Introduction

Captain De Bec

The Trails and Tribulations of a young horse.

I would like to introduce myself.  I am a Knabstrupper/ Oldenburg gelding living in the USA.   (A quick explanation of a Knabstrupper – it is a rare breed of horse from Denmark, usually with some black or brown spots on a white base, but I am special and have no spots at all!!)  This photo is of me as a foal - gorgeous arent I?

I was born on November 15, 2010. It wasn't too cold considering it was November but I would've liked to have been born in June or July to enjoy the sun on my back for many hours.  

My mom's name is Cherry and my dad's name is Atlantis.  I was born in Virginia, my mom was born in Germany and so was my dad, but now he lives in Alabama and she lives in Virginia and I live in Pennsylvania.  We are quite a travelled lot I think.

 

This is a picture of my Dad – good looking isn’t he?

                                                  

                                               

And this is my Mom - I love her.

I enjoyed my first year of life, just playing around in the fields each day, eating grass and hay and playing with a friend or two - and then everything changed!  

My human mom, at that time, came to visit and changed my life.  She took me away from my mother and put me in another field with a friend to play with.  

Some other things happen to me at that time too. A man called a vet came to visit and did things to my mouth, my neck and to my bottom and I was a bit surprised, I have to tell you.  I didnt feel good at all for a few days. 

About a month after this happened things changed again.  A very big truck and trailer, that could hold 6 horses, arrived at the farm early in the morning.  My human mom had been around for a few days brushing me and talking to me about going on a journey.  I didn’t really know what she meant by that, but by the end of that day I did! 

I followed my mom up to and onto the big trailer, she gave me some treats and then shut the doors.  It got darker and I was a little worried about what was happening and then the trailer moved. What a shock!  I had to spend the next 6 hours trying to stand still as the trailer moved about. 

When it finally stopped and the doors were opened I was in a strange place with no one around that I knew.  It was very scary.  I just stood at the doorway staring out, I neighed and somebody answered me, so I neighed again.  It was great to hear another horse, but I didn’t know who it was or where they were.  (The other horses were in the barn and I couldn’t see them.)

I built up the courage and jumped out of the trailer and looked around.  I could see fields and fences and a barn, but I couldnt see any horses.  

The man who had driven the truck and trailer handed my lead rope to a lady I didnt know.  

She talked quietly to me and stroked me and then led me to a gate which led into the field.  I didnt know where I was going so I stopped and wouldnt go through, so the lady led me to another gate, which was very big.  I went though this one and then she led me into the barn.

The barn was cool and had six horses in it.  They were all very interested in me, but I was very tired and scared and just wanted to lie down and sleep. The lady led me into a nice big stall with nice soft bedding, hay and water.  I took a long drink, sniffed the horse next to me and then lay down for a long snooze.

More of my story to follow. :)