Background

I´d been riding at the local stables for a few months before Soñador (pronounced Sonyador – and meaning “dreamer”) arrived. The first time I saw him being ridden I knew that I wanted him for my next lesson. He looked so handsome being ridden around the arena with his expressive movements. His arrival at the riding stables had been much anticipated as he was a pure bred PREx (Pura Raza Español cross) who had been specifically bred for his owner. But unfortunately before birth his dam had an illness which got transmitted to him and he ended up losing the sight in one of his eyes. So he has one normal brown eye and the other is slightly inset and a mottled blue, white and black.

The first lesson I had on him, I knew he was the horse for me … it was that moment when everything clicked into place and it felt like we really had a connection, you know how it goes. Knowing that I couldn´t afford to have my own horse on livery nor have the time to ride every day I asked the school owner immediately if she would consider doing a half share on him where I paid half the costs and got to ride him 3 times a week (with the school having him 3 days and Monday being his rest day). Thankfully she agreed and so our partnership of sorts began. By the time she put him up for sale 6 months later, I knew there was no way I could bear to have him disappear from my life, so I looked for a sharer of my own and found Pam who had also been taking lessons on him and fallen in love herself. She said she could take him 2 days a week and pay towards his upkeep. So my dream came true and I bought my very own Spanish horse.

 Soñador is a 15.2hh bay gelding, with plenty of life and expression in his gaits. The other day a lady who has her horse on livery asked his age and was shocked to find out that he was 12. She thought he was much younger with all the “energy” he had. I think she was actually trying to find a nice way to ask “how on earth can a 12 year old be so naughty?”
She has the most perfect black stallion imaginable who is 8 and I have never seen put a hoof wrong.

At 12 years old you would think he would know how to behave, but he still seems to take delight in seeing how he can show me up to everyone else each week. But I love him with all my heart regardless. I mean, how can anyone not love their horse - no matter how badly they misbehave!

The fact is that he was originally used as a “fiesta” horse, only brought out and ridden a couple of times a year in a procession and getting asked to prance around. Until a year and a half ago, he never really knew what schooling was, so he´s a bit of a late bloomer.

His having the use of only one eye doesn´t seem to bother him and most of the time everyone forgets that he is not quite like other horses. When approaching his blind side it´s always best to tell him you´re coming, otherwise he normally ends up swinging his head round to see what´s going on and knocking you over! But he´s proven very game and we have even been jumping up to just under 2 foot!

I´ve owned him properly for just over a year now and am still getting to know him. We recently moved him to a new yard which was closer to home and he seems to have brought a rather naughty character along with him!