Tigger

  This is my horse, Tigger, my beautiful boy with whom I have spent so many happy hours. And I have to find a new home for him.

Registered/show name: Letigra
13 years. (1-8-2001)
15.3hh
TBxQuarter Horse
Sire: A Touch of Hillbilly
Gelding
NZ$8,000

Tigger and His History

 I bought Tigger from his breeders at Kate's Riding Center where I also learn to ride. I remember watching him as a yearling running and playing with the other youngsters which we were never aloud to work with of course. To us young girls relegated to naggy school ponies they were the ultimate prize. One day we would ride well enough to have a real horse! Tigger was started and competed and I remember helping out as a groom at a couple of event where Tigger was taken also never knowing he would be mine soon. He competed at novice level eventing and had potential to go on and be a great competition horse. But then I bought him. After years of nagging my parents for a horse when I was fifteen we could finally afford one. Kate offered me Tigger to trial, and after riding him a few times I didn't want to try another horse.

  We brought him home and for the last seven years I have had much joy out of him. We don't have our own land but that wasn't going to stop me, so I grazed him here and there throughout the neighborhood and surrounding farms. He has often been with other horses which he really loves, but there have been times that I have had to graze him on his own. He is fine with that but I can tell he is more happy when he has other horses to run with. I have not competed him at all beyond taking him to the local rodeo once and winning wow factor points for doing it with no bridle. He is too slow and big to compete against rodeo ponies!

 What I wanted a horse for was to have fun! I just love them, if there were competitions for freestyle reining or natural horsemanship routines that's what I would do. I wanted to be able to ride him with no headgear at all, so I trained him to do that and I ride him most of the time with just a rope around his neck. I love jumping also so I have done a lot of that with him, and I think he enjoys it too. I've taken him to the beach and gone for some wild gallops which he really loves. I had some Perelli books and when I first got him I did that with him which was fun. But I didn't stick to it strictly and have ridden him as I was taught to ride and use basic pressure and release principles. I don't claim to be an amazing rider and I know he could go so much further with a more experienced rider or if I had more time for him. Lately I've been wanting to do horseback archery with him.

  So those are the kinds of things I've done with him. I also ride him out over the hills a lot. He will go anywhere I ask him too even if he is nervous and has never blankly refused. Once I was riding with others all on stocky sure footed ponies who were all fitter and tougher than Tigger. We came to a deep ditch and washed out path which none of the ponies would go through. I had a go with Tigger and though trembling he didn't refuse and carefully stepped down the bank into the scary steep washed out path. I felt very proud of my boy and the other ponies, satisfied it was safe, followed his example. I haven't floated him much, but I've never had any problem with him when I have.

Why I am Selling Tigger:

 Recently the man I love asked me a life changing question to which I said 'yes' so this summer I will be getting married and moving away down to Christchurch where we will be for two years and after that our plans are so uncertain and include a lot of traveling overseas that I have had to make some big decisions about my horse. I've thought of every possible way of keeping him. But in Christchurch I could not afford to keep him and may not have enough time for him to justify taking him down. I've thought of leasing him for a couple years then we might be living in the North Island again. But that wont be fair on everyone, whoever is leasing wont be able to fully feel like he is their horse and will then have to give him up again and I would like him with someone who can really bond with him. And I know that horses do change with the way people ride them, and everyone is different and so it will be confusing for Tigger to swap owners.

  Yes, I have been told to sell the boyfriend and keep the horse, but I'm afraid it's too late for that. Ring on my finger and everything, can't even call my heart my own...

   And so I've come to the conclusion that the best way will be to find the very best new home for him that I can. Then I can move on and not continually worry that I am neglecting Tigger or that I might have to end up finding a home for him in the end anyway. I will be happy knowing he is with someone who really loves him.

What Kind of Home I want for Tigger:

I wouldn't feel comfortable giving up Tigger unless I knew he was going to a really good home. Of course someone who could really love him and take the best care of him. He has been barefoot all his life and I would definitely like to keep him that way. Since I have owned him I have not used any kind of bit. I hope that his new owner wouldn't either unless they were very experienced. I wouldn't even consider myself or Tigger experienced enough for a bit they are too potentially painful.

I would love to find him a home with someone who dose not ride to compete, but because they just love it. Someone who practiced a kind of natural horsemanship would be awesome and who would want to ride bridle-less and do all that kind of fun stuff and continue teaching Tigger new 'tricks'.

Mainly I just want a home for him where he can run with other horses in huge spaces, have a loving owner who would spend lots of time having fun with him, and plan to keep him always.

What I'm asking for him:

I don't really feel like I'm selling Tigger, just finding him a new family. But I can't let him go for nothing. Firstly I know that someone willing to pay for him would be really serious about valuing him and take care of him. And in the second place, Caleb and I have no money so Tigger is going to have to pay for our wedding and honeymoon. I am hoping for 8,000 for him though he is worth so much more to me.

Other things about Tigger you might want to know:

He is a beautiful red chestnut four stockings and a white blaze, and one little white spot on the top of his tail. He looks stunning just washed and in the afternoon sun.

  He dose get rain scald mildly every winter which can give him a sore back to ride. But that has never been a big problem. He had a sore back once and we took him to the horse physio which helped and he is all over that. He's got some little scars here and there from minor casualties but he has never had a serious injury since I have had him. He dose pretty well on most grass and there have only been a couple of poor winters when I have had to feed him extra.

  His teeth were last done about three years ago. His feet have been trimmed regularly, and for the last couple of years I have been doing them myself since my brother who was a professional moved overseas. They are not the toughest of feet and when he has been on soft grass for a while he is a bit tender on the road. But if he is regularly ridden on road or arena river shale they harden up.

  He is registered with ESNZ under the name of Letigra and will probably be still listed under his breeders name. I never changed the ownership as I never planned to compete. I still have the papers so his next owner will be able to change his ownership if they like.

If you have more questions you can comment below or email me at felicityfdeverell@gmail.com

Here are some more photos of Tigger and also some videos that I have of him enjoy. I can't look at them enough! The other riders in some photos are my brothers.