Kate's Horses

[Kate Holden]

Cailín Éan

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The Basics
Show Name: Cailín Éan
Barn Name: Cailin
Age: 9 years old
Gender: mare
Breed: Irish Sport Horse
Breed Registry: Irish Horse Register
The Appearance
Coat Color: Dapple Grey
Stable Color: Cornflower Blue
Height: 16 hh

The Personality
Personality: Cailin is a rather green mare, but she shows a ton of potential. She’d both very careful and scopey, but most of all neat when she jumps. Her knees are always together when she jumps, and it looks beautiful. She’s known to take her spots when asked, and rarely chips. Unfortunately, she’s also a little bit flighty, and needs to be reassured when being sent towards a jump. She needs to build up her confidence without losing her neatness. Cailin has medium length strides that are shorter than most horses her size, but they’re a good length and she usually doesn’t have an issue with her striding. She’s very sensitive, though one still has to ask her clearly for everything. She’s not prone to going faster than necessary, but she’s not particularly slow either, and will take off when asked. Cailin is made very nervous by wind, and it’s best not to take her out of a ring when it’s windy. When riding outside in the wind, she’s very off it her game and is very easily startled. It’s best to keep her inside when it’s windy out, but if that isn’t possibly, she’s usually found under a tree. She’s also known to lash out when startled, but only then, so one must be careful not to scare her.
Caution Around: Sudden movements, waving things, wind

The History
Basic History: Cailin was born on a breeding farm in Ireland and quickly sold to a show stable once she was old enough. They trained her for hunter/jumper riding, but left a couple ends unknotted, which account for her little quirks. She was owned by the owner of the yard she was at, and was not ridden a lot, as the owner had other horses that she preferred, and the trainer was always quite busy. She was most often ridden by the trainer, and occasionally by the owner. Obviously not a lot of time was spent on her, as the yard was very large, and there were other horses to attend to that meant more to the yard. The owner would have sold Cailin more quickly due to lack of use, but she had a soft spot for the mare for whatever reason, and wanted to keep her. She offered to allow Cailin to be leased out, but was not satisfied by any of the riders that made an offer. After years of this, the owner finally decided to sell her, and considered many offers before deciding on Kate Holden. After seeing Kate ride, she knew that she would be able to take Cailin far, and the two would be a wonderful pair. The one issue was that Cailin had a certain bond with a pony that was at the farm, who belonged to the trainer’s daughter. The two were very close, and when Cailin was brought back to the barn where Kate rode, she was very distressed without the pony. She was introduced to Madeline, and though she wasn’t interested at first, she’s now fast friends with the little Fjord. Kate worries that at Blue Ridge, Cailin will miss Madeline, and hopes that she'll be able to find another equine friend.

The Technicalities
Discipline: Hunter/Jumper
Owner: Kate Holden
Rider: Kate Holden

[Kate Holden]

Philosophical Whim

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The Basics
Show Name: Philosophical Whim
Barn Name: Poet
Age: 15 years old
Gender: gelding
Breed: Belgian Warmblood
Breed Registry: BWBA
The Appearance
Coat Color: Seal Bay
Stable Color: Sage
Height: 16.1 hh

The Personality
Personality: Poet is a quite quiet gelding, and is extremely well trained. He knows the ins and outs of the equitation and hunter rings, and has been competing in them for many years. He’ll carry his rider around nicely as long as they give him the right commands, and has a way of making his rider look good. Poet, however, will not tolerate a sloppy rider and one learns to have light hands with him very quickly, yet still holding contact. He can be a bit pushy at times in the stable, and Kate needs to be careful around him, as he has a habit of getting in her space. He adores apples, but is only given them once in a while, as Kate is afraid that he’ll get nippy. Otherwise, he’s very friendly around humans, and doesn’t mind who rides him much, as long as they’re an acceptable rider. Around other horses he’s nice too, but they tend not to like him as much as he likes them. He’s learned to stay away from horses who aren’t find of him, to avoid getting cut up. Cailin and him get along rather well, so they usually keep each other company, even though Cailin is naturally higher in the pecking order of the herd. She takes good care of him, and since she’s arrived, the other horses have left him alone. Overall, Poet knows what he’s doing, and just needs guidance in order to win at shows. It’s important to school with him regularly, as if he isn’t exercised and schooled sufficiently, his rider will pay for it later. He does little bucks if he hasn’t been ridden in a long time, or if it’s cold, but only then.

The History
Basic History: Poet was first born out of a talented hunter mare, and a jumper sire. He was born in a show barn, but was sold off as a foal to a grandmother, who was buying the horse for her grandchild. The girl rode Poet lightly for a while, and entered him in a few jumper classes, but he didn’t do very well. She lost interest, and sold him to a show barn who was interested in retraining the young gelding. They trained him to be a hunter, but because of him willing nature and wonderful movement, they formed him into a good equitation horse, but still showed him in hunters a bit. He was designated to the trainer’s daughter, who showed him and was very successful, but she left him when she went to college. After she left, he was taken up by a dressage rider at the barn who rode him and trained him quite a bit in dressage, but bought another horse for herself after a while. Poet was then leased to Kate, who used him for hunters and equitation, though primarily for equitation once she purchased Cailin. She’s worked with him in dressage a bit, but prefers Madeline for that. She showed him, and they won quite a lot. When Kate decided to attend Blue Ridge, she was faced with a decision on where she was going to take her equestrian training. She decided to focus on hunters and equitation, and then to leave Madeline at home. She convinced her parents that it would be in her best interest to buy Poet, who she’d been leasing for quite a while. They agreed, on the behalf that she’d allow Madeline to be leased out, and that she keep her grades up at Blue Ridge, as well as keep a clean record.
The Technicalities
Discipline: Equitation, Hunters
Owner: Kate Holden
Rider: Kate Holden