Sometimes in life, things are meant to be....!  I am lucky to be a friend of Jo Rose and a fan of dear Sprite whom she purchased from Gill at DPUK.  Jo knew I was looking for a general riding horse and after speaking to Gill, she called to tell me about a lovely 7yr, 16.1hh bay mare Gill was looking to home.  I then had a great chat with Gill, in which she described Missy exactly, and honestly.  I waited excitedly for the video and photos and it wasnt too long before mum and I made the 6 hour journey from Kent to Lancashire to see her .....and fell for those big kind eyes.  Gill and her family could not have been more welcoming and after a coffee, we were able to tack up and were off out hacking and then riding in the school.  At no time was the horse 'sold' to me - Gill just let me get on with getting to know and understand her.  I was able to ask lots of questions and handle her and following a lovely lunch, we headed back down the motorway...   Two weeks later, having passed her vetting, Missy arrived in Kent... and wondered where all the green grass had gone !

We have had a lovely few months so far; her wonderful temperament and trust in everyone shows how well educated and nutured she has been with Gill and the girls. She is a special, thoughtful little horse and I know why Gill was interested in finding a home for her to enjoy life and be loved.   She is enjoying hacks in the countryside, some school work and mooching in the field with her friends, ensuring she rolls in the muddiest patch to be found....!  Everyone thinks she is lovely; her warm, friendly temperament is a winner for any polos and carrots on offer - we are looking forward to a great year together.

 

I would wholly recommend purchasing a horse from Gill and her family.  The lovely, relaxed and knowledgable environment at the yard combined with Gill's natural approach to training and welfare, serves their horses well.  But above that, you gain a friend and someone who will always be there to support you going forward, is interested to hear how you and your horse are getting on and ready to offer advice if needed. 

DPUK Wurlwind

Hi Gill

Here's some feedback for your website. As well as saying how fab Sprite is, I also think it is really important that you have been so cool too. It's partly that you give the horses the best start in life, and partly that you make the whole "buying a horse" thing a pleasure. Hope you like this anyway.

Sprite is just so fab. He is outgoing, happy, loves life, and is so confident and secure in his personality that you can’t help loving him. Special boy! He also happens to have near perfect conformation, very correct movement, is very clever and also willing and motivated in his work. Wowzers – the perfect dressage horse (who is also very much enjoying hacking and jumping – he’s a fun-loving kinda guy)! And on top of all this, he has clearly had a wonderful start in life with Gill and her family and friends. He has no hang-ups, he is bold and brave and trusting, and has been started really really well. I can’t imagine a more perfect horse for me – he puts a massive smile on my face each day. Working with him is a joy – he picks things up so easily even when I don’t explain things as clearly as I should (he is very forgiving like that and, as Gill has said, he really doesn’t bear a grudge). His natural ability and trainability means that he should be able to go as far in dressage as I am capable of taking him!

I first contacted Gill in response to an advert about Sprite, in the frozen winter of 2010/11, when he was rising 4. In the ensuing email and phone conversations I guessed that Sprite would be the right kind of horse for me, and Gill guessed that I would be the right kind of owner for him. And when I eventually met him I just knew straight away that he was right for me. Gill really has been fantastic right from the word go – I have never met anyone that I would rather buy a horse from! I love her warmth, and her openness and honesty about her horses: she clearly knows them so well and has a talent for understanding them as individuals. And she seems to have the same kind of intuition about people. She has been incredibly supportive and interested in Sprite’s and my progress together – she has always been happy to discuss ideas, and also just to hear about how Sprite is doing.

Since meeting Gill she has become a good friend. I love her approach to horses and training – she cares, she takes a long-term training perspective, and the welfare of the horse is paramount. Dressage really is her passion and her horses (and people!) reap the benefits of her expertise, experience and skills. Discussing dressage with her is stimulating and fascinating. I just wish we lived a bit closer so Sprite and I could catch up with her in person more often as well…
speak soon

love jo xxx

Amadeus

Santo Montana
hooves-r-us.co.uk