We confess to being lovers of animals and, especially, of horses. All of you who know us cannot possibly not know who Chartreuse is. For us he is more than a friend. We have seen him grow and overcome adversity, so we want to tell you his story.
All our lives we have had horses and carts at home, and the bigger and stronger the better we like them. That's why we've always had cold-blooded horses. Horses, depending on their temperament, are cold-blooded, warm-blooded or hot-blooded. The first are those with a very calm temperament and the largest and heaviest breeds. Warm-blooded horses have the tranquility and docility characteristic of cold-blooded horses and the agility and lightness of the latter. Lastly, warm-blooded horses have a nervous and more aggressive temperament.
For rides with children, families and friends it was clear that we wanted a cold-blooded horse. We opted for a native breed: the horse Pyrenees Catalan.
In La Cerdanya we have a friend who raises chicks and one summer we went to see him. The foals had been born 3 months ago and we fell in love with a male"careto". - This is what horses are called that have a white spot that crosses their head from top to bottom - and with two very beautiful dots on their lips.
We decided right there that we would call it Chartreuse. Chartreuse is a typical Tarragona drink, very sweet, digestive and festive. This is how we wanted our horse to be.
After a few months, when he stopped drinking his mother's milk, we went to get him to take him to his new home. But when we arrived there was one waiting for us bad news. During the months he had grazed in the mountains he had hurt his eye. At first it was a superficial scratch that should not lead to further complications if treated every day.
We took him down to his new home and he changed the landscapes of the Pyrenees for the Mediterranean environment of the Alt Camp. The days passed and the Chartreuse adapted to the house: he played with his new friends, a mastiff, a ratter dog and a chihuahua. We treated him daily with everything the vets had told us, but each time his eye became more closed and whiter.
Every day the horse was nicer, more confident and curious, but his eye was getting worse and it was hurting him more and more. The diagnosis s’had complicated. The vet confirmed to us that it was very possible that he would lose the vision in his left eye.
Eye diseases or trauma in horses are complicated and there is very little specialization. Despite what could happen, we didn't throw in the towel and continued to heal and medicate him three times a day. The Chartreuse grew and our relationship became very close. Based on treatments and medications to save the eye, we spent a lot of time together. Maybe that's why he trusts humans so much and has such a special love for children.
With patience and time and against all odds, our little one's eye ended up improving. Of all those sad months, only the memory and a small war wound remain. If you have the opportunity to see us and walk with the cart and the Chartreuse you can notice his left eye. A small almost invisible white spot is all that is left of it.
We are sure that this very special relationship that our Chartreuse horse has with people is due to this process and this accident that he suffered. It was a difficult time for both him and us. But we overcame it and now we have the best horse in the world. With him we do routes, family activities, cart and carriage rides... we even put it in the dining room at home!
