| |
Dear
Irene
,
Finally a formal update on Lightning
Jack HW -- in the Barn, we have
decided to call him Hans (Hansie) which, I have come to understand
is another name for Jack! Hansie is more beautiful
than his pictures and his temperament is simply the best.
We have been pretty shocked by how level-headed he is about
all the new things around him. He is not bothered by
much at all whether under saddle or walking around outside -- he
doesn't want to leave the fields when we take him to graze after his
workout, but who can blame him?! He knows us already and
seems very happy to be around us and part of our gang.
He is sweet, beautiful, sensible, and learns quickly. I
couldn't be happier with him. He is everything you said –
and more. We will send you pictures as his training
progresses. Special thanks to Tanja for sending him over so
beautifully. His bay coat was/is covered with dapples, his
feet, mane and tail were all healthy, trimmed and vibrant.
Thank you for your help, time and honesty.
All the best,
Alix
I am the lucky person who has
"Hansie"
(Lightning
Jack HW) in training. As a rather conservative professional, I
wasn't too keen on importing a horse sight unseen. By all means, I
liked the photos and video presentation of Hansie on the website,
and it all looked intriguing. But, not having seen the horse in
person made me very uneasy. An incidental conversation with you,
Irene
, revealed that our riding and training background went back to the
same trainer in
Germany
. My intuition told me that we were in good hands and sure enough,
Irene
and Tanja, Hansie is so far everything you described him to be. Not
only that, he is a wonderful young horse who was started the good
old fashion German way, solid, all along the training scale. There
is no hidden agenda, there are no short cuts in that training. He is
simply solid. I am looking forward to having him in training, and
hope to do him justice out there in the dressage rings!
Sincerely,
Sybille
|
Irene,
It's been a while but wanted to let you know how Donna
Doria is doing (we call her Tinkerbell because she is
such a girl). It took her a while to settle into her new
home and we've been so busy that I haven't had time to
update you.
She is doing so well. She is a beautiful mare and the most
wonderful thing about her is her temperament. She runs to
the gate when I go to get her; she's so excited to be
"played" with. She grooms me while I groom her and
will plant her face into your chest; she is very
affectionate and I am nuts about her. We are taking her
training slowly; partly because we have had such lousy
weather (flood or extreme heat) and because I have been so
busy. She is coming along well though and we think she will
be ready to show by spring.
Thank you Irene; I truly love this mare.
Jennifer |
Hello Irene!
Here comes a report
from Walk
of Fame. It was very exciting to buy a horse, only from
the website! So when she came I was a little bit nervous,
what have we bought? But I can only say, she is the most
fantastic little mare! (with very big ears) She must be
something big in the dressage-world. We really love this
horse, she is amazing, and her stable name is Angel, that
says everything! (I hope) Very kind and best regards
Liselotte and Karl
from
Sweden
|
Hello
Irene.
Fürstentanz
is absolutely wonderful. He is such a good boy, and my
daughter Kelly loves him very much. Kelly says that he is
so sweet and easy to handle. We can’t wait to get out and
show him off. Next year is the Danish Championship for 4
year olds, and Kelly will definitely start him. He
feels already right at home. He is such a delight. Of course
we will stay in touch and brief you with results and send
pictures.
Yours sincerely, Anne and Kelly. |
Hello
Irene,
Yes,
I have ridden High
Quality HW several times now. He is a delight.
Such a love bug. Tanja has done a very good job with
him. Tell her he has settled very well. He has a
big appetite. He is getting a lots of attention, and
he eats it up.
(I think he grew taller already!). I love him.
We will do well together… I’ll keep you updated
from time to time.
|
Hi
Irene, Saw your horse on DreamHorse.com...looked at
your website...just had to compliment you and your
trainers...WOW! What really nice, nice horses with
such extensions and propulsion. WOW again! Not
looking to buy but had to say your program is awesome!
