Curly Standard Place Testimonials
Anastasia and *Cuervo dressed up for Halloween
Hello! Yes, this is my website and yes, I am writing the first testimonal for this page.
You see, I had horses all my life – they were a PASSION for me. I could never get enough of them I lived, breathed and worked all so horses could be part of my life.
In 1989 I had a beautiful baby daughter, Anastasia. She was born with severe allergies and it soon became apparent that she had potentially life threatening allergies to horses – I was devastated but at that time the only solution was to give up the horses, my daughter couldn’t breath around them!
Over a decade passed and then a friend told us about a horse she had seen for sale that had a Curly coat and was supposedly “hypoallergenic”. I was skeptical to say the least, but I was missing having horses so much that we went to check it out. IT WAS TRUE. My daughter did not react to that horse at all – we bought him immediately! That horse is *Cuervo, our first and most loved Curly of them all.
Anastasia has been able to tolerate ALL Curlies, from full Curlies, to outcrosses, to smooth coats and in all colour combinations – we have been so lucky to have these horses as part of our lives – it has been something of a miracle for our family to be able to enjoy, share and ride together these incredible horses!
Enjoy the ride!!
Shelly
*Glory and Annette in Kansas USA
I purchased two fillies from Shelly White of Curly Standard Place, one in 2004 – Magic Trix,and the other in 2007 – Shines Like Grace. What a wonderful experience it was to work with Shelly as she helped coordinate the purchase and shipping of each filly. I was very concerned about all the paperwork and details involved in getting the horses from British Columbia, Canada to my farm in Kansas, US. However, Shelly’s experience and connections made it a complete breeze , as she coordinated the necessary veterinarian exams and paperwork, shipping connections, and border crossing details. Shelly’s communication with me about not only the fillies, but also all the details of the purchase and shipment was impeccable.
The fillies, now terrific mares, have each more than met my expectations. Shelly handles and trains each of her foals to an age appropriate level, insuring that the new owner’s experience is a good one from the start. My two mares are a great reflection of Shelly’s breeding program at Curly Standard Place. I would certainly not hesitate to purchase any horse from Shelly.
Annette Drinon – PrairieGale Farm – Kansas, USA.
*Aphrodite and Helen in Australia
I have been allergic to horses ever since I can remember. I am now in my late 30’s and got to a stage where the reactions I was having to the horses made me make a choice. Give them up or find an alternative. I first looked for the alternative. That is when I found Shelly had taken the initiative to quarantine her stallion Sandmans Magic to provide frozen curly semen worldwide. This became my choice. So I embarked on the mission of importing the semen and now have 3 beautiful foals on the ground. 1 colt and 2 fillies. It was a long process but extremely worthwhile. Curlies are pretty much unheard of in Australia and I am thrilled that I have invested in this wonderful breed and now can not imagine breeding anything but curlies. I want to introduce the Curly to Australia. The best day was when I kissed one of my foals and I realised that I had never kissed a horse before, it was sad to realise that but a wonderful feeling to now be able to do it. Thanks Shelly. I love my curly babies and I am sure many more out there will love theirs.
Helen Barrenger – Yarraleigh Curly Horse Stud. Australia.
Susan with her new Curly mare, *Livinigstone’s Ruby
One Fine Day – by Susan R.
She was the beginning of a realization of my life-long dream. Her name was Nutri-sweet. She was sandy brown in color with dark points. Her curled eyelashes framed soft brown eyes. Her mane and tail looked like they had been spiral permed. She was a hypoallergenic horse called a Bashkir Curly!
The word ‘horses’ was magical in our home. As a young girl I grew up devouring every horse book I could get my hands on. My favorite was ‘The Sand Dune Pony’, by Troy Nesbit. The book tells the story of a young boy who captures and tames a wild mustang horse. My sisters and I would play Barbie’s and horses almost exclusively. We would gaze longingly at the horses in the fields as we sped by in our parents’ car. Sometimes we would sit for hours begging mom to retell the stories of her youth with her own horses. Our family’s dream was to move to the country and have horses of our own one day.
Every opportunity to be around or ride horses was sought after. We went to friends’ homes and rode their horses. We walked to pastures and petted other peoples’ horses. But mostly we dreamed of them.
