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* Horses with asterisk in front of their name were purchased as Prospect Horses directly from the track.

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Jennifer and Thistle with Jessica up.

Jennifer and Thistle with Jessica up.

 

Bits & Bytes Farm Success Stories

Our horses > success stories > Eddie's Departure

Thistle - Found a good home.

January 2007

Thistle is sound and can be ridden.
Thistle is sound and can be ridden.

Thistle's owner's jobs have changed and they are traveling too much to keep horses at home. They would like to find a home for Thistle but her life-long buddy Eddy's Departure needs to go with her.The horses will be offered FREE to a good home*. There will be restrictions on reselling these horses. They must be kept together. Both horses are totally sound and can be ridden. They are both 19 years old. They were both in the group of 25 Special Horses. Both horses have been ridden by their owners who are not riders. Thistle and Eddy's Departure have found a new home together!

*Restrictions on selling these horses will apply. We are looking for a permanent home where they will be ridden and loved.

Thistle and Eddy's Departure need a home together.Thistle and Eddy's Departure need a home together. They have been together all their lives.

Thistle and Eddy's Departure are FREE to a good home.

March 2006

Hi Elizabeth & Joe:

We had a very exciting day at Wild Shamrock Farm today! Jennifer & Jessica (MY Sparky Boy's new owners) were here for a couple of hours....and rode both Eddy and Thistle. You've waited a long time for their success story, haven't you? Let me know how many of the 33 pics we took you would like to have. :>)

Our work the past weeks lunging Eddy & Thistle did show - you could tell we've done a little more with them than just treating them like the King & Queen of the farm. They both lunged in both directions well, even with a surveyor tramping around the perimeter of the property, the wind howling and the chilly temps. Eddy is a little lazy and has to be encouraged to trot on the line; Thistle shows more spirit and speed. Her stride is longer and I hear she is a more comfortable ride. Eddy is a "cute mover" according to Jennifer & Jessica. They also could not believe how much he resembles Sparky in appearance and disposition. Frankly, when Sparky was here, it was hard for us to tell them apart from a distance - had to check the tails to be sure!

Eddy and Jessica - March 25, 2006
Eddy and Jessica - March 25, 2006

After lunging Eddy, Jessica was sent up to ride him bareback -- only partly because she was the lightest of all of us. She sure has her way with horses. Jennifer fashioned the lung line into reins and Eddy carried Jessica at a walk with not a care in the world. She had to work to get him to keep moving! With this success under her belt, Jennifer then had Tim mount Eddy. Understand that both Tim and I fall into the 'novice' rider category! We were always the Barn Mom & Dad....not the rider. Tim was up in no time and Eddy again walked around obediently.

Tim and Eddy's with Jennifer in the lead. March 25, 2006
Tim and Eddy's with Jennifer in the lead. March 25, 2006

Then Jennifer lunged Thistle, who works well but always has an expression that says "Haven't you heard? I already did this - I'm retired!" Jessica got on the mounting block to back Thistle and WOAH....Thistle braced, looked around as if to say - "I'm outta here! I'm a broodmare you goofs!" So, Jennifer put the lunging surcingle on Thistle, very, very gingerly. Thistle seemed pretty unhappy about this. When asked to walk, Thistle was frozen. "I can't move with this thing around me....what are you thinking???" "I don't think I can breathe....I think I'm gonna faint!" "Wait....wait, well my feet will still move. OK. OK. She's not wearing a jockey cap. I don't see a crop anywhere. OK.... OK... but only a couple of steps."

Then, after just a few minutes, "See? I know what I'm doing. I was a Breeders Cup Nominee. You can't scare me with a silly surcingle. So there."

Not being one who shys away or backs down easily, Jennifer again had Jessica up on the block, leaning into Thistle while she cooed, patted and praised her. Soon after, Jessica was walking and trotting bareback on Thistle.

Jennifer and Thistle with Jessica up.
Jennifer and Thistle with Jessica up.

Thistle is definitely more alert and more ready to spring into action than Eddy. Jennifer and Jessica agreed to come back for a few more training session. At the end of that time, I hope to be on one of the horses, rather than behind the camera. Originally we thought I'd ride Thistle and Tim would ride Eddy, but we are rethinking that pairing. It did become clear that we will need to ride both of them together as they do not like being separated at all....but that is what we had hoped to do all along. So you see, another perfect match!

Melanie & Tim O'Donnell

Jessica and Thistle
Jessica and Thistle

December 2005

Thistle was purchased by Melanie and Tim O'Donnell of Ball Ground, Georgia. Read the story of our 25 Special Horses. News story one. News story two.

Thistle arrives in Georgia.
Thistle arrives in Georgia.

November 2005

Thistle was one of our 25 Special Prospect Horses

18 yr old mare. Seven foals. She is almost black in the summer. 16 hh. Very correct. Cleaned up, this mare would be gorgeous. Great body type. Dominant mare of her field.

Thistle in November 2005

 

Thistle in November 2005


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