Connie |
Sunny,
(Sandjour
Hit) is doing wonderful. His behavior continues to
amaze me. He just turned 3 a week ago and he is just
so reasonable. I was lucky to have 4 training sessions
with Ingo Menze. Ingo just got on Sunny and without
any effort made him look like a star. It was the first time
I had seen him ridden in the flesh. WOW he looked great, and
he is just a baby. We have started venturing out too.
He is so good about seeing new places and things. I
think trail riding him this summer will be no problem. The
possibilities are endless.
Thank
you so much. Holly |
Hi
Irene-
Just
a quick note to tell you how well Calito (now called
“Calito WF) is doing, and how happy we are with our
purchase through you! He has a great attitude, and
everything just comes easily to him. His trainer (
Paige Finnegan
) adores him. He is everything you said, and more.
When we bought him in mid-January, you advertised him as a 2nd
/ 3rd level horse that had the ability to
advance. He had a single change in each direction, but he
had never done a pirouette or a tempi change. He showed a
green PSG in mid-April, but still scored 63% and placed 4th.
Last weekend at t GMHA he did PSG and Intermediate- I and
got better each day. Although a new pair, Paige and Calito
WF are becoming a “team.” Paige now knows that Calito WF
needs very little warm up. He does best if you just take him
out of the stall, do 10 minutes of warm-up and go!! The
results of last weekend were as follows:
Day
|
Date
|
Level
|
Score
|
Placing
|
Friday
|
6/15/07
|
PSG
|
63.125
|
4th
place
|
Saturday
|
6/16/07
|
Inter-I
|
65.
375
|
3rd
place
|
Sunday
|
6/17/07
|
Inter-I
|
67.625
|
1st
place
|
Calito
WF was FEI reserve champion of the show!!!! He has already
qualified for the Region 8 Championships at PSG. We expect
him to qualify at Intermediate-1 too since he needs only one
more score at one more show. Paige is also working on a
freestyle. I will send pictures when I get them. The nice
thing is that Calito WF has learned everything without
pushing. He behaves the same way at the shows as he is as
home…always a perfect gentleman.
What
a nice horse!
|
Jill on her web site:
EMC
Ramina
REGAZZONI / RAVALLO
Well,
I noticed that I'm breeding stupendous athletes with them
as youngsters. Meanwhile, I'm somehow still riding
still riding
my 18 year old TB gelding. What's THAT all
about?!
So I was lucky to find Ramina. I
pretty much ordered my best friend and my trainer to get in
the car the very next day to beat several other people who
were coming to see her. We drove down to meet her, and
I bought her on the spot!
The first time I asked her to canter, her
hind end went
down
and her
withers came up in the front and we smoothly
transitioned into a fabulous balanced canter... HOLY COW! I
was in SHOCK! I'm headed for the Olympics after all!
Ramina is in foal to the Hotline for 2008
so she will be an
Elite Mare. After that, this mare
is for ME!
|
Hi
Irene: Sorry to take so long to get back to you.
Dormellosohn (we call him "D") is doing great, I'm getting his
stall and fencing ready to
bring him home at the end of the month so every spare minute
is busy. I
have taken him to 2 schooling dressage shows and despite
being a little
silly (he's still a baby) he has won 2 classes and placed
second in 2
classes with a reserve high score of the show. His scores
have been from
61-69%. I've attached a photo from our last show. I've just
been showing
training level to get him used to going away from home but
plan on
getting him out first level soon and maybe the FEI 5 year
old test if
his canter gets a little stronger. Kris
|
Another
home run! We love working with you. Baer
is a wonderful horse. He has settled in nicely, and he is a
perfect match for Andrea. Thanks for thinking of us. She is
enjoying him tremendously, and learning a lot. This sale
never would have happened if you had not been so diligent
and detail oriented. As when we bought Calito,
you were there (in a nice way) every step of the way. I hope
we work together many more times in the future. Should you
ever need a reference, please do not hesitate to have them
call me.
Lynn
|
Irene:
Thank you so much for the opportunity to purchase "Sunny"
(Sandjour Hit). As you are aware I was absolutely
not going to purchase a horse sight unseen and even my
trainer told me to be patient, that I did not have to rush.
