He’s a Lemon

“He’s a Lemon!”. Yep, that’s what my husband said as we stood at the vet clinic looking at my meticulously planned and long awaited foal that had just been born.

After buying Audrey, I spent the next 8 years researching bloodlines and stallions that might go well. Donnerhall was definitely up the top of the list, a particularly good mix with Jazz and thoroughbred lines. And so I picked a local stallion by the legendary sire himself. Audrey went in first insemination and I watched this embryo and Audrey’s belly grow until little Lemon finally arrived. Lemon, is actually named Lennon, after the late John Lennon, keeping the theme of famous personalities.

Lemon was born small, a bit malnourished and unable to figure out how to drink. After he didn’t meet his milestones within the first couple of hours, I rushed them to the vet clinic where he had some plasma infusions, learnt to drink and started to thrive.

He was cheeky, smart, dramatic and a people person from his first days. This has not changed.

Lemon was a real time waster and I taught him all the things about being a civilised horsey citizen. The easiest way was through food. Apart from his first moments of life, he has always been… rotund. I remember friends telling me that he’ll drop weight once he stopped drinking off Audrey, but… he never did. As a foal I used to worry he would choke. He would inhale (and I mean inhale!) his hard feed so quickly, he would gasp for breaths. This has also remained the same!

Lemon had his first big life change, moving down to Victoria, and after a dramatic start trying to jump out of the truck bay he settled and travelled well. He was accompanied by everyone he knew - Audrey, Elvis and Lilli.

Life on the farm down here was not really his thing. While he loved the space and freedom, he was brought up with stables and people and attention and hard food and affection at his (well my) doorstep.

During my first year in Victoria, I was in lockdown, my husband stuck in Queensland, and I lost 3 of my beloved long-term animals, including Elvis. Lemon’s youthful exuberance and naivety was the cause of Elvis’s death and something he has learnt from and never done again. With my heart and head shattered, I stepped back from horses, and most specifically Lemon. Lemon felt this change in my energy and since then, we have been piecing our trust and relationship back with eachother. I still feel some guilt to the way I made him feel during this time.

As life settled down and I healed, I started Lemon under saddle lightly and he enjoyed being the centre of my universe again. We moved to our new farm and he arrived and loved it. While life, renovations and flooding winter and spring seasons slowed any real progress with Lemon down, he also decided to start walking hoof by hoof in his mothers footsteps and a series of injuries began.

As the vet visits and trips started, I began to realise just how much like his mum he is. His kind and willing nature shone through when he was absolutely terrified of floating to the vets and being treated with medication and cut open and stitched up. He is a boy version of his late mumma. When Audrey left this world, I promised her I’d look after her Lemon, and I live by that.

He is perhaps my biggest life lesson, in forgiving what might seem unforgivable, and opening my heart back up to one that shattered it.