Meet The Family: Crispin

Your horse is going to die!Brighton Park Crispin, born 14th November 2005 by APH Spiegel. Crispy was born talking, as soon as the bag was broken he was whinnying and he hasn’t stopped talking since. He has an opinion on everything and expects everyone to consult with him.

Crispy is always ready for a game. He loves his witches hats and balls. He loves to run the fence line with my niece Em. Their after school game is to run the fences together and hang over the gate to each other for a kiss. I am forever refilling his water drum after he tips it over when making waves in it with his legs.  He also loves a massage and like his mum is not backward in telling you exactly where he wants you to work.

He loves to welcome cars and trucks as they drive up the drive, I’m sure, he thinks the world revolves around him. He knows the sound of my car and waits eagerly for his stick of liquorice and pat on the nose as he hangs in the window on my trips up and down the driveway.

Crispy is being trained using the old fashioned classical methods. He typically is not an easy horse and is here to test me in so many ways and I have so many lessons to learn from him. It’s still only early days with our riding, but he has the most beautiful buttery mouth and when the forward button is engaged, the best horse I have ever ridden. I look forward to our many adventures to come.

Update 2017 –  Crispy is the most challenging horse EVER!!  He is someone only his mother could love and when he is obliging the best ride ever.  Every day is different.  In 2016 he decided that he LOVES to jump and I now have a friend who jumps him for me as I am a chicken.  His dressage work is coming along with much thanks to Libby Sauer who is the first person to actually “get” him.  Our progress has been amazing under her guidance.  Last weekend we ticked an item off our bucket list with a visit to the beach.  There are many many more adventures to come with this quirky horse.

2023 – Crispy has progress over the years.  He’s now the horse I always thought I would have when I bred him.  He was my HEART horse.  The horse of a lifetime.  Yes, he was still a challenge, but he trusted me and would go anywhere I pointed him.  We have climbed mountains and then had to come down the other side.  With me slipping and sliding on the way down, he never put a foot wrong and looked after me.  His dressage work was amazing.  It had taken a long time to get there, but WOW it was amazing.

Unfortunately, in June 2023 my beautiful majestic, proud boy was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of equine cancer “T Cell Epithiotropic Lymphoma”.  So rare, there wasn’t any papers on it and the vets didn’t know how to treat it or what journey we were now on. His results were sent to an oncologist for evaluation.  My life was shattered.  I decided to make every ride our last and to go out there and make the most of the time we had left.   I was lucky enough to have another mere 14 weeks with my boy.  3 weeks ago we were competing, and now 3 weeks later he has gained his angel wings and crossed the rainbow bridge.  I am absoluately devestated.  There will never be another like him.  I can’t believe he’s gone.  I would give anything to have him back.  He crossed the rainbow bridge a month to the day prior to his 18th birthday.

RIP my beautiful boy.  Your mother loved you more than life itself.  Till we meet again……………..

Read about Crispy’s final symptoms of “T Cell Epithiotropic Lymphoma”