The saga that is Sparky began in the lame summer of 2002. I had been rapidly outgrowing my first pony, Shiloh, and I’d schooled up my loan/project pony at the time, Dell, who had gone back to her owners. My RI at the time had gotten a new pony a few months before, who had been turned out as she had no rider, she was 14hh “aged” bay mare, named Sparky for obvious reasons. The one person that had tried to ride her had gotten taken off with, then bucked off. I was told one morning, that I should have a go on her, and that my RI had gotten her mainly because she thought we’d be a good match.
My first ride was terrible. It took me hours to catch Sparks, who was very sneaky, and had perfected the “wait and dive” technique, where she would wait until you got close, then dive to the side, and trot off with her tail in the air. Once she was finally caught, she nearly trampled me twice going through gateways. Once I was on her, things didn’t improve. I had little control, and a very exciteable pony. After 20 minutes, I managed to convince her to jog semi-controllably around the arena. I’d found my match in a horse, and was totally in love with this stubborn, hyperactive animal beneath me.
Sparky when I first got her
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The next few months followed with multiple bits and saddles, trying to figure out which ones Sparky liked the best. I tried everything from hackamores, to pelhams, to a whole range of snaffles, as she didn’t seem to like anything. The only thing I could find that gave be even a hint of control over fences was a Dutch gag and a running martingale. Without them I ended up in full gallop with ears in my face. However, I adored jumping her, even with the bad behaviour. Sparks was enthusiastic over fences, still a terror to catch, horrible to be around most of the time, evil to other horses, and my baby.
The first time I took her out was a cross country and show jumping practice day at Waikanae Park in the late winter of 2002. She jumped like a champion around a 60cm course, clearing everything by miles. I just grabbed hold of a chunk of her extremely bushy mane and clung on. She had done everything perfectly, clearing every cross-country fence, every show jumping fence, and behaving herself beautifully. It then took us, and several people who’d stopped by to help, over 2 hours to convince her to step back in the float. She was not scared at all, she just knew how to play people, and convince them that she obviously was the boss. Before the show jumping…I look terrified.
Show-jumping
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I spent the next while at home, schooling, trying to convince Sparky into something that resembled normal horsey behaviour. She had her good days, and her bad days. The younger children at the riding school would not go near her. If I led her into the arena, they’d all shoot out fast. I could only join in on group lessons if I rode a different horse, as Sparks wasn’t trustworthy around other horses.
In February of 2003, my first real show was planned. The Levin Sports Day was on, and I planned to do the 40cm beginner jumping, and the games with Sparks. The show was on during our last drought, and the day dawned clear, with temperatures reaching 30C. Sparky was cleaned thoroughly, behaved like an angel, and won her first ever class, the 40cm jumping. She was then a demon in the games, and I couldn’t stop, so I gave up after losing control in the bending. Sparks spent the rest of the day lying under a tree in the shade. People kept telling us she was colicking, Sparks was just enjoying the shade!
40cm Beginners jump!
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In the shade
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Many shows followed over the summer, all local gymkhanas. I still had very little control, and didn’t usually do that well at much, as Sparks had a habit of charging off in the wrong direction. Our jumping was coming on in leaps and bounds, and although it wasn’t at all stylish, and usually ended out of control, she could certainly jump. We attempted dressage for the first time, and failed absolutely miserably. It was what I termed an unqualified disaster. We finished the test, but I still have the sheet, and we got a 2 for the free walk, with the comment “walk was non-existent”!
Dressage
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In the late winter of 2004, my family finally bought 5 and a half acres of our own land, and moved our three horses at the time, Sunny, Sparks and Saz, out there. I began to build jumps out of anything and everything, and one day managed to build a huge fence out of poles and tyres, which was measured at 1.15m. That day I cleared it on all three of our horses (yes I was slightly insane!)
This video is from the early summer of 2004, on one of Sparky’s better days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYghEEB9pU
Sparks was still a maniac over fences, however, I wasn’t scared of her. By then, we were competing at about 80cm. I decided that I wanted to take her eventing. Her first ODE was at Waikanae Park, and she stopped 9 times on the cross country, and I fell off. I was determined that we were going to do better! I wanted to pursue this sport!
I took her up a level, as she was regarding the 65cm Intro jumps as beneath her dignity. She was stopping less and less, and at Aoukautere ODE, we got our first ribbon at Pre-Training level (85cm) as we came 3rd out of 3. This was followed by getting 4th out of 4 at Wanganui ODE. I was delighted, and the ribbons were proudly pinned on my wall. I was finally getting somewhere!
At the Moutere ODE, I was determined to get around the cross country without any stops, come hell or high water. Sparky went to stop at the second fence, and I did everything I could to prevent it. I kicked, I yelled, and my plucky little pony jumped it from a standstill from right at the base of the fence. She landed on the jump, slid off, and proceeded around the course going “So THIS is what it is all about!” in full gallop, clearing everything in her stride. I cried the whole round, thinking she’d broken a leg or just gone completely nuts. How very embarrasing.
After that, Sparky was set, she knew what cross-country was all about now, and got right into the whole idea. She was jumping clear most of the time cross-country, but her show-jumping and dressage were still awful.In late 2004, we were chosen to represent Horowhenua at the Teams Training 2DE in Masterton. It’s a teams event at pre-training and training height. Sparks was horrible in the dressage, and I forgot the test. However, cross-country she was a machine. She was the only Horowhenua horse to go clear around the cross country, and she came in flying with a huge grin on her face, going “that was fun Mum! Can we go again?”
