# Greetings from Tuscany, Italy



## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

Hi there to Everyone, 

I am a Italo-Hungarian horse lover and I'd love to talk about horsey experiences and matters with people all over the world. 
I'm 35 and am a happy (sometimes more, sometimes less) horse-owner since year 2003 but have been riding since I was 10. My husband has a small yard here in Tuscany right under the medieval walls of the tiny village of Montopoli. I'm an employee in my spare time :wink:
I enjoy trail riding, dressage, groundwork, have dome few jumping (would like to improve it) and cross-country (really low levels eh!) and orienteering (TREC- anyone ever heard of it?), horseback archery (let me say that's really fun) and medieval games that my pair organizes yearly. 
Breeds: My first horse was a beautyful friesian mare and I still adore friesians but have abruptly changed my mind when I got across Akhal Tekes... We own purebred and partbred Akhal Tekes. So my favorites are these two breeds plus any horse any size any color, I basically like them all. They're so different and there are so many different things you can do with them. 
Kind regards to all,
Barbara


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Welcome! it's nice to have more members from Italy. 

will you post some photos of your horse? maybe some photos of you doing horseback archery? there is actually a thread here about that. In the US there is a sport called Cowboy Shooting, and instead of shooting arrows, they shoot guns from a horseback.

Have you heard of the "Nez Perce horse?" this is a cross between the Appalousa and Ahkel Teke.
Photo Gallery


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

mounted archery thread:

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-riding/horseback-archery-143738/?highlight=mounted+archery


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Welcome!


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## WhiteHorse (Dec 23, 2012)

Hi! Welcome to the forum!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks to you all!

Ok so now I'm trying to figure out how the image posting goes...gosh I'm so uneasy with this system. 
if I'm doing it right, this is me and my beloved Flò who died two years ago in an accident. She was all that I had been dreaming of as a girl. Anyway she'll always live in our herats.


Love you Flò!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

Ok that obviously was the wrong link. 


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## WhiteHorse (Dec 23, 2012)

Solicchio said:


> Ok so now I'm trying to figure out how the image posting goes...gosh I'm so uneasy with this system.


Trust me I wasn't a pro at it either ! I still have trouble. 

Fló looks like a very gorgeous horse!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

Ah ok got it. Now the archery part..... woooooooooooow gun shooting from horseback sounds really fantastic! I guess I'll have to try it once. 
I only found the images of a show we did, my mount is an Italian Maremmano horse, a great horse second only to my Flò. Let me introdice you all to Frida, she has an incredible power... The arrows I shot here were wooden, the bow is mongolian, a relatively soft 27lb symmetric bow. Made in Hungary.


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

Thank you WhiteHorse for moral support  I guess you like Friesians??? Deduce it from your Avatar... Here's one I like of Flò, one of the last ones that were made of her, here is the beatiful back that brought me around for hundreds of kilometers.... 
She was standig up after a roll, shining as only a friesian can shine.... 


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

And a full view of her 


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> Welcome! it's nice to have more members from Italy.
> 
> will you post some photos of your horse? maybe some photos of you doing horseback archery? there is actually a thread here about that. In the US there is a sport called Cowboy Shooting, and instead of shooting arrows, they shoot guns from a horseback.
> 
> ...


Hey thanks for the link! I had no idea of such a breed but I guess these must be gorgeous horses! I very much appreciate AT partbreds, they add many morphological, characterial and intelligence-qualities to the horses. Manu many thanks for that information tinyliny!


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## WhiteHorse (Dec 23, 2012)

Wow she is gorgeous ! I do like Fresians and would want to have one! I love archery and know how hard it is and can't imagine doing it on a MOVING HORSE ! How long have you been doing horseback archery?


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Wow! Nice photos. Keep them coming....MORE!!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

WhiteHorse said:


> Wow she is gorgeous ! I do like Fresians and would want to have one! I love archery and know how hard it is and can't imagine doing it on a MOVING HORSE ! How long have you been doing horseback archery?


Er... it's not that I really get the chance to exercise a lot, and in my opinion it is easier than it looks like. Obviously you have to be a rider, be able to stand up in the stirrups and... instinctivley shoot. You have no time to aim at anything, this just comes from the heart.
You have to learn instinctive arrow shooting first standing on on the ground and then while you walk and then... just try with a horse that gallops straight in a flat gait. The faster the better because the horse flattens the gait. A good instructor does help :-D
I have my husband it's easy for me ;-)


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## WhiteHorse (Dec 23, 2012)

It's true a good instructor makes it easier to learn!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

And here is another picture. These two are Legenda, our 50% partbred AT mare and her son Lehel, born 2010. Lehel is a 75% Akhal Teké since his sire is pure. He has grown really big, much bigger than average Akhal Tekes.. and keeps growing. Stunning gaits, he moves like the wind. If he's only half as fast as his mum, who's made my eyes water in several occasions, he's super. 


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

Welcome aboard!!


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## Solicchio (Feb 19, 2013)

HorseLovinLady said:


> Welcome aboard!!


Thank you!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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