I am 20 year's old, and my name is Melissa.

Also into Heavy Metal/Goth/Rock/Oldies music.

I am an Andalusian horse breeder - In partnership with my mum - We are called Tralissa Andalusians Stud and we own 3 Andalusians, 1 Stallion, 1 Mare and a 2 year old Filly, a Part-Bred Andalusian 1 year old Filly, a Welsh Cob X Arab, a Cob X 7/8th's TB mare and a Miniature shetland Stallion.

We are currently doing work on our farm. We unfortunately lost our house to a fire a few week's back, in July. So I'm living with my nan, my parents are living in a log cabin at the farm, and my brothers are living in a stable we converted into a room for the time being.

My dad is hoping that we will all be in by November, but I very much doubt that. It's been tough, I can't wait to get back in the house really.

4 of my mare's are living out, due to the dog's having to move into their stables. So there's my 1 year old filly, and the 2 stallions living in.

The farm's an even bigger mess than before, alot of mud and stuff, but they have moved so much stuff, so it's looking cleaner.

I just can't wait till everything is done. My dad's also adding 2 new stables and sorting out 3 more, also turning the garage into 1 or 2 stables.

I also give small riding lessons to local people, I have made many a confident rider, and they are now doing local shows on their own horses and ponies. They aren't like proper lessons because I don't get paid for it, I just do it because I enjoy it and love giving people the help they need. I am currently working with two 12 year old girls who both don't have much confidence riding (I expierienced this for myself one day while taking them out for a hack) I'm going to give them lessons in controlling their horse (They have huge problems doing that) and trying to correct their posture, learn leg aides and so on. Then hopefully after a few months, we could move onto further things.

I completed 2 years of college, studying Horsecare. I have done a FD course and my NC course. I was taught Horse behaviour, Horse Health and Husbandry, Stable Management, Equine Science (Biology) Industrial Organisation, Buisness Studies, Estate Skills, Grassland Management, IT and completed a years work experience at the college yard - I was involved in lessons, working horses, lunging, assisting in lessons as well as mucking out, feeding and watering, bandaging, running up for inspection, fitting tack and rugs, cleaning tack and learning about different type of tack - The works!

I have completed my Stage 1 Riding and Horsecare and I have also passed my Riding and Roadsafety Test.

Sadly I left after 2 years, due to problems with a person from college, who stayed with me for 9 weeks, abused and threatened to put down my horses, called me a lousy friend and what not, I threw her out and I don't want to see her ever again, she can rot in **** for all I care, noone abuses my horses. I know I shouldn't leave just because of that, there are other reasons as well, I suffer from depression and other things, but my friends, family and horses keep me on track.

Stories

Puntal V/Luca

The Story

We got Luca a year ago, he was bought over from Spain. He took a week to arrive, because he stopped in Holland for a day or two. He lost alot of weight on his journey here, but now he's a bit on the podgy side, but he's a very happy horse. You forget he's a stallion, because he has no stallion habits at all. He's just the best, he's VERY safe to ride, hasn't bucked or thrown me off. Even if he's not been out in the field/paddock for over week, he's an absolute angel to ride. He is used to cover our mares, and once his mane grows back, I will hopefully be taking him to Hartpury college to show in hand and ridden. At the moment, we just hack out, but I am going to start teaching him jumping. He was bred by the famous spanish Benito Sierra Fraga, great grandson to the most famous Andalusian in the world, Vasallo II. He has the best bloodlines and his father was champion of spain, now his brother Remache follows in his father, Yaco II's footsteps and is now champion of Spain. His sisters/brothers and half sisters/brothers are all mainly champions and won many 1st's at SICAB, a big spanish show held in Spain. Luca was due to be sold at SICAB, but we bought him just in time.


