Timmy's first year in Sterkader Reiterhof.

Timmy arrived at Sterkrader Reiterhof, december 2013.

Right in january 2014, he needed to be castrated, as they did not accept stallions at Sterkrader Reiterhof.

So, in order to do so, Timmy was taken to the horse Clinic in Duisburg, where he had his castration operation. Everything went well, fortunately, and he could soon return home to his new stable and new horse friends.

We started off with some groundtraining to establish leadership and build a relationship with him.
I tried to put into practise some things that I learned from the Pat Parelli system, and went to a Clinic by the late Mara Munten, that was trained according to the freestyle system of Emiel Voest.

We practised outside on the outdoor riding arena and indoors.

Timmy had a small medical problem, called Schlundverstopfung, in the second month he was there. When that was solved, fortunately everything went quite well with him and he developed into a nice riding horse.

We did longeing and riding, and later on I practised work with the double longe with him.

Lara, the co-owner, rode him regularily, a few times a week.

Timmy had some moments of nipping and biting, but soon I managed to get rid of that behaviour by giving him trust and love and build up his selfconfidence, and we managed to establish a special bond and relationship of trust and partnership.

Timmy developed into a lovely and very sweet horse, that was always happy to see me. When I drove up on the driveway of the riding stable, he already walked or trotted to the door of the fence to greet me. That meant he recognized my car. ;) Very sweet.

I grew very fond of him. And he became a sort of real and true and loyal friend of mine.

Timmy first was kept in Mönchengladbach, here on this video, at his meadow where he went to in the mornings. 

timmy on the meadow


It was very exciting to get a my own horse. 

Those days I also wanted to see him under the saddle, and a girl rode him for me. 

The bit was too small, however, and he was ridden in quite a bad way. He was headshaking, and not at all comfortable, but I was sure that could be fixed with the right training. 

He was fierce and proud and looking strong willed in spite of his sweet eyes. 









So from there on, Timmy had two people looking out for him, first of all to save him and give him a good place. And second of all, to give him a nice life, away from the trotting courts, and running around there. 

On 30th december 2012 Timmy was bought by the two of us, and transported to Sterkarder Reiterhof in Oberhausen-Sterkrade. 

After christmas I kept on going back to the stable to be with him and to get to know him better. 
Meanwhile I was looking for a place for him to stay. It was quite hard to find a good place in such a short time. 

As being send, one of those days, a German family from Oberhausen, came to see Timmy, too, for their daughter Lara.  They came with their uncle, and were very interested too. 

As I was the first, I had the first choice. However I had no place to put him still. 
I came up with a plan, and preposition for them. 
If we could share Timmy, buy him together, and pay for the fees, of lodging, food, and everything that came with it. They wanted to put him up in a manege, very close by their home in Oberhausen. 

We had met a few times more often, and we decided we had a deal. Also because the owner wanted to get rid of the two horses in not so nice ways. 

Timmy, my special horse.

I was very glad to be able to get to know him a little bit in these first day. He was brought to the meadow each afternoon, for a few hours before returning to his stable. So I got to know him on the meadow and while he was in his stable. 

Observing him in the meadow, I noticed he was quite playful and lively. I also got to know him while being tied to the wall,  where I could groom him, brush him and scratch his hooves. He got slightly impatient there and was scratching his feet over the ground, and slightly pulling and not always standing still. In the stable however he was very sweet and calm.  I could easily brush him and also hoofpick him there. He was very trusting towards me. Very nice. 

He was very beautiful. Black manes and a black tail, and a small piece of white on his left hind leg. Very attentive look in his eyes, playful and very sweet eyes. 

Timmy, my special horse.

So, on 22 december 2012 I drove up to the farm in Mönchengladbach. 

There they were in their stables, next to eachother. Both looking beautiful. One was slightly smaller then the other. I immediately had a click with Timmy. 
He was not called Timmy yet, then, but Vacarme de Gratens his french name given to him by his breeder. 

Because I am quite tall, the owner of the farm, thought Vacarme would be the best horse for me, because, Venturi, his brother was slightly smaller. And Timmy was a little bit more quiet, she said. 

I drove up to the farm several times, to see if we had a click. I saw him in the meadow, and I went to walk with him on the street. I felt so happy and proud, with the thought this wonderful creature would perhaps become mine. 

Christmas 2012 was spend by me in the stable with Timmy. The owner came up with the name Timmy, because it was short and nice, and we kept that name. 

Timmy had been trained on the trot racing track since he was very young, only 2 years old. 

He was trained in France and also in Germany, in Mönchenglad bach at the "Trabrennbahn".

http://www.mgtrab.de/

Because he was a friction too slow to be of real interest for the owner, he decided to sell him, like his little brother, Venturi, who had travelled with him from the south of France. 

So both of them were offered in an advertisement of 

Privahttp://privatepferdevermittlung.de/te 

Private Pferdenvermittlung in Germany. 

I decided to call them to make an appointment to go and see them. 
They were kept at an old farm, near the airport.