Egypt

I don't know if anyone remembers me saying I was going to Egypt a few months back...well I'm in Egypt now, have been for a a week now. This is my first chance after the maadness of packing, and oqrganizing, flying, and now working here in Egypt, that ive actually had a spare second to write. Well,unfortunately due to security reasons, and a few other complications, I can't say to much about what's going on, or show to many pictures, but il say a little, and when I get home in a few weeks, il spill all the beans. Egypt is amazing, the history of the place, Im literally sitting here and can seethe pyrimads, right outside my window,and to think someone built these all thoses years ago is unreal. The rubbish is equally mind blowing, it's everywhere, the streets, the desert, the canals, in fact in some place you don't know there is water because the trash layer is so thick. Oh and there is floating dead horses, bobbing along in the mix as well,giving the streets a very memorable aroma. But the reason I came, was to look after the horses, and I have done that on a grand scale every day since being here. There is two types of horses in egypt, those that are fat, and those that are starving, some people own both types, so in a lot of cases it is not a financial thing.The scale of the problem is almost overwhelming, hundreds of thin, and I mean if you knew how much a skeleton weight was, that about the best way to measure the body mass of some of these horses. But also, sores, destroyed mouths, leg problems, shoeing problems, wounds,malnutrition and dehydration is as common as flies around these parts. Yet I have seen some of the most beautiful horses,I mean stunning, and would give most show horses a run for there money back home. Purebred Arabians, that look straight off the black stallion movie set, unbelievably gorgeous, just tied in the street, working in carts, carrying tourists, or tucked away in private stables, they are far more attracttive, and sane than the Arabs we get back home. Even more exciting, I have gotten to treat camels who just line up right alongside the horses for care. Amazing creatures, so gentle, majestic and huge, I've even been camels riding, and loved it. Overall loving Egypt, can't wait to release all the details on what going on, how ever il try and keep you posted, as it makes every horse person appreciate the life our animals lead back home.

Kai wins pony of the year

So something awesome has happened! My wild ponies are great, but someone has definitely one upped me, and I'm not the least bit upset by it.A Kaimanawa pony, has just won the prestigious Pony of the Year showjumping title.

story here
http://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/Article.aspx?id=5921&Mode=1
and here http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/03/18/hoy-kaimanawa-wins-pony-of-the-year/#


This is the biggest title, a pony in this country can have!

I'm not sure exactly what the details of the pony are, if its part bred, or when it came out of the wild. But regardless, awesome achievement.

The girl is actually local to me,although i don't know her personally, living in the scheme of things just up the road. Her trainers, are sisters i grew up competing against, and are good old fashioned tough, kiwi girls, who have produced many ponies to the top level of showjumping. In fact one sister won the same title two years previously. Awesome girls, that i have a lot of respect for, the trainers, and full credit to the girl and her pony to.

It also goes to show something else, Kaimanawa's are incredibly versatile and more than just bush ponies, but also training is far more important than breeding and talent.

Most horses are far more talented than we realise, its usually only training, heart and dedication that separate the top echelon from the everyday achievers.

My first boss, always inspired me, these quirky looking horses would turn up at the stables, not only not looking anything special, but usually with some story of previous failures behind them, a few months later they would be bordering on advanced dressage training  and look like super stars. At the time his Grand Prix horse, was one he'd seen running a muck with another rider when he was judging a test... it won multiple national champions and Horse of the Year titles. Then he had another one that no one else could ride, pressure cooked with another rider and it went grand prix also, another one that had at one stage been a rescue horse and in the paddock looked like a white giraffe. The same man now has a Clydesdale competing at grand prix.it was never about the horse it was about the training you put in, i still have huge respect for this man, still train with him, and am eternally happy for the opportunity i got to learn from him.

These sisters that also live nearby me, they are well known for picking up horses people write off, and taking them to the top in the showjumping ring. Some of these wouldn't be any better or anymore tame than something that came off the ranges.

