Welcome To Our World

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD

I think we'd better start by introducing ourselves and as I'm oldest I will go first. My name is Harry and i'm a Haflinger.
Up until just over 3 years ago no one use to love me. I went from dealer to sale to dealer to sale until I hated people and the rough way they treat me so much I decided that I wouldn't let them touch me any more. Then I just got left in a big field with lots of other horses who came and went, (and a burnt out car or two), and no one came near me. My feet started to get very overgrown and cracked until it looked like I had very long cloven feet. Then one day some people came to see me, they wern't rough like the others but they went away after a while. Then a few days later the horrible rough man came and caught me and helped the nice people to 'bundle' me into yet another box on wheels. There was a big yummy haynet inside...I had never seen so much hay before and got down to some munching. The box stopped after a while and another horse came and joined me...he said oi your eating MY hay but I ignored him as I was rather hungry and you just didn't know when hay like this would be available again. The box on wheels set off again and my new friend Murphy was scared but I looked after him and told him it would stop eventually, I had been in rather a lot of these you see, but he kept shouting for his friends. Eventually it stopped and the nice people from before were there still and told me I was going to be called Harry and that this was to be our new home. It was very nice with lots of grass and hay and a bucket with yummy carrots and chop and alfa beet. Murphy kept telling me his mummy and daddy were very nice and not scary but I wasn't sure so I kept a good distance and only let them touch my head and shoulder sometimes. After a week I decided it was okay as long as they didn't go near my back end or feet and shortly after a man came and stuck a needle in me, but it didn't hurt because haflingers are tough! Then I started to feel very sleepy and a nasty man came and made me pick up my sore feet and he trimmed them until they felt much better, but I was very scared and fought a lot. The nice people came every day twice or sometimes more to see me and brought buckets of food, hay and lots of goodies too. I started to feel much better and decided they wern't so bad and after a few weeks I started to let them brush me and touch my front legs but the not back ones. The 'nasty' man who picked up my feet, and the one with the sleepy needle, kept coming but I still fought them because I was not sure. My dad had a funny stick with a glove on it and kept rubbing and prodding me with it until one day I got fed up and decided that if I let them touch my legs they might get rid of the silly stick, and I'm such a clever boy because it worked. My daddy then started putting me one of those funny disguises Murphy wore on too...It made me look blue and Murphy acted all strange but it made me feel warm and snuggly and Murphy realised it was me after a few mins...he is silly you know.I didn't let them pick up my back legs for quite a long time, because you see I was 6 and had lots of bad memories to forget, but after about 9 months I began to forget the bad times and got to quite like my mum and dad. Now they say I am a big teddy bear, what ever one of those is, and I like to follow them round and show my appreciation of them giving me a chance when no one else would by knocking over the barrow when it's full or by including them when we play chase and jump on each other (they pretend they don't like it when I do that, but I know they do really...who in their right mind dosen't enjoy that game I ask you? ). The man dosen't need to come and give me the sleepy needle anymore and I am a good boy when I have my feet trimmed and I don't think the farrier is a nasty man anymore. I always try to lean on him so he can build up his muscles and show how strong he is! My dad rides me now too and I try to be a good boy for him and look after him, like he looked after me, because I can tell he hasn't a clue and he lets me do as I please but I am too good to take advantage. Sometimes I get scared but my mum and Murphy try to keep monsters at bay for us. Murphy is very silly sometimes but he dosen't know what it is like to not be loved...sometimes he even tries to kick mum when he is cross with her....I think he is a bit mean but I love him so forgive him when he bites me too.....I never bite or kick now because I don't need to anymore and my mum and dad say I will live with them until I am an old man and Murphy is a grumpy old git!
Now you know my story I will go and eat some hay and let Murphy have his say.