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An update on Joy. Not an unexpected one mind, but still an update I'd rather give you. Some of you may have been following Joy's story, our blind lippizaner stallion. Well he's had his vet check, and we've at least got a reason for his blindness. Turns out he has Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and if he has any vision left it's only going to deteriorate.

We are going to book him into the vets to be gelded at some point soon, but we want him to be proof that he can do anything. While maybe we'd have liked if it's something that could be cured, he's got his forever home with us, and he's got a thankfully sensible head.

While we don't know his full backstory, what we do know is he was found wandering along the edge of a cliff, but he let Tobias catch him and lead him to safety, the dapple gray stallion leaning into him and trusting him almost instantly even with the lack of sight (something we weren't aware of then). Tobias took him back to his place, got him comfortable in a stable and promptly sent out a few advertisements in the newspapers to check he hadn't strayed.

It was during this waiting period that we realised the blindness - if only because he was bumping into everything - and was easily spooked - until the exmoor - Brat - snuck into his stall. With no response to the newspaper advertisements, and Brat bonding to him, Tobias has taken over his care, with Brat often being seen leading him around the pasture - or following him out on rides - the plucky little exmoor acting as the eyes that the lippizanner has lost use of.

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Now then - I'm not normally one for barrel racing - but given that I have a horse that I normally ride if I need to help with some ranch work - I figured having a bit of fun running in a barrel competition would be a perfect way to keep his turns sharp and give us both a bit of a fun experience. So this is RSH Lookin' for Sausage competing in some barrels - and well we placed 7th. I think we did pretty well - with the photos took by Sunbee at CCEC

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Sometimes when the world is all in darkness you just need a friend to guide the way. And sometimes you just need a companion on the rides out. And more commonly you're a lil exmoor being taken out for a ride as you otherwise don't get any exercise otherwise.

So have these pictures of Joy and Brat out at pasture, as well as brat following Joy around on a short trail ride - Brat is an exmoor, however being too small for Tobias to physically ride he's often used as a field buddy horse. In particular he's bonded to Joy and when he's not being ridden acts as his seeing eye horse.

Tobias just sometimes uses this bond to give the exmoor some exercise when he's taken Joy out for a ride

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Just a bit of Preliminary level Freestyle Dressage on Chaotic Catastrophe Equine community redm server with RSH Dancing for Joy - my blind Lipizzaner. Okay some parts were a bit less than graceful, but I had a blast riding it, though riding and recording is less than easy! Also I could do with this song being about 50 seconds longer but still pretty!

Things we need to work on? Circles for certain - and trying to get better camera angles

Song: Found/Tonight by Lin Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt.

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A Cattle Drive - my first in a long while

If you'd have said that I'd be taking part in a cattle drive, initially just riding along to regain experience without taking part, as I found old memories - and worked on bomb proofing the andalusian I actually aim to train as a high level dressage horse - one of two. Suffice to say the ride was ... in many ways fun. I may need to get a better built cattle horse though - possibly a lusitano or lippizaner. Though Andalusians are known as cattle horses.

Maybe it's something I'll need to look into - Echo certainly didn't have any cattle sense. I must say though I have to question about some of those cows. They were acting -rather- strange.

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RSH Midnight Joy

Stable Name: Midnight

Gender: Stallion

Breed: Thoroughbred

About: Purchased as an off the track Thoroughbred Midnight is full of spice and slight chaos, and regularly requires a good gallop before he'll focus on his job. At this point he's going through a lot of retraining to find him a new task - he's done a lot of dressage which has helped him to slow down - and is now working to try him in show jumping or cross country to really test his potential as an eventer

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RSH Dancing Dots

Stable Name: Dancer

Breed: Grade Horse (In Game - Tiger Horse)

Gender: Gelding (In game Mare)

About: Dancer is currently being leased by Catherine Hayes, due to his preference towards western competitions, and has while being ridden by Tobias competed in Barrel racing once. He's a really well mannered horse, who tries his best to please his rider, while also having a strong working attitude. He's been ridden on trails and is very sure footed - even if he's not always the fastest when out on the trails. While he may not -enjoy- English disciplines, if asked he will ride in them, but the spark isn't quite there.

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RSH Bear Tamer

Stable Name: Bear

Breed: Irish Draught (In Game Warlander) Gender: Gelding (In Game Mare)

About: Bear is a solidly built gelding, with plenty of character and a willingness to please. Purchased from an auction, his powerful build, and calm sensible nature - and his potential for jumping had Tobias interested from the get go. While he may not be the fastest horse, he has a calm sensibleness that means that he isn't likely to cause too many upsets. Couple this with a long stride that can positively eat up the ground, whether he's being used for trails, or across the country, he can cover the ground easily and efficiently. Jumping he can get a bit sticky depending on the size of the arena, but he always approaches his job with willing. He is also one of few horses trained to be ridden side saddle rather than astride.

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The photo before the start of the triathalon event we took part in yesterday. While we may not have placed over all, we had a BLAST taking part, covering ground, finding paths, acing show jumping the first time round (shush we placed 8th but regardless - we got round clear first time that's a win!), and finally ... we got DQ'd by saying hello to a tree in XC.

Look the XC course is cursed to me obviously - but still riding all that side saddle? We had a BLAST

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This world is a world of beauty, and contrasts. And sometimes you can only see that beauty when you're aloft in the skies, seeing the world itself laid out beneath you, tranquil, still sleeping, even as the sun just starts to wake up.