Temperament

When we bought Morgan he appeared to be a totally chilled out character.  My daughter could catch him in the paddock, bring him in and groom him.  All 16hh of him.  But it took me about 3 months of schooling at home to take him to a lesson, and even then, I don't think he was really ready.


When we arrived at my instructor's place he was suddenly rather distracted, and difficult to handle.  Where had the quiet horse gone?  There were some horses in a paddock next door and he was really keen to join them.


I lunged him in the arena first, but he kept being distracted.  I should have probably kept lungeing him until he finally paid attention, but my instructor had arrived and we needed to get on with it.  At the end of the day - I don't have all day.


He was still distracted when I saddled him up and when I mounted.  As I was mounting, the school bus was coming past, a mere 5 metres away or so.  But, if Morgan had a different temperament, he would have been happy to trust me and pay attention to me.  Instead, he bucked until I fell off, hitting the barbed wire fence on the way.  I was ok, but it wasn't pretty.


In comparison, Echo had been schooled by his previous owners for about 4 months when I bought him.  He had only been on their property, and trail riding in the bush.  He was with us for a mere 2 weeks when I decided to take him for a lesson.  Having learnt from the Morgan experience, I was savvy enough to take Echo together with my pony, Dingo.  I needn't have bothered, he would have been fine regardless.


Once again, the same paddock with horses.  Yes, Echo looked at them, he even neighed to them, but he also quite happily stayed tied to the fence.  The same road along the arena, with buses, utes with trailers, cars and even a couple of motorbikes.  It was all fine.  His biggest problem was with the Fresian cow in a paddock - a mere speck in the haze.


Echo's biggest issue was probably me paying attention to Dingo.  The minute I started paying attention to Echo he stopped his neighing and stood totally still.  Likewise when I mounted.  And momentarily ... likewise during the lesson.


I had a wonderful lesson and learnt heaps.  It definitely wasn't a matter of just staying on and hankering for control.  I can't wait to practice it all at home, and then come back for more lessons.  I can't wait to take him out to adult riding club and to competitions.  This horse will go such a long way - not because he is a super star, not because he looks magnificent, but because he has a good temperament.

Echoes of Crownie

Crownie was a very special horse in our lives.  When she was in full health I used to explore all the plantations and state forest near our farm.  I used to ride for hours no matter what the weather, exploring new tracks, nooks and crannies.  Galloping wildly.  Walking on a loose rein.  Sometimes I would cover 30km in 3 hours.  We were a team, Crownie and I.


When she started showing signs of wear and tear I semi-retired her.  I didn't ride her any more, but I would listen to squeals of delight as friends rode her on trail rides, and I would smile to myself.  But, eventually, Crownie was gone, and we kept reminiscing how nice it would be to own another horse like Crownie.


When Echo arrived - being the same colour and height (although he wasn't quite as long - thank goodness) - we unintentionally started making comparisons.  I like to take each horse on it's own merits, but the similarities were just too frequent and too many and we couldn't help ourselves.


He could spend hours at the hitching rail being brushed and patted - just like Crownie.  He is easy going and understanding, just like Crownie.  He seems to prefer people company to horse company.  If Echo has been put in the yard and you can't see him, then he's bound to be in the stable - just like Crownie.  And when a boot drops down too far over his coronet, he will try to kick the boot off, just like Crownie.


And so, I like to think that our wish for "another horse like Crownie" has come true.

Welcome Teddy

We have a new addition at the farm - a horse called Teddy.  A friend has decided to agist him with us, while she is unavailable to ride him.  In the meantime I am allowed to ride him.  With Lilly sill out on injury leave, and Dingo about to go out for his annual holiday, Teddy's arrival is perfect.

I picked him up from Yarrambat the other day.  Well, he loaded onto the float fine, but then rocked the float, and neighed for a decent hour of the two hour trip.  Then, he didn't know how to back off.

When I did manage to get him off the float, he stood tall, all 16.2hh of him, and shivered in his boots, wondering where in the world he was.  I felt very insignificant.  But, I did manage to worm him and put him in the paddock.

Then, I brought him a paddock mate - Bess looked like she was volunteering.  Well, did she take a liking to him.  I've never seen anything like it.  It's the middle of winter, and she was acting like a filly in spring time.

Pony mum

My daughter and I went into the pony paddock today. Sabina was carrying a bowl full of chopped carrots. We entered the paddock, and the ponies, Tornado, Bel Bel and Dingo surrounded me. They kept a respectable distance of an arms length so that I wasn't crowded. And they were more than happy to be given an affectionate rub on the forhead. In the meantime, my daughter was standing about 4 metres away, with her bowl of chopped carrots, a little frown slowly forming on her forehead.

Why weren't the ponies rushing over to get a juicy carrot?

Eventually, the ponies did sneak off for a carrot, but when their mouth was full, they would come and stand next to me again.

When we were leaving the paddock, the carrot bowl now empty, Sabina asked "Why do the ponies think that you're their mum?"

Farewell Gally

Almost a month ago we had a terrible storm. In our area it was quoted as a one in 500 year event. Wind, lightening and rain, rain and more rain. Sometime in that storm, somehow, Gally broke a leg and had to be put down. My more personal recollection of this event is recorded here and here.

Since the incident, friends have asked me how it happened? Well, the short answer is, I don't know. What I do know, is that it is not uncommon. Soon after I started riding, I got to know a girl who was into equestrian competition. She already had a mare for showing, and she had just bought a horse for jumping. It was a lovely horse in every way. Not flighty, nice to handle, nice to ride. The girl's property had good fencing, and was fairly flat. Three weeks later, the horse broke a leg and had to be put down.

