I'm crazy for you......
Let me start off this entry with a little background info. Before I graduated from college, I realized that I didn't want to become and equine veterinarian after all and decided I wanted to go into horse breeding and genetics and have a nice breeding facility with world class stallions and broodmares. Luckily, my father was supportive and offered to help me start my business with my first stallion. I have an agent in Holland named Wout, and he helped me pick out some stallions. Instead of paying $1,000,000 for a stallion and $20,000 to import him and put him in quarantine, I decided to buy a young colt with excellent bloodlines for a significantly cheaper price and only $7,500 to import. I bought Vocalando before he was even weaned from his mother, and he came over on a plane to America to meet me on July 5th, 2003. He was a yearling and probably the cutest thing I had ever laid eyes on. He was incredible- beautiful and stunning, excellent movement and a great tempermant. The vet gave him shots, the farrier trimmed his hooves, I led him around, I bridled him, put wraps on him, etc. without a fight. As he grew older he had begun to realize he was a stallion. I thought since I had handled him since he was a year old and since he was imprinted at birth and handled daily all of his life, that he would be easier to handle than the majority of stallions. I was dead wrong. He was so dangerous. He wasn't mean, he was just very bossy. And a horse that is 1,000lbs easily bosses me (110lbs) around. I sent him away to a trainer which was costing me over $2,000 a month. After a year, I took him back home thinking he would be better since he had been professionally trained. I was dead wrong, again. He mounted me, bit me, kicked me, you name it...I was in and out of the hospital with injuries weekly. I sent him away again and he kicked his groom in the head. They worked with him for another year until I decided that I couldn't afford him to be with professional trainers all his life...he was MY horse and I wanted him to myself. I made the very emotional decision to castrate him. My dad decided (since it was his horse, technically) that since he was of no use to me anymore as a stallion, that I would have to sell him. I refused. I don't care how many times he hurt me or put me in the hospital- I was not going to give up on him after 2 years. I got a job and my dad signed him over to me. He is the first horse I have TRULY owned (my dad owns all of my horses since he buys them and pays for them). I pay for his board, his shows, his vet bills, his shoes. He is MINE. He was gelded in April and as of June- he was a totally different horse. He is calmer than my 11 year old Start Showjumper mare. He is the most loving animal and is the kindest horse on the planet. He made a 360 degree turn around from his stallion days. He still cannot go out with other horses because he is too dominant, but he loves his grooms and he loves his mom. He is the easiest horse to ride.....walks trots and canters like a champion (he is SUCH a good mover). I started taking him to some horse shows and showing him in some hunter under saddle classes. At first, it was overwhelming to him since when he was a stallion he was ridden ALONE all the time. He had no contact with other horses. He was fine, very calm, he just didn't pay attention to me at all, especially in the ring. We still got some low ribbons in good company since he is a great mover...I guess they looked past his hops and minor bucks. haha. He has been to 4 horse shows....and at this 4th horse show Bailey (his barn name) won his first class. I was so happy and so excited- I cried tears of joy. I had worked my ASS off since I've gotten him and it finally paid off. I was so proud of my little man....and he knew he was a good boy- he pranced out of the ring. I am so lucky...I love my little Bailey and I am SO proud of him! Now that he has turned 3 years old, I have started jumping him over some small fences and he LOVES to jump! I can't wait until he's older.