That is until he saw Sunny. He wasted no time in telling me
to write the check. Of course that was after
several of the horses we were interested in were sold before
we could even speak up. We so appreciate you
seeking out a horse to suit my needs and to offer him to me
first. Sunny is everything that was promised.
Wonderfully bred, drop dead gorgeous and what a mover.
He is so well behaved for any horse no less a coming 3 year
old. He walked right off the Van and on to
my trailer for another 3 hours of travel. He was
unloaded at night to a barn full of my friends oohing and
ahhhing. He never even flinched. He also had to go
for a saddle fitting just 2 days after he arrived. Again he
loaded perfectly and was such a gentleman at another barn. I
have great expectations for him as he is filling the shoes
of my FEI competition horse who has been injured. It
was very difficult for me to make the move to buy a
horse. I know that you recognized that and found just
the perfect one. Thank you for that and for keeping me
so well informed every step of the way including Sunny's
gelding and extra month stay in
Germany
. You made the whole process so easy. Please come
and visit us soon so you can see us from the start.
I suspect that Sunny will change much before we come out in
public next year.
Holly |
Royal
Touch - I had a lesson with Deb Dean-Smith last week and she
thinks he is FABULOUS - great gaits, great brain and lovely
to look at. She thinks he'll be ready to do the 4 year
old young horse test by June or July - we'll see. Riding him
is such fun - he's focused and unbelievably comfortable -
not your typical 4 year old. He is a wonderful horse. I am
so lucky! Many, many thanks, Irene,
Cathy
|
HI
IRENE, CARMINO
IS DOING GREAT. HE HAS SETTLED IN VERY WELL. HE IS STILL IN
LOVE WITH THE OLD PONY. HE CAN'T LEAVE HIS SIDE WHEN THEY
ARE OUT IN THE BIG FIELD. HE IS JUMPING AROUND SMALL COURSES
AND LOVES IT. I MIGHT TAKE HIM TO A SHOW NEXT WEEKEND. I
WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR
HELP. HE REALLY IS A NICE BOY!
DONYA |
Hi
Irene,
Magic
is doing great. He is a pleasure to have! I
will try and get you some pictures. I have not showed
him yet, I have so much to learn, I am hoping to show him
next year. Right now Magic actually knows a lot more
about dressage then I do.
MICHELLE
|
Roman
is wonderful....the trainer can get everything out of
him that you said he had, so I know his level of training is
exactly what you quoted to me! I'm thrilled with him
and the potential that I have in learning on him! He
is very patient with me and has not gotten upset at all that
I'm learning, so that's wonderful! Such
suspension...his walk is a 10!!! The gal that I ride
with is a Judge...so that helps to know what I can expect to
receive! You have been a wonderful partner in
purchasing something "SIGHT-UNSEEN" and have been
more than helpful in my fears as a FIRST TIME importer of
anything. I'm looking to many additional years of
learning on Roman
and I am pleased as punch with my purchase....:-)
Bobbie
|
Hi
Irene-
Just wanted to give you an update on Royal
Touch. We have been roaming
the the dirt roads and hills of Vermont. He is amazing! He
often leads
the way if there is something scary - no one can believe
he's only
coming 4.
He's progressing in his training and if all continues to go
well,
he'll go to his first schooling show in early May. He has
the
combination of internal calm and sensitivity to the aids
that one
always hopes for and seldom finds.
Yesterday, I got on him without lunging him first - he
didn't put a foot wrong.
I have you to thank for such a star!
Kindest regards,
Cathy
|
Hi
Irene-
I
just want to let you know that Calito is doing very well,
and quite loved at our farm. He has quite the character!!
Attached
is a photo of Dov on him from last weekend. He is a bit
“deep” in the full body photo of him walking, but you
can see how nice his body looks.
