first horse, she has given me my confidence back. She is a poppet to hack; HGV’s, trains, roadworks, traffic lights, pneumatic drills, even crisp packets and pigeons (yes, “my other horse is a thoroughbred”). My 77 year old father has hacked her out on a loose rein and I have led my boy from her. She is an absolute workhorse, has loads of presence on the flat and loves her jumping. She’s not without her quirks. She’s a sensitive mare and we’ve had a few nerve related moments, but considerate handling has seen her grow in confidence and our bond develop. She never says NO.
So after exactly 12 months with me I can safely say Vicky Pollard is everything I was looking for AND MORE. She is a credit to Gerty and her team and I’m a coloured cob convert.
I could wax lyrical about Pollard all night, but what about Irish Sport Equine? In a world where we tend to turn the simple into a three act play, the daunting process of buying a horse was made easy; from the production of a comprehensive video to the professionalism of the hauliers. Lucky? Maybe! But if I ever need a new steed, Irish Sport Equine would be my first port of call.
