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| Name: |
Heppe
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Age: |
Ten and a half years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Warmblood Horse
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| Home: |
Karlskoga, Sweden
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This
is both a sad and happy story of a horse names Hepstar, but he is
usually called Heppe. I met Heppe almost two years ago, when I saw him he was
standing in a pasture, skinny and somewhat stiff.
He was skittish to greet me when I met him, so for the first three weeks, I was
just walking with him and tried to learn how he was.
He was very rowdy and happy to get out of the pasture. He threw his head a
lot and really enjoyed just staying still when we supposed to go. Sometimes
he just began to go backwards and it was really hard to make him go forward.
When I had walked him for almost four weeks, even though he was not skittish
anymore, they asked if I wanted to ride him. I said, "Nah, I just want to
walk with him today," but it ended up that he pushed me, gave a small whinny
and snorted... it made me feel that he wanted to be ridden, so I hopped on
up. He was mostly beautiful and kind of obeyed quite well, except that he
threw his head.
Then I found out that none of those who owned him had dared to ride him
bareback, so I was the first. While we rode, they told me a little about
Heppe. it turned out he had a bone disease that meant you had to warm him up
for thirty minutes to one hour before you could trot with him, but once you did
that, he would not have sore legs after the ride.
I also noticed that Heppe chewed on the bit all the time, which was both
tedious and I felt he was not happy having it. I studied it, and he had
probably the second best bit. It was a three split bit, but it did not go up
in the palate as the two ones did, or press on the tongue they did. The best
headgear for him was a hakamore, which is bitless.
Then came the next problem. Heppe hated the saddle, if he had it on, he was
very rowdy, bucked and refused to go. Often you had to jump off and walk with
him. So we made up a workout plan, first walk around with him, then ride for
a while with the saddle, and then bareback! It helped a lot actually, we did
more training with the saddle in the fall and winter.
Then the next problem was that Heppe stumbled over his own feet, because he
did not lift them as he should. It was very much walk and trot over bars, and
then ride in the woods so he had to learn to lift your legs.
After a while, I asked about his previous owner, as I saw scars on the
stomach like they were from spurs, and scar on his bottom like a rod had been
misused. Heppe had been living at a stable I had been to, and I saw the
horses were often ridden with rod or spur, and some horses that did not get
along together were placed next to each other in the box and they somtimes
fought about food. It was not a good stable. The previous owner also lied to
them when they purchased Heppe about many things about how he worked, and his
bone disease. Heppe's first owner who had him when he was a foal, I had do
some searching online to find facts about him. It turned out had been
reported to the police for animal cruelty.
Heppe might not have had such a good start, but today he is alert and he and
I have created a good bond. He has not been having problems with barriers or
getting long in his trot as he had in the beginning. We spend a lot of time
together and play and he's a really cuddly boy!
Today he is also fine in the body and you do not see his ribs any more! He
has started to gain muscle and he is trotted bitless now without any trouble.
He has come a very long way, and I am proud of him. Sadly, he and I both sick
right now I have a virus that gives me pain and fever, and he is recovering
from colic. I know we both yearn to see each other again, and cannot wait
until we do!
View more images of Heppe!
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Talk about Heppe in Pet Talk!
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