I hadn't mentioned this before as I didn't want to tempt fate. I knew for sometime that Rick was trying to negotiate with Filly's owner that I could buy her. The sticking points were that the owner a) might want to breed from her and b) want a lot of money for her.
The reason for the price tag can neatly be summed up in her sire's website (I particularly suggest you watch the video). Now that is a lot of stallion ! Whilst Filly was very unlikely to make a good race horse, due to her injuries as a foal, there was a possible career as a breeding mare. With Phoenix Reach's genes inside her she was possibly worth a lot of money.
Anyway, I was flying my glider one day and my phone goes (I know I shouldn't use one airborne, but I leave it on as a locator beacon in case of an accident). So there I was at 3000 feet and Rick is asking if I want Filly. If so he is really going to push for it. Of course I do.
A week or so goes by with no word and I assume that it is not going to happen. Then on the 7th September I come home from Washington overnight. After a few hours sleep it is down to the yard to play. Rick comes up on his quad bike and starts a conversation. This then leads to the price of Filly. I have been offered her to buy !! With one caveat. I never breed her to a Thoroughbred Stallion. As I wouldn't want to anyway that is an easy promise to make. I am tired after a night flight and a little stunned. I decide to sleep on it, discuss it with Ritchie and give an answer the next day. I also have to make sure I have enough money to be able to keep her in part livery. I don't want to buy her and then compromise her care due to a lack of funds, where is the point in that ? Buying her is not the problem, I could afford that. Keeping her for the next 20 or 25 years is the issue.
The next day, after many hours discussing the proposal with Ritchie and more hours checking my finances I text Rick to accept.
Since then I have been trying to see Rick to pay the money and then I would truly believe she is mine. I am in Calgary now and have just received a text from Ritchie saying "Bought Filly today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY". For years Ritchie has asked what I want for birthday/Christmas and I always answered Filly. Now it's happened.
What is nice is all the well wishes I have had from the folks at the yard. They have all said what an amazing bond Filly and I have and how it was just meant to be that she would one day become my life partner. Amy had a little trouble catching her and her field mate, Shan, the other day. They weren't being naughty, just playful. She asked if I could help. We went to the field and I called Filly's name. She came straight over, at walk to start then with a purposeful trot. The amazing thing is that she left Shan in the process, who followed on behind.
So now what. Well now I have her for the next 20 years or so (she is only 4) I can finally make long term plans. Therefore I can take my time, discussing her training with all my Parelli professional friends and making a real plan for her future. In the meantime I am going to go back and get some of her online and liberty foundation really solid again in preparation for riding her. She has grown a lot in the last 6 months and is now actually a little taller than Bonitao so I have no concern about her being able to carry me. But maybe not for big jumps.
The reality of this is still sinking in, but the more it sinks in the happier I feel.
Of course this means that the Filly Billy blog is truly up and running again, with Filly taking her rightful place in it. I have been learning so much about animal training in the last few months, but the pressures of trying to help keep Shana going and then moving to Manor Farm and buying Filly have left me with precious little time to write. Now that is all settling down I can't wait to start sharing my progress again and hopefully inspiring others to join the rapidly growing Natural Horsemanship world.
The reason for the price tag can neatly be summed up in her sire's website (I particularly suggest you watch the video). Now that is a lot of stallion ! Whilst Filly was very unlikely to make a good race horse, due to her injuries as a foal, there was a possible career as a breeding mare. With Phoenix Reach's genes inside her she was possibly worth a lot of money.
Anyway, I was flying my glider one day and my phone goes (I know I shouldn't use one airborne, but I leave it on as a locator beacon in case of an accident). So there I was at 3000 feet and Rick is asking if I want Filly. If so he is really going to push for it. Of course I do.
A week or so goes by with no word and I assume that it is not going to happen. Then on the 7th September I come home from Washington overnight. After a few hours sleep it is down to the yard to play. Rick comes up on his quad bike and starts a conversation. This then leads to the price of Filly. I have been offered her to buy !! With one caveat. I never breed her to a Thoroughbred Stallion. As I wouldn't want to anyway that is an easy promise to make. I am tired after a night flight and a little stunned. I decide to sleep on it, discuss it with Ritchie and give an answer the next day. I also have to make sure I have enough money to be able to keep her in part livery. I don't want to buy her and then compromise her care due to a lack of funds, where is the point in that ? Buying her is not the problem, I could afford that. Keeping her for the next 20 or 25 years is the issue.
The next day, after many hours discussing the proposal with Ritchie and more hours checking my finances I text Rick to accept.
Since then I have been trying to see Rick to pay the money and then I would truly believe she is mine. I am in Calgary now and have just received a text from Ritchie saying "Bought Filly today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY". For years Ritchie has asked what I want for birthday/Christmas and I always answered Filly. Now it's happened.
What is nice is all the well wishes I have had from the folks at the yard. They have all said what an amazing bond Filly and I have and how it was just meant to be that she would one day become my life partner. Amy had a little trouble catching her and her field mate, Shan, the other day. They weren't being naughty, just playful. She asked if I could help. We went to the field and I called Filly's name. She came straight over, at walk to start then with a purposeful trot. The amazing thing is that she left Shan in the process, who followed on behind.
So now what. Well now I have her for the next 20 years or so (she is only 4) I can finally make long term plans. Therefore I can take my time, discussing her training with all my Parelli professional friends and making a real plan for her future. In the meantime I am going to go back and get some of her online and liberty foundation really solid again in preparation for riding her. She has grown a lot in the last 6 months and is now actually a little taller than Bonitao so I have no concern about her being able to carry me. But maybe not for big jumps.
The reality of this is still sinking in, but the more it sinks in the happier I feel.
Of course this means that the Filly Billy blog is truly up and running again, with Filly taking her rightful place in it. I have been learning so much about animal training in the last few months, but the pressures of trying to help keep Shana going and then moving to Manor Farm and buying Filly have left me with precious little time to write. Now that is all settling down I can't wait to start sharing my progress again and hopefully inspiring others to join the rapidly growing Natural Horsemanship world.
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