Fenda II

Her previous owners were selling all of their stock. So we decided to buy her, along with her filly (Who I will get to in a minute) We got her in Novemeber, around 2 years ago on Bonfire night. Shes doing really good. Fenda is one out of 2 mares in the UK to have only thrown a chestnut Andalusian, and he was absolutely STUNNING. He was also for sale when I went to see Fenda and Breeze. Fenda has bred champions and she has been put in magazines, which I still can't believe to this day... She's won many in hand shows and is in a book which we pressume is called "The book of merits" or I think, she has the Calificardo merit (Or something like that) (Luca's parents and grand parents and so on were also contained in it, so were Fenda's) She's practically a prized brood mare. She isn't broken in, but I really do hope to break her in, her movements are to die for... Contains Cardenas (Spelling) bloodlines.

Breeze

Basically, it's the same as Fenda's story really. I can't quite remember. She was frightened of humans though, obviously, she was a young, it took a few days to actually be able to stroke her. But now, she's a very huggable horse. And if you ever feel down, go into the field, and Breeze will be there to give you a hug if you feel like having a good cry. She's around 15:1HH right now and is 2 years old. She's made excellent progress and now follows me around, let's me stroke her, pick up her legs, hug her. She was a very nervous filly when I first got her. She's doing very well, will hopefully mature over 16: HH and will eventually grey out. She will be used to jump, and maybe do a bit of dressage. We were hoping to enter her in Hartpury show this year, to enter an in-hand 2 year old class. She has brilliant movement also.

Chase

Chase was rescued by us, along with her best friend (Who I will also talk about in a few minutes.) Let's just say, she was kept in a stable with over 2ft of manure, no water, no hay, no feed and there wasn't a blade of grass to be seen outside of the stable. She was 4 years old when I had her, very weak and skinny, you wouldn't believe it's the same horse. I have pictures of when I got them, but they looked worse in real life. We got them for £250 each, and I tell you what, they are worth around £4,000 and over. She is very spoilt horse, but she will always be well looked after, she has taught me ALOT. I don't know where I would be without this mare, we have a bond that noone will ever be able to have with their horse. I can't explain it, but I trust her so much, and she has practically been in life and death situations. She escaped a serious injury in the field which as the vet said, was a miracle. He said she should have broken one or 2 legs, but miraculously escaped with a few cuts and swollen legs. She's like Spirit. Anyone who has met this mare, has fallen in love instantly. She's a nutcase (Meaning things from the past have made her a bit crazy in the head) She chases people and whatnot. She's trampled my mum, she's kicked me, she's nearly kicked me in the head, she's bitten and she's reared up and lashed out. And was un-broken. Now, I can gallop her bareback without a bridle or headcollar, and my family can now walk up to her without her chasing them, but she still does it to intruders, and also while I am out riding her, she has a tendancy to chase people. Chase is used for jumping and hacking.

Gypsy

Read Chases, they were both in the same conditions. Gypsy was about 1/2 years old when I had her, and already broken in. But she was a sweet mare, and one I love very much. Like chase, she's been in a few accidents, but she's pulled through. She now has a 1 year old Part bred andalusian filly named Raine. Gypsy is bombproof, clumsy/dumb and she's a very friendly mare. She's a brilliant jumping horse. She's great for hacking, jumping and cross country. The college I studied at also plan to have her if it's fine with me. I still don't know yet, as I am not there anymore, and some of the people I know there are rough with some horses.

Raine

Well, you know...

We put Gypsy in foal to Luca, and they this little bundle of joy Hehe. She's very inquisitive (Spelling?) She's mostly gained more of Luca's personality more than anything. She can be very cheeky and naughty at times. She's a fast learner and jumps 3/4 - 3FT already (A jump was left up in the paddock, and while taking Gypsy into her stable, Raine was loose and decided to take a running jump and cleared the jump and also decided to jump the gate) So that's what I plan to do with her once she is fully grown. She's already learned Spanish walk and loves to practice, aha. She is also greying out.

Willow

I rescued him from Gipsies... He was being hit by kids and was kept inside a dirty trailer. He was only a few months old when I had him, but he's ok now, he lived out with Gypsy and Chase until he was old enough and developed stallion habits. He's a naughty pony and I would get rid of him if I could, but because of Luca, it's hard. They are best friends...