I was very sad to hear this, and asked why it happened. The answer from the general equestrian community around me at the time, was that it was freak accident. No one saw it happen, so they don't know what happened. But, "it does happen", I was told.

A few years later I heard of another similar story. Quiet horse, flattish, safe paddock.

So, ever since I have owned horses, I have lived with the reality that one day it might happen to me. But I have also lived with the stories of how other riders, lost their horses and moved on. Got new horses, and rode on to bigger and better things.

Life, and "the show", goes on.

Sore backs

I just found this piece of information, posted on some forum by a guy called Ronald Aalders.

"It's a wide spread mistake to think that the response of a horse to a finger or blunt object along it's spine -bending down ward or dorsi flexion of the back- is a sign of pain.

It is not!

Every healthy horse without back problems has this response. It is a perfectly natural reflex response called 'spina prominens reflex' (thank you Dr. Rooney).

Why so many people continue thinking that it's a sign of pain is beyond me. It's rather the opposite. A horse that does not have this response, is likely to have a back problem. By tightening it's muscles the horse overrides the reflex, because the reflex hurts him."

I don't think this statement is 100% correct, but it's an interesting observation, and I will have to investigate further. I hope the three horses, and pony, in the paddock are feeling ready for testing tomorrow. What fun!

Gally is the boss

Mo has been the boss of the paddock for years. Over 10 years. Whereever we went, Mo would always be the boss.

When I first put Gally in with Mo, Mo was nice to Gally, but quickly put Gally in his place when push came to shove.

Today, I feed the horses in the yard. The feed bins are ready, and the horses run in through the gate. I turn around just in time to see Mo and Gally standing over the same feed bin. Then Gally raises his head, and puts his ears back. Mo retreats to find another bucket. Gally is the boss.

The yard has a stable in it. Later on when I return to put the horses out, Gally is standing in the stable, looking out. He is proud as pie. All the other horses are in the yard eating grass. He doesn't even put his ears back when I come over to give him a pat and have a laugh. I think he has now made our farm his home.

Crownie

Competition Name: Crown Bijou
Stable Name: Crownie
Sire: Noble Bijou
Dam:
Height: 16hh
Breed: Thoroughbred
Colour: Brown/Black
Rug Size: 6'6"

About Crownie:
When you first look at Crownie, you realise just how long she is. I am not a fan of long horses, and having simply looked at her, I would have never bought her. However, when I trained her for a friend (who wanted to sell her) ... I was sold. This is the most loving, trainable horse I have ever come across. Trainable: I taught her my horse unloading routine once. Loving: I have seen my 2 year old daughter hanging off Crownie's ears (literally), while Crownie was eating. And Crownie is bold with a capital B: I have ridden her on some pretty scary (steep, wet) tracks and she just keeps going.

Crownie's goals:
We have decided to try eventing Crownie. I know, she is neither schooled, nor fit, nor young. However, with proper feeding and training we should be able to conquer all of those. Our aim is a Preliminary ODE in March 2008. If she is going really well, we might give her a shot at an ODE earlier than that - maybe end of November 2007 or start of December 2007.

Tosca

Competition Name: Tosca
Stable Name: Tosca/Buffa
DoB: 16/12/2002
Sire: Jeune (Clydesdale)
Dam: Princess (TB)
Breed: Clydesdale x TB
Height: 15.2hh & growing
Colour: Dark bay
Rug size: 6'

About Tosca:
If Tosca was human, she would be blonde, she would be into coffee with the girls, she would work in marketing or advertising, she would party all night long, and give everyone hugs and cuddles. (Being a 450kg horse, jumping into my lap for a cuddle is somewhat problematic). Oh, and she would have a weird fascination with ropes and knots. I bred this horse, so I have no one to blame but myself. My husband has repeatedly asked me to sell her, while she was busy rearing at us in the paddock. But I have learnt from her mother ... she just needs time to learn. Given her cuddly and placid temperament (unlike her mother), with love and patience anything might be possible.

Tosca's goals:
Tosca is still growing, both in the body and in the mind. Don't expect maturity. Just expect her to go out for long rides with another horse (preferably Crownie), so she can learn how to be calm and bold.

Princess

Competition name: Princess
Stable name: Princess
Other name: Bad Attitude
DoB: 26 October 1990
Sire: Northern Spring
Dam: Skyrama
Breed: Thoroughbred
Height: 15.1hh
Colour: Bay
Rug size: 6'

About Princess:
Together with Princess I bought myself a challenge. She might only by 15.1hh but at times she feels at least 17hh. She is highly athletic, and highly strung. To say I was over-horsed was an understatement. My aim was to do eventing with her, and in the meantime she was rearing at blades of grass in the paddock. Eventing requires you to jump, and I was getting refusals and standing ovations for simply staying on. (She wasn't bucking, just refusing jumps). But whoever originally named this horse "Bad Attitude", had no insight into how horses think. Together we embarked on a journey of self discovery and horsemanship that has seen this horse go on to successfully do dressage competitions, hunting school, hunts, Adult Riding Club, and freshmans showjumping.

Princess' goals:
Princess is for sale. She would do really well in a serious competition home. To be trained 6 days per week, competed and given a purpose to focus on, would be this horse's dream. Never mind her age or her height. Think 16hh, 7 years old and ready to go on with.