Horsie Story Tyme !
In my previous post, I shared a bit about my background in gaming.
This time, let’s talk about horses. I have owned horses ever since I was 14 years old, with a few breaks here and there. Currently, I have two Irish Cobs: Aava and Aaron.
Before I tell you more about them, let me share how it all began.
Long time ago..
I started my equestrian hobby when I was about 10 years old. Before that, I had been involved in gymnastics and other related activities. The idea of spending time with horses mostly came from the fact that one of my classmates attended a riding school. Well, you know how it goes—you have to imitate your friend, or at least give it a try if it seems cool to you.
Horses felt intimidating, and every day at the stable was exciting in itself. During my very first riding lesson, someone led the horse for me, and right away we tried trotting and rising to the trot. It was honestly terrible, but I still couldn’t wait to get back on a horse again.
On my second riding lesson, there happened to be no one available to lead me, so I had to manage on my own. That time, we even tried cantering, and my horse gave a little joyful buck, which sent me headfirst into the arena wall. And then—back in the saddle I went! 😀
I kept going to riding lessons as persistently as possible, whenever it was financially feasible for our family. At some point, we discovered a small harness racing stable that was looking for horse caretakers because their current helpers were leaving to study elsewhere. This was truly a dream come true—we got to care for and walk the horses as much as we wanted, from morning until evening. Rain or shine, and even in -35°C weather, we’d ride our bikes to the stable with friends and spend hours there. We also rode these harness racing horses, and probably because of that, my ability to stay on a horse improved quickly.
Riding Camp
I have always attended the same riding camp in Central Finland. The first time I went, I was just a beginner and couldn’t manage with a young Finnish horse that I had hoped to lease at the camp. So instead, I was given an experienced old Finnhorse who, in just a week, taught me how to get over my fear of cantering—even if I failed—and to trust that I, too, could become better as long as I didn’t give up. A year later, I was already able to handle that more challenging horse, Öpi. From then on, Öpi and I had a true love-hate relationship..
I attended those camps until I was 18, for as long as they kept holding summer camps at that place. I also spent one summer there with my first own horse, Lady. Lady was sold at the end of the camp because keeping a horse seemed expensive at the time (which is funny compared to nowadays :D). During my last camp, I bought the horse named Pelle (Flaming Pinnacle) I had been leasing at the time. That’s when I really started doing stable work as well, since you have to keep your horse at a stable somewhere.
Hoppy Turns into a Jop
I’ve done a lot of work with harness racing horses, foals, broodmares, stallions—pretty much everything you can imagine in the horse world. If I started telling all those stories here, this post would never end! 😀
I started my own stable business in 2012, simply because I was already doing stable work equivalent to caring for two horses, twelve hours a day. I figured I’d rather wear myself out working at my own stable than doing it for someone else.
I named my stable after my main horse at the time (BWT Rainyday), calling it Stable Rainyday. To run the business, I rented a stable with facilities a short drive from my home. Later, my then-husband and I moved to a house in the countryside, where I was able to bring the horses home and didn’t have to pay separately for stable facilities. That’s also when I ended my stable business, for a number of reasons. But that’s a story for another time…
“Once in a Lifetime” Horse
The Öpi (Tähden Hetki) I mentioned earlier, I bought him during the time I ran my business, when he was 16 years old. By then, he wasn’t quite as infuriating as he had been when he was younger. 😀 Still, he could sometimes stir up disapproval with his behavior. Öpi was a bit mean, clever, and cunning—but above all, he was a safe horse to ride. And he was The Horse for me.
I accompanied Öpi on his final journey when he was 25, in 2021. That summer, Öpi spent his last months with me and Aava. And that summer is one of the best of my life. <3
So many wonderful memories and experiences, but also sadness and loss, fit into those years in between. Horses have always been the thing that keeps me sane, and without them, I probably wouldn’t even be here writing this. My life has been quite a rollercoaster from the very beginning..
Today
After Öpi, I was left with Aava. Aava came to me when she was one and a half years old and now she is eight.
Aava had a companion for a few years—an Irish Cob foal named Tuco (Tulla’s Croga), who was sold as a well-behaved youngster to a new home. Tuco was a really handsome horse, but so darn small that he probably never would have grown into a suitable riding horse for me anyway! 😀
Aava has had one foal—our very charming (and sometimes exasperating) Aaron. Aaron was never meant to stay with me, but really, when have I ever been able to say no to a horse, especially one I bred myself? 😀 Aaron is now a two-year-old gelding. He’s got a good basic temperament, but he’s also quite a rascal, much like Öpi was. As a colt, Aaron was completely impossible—he could suddenly bolt off in any direction for no reason at all. You really had to have eyes in the back of your head.
Both horses live at a wonderful boarding stable. Aava is leased to my friend and is currently at a stud farm, hopefully to be bred so my friend can have her own foal next summer.
With Aaron, we’ve been practicing driving with a cart, and this summer we also started doing a bit of riding lessons. Aaron’s attention span is practically nonexistent, but in hopes of treats, he always tries his best.
I’ll share more about Aava and Aaron in separate posts later on.
I hope the text isn’t too confusing—there’s just so much history and so many experiences with my different horses that it’s hard to focus only on the main points, so the story doesn’t end up getting out of hand! 😀
Thank you for reading! Leave a comment if there’s something you’re particularly interested in—I’ll try to write a post about it. 🙂
Regards Kisse
