Life's Thread's

Life has some amazing threads that l have been involved in. One of them concerned my horse Tuckys Dream and took about 30 years to pull back into one thread.

My horse in Bulawayo Tuckys Dream, was a lovely grey and bloody minded with it. If l did not concentrate she would go under a low branch and attempt to sweep me off as though l was a fly. I hated using a saddle so if l was wrong footed l could be caught out. She would then stop and have a graze while l de twigged myself. She loved tough fast riding. In other words jumping no not really, hammer round a gymkhana course or red rover (a rough game) ride out into the veld or swim in a dam and she was in her element.

It was Archibald from Leander that arranged the purchase of Tuckys Dream from Salisbury. She had a horrendous journey to Bulawayo. The horse box crashed and at least horse was killed. It took hours (over 20) for the others to be freed, returned to Salisbury and then sent down again to Bulawayo. This gave Tucky a lifelong aversion to horse boxes.

When l collected her l was to ride her from the Show Grounds to Leander overflow stables where she was to live. She arrived while the annual Trade Fair was on.
We started out fine, l was riding her out of the side entrance and setting off along the dirt track towards the main road, CLUNK CHUNG ROARRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr the pump house started up as we went past.
Things got a bit confusing at this point. I am not sure what manoeuvre Tucky used but she changed ends and l swapped horse back for dirt road.
Luckily she headed back into the show grounds and someone caught her for me. Once back on her and with many wary looks and snorts from her we made it round the pump house and headed home.

We had several happy years together getting up to mischief till l left the country and had to sell her.

The amazing end to Tucky’s story was in 2007 l was talking to a friend John in my websites chat room. He is in his 70s and now lives in UK, but was from Bulawayo. He was telling me about his daughter and her horse. Thinking l may have known her l asked the horse’s name, l remember animals better than people.

“Tucky’s Dream” was the reply.

My eyes froze on the screen and my heart hammered, tears formed and l asked for more information. It was such a shock after 30 years. I had known that the people who bought her from us had been unable to handle her and l was told she had gone to Greenway Riding School.
Apparently Archibald had bought her back from the people not Greenway. I was glad l had not known that part, he was scum and l would have freaked.

John’s daughter had fallen in love with Tucky when she rode at Leander. On her eighth birthday John walked her to the paddock.

“Well, what do you think of the horse?” he asked her

“It’s Tucky Dad, you know l love her” said his Daughter.

“Just as well” said John, “As l have just bought her for you”

They had her for many years. I did not ask what ultimately happened to her, that part l am a coward over and don’t want to know.