I turned Kip and Lizzie out in the small “sick paddock” together yesterday, in hopes that if they became friends she would be better able to survive being turned out with all the other horses in the big pasture. Since Kip is top dog there, hopefully everyone will take his lead and not try to kill her.
It was gorgeous to watch. I forget how beautiful Kip is, since I don’t often get to see him acting anything but bored. He’s the perfect example of a native English horse: sensible, well-made, lots of bone, lots of brains, able to work hard during the week and then carry the heaviest rider at speed over rough terrain, clearing huge hedges and stone walls with ease, finishing sound and ready to work again the next day. He is so impressive. When he’s moving with neck arched, showing all of the power and suspension that he has in such abundance, he is stunning. Lizzie, even at a fairly porky 16.1, looks like an Arab next to him.
She’s fast, though – Kip is powerful, but not exceptionally fast. All she has to do is lengthen her stride just a bit, still cantering though, and she just sails past him. She is such a girl, too: he had calmed down enough to start ignoring her in favour of the grazing, so she ran over to him, did a little dance and squealed, and took off running so that he would chase her. He did, and she then tried to kick the stuffing out of him. lol…that’a a mare for you. “Come here and flirt with me so that I can bitch-slap you.” Geldings always look so confused.
I wish I had the time, energy and money to keep them both…when Kip finally grows up, he’s going to be an absolutely exceptional horse. :(