Best
regards,
Lynn
|
Dear
Irene:
When Royal Touch
stood quietly at the quarantine station while I put on his shipping
boots and then walked on the trailer without a
moment's hesitation, I knew I had a great partner. He continues to
amaze me. He won't be 4 until the end of April but has better
manners than the other horses in the barn all of whom are older. He
sure loves attention (and carrots) and nickers when he hears my
voice. He's very curious and likes to investigate - even scary
things like snowmobiles! He wants to be friends with everyone who
comes to the barn, people and horses alike. What a pleasure he is to
ride. True to your description, he's not hot but is sensitive to the
leg. He stays on task for a long time without being distracted - if
only he he could teach my kids to do the same! I have you to thank,
Irene, for this wonderful horse. It was quite a leap of faith for me
to buy a horse sight unseen based on a few video clips and your
representations but I could not be happier. In stead of being
stressful, you made the buying process a pleasure. Could that be
possible? The picture is another of the first day I got on - Frodo (Royal
Touch) looks as if he's been doing this forever! I had a great
ride today! His canter is fabulous! He just gets better every day!
Warmest regards,
Cathy
|
My
experience with Irene when selling my horse Baer
was very good. She was right up front about everything and
there were no hidden issues. The thing that amazed me the most
in my dealings with Irene was how fast everything transpired!
I've known Irene for awhile and spoke to her about my horse being
for sale and literally within 2-3 days she had found a buyer!
I was amazed! My horse went to a wonderful new owner that I
keep in touch with on a regular basis and I couldn't be
happier!
Kelly
|
Dear
Irene,
So here is my "one year update" on my sweet mare, Ramina
HW. I can truthfully tell you that she is absolutely the best,
the most wonderful, the most amazing mare on the entire PLANET!!
As you know, the judges at the Hanoverian inspections last fall
accepted her as an elite mare candidate with an rideability score of
8.5. They also commented "this mare looks like she is really
fun to ride!". Then she was accepted for the AHS Young horse
symposium in Jacksonville last month, and as usual was perfect.
Scott Hassler, in his remarks after their session, said his
recommendation was that this mare go directly to 3rd level, and that
she truly looked like a very fun horse to ride. See any pattern
here???
So now Ramina is home and her job is to be my best friend. I rode
her last Sunday and Monday pretty hard dressage, dressage lesson
Tuesday, dressage lesson Wednesday, off Thursday, dressage lesson
Friday ~ a lot of work. So Saturday she and I just went off and
cantered through the woods and GALLOPED up and down the hills. She
had this attitude like "I have no clue why we are doing these
strange things, but WHATEVER!" She is SO MUCH FUN!!!! I know
she could go all the way (Scott Hassler said 'this mare WILL piaffe')
but I want to do so many different things with her. I have high
hopes we will be fox hunting next year. I feel so good and
confident when I'm on her.
Thanks again for a wonderful horse!
Jill
|
I
stumbled upon Calito
on your web-site while checking out another horse for a client. As I
viewed the description, photos and video clips, I was struck by his
similarity to a special horse, long gone, that I considered a
“horse of a lifetime.” I bought him sight unseen within 3 hours
of first logging on to your site. Surely this is a record for
risk-taking, but the story does have a happy ending. When Calito
arrived in our barn, he was EXACTLY as I had hoped, maybe better.
Thanks
again for all your help. You made the process so easy, from start to
finish. Numerous phone calls and emails were exchanged between us
within a short period of time. You were always prompt and courteous.
I know that I asked a lot of you, but you never made me feel I asked
too much. Your attention to detail is great. The descriptions on
your site were full and accurate. There were many pictures. They
gave me a good feel for Calito’s
conformation and type. The videos clips were just enough to show me
what I needed to see. You arranged the vet check to my
specifications, and then promptly emailed the digital x-rays and vet
report for my second opinion. When your normal shipper was not
available for 2 weeks, you found another reputable shipper able to
ship right away. Although it was not your normal protocol, you
purchased Gastro Guard at my request, and made sure it was
administered prior to shipping. When the shipper forgot to take it
with him, you found a way to get more product to NY Quarantine, and
made sure it was administered each day! This was way over the
call of duty. I could not have asked for a better agent. In the 6
weeks since we first communicated, we are now in the process of
completing our second sale together. Once again, you were 100%
professional, 100% of the time. I will be happy to work with you in
the future!!