Then one day tragedy struck for me. I was covered in hives. After the excruciating allergy tests were over I was informed that not only was I allergic to almost every kind of grass, tree, weed, dust and several other things, I was allergic to animals and horses !!! It was the beginning of years of allergy shots and Kleenex.
We did lease horses, for a time, we even realized our family dream of living in the country and we even owned horses. But for me it was a kind of torture. I could look, but oh to touch was misery. I did anyway, but I never learned to groom or tack-up a horse. That was all done for me. In fact, my riding was always done in full armor; long pants, sleeves and gloves. Not to mention the drowsy drugs and the wad of at least 20 Kleenex. My rides were always followed by a shower and a complete change of clothes, and then an hour or two of lingering allergy symptoms. Consequently, the only gait I ever managed to learn on a horse was the walk. With the occasional trot or canter for a few steps before I needed to stop to blow my nose. Our dream of living in the country with horses was not really fulfilled for me, yet.
That magical day when I met Nutri-sweet and discovered there was a hypoallergenic breed of horses called Bashkir Curlies, was a turning point for me. I now knew that I could realize my dream one day! It took another five years before I was able, now with a family of my own, to appreciate my dream. We moved to Alberta in the winter of 2002. We purchased a hobby farm of about 18 acres, perfectly set up for horses. Anticipation began. Nutri-sweet was but a memory, but there were other horses out there like her and I was determined to find just the right one for me!
*Livingstone’s Ruby
I had met a lady named, Shelly White, just before we moved away from B.C. She owned some Bashkir Curly Horses, and actually, I had been planning to lease one before we decided to move. So naturally, after our move, I looked to Shelly in my search for my very own horse. I visited her place and fell in love with a black mustang. But wisely, Shelly steered me to a different horse. As it turned out, I am grateful for her wisdom and caring. I would recommend her to anyone else in their own search for a horse.
The red mustang convertible came off the trailer in our yard on August 13 th , 20 years to the day I’d met my wonderful husband. She was glorious! A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authentic mustang!! A hypoallergenic minimal curly, Bashkir Curly horse!! Her name is Ruby, Livingstone’s Ruby. And she is better than anything Ford Motors could ever come up with! Ruby is living proof that God, and my husband, care about even the little things.
My journey with Ruby, it has been a journey and will continue to be, has caused me to grow. It was not love at first sight, believe it or not. Don’t get me wrong, I thought she looked beautiful, but I was so scared and nervous. She tested me immediately. She would not let me do her feet. She either wouldn’t give them to me, or she would kick and jerk them out of my hands. After two weeks I cried in complete frustration and told my husband to sell her! I hated her. This was NOT the dream I had envisioned!!
I smile at all this now because I have learned so much. I have learned patience. I have learned courage. I have learned perseverance and assertiveness. I have learned to understand the language of the horse. Yes, there is one, and it is not like ours. I have learned that Ruby is a wonderfully smart, easy going, and sometimes, stubborn mare. She has been so patient and tolerated so many of my mistakes. She is forgiving. She knows me, and I believe I am beginning to know her. She continues to test me. She baths me with her tongue. She follows me around and gives me her feet whenever I want. She stands wonderfully to be groomed and saddled. She lets me hug her. She doesn’t spook easily. She is forever curious and putting her nose in where it shouldn’t be. Like under the hand holding the hammer, poised to strike the nail. She turns and looks at me with disdain, but doesn’t move a muscle when the saddle slips sideways because I forgot to tighten it before I mount. She gives me those looks. Watching her move is like reliving watching a Black Beauty or Black Stallion movie from childhood. She is my dream horse. And one day I will learn to ride her with confidence.
Susan riding her Curly Red Mustang Convertible!
I am delighting in the gratification of owning a horse. I have had Ruby for a year and a half now. I can watch her from my front window. I can touch her and groom her and tack her up, all without allergy symptoms! I can do her feet. I can even ride her at a walk and sometimes even a trot, in the confines of a fenced field. We are taking lessons her and me. We are learning. I realize that being an inexperienced rider on a green broke horse is not a good combination. But we are not taking silly risks. One day I will ride her confidently on any path we choose. One fine day I will ride her on a sandy beach, cantering in the surf, bareback. Written: February 2005.