Life according to Phil: ‘Shit happens. Get on with it’ - stable security man calls it a day

Phil Sattler’s not even sure what his job description was at Lincoln Farms. He was one of the behind-the-scenes people you never read about.

But after nearly five years at the Pukekohe stable he found out recently just how much he was appreciated after he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Admitted to hospital for surgery the day after a colonoscopy, Sattler was blown away when Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street first offered to pay for his hospital expenses then gave him two months pay and free rent during his convalescence.

Convalescence isn’t part of Sattler’s vocabulary, however. Three days after surgeons removed half of his liver, he signed himself out of hospital to the nurses’ warnings of ‘you’ll be back this afternoon.’

And when he went back for a check-up a few days later his surgeon’s first question was: “Are you horse people really tough, or just dumb?”

Sattler admits he was hurting after the operation but says, for someone who prefers to keep to himself, he was more traumatised by the city of concrete, crowds and non-stop traffic.

Phil Sattler approached his cancer diagnosis with a positive attitude. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.And besides, he’s not one to dwell on the negative.

“Shit happens. Get on with it.

“The people who get depressed are the ones who are stuffed. I think being fit and positive has helped me.

“The surgeon is supremely confident he got all the cancer - he said they’d spent $60,000 on me so I’d live - but I’m having chemo for the next six months to make sure.

“But there’s no drama there. They reckon you get sick as anything but after my first session I went home and mowed the lawns and cleaned up the place.

“They reckon I must have put that much shit into my system over the years that it’s nothing for me.”

Sattler says Work and Income has been brilliant and is even paying for his $1000-a-month medicinal cannabis.

“I’ve been feeling so well, I wanted to go back to work.”

Sattler said Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green couldn’t believe it when he got up at 5am last Saturday morning to take him to the airport.

“Aren’t you supposed to be sick?” Green asked of the man who for the last four years has helped the big stable run smoothly.

Sattler was the one who called the electrician if he was needed, organised the hay, the gas, made sure the staff turned up to muck out the boxes and the myriad of other little things that Green liked not to be bothered with.

But Sattler, 65, is resigned to the fact he won’t be going back to Lincoln Farms and is content to potter round in retirement at his Drury property with partner Deb.

He plans to volunteer to help at Riding for the Disabled, work with yearlings again at the sales and keep reading four books a week.

“I’m bored shitless already.

Sad saying goodbye

“It was sad saying goodbye to the horses. It was a nice chapter in my life. I liked the rhythm, up to feed them first thing in the morning and there late at night to check they’re all right.”

Sattler lived with his three rescue cats in a small apartment above the stables, perfectly positioned to monitor the property at night.

“I’d make sure the horses were all right between 11pm and 12pm but I’m not a big sleeper and often wandered round at night checking on them.

“I surprised the odd possum in a feed bin and a few burglars too.”

Sattler says he’s missed the horses and the noises they made at night.

“I’d hear something and would know instantly who it was. There were always a couple who did the same things every night. Trojan Banner used to shake his feed bin up and down and make a hell of a noise and Sir Tiger does the same thing.

“They’re colts and just get bored.”

“They’re all characters and all very different” but Geronimo (Dior Sauvage) loved his cuddles. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Even his own cats and a couple of strays that visited regularly, a big ginger tom and white tortoiseshell, knew to stay out of reach, walking down the middle of the stables’ aisles.

“One of the colts tried to eat one of the cats once and got its nose shredded.

“Then there was that useless Lincoln ‘something’ - I can’t remember his name - who could open his box door. I first heard him walking past under the balcony.

“He’d let himself out, walk along to the next row and eat the fillies’ breakfasts, then go back to bed.

“We put a bolt across the door but he still worked out how to open it

“Line Up likes to get his head collar off and wander off.”

Sattler reckons the horses could recognise his footsteps and the smell of cigarettes that hung around him.

He recalls his favourites by their stable names.

“There was Geronimo (Dior Sauvage) who was a lovely affectionate dude and loved his cuddles and having his ears scratched every morning.

“And Zach (Zach Maguire) was a little darling. He’d hide behind the wall and jump out and give you a fright and try to nip you.

“They’re all characters, and all very different. Some are professional and don’t want to know you and others don’t want to be racehorses, just your best mate.

“I never owned any horses because I didn’t need to.

“Between 6pm and 6am I could play with them any time I wanted. They were all mine.”