Lynn
|
Irene,
I
am writing this letter to you that is as sincere as a person could
possibly be that comes directly from the heart!
From
the moment that I saw Dream
Boy, I really loved this horse! I have had two not so good
experiences with horse shopping over the past 2 1/2 years and was
very reluctant to do it a third time. From the first contact that
I had with you via email and then through the phone there was
always no pressure and you gave the straight facts and answered
all the questions that I had regarding the horse.
After
I made the decision and then decided not to purchase and then to
purchase you were always more then helpful and pleasant. I felt no
pressure to buy the horse and again you continued to answer
questions and keep me abreast as to what was transpiring.
Buying
this horse was an absolute dream come true. You made the very
stressful situation of buying a horse very calming. The vetting
and the report came very easily and my vet and my second
opinion vet was very pleased with the information that was
provided to them. I asked for pictures of his feet for my farrier
and the next day they were there! Everyone I talk to is amazed at
the ease and joy and the release of anxiety during this stressful
time.
Transportation
was arranged through Dutta and the office was very helpful in
informing me of how my horse was doing and the status of release
of the horse from quarantine. They also were very helpful in
getting a shipper to come to the
Midwest
in the middle of winter on a non traditional route for that time
of year.
When
my Dream Boy
arrived at 3:30 in the morning, there was so much anxiety in the
air. I had purchased a just coming 4 year old off a website!!
Yikes, what did I do!! He came off the trailer in beautiful shape,
he was happy, alert and beautiful! He walked through a very long
aisle with blankets strew everywhere, heaters blazing, horse
calling, and was not worried at all. This horse walked in a huge
coverall with snow falling off, workers sweeping aisle, a loose
horse in the aisle, heaters and fans rattling and he is just as
willing as can be. The first ride went just as well, for a young
horse, you could not ask for a nicer, gentler creature.
Dream
Boy also has wonderful gaits, a wonderful walk, a springy trot
and a canter that you could not have ever wished for. He is smart,
alert and very easily trainable. He has already learned that a
good boy turns to the rider after finishing and gets sugar after
just two short rides.
I
would recommend Irene finding you the perfect horse for anyone.
Give her the details of what you are looking for and let her find
for you the horse that you have always dreamed of. Dream
Boy was every bit what she said he was and more. This is not
going to be my third horse that is for sale. My nine year old son
has claimed him as he to was able to walk the horse around the
farm and is begging to ride him. It is winter here and the wind is
howling and horses are a bit fresh, Dream
Boy who we now call (MCDreamy at the barn) is our Dream
Boy and is settling in wonderfully!
Please
use my name as a reference, I am more then happy to recommend you
and I will and have told my friends far and wide about my new
horse and my experience.
|
Hi Irene,
I was just thinking about
you too! I have been riding Fly
Away HW (Finesse) every week and I just love everything about
him. Gina really is enjoying training him and has been happy
with his progress. I would like to show him this year at
training, however, I might have Gina take him to his first show to
see how he does. He has become everyone's favorite at the
barn. People can't believe that he is so good at such a young
age. Everyone keeps telling me how I lucked out with him!
Thank you again, I am very happy, especially that he passed
his vet check! Take care, Yvonne
|
Welcome,
Lamborghini!
Lamborghini,
or Boghi, as he is affectionately known, arrived in May from Germany
to fill our hearts with hope and optimism for the future. As great an
athlete as he is, it is his personality that has already permanently
attached him to us. He has brought laughter to us when we needed it
most.
Boghi
pranced off the trailer after his several thousand mile journey from
Germany, completely unfazed and seemingly as excited about being here as
we were to have him. Lamborghini is a 4 year old 16.2 h Westfalen
gelding with fabulous breeding including Linaro,
Florestan,
and Mon Cheri,
as well as his dam and grand-dam both being State Premium mares! He has
more energy and exuberance than he knows what to do with but he always
tries to be a good boy and wants to please his people. He is sure to put
a smile on your face with his curiosity and schoolboy charm. He is
absolutely hilarious to watch interacting with.....well.....everything!
