Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 16:33:07 GMT -8
FUKENGRUVEN
The Basics
Show Name: Fukengruven
Barn Name: Dachs
Age: 8
Gender: Gelding
Breed: Bavarian Warmblood
Breed Registry: Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society
The Appearance
Coat Color: Bay
Stable Color: Royal Purple
Height: 16-2 hands tall
The Personality
Personality: Aside from a few small quirks, Dachs is a gentle, sweet-natured, if somewhat huge gelding. He enjoys things such as being groomed and lavished attention on, and with his owner being who he is, Dachs definitely gets a lot of attention. He’s a sweetheart who hates being out in snow and ice and would much rather be stalled during the colder months. Dachs has been known to hate snow so much that he’s refused to leave his run-in shed at times when the snow and ice got to be too much. He tolerates children but would rather not have them around as they’d too loud for his liking and he doesn’t like trailers, though once he’s inside them he’s fine to haul.
Dachs much prefers a warmer climate and is very much a ‘chicken’ when it comes to weather. In the spring, summer and early fall things are good, but once it gets cold he has to be blanketed else he freezes. When it rains he’ll be the first horse to hightail it to the run-in shed and if it’s raining when someone comes to bring him into the barn, Dachs is the first horse to meet you at the gate and will literally shove his head into the halter in his eagerness to get out of the weather. He’s a pampered horse and just doesn’t tolerate anything except for nice warm or hot weather that well.
Caution Around: Dachs hates loading into trailers and will pitch a fit when someone tries to load him, performing small rears, trying to avoid the trailer by rushing past it, locking his legs and refusing to move, etc… but once he’s loaded he’s fine with being hauled and he unloads perfectly.
The History
Basic History: Dachs was born and raised in Germany for most of his young life. He was bred to be an eventer and lived on the facility he was born on until he was six. His early life was filled with daily handling and his early groundwork lessons started when he was only days old. Dachs was started under-saddle at two years old just long enough to become steady at the walk and trot, then he was let out to pasture to grow and mature until he turned three. When he turned three he was put into true training and, to his trainers’ surprise, shot past the expectations put at him. He was shown consistently during his years, never receiving less than a third place at any show his trainer took him to. He was, his trainer called, naturally talented and once things clicked with Dachs, and things clicked easily for him as he’s extremely intelligent, he had it down.
Dachs could have been trained for the equestrian Olympics and his trainer started the intense training when he was four, not wanting to break Dachs down too early. Over the next two years, Dachs was in an intense training program six days a week with Sundays off to rest in addition to attending shows. His name ‘Fukengruven’ became well-known within the circuits he was shown in and for a while it looked like he would go on to become an Olympic horse… but that was before his trainers’ accident.
When Dachs was almost six, his trainer and owner was in a riding accident on another horse he was training for a client. The result was a broken back for the trainer, ending his riding career permanently. Dachs and the rest of the mans’ horses aside from a select few ended up being put up for sale, and the mans’ dreams for Dachs to go on to the Olympic level was cut short as he needed money to pay for medical bills immediately.
Dachs was put up for sale for just under twelve-thousand dollars and was immediately snatched up by a man by the name of Carsten Albretch, who was searching for a proper apology present for his son who lived in the United States. Dachs spent several weeks in a boarding stable in Berlin, Germany before being shipped overseas for Torsten.
Upon their first meeting, Dachs and Torsten clicked and Tori couldn’t bear the thought of ever getting rid of Dachs. Tori was quick to get out and get to know his horse and was delighted to find, upon looking things up online and making a long-distance call overseas to speak with the horses’ original owner, that the horse had been started in Olympic level training, though Tori doesn’t have any immediate plans to compete in the equestrian Olympics… if someone thinks Dachs might still have a chance at making it, who knows… he might…
The Technicalities
Discipline: Cross-country, Showjumping, Dressage, Eventing
Owner: Torsten Albretch
Rider: Torsten Albretch