Last Updated on January 23, 2023 by Teri Rehkopf
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Junior. Khan. Jr Khan. J. R. Khan. I called him Khan. He looked kingly and regal to me. He was soooo big! Six feet tall at the withers. He was my boy.
Trakehner cross.
I bought Khan when I was tired of waiting for the EPM that barefoot Rocki was diagnosed with when she stumbled in the parking lot at the vets. This started with a tendon problem and progressed to EPM? Really? Sigh…
I bought Khan kinda on a whim. I never even rode him before I bought him. I got him from my trainer, Kathy Daly who I trusted. She had raised him from a foal. Khan was out of her upper level mare. Kathy trained Khan to Third Level Dressage. I rode him to Training Level 3. I couldn’t sit his huge trot well enough yet.
He had a to-die-for canter! He could go into a canter from a standstill, even when I was riding him bareback or with his blanket on.
His movements were so big that I wasn’t able to allow him to go forward and through enough, but I tried. Since I am tallish with long legs, his 18 hand tall body fit my legs better than Rocki’s round Clydesdale body.
Even though I had a hard time sitting his trot, his training was so good by Kathy, that it taught me to sit properly and give with my arms on the reins.
After about 4-5 years, I had to sell Khan because I had hurt my foot and needed surgery. I had to be in a completely sterile environment. That wouldn’t work. I had to feed my 2 horses and do all of the care it takes for my horses. so I had to make a decision. I had tried to sell Rocki earlier, but I couldn’t do it. She was my baby.
She is great. He got a 3rd place even though he had never jumped in a show before.
When Khan had done something ‘wrong’, I would just stand in front of him and yell “I’m the one that feeds you”. I’d YELL! He would stop and be good then. Good boy. He knew.
Both horses had big feet. Rocki was easy to do her feet, but they were heavy. Khan had a club foot so that was more work. By this time Rocki was well so I started riding her more. Riding Khan gave me the confidence to ride Rocki properly. Khan taught me to really ride. Have you ever ridden or even been on an 18 hand tall horse? Six feet tall at the withers.
Have you ever ridden or even been on an 18 hand tall horse? Six feet tall at the withers. You will look over the top of 6 feet tall men. It’s pretty impressive!
He was so sweet and careful (most of the time, lol). Took food gently. Not grabby like Rocki. She was an easy-keeper. She was a pig. She loved food. She could breath the air and gain weight. Khan ate abut as much as you would think a horse this big ate. Lots of hay- some alfalfa, timothy or T&A was ok, and my horses could eat coastal.
Our 3 acres was too small when I had 2 horses plus a ring to work in. Grass became sand. Hence a lot of hay. Luckily, I had good storage and buying in bulk saves you money.
I had the wonderful opportunity to do a 3-day clinic with Linda Tellington-Jones. I took Khan. He loved it. I was able to get him so calm that he would almost fall down from being so content. I have to say, that was one of the best experiences I have had!
Khan was so much fun to trail ride. We would ride around the barrow pits (barrow means the mound of earth formed when the pit was dug) behind my property that helped build I-95. There was an open expanse of sand that I used to practice Dressage.
Sometimes we would ride past where some men were fishing in the lake that was made from the barrow pits. Khan would always attract the stares of people because of his size. He was magnificent. When a 6-foot-tall man would stand beside Khan he looked tiny in comparison! It was so cool. He was my boy. I was so sad to sell him.
What is the full meaning of khan?
Khan (/kɑːn/) is a historic Turkic title originating among nomadic tribes in the Central and Eastern Eurasian Steppe to refer to a chief or ruler. It first appears among the Rouran and then the Göktürks as a variant of khagan (sovereign, emperor) and implied a subordinate ruler.
A title given to rulers and officials in central Asia, Afghanistan, and certain other Muslim countries..
Oxford Dictionary
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