Boghi
thrives on attention and will do anything to get it! He has enormous
talent for all the FEI movements and Elaine can't wait to show him! His
training is coming along well and even though he was started late, Lamborghini
should be ready by spring to give the best 5 year olds in the country a
run for their money. Watch for him to make his mark in the show ring in
2007!!! Special thanks to Ruth (again!) for helping bring this amazing
horse to Lake Norman Dressage.
|
Update on Skywalker
HW:
The little boy is great! We had a freak
snowstorm last week- 16 inches in 24hrs! very unusual for us to
get snow at all. We had no power for a few days so I took a ton of
pictures. He was hilarious in the snow- fascinated with all the
'white stuff', he kept dunking his head in it and playing with the
snow. I had to turn his "uncle" out with him for a bit
everyday to keep them both entertained- they were funny, racing
around. His temperament just continues to amaze me! Funny, as I had
been told Sandro Hit's were quite hot! He's as sensible as they
come- I cant wait until he is old enough to ride.
Catherine
|
Hello
Irene,
I
have thought of writing you so many times to tell you how well Donicello
is doing and how happy he seems to be!
In
the first few months we did a lot of work to help him develop a
steady tempo and calm down, as he was pretty nervous at first. In
the first few months I had lovely rides on him and learned to trust
him and his astonishing movement.
Cello's
original trainer here is the granddaughter of Carl-Heinrich Asmis
who brought dressage to America
. She did very detailed work with him and he was doing very well.
Sadly she announced she was going off to write a book so I moved him
into full training at
Portola
Valley
Training
Center
, the best equestrian facility around and very nearby me. I chose
his new trainer specifically because she really appreciates
Thoroughbred-types and big, forward movers, and she is patient and
gentle.
He
seems to have totally "clicked" at the new barn and with
his new trainer and is exactly the horse you described to me -- very
sensitive yet calm, even around other horses who are acting out or
big trucks going by. I took him on a trail ride today in the crisp
Fall air, even under a highway overpass and he was calm, curious,
and always leading the pack. I rode him on a loose rein the whole
time! It was great to feel I could really relax with him and that he
was enjoying himself do much.
His
movement is truly magnificent, and he is extremely intelligent and
affectionate and sweet. He is the horse I dreamed of!
Right
now I am not pushing him to advance too quickly in dressage, but
continuing to let him relax and use his body, building his top line.
He reaches way down with his neck and stretches his back -- it is
really something, and he seems to enjoy the freedom after all the
collected work we have been doing. He really turns heads at this
barn full of extraordinarily expensive horses.
I
love telling people how I found him on the internet and bought him
sight unseen. I will hopefully have the chance to refer clients to
you. Do you have any brochures I could have? One of the trainers
there is a World Cup competitor, Nicole Perry.
He is
a magnificent horse, head and shoulders above others in his talent,
looks and personality. He is very gifted and with limitless
potential. My goal is to give him a happy, long life and support him
in achieving his full potential.
Thank
you for all of your care in the process. We are a great match!
People say we even look alike!
Suzan
|
I
know we spoke on the phone today, as I wanted to tell as fast as I
could of the joy I felt when I had my first ride on "Step
Up" . I also wanted to send you in writing what I felt so
that you could share with others. I have been riding Dressage for
33 years, and training Dressage horses for 21 years. Never once
over that time have I felt an animal underneath me as I did when I
sat on "Step
Up'. I have ridden many talented horses of all levels over the
years, but I can honestly say they have not compared. From the
moment I picked up the reins he was right there for me. I rode a
very short time and than had to stop because I burst into
tears. I continued to ride through the tears, and I felt like I
was floating with perfect connection. I could not believe it, am I
dreaming. This is only what you read about as what it should feel
like. This could be my horse of a lifetime! I rode back to the
barn still crying, and when I got there my assistant was
concerned that something was very wrong. I told her no, something
is very right!. Thank you Irene, I cannot say this enough!
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