I then changed her jumping bit to a loose-ring snaffle. What possessed me to do this, I don’t know. It changed absolutely everything. After years of approaching jumps sideways, too fast, half rearing, I finally could canter in and just jump without worrying about whether my pony was about to explode underneath me.
I took her to pony club in her snaffle, and my PC instructor looked extremely concerned and asked if I knew what I was doing. Later, I heard her asking parents if any of them had a current Red Cross certificate. Sparks cleared everything brilliantly and in control. I’d found the key to my maniac pony!
After several shows, where Sparky was raking in prizes galore, I was presented with my sisters 16.2hh TB gelding, who she wanted to sell as she was scared of him. She couldn’t physically ride him anymore, so I needed to school him until she could sell him. I decided as Sparks was so brilliant, I would turn her out for the winter and concentrate on Sunny.
The trust!
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Sparky was not thrilled about this plan, after two weeks, she was jumping out, and uncatchable again. I managed to get a headcollar on her after much struggle, and she reared and pulled the rope out my hand. I began to bring her back into work, as she was so obviously upset. I was also riding my sisters outgrown pony as we tried to sell her. Sparky was left most of the time, and occasionally got ridden at weekends, as I simply didn’t have the time.
Both Sunny and Saz were sold, and I began to bring Sparky back into full time work. However, through me riding Sunny, I’d lost the connection I had with Sparks. We fought each other continually, every time I pulled against her, she’d pull back harder. We were getting nowhere, but just fought and arue every day. Riding became a chore, rather than fun. One day I tried to jump her, and she would not go near the jump. She eventually took off on me, and I ended up in floods of tears, wanting my perfect pony from the summer before back.
The next day, my PC instructor came out, and Sparks was an angel again. She was brilliant over every single fence I’d set out, calm and collected. I had stopped fighting her, so she didn’t want to fight me. We began to jump bigger fences, and she became more settled. However, on the flat, she was still stargazing and hated anything to do with schooling. I was reading the Horse and Pony one day, and found an article on bits. The next day, I convinced my mother to buy a hanging-cheek-snaffle to try on Sparks.
Sparky adored it. She began to go forward and into the contact, when before she’d freak at any rein contact, and stress herself into a quivering mess. She began to move long and low, and tuck her nose in. I was schooling her diligently, and she really was improving.
Sparky improving
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Early 2005/2006, we were schooling, jumping and I was beginning to trust her again. She began to trust me back, and our partnership was improving. At the end of the 2005/2006 season, she placed 3rd out of 27 starters at a pre-training ODE, on her dressage score. I was so rapt with my little pony trying her heart out for me.
Over the 2006 winter, I continued to work with her on her dressage. By then, she was not only my pony, but my best friend, a loving companion who would try her heart out for me. I’d bonded with this maniac little pony, and she’d worked her way into my heart.
Dressage before
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Dressage after
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I decided at the start of the 2006 season, that I was going to try Training (95cm) level eventing, as Sparks was romping around pre-training. Our first Training ODE was again at Waikanae Park, and I was terrified. The dressage was performed in pouring rain and mud, and Sparks only did okay because she was tucking her nose in to prevent rain blowing too drastically in her face. The cross-country was next, and I can honestly say I haven’t been that scared ever. The ground was slippery and muddy, but it’d stopped raining. Sparks was on a high, ready and waiting for whatever this was going to throw at her. She jumped incredibly well, no hesitation at anything. I was clinging on, doing very little to actually help, and Sparks pretty much carried me around going “YAHOO!!” at every jump. I ended up crying at the end, hugging her neck, and she nearly shook me off. During the show jumping, she knocked a rail, and we were 2nd out of 17 starters. I was so so so proud of my amazing little pony.
The next event was at Battle Hill. Her dressage was better than I’ve ever really felt before, she wasn’t as tense as usual, and was trying so hard to please me. Cross country, she was once again a machine. I just held on and let her gallop and jump. The bank complex, the water, chairs, tables, ditches, she just flew over. Show-jumping, she knocked two rails, but it was a tight technical course. She placed 3rd out of 22 starters, and got a special white ribbon with gold tassles for being closest to the time cross-country.
Sparky from Levin Sports Day
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Not long after this, Sparks fell lame. The vet was called, and it was diagnosed as mild DJD in her knees, just a part of the aging process. Sparks was turned out for about a month, to come sound in her own time.
Over the next few months, she came sound. I rode lightly, when I had time, and usually without a saddle as I was far too lazy to groom over and put her saddle on. She was pretty much sound the whole time, although had moments where she was a little iffy. I'd just get off, turn her out for a bit, then bring her back in. There was no stress, all that mattered to both of us was enjoying our time together.
A little while ago, my internet mate Dina came down to my place for the day to ride Sparks and meet me. Sparks was really quite well-behaved! I was surprised, as Sparks really doesn't have anyone but me ride her.
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Tally was on a joint supplement that was working well for him, but when I put Sparks on it, she fell pretty badly lame. I switched her back, but the damage had been done. Dear bright-eyed Sparks was only walking around the paddock, rather than her usual gallop, with dull eyes and a grumpy-as attitude. After a brief course of bute and some time off, she's finally back to normal, as I write this, I can see her galloping down the paddock, bucking, because her dinner is late. As it stands, I'll hopefully bring her back into work within the next week.
Sparky as it stands, 25+, 13.3hh with the biggest heart of any horse I've come across
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