Meet the "Grande Dames" of the Kalimbah mare's paddock...
Little Nell
14'3hh 1992 Mare
Reg Harness Name - Nellies Wish
Nell is my official paddock ornament!
A very beautiful paddock ornament and although she can be "Nasty Nellie" to her paddock mates is sweetness and light with her humans. Nell was never raced but had 3 foals before she came to us. She really is a stunning mare with most people thinking she is an anglo untill they see her brands.
Her crowning glory was taking Champion Led Standardbred at '07 Cooma Show. The gelding she beat is shown regularly with much sucess in Canberra and Sydney in Standardbred and Open classes so we considered this a wonderful win.
I actually did break Nell to saddle at the start of 2009 - well we did all the training up to the riding part at which time she made her feelings on the matter clear by elegantly throwing herself on the ground when I asked her to move forward!
So - she is still queen of the mares paddock, usually one of the first in line for attention and a poke in the eye for all those who think all Standies are ugly!
Dawn
15'1hh 1990 Mare
Reg Harness Name - Ted's Lass
Dawn was one of a group of Standardbred mare and foals left abandoned in Victoria and rescued by Bec from TREW and Carinya Park in April of 2007. The conditions these horses had been left in where terrible - take a look at the story of the Bridgewater horses HERE These images shocked, angered and saddened me all at once. As more details can to light it emerged that all these mares were well bred, Dawn was by the famous Maori's Idol and she was a good race mare and proven producer of quality foals. And yet they had been left to starve.
I contacted Bec and offered to home one of the mares. Dawn, although the oldest was in the best condition of the group so she made her way to Kalimbah. She was already on her way to recovery thanks to Bec and Jamie but had that desperate look of a starved horse and barely lifted her head for the first week!
6 months later a shiny bright bay coat emerged from that raggedy old lady and Dawn took her place as the Kalimbah pin up girl. Yes - that is her in the photo at the top of the website, on the left hand side with Dora!
I did have intentions of breaking her in to saddle but when I started to work her it was very evident she was not at all a happy horse and was becoming quietly more and more stressed. Now she is much happier out in the paddock, she can still be a bit stand offish and pats are definitely on her terms but she stands well for the farrier and takes her drenches with grace so is very easy to manage. She and Nell are queens of the mares paddock and basically inseparable.
I really think she has earned the right to be a paddock ornament and she and Nelly will live out their days together.
Here she is in December 2009 her doing her duty as senior mare and sorting out some new arrivals.
