Who has horses?

[ShrekDawg]

Weren't they a wonderful pair!

Wow how awesome!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Charisma was retired after the Olympics of 1988... He would have been 16 at that time. He was a notoriously easy keeper, tended to gain weight easily, they had to bed him in newspaper to keep weight off him...

Curious what the newspaper did?

 

[BreanneRN]

Curious what the newspaper did?

He didn't like to eat it!

 

[ShrekDawg]

He didn't like to eat it!

Ohhh! He ate shavings? Lol

 

[BreanneRN]

Under Mark Todd: 1983–1986
Mark Todd was offered Charisma to ride by Virginia Caro, as his experienced horse was sick. In May 1983, he tried the gelding out, and brought him back to his place to get the horse fit. Charisma was a bit fat at that time, and had to be bedded on newspaper strips, as he would try to eat other bedding. Keeping the weight off the horse was always quite a struggle.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Under Mark Todd: 1983–1986
Mark Todd was offered Charisma to ride by Virginia Caro, as his experienced horse was sick. In May 1983, he tried the gelding out, and brought him back to his place to get the horse fit. Charisma was a bit fat at that time, and had to be bedded on newspaper strips, as he would try to eat other bedding. Keeping the weight off the horse was always quite a struggle.

Wow that's really interesting. Is that common for horses to want to eat the bedding?

 

[BreanneRN]

Charisma lived another 14 years in retirement, then was euthanized at age 30 after a shoulder injury from a fall in the pasture...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Charisma lived another 14 years in retirement, then was euthanized at age 30 after a shoulder injury from a fall in the pasture...

Aw that's sad

 

[BreanneRN]

Exactly, ranch work, specifically is hard on horses, different rider often everyday, spins/turns, roping calves, possibly overweight rider, high impact. Just exactly the same as the car analogy. A horse just used for arena work or light trail riding might be in much better shape at age 15, especially if they have "fewer miles" on the odometer... On the other hand they might be less willing and more spoiled... But I wouldn't pay $2500.00 for that horse. If he was mine, I would try to place him somewhere where he would be lightly used, maybe a riding school, or with a child rider... An experienced horse can be a valuable confidence builder if he has as good an attitude as they describe. Still, not sure I would chance it due to the weight issues. Difficult to put weight on older horses if they tend to be thin. And, as they age, it never gets better. Unlike a wooly dog, you can't hide a thin horse.

 

[BreanneRN]

Aw that's sad

Sort of, but not really... That horse had a wonderful life and was much loved by the world, actually received fan mail! He was well taken care of by Mark Todd in retirement and had a happy life until the end! And 30 is a ripe old age for a horse... There is a book written about him, maybe I will read it. Unlike the sale QH, he was not dumped when his useful life was past. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...s-through-in-the-mark-todd-story-1161379.html