I have always had oddball horses, as a kid i never thought about it, i didn't know enough about horse breeds to know if they were supposed to be good or not. in fact one of the first ponies i trained was a 'wild one' a herd of welsh ponies had bred and run wild over a farm for over thirty years, i got the last filly before they were round up and sold off. this filly taught me alot. she was tiny 11-12hh so all her jumping i taught on a lunge line 'cos i was to big to ride her, thinking back she had every conformational flaw under the sun, i didn't know that, neither did she. over a couple months i just used to jump her/ and the Shetland pony, over everything i could find, and through every type of jumping exercise i could think of. Both these ponies ended up being able to soar over jumps that were a good few inches higher than themselves. They were n't miracle ponies, they just learnt to jump and i slowly over a long period of time made the jumps bigger and bigger, no one said they couldn't. i have never had the time since to put in the hours i did with these ponies, where literally every day after school i rush home and think of new creations and exercises for these ponies. My brother ended up riding the little 'wild one' who we named Missy Mischief and took her to a show where she won the high jump, and was the smallest horse there by a long shot.

Something that does bother me these days, is that there is hundreds of horses are bred, to create sport horses, amateurs are breeding more & more horses. Mean while, there are thousands of races horses, wild horses etc etc going to slaughter/waste because there is now nowhere for them. these are still good horses and good for about what 95% of riders want and can do, and they cost a fraction of the price. back in the day our entire Olympic teams used to come from the race track.  Its not the breeding that makes horses amazing its the person putting in the hours of training behind the scenes.

Go Tegan and her pony Watch Me Move,  proving that the wild horses are every bit as good as anything else and more! Awesome achievement!

The photo i really wanted to show you all

Okay, so this was the image i really wanted to show everyone, but i had to wait to buy it off the photographer and for it to arrive. This was at the wild mares first training horse trials, so because different levels are called different things, in different countries, to make it clear she jumping 95cm, although it could have been 120cm and she still would have cleared it.

Since then she has had one more show at this level, and again went beautifully, except this time instead of the beautiful blue sky like in the picture above, we have constant rain, and the slipperiest ground conditions I've ever ridden on. It literally felt like my horses were on roller skates they were sliding so much. I being the one on top of this unstable horse flesh was a wee bit nervous, especially as fern is known as being a wee but clumsy on the farm, but the little wild mare wasn't to fussed, somehow managing to get around the showjumping, and slowly but surely making it around the boggy cross country course, even managing a gallop at one stage before cruising around in a comfortable canter. I think everyone knows the children tale of the tortoise and the hare, well Fern is the tortoise, never falters, never spooks at a jumps, never speeds, never wastes energy, yet she's incredibly careful and hates to touch anything with her feet, this makes her one of the easiest as well as one of the most fun eventing horses Ive ever produced.

The other young horse I'm producing at the moment, not a wild one, is the hare, shes like riding a stick insect on cocaine,fine boned and narrow, bold and quick, she likes to jump but wiggles and weaves before pinging over the jumps at the last second, if you can get her in line with a jumps that's great no problem, but steering a straight line at the same speed is about as easy as flying a lead balloon. Fern's stout build, smooth paces and dependability, make her a dream compared to this one.

the other nice thing about Fern, is that really I'm just competing her for my own satisfaction, not to win the Olympics, not to sell on, or to produce for someone else, shes just for me to have fun on, and this makes it all the more enjoyable. doesn't mean i don't want to win on her (I'm a very competitive person), just everything she does is a an achievement, because she comes from nothing,  so its all the more satisfying when she achieve something.

Also i love the fact that people always come up and say they never thought she would be anything, anyone who saw her when she first arrived and rolled their eyes at my little project ponies, is now congratulating me on how nice they turned out! Secretly i really like betting on the underdog, and proving people wrong, and with the wild horses i was doing just that, although even i didn't think i would get something as remarkable as this little mare..

They say a picture says a thousand words, well i guess that saves me writing anything then.....

except to say that Fern went to her seond show on the weekend, and competing at a grade higher than last time, and went awsome. absolutely faultless, clear cross country, awsome showjumping and much admired by everyone, better than i could have hoped for, not bad seeing she used to look like this....

tussock

Recently i had the opportunity to work with another little pony that had once been wild, his name was Tussock. I got to know Tussock pretty well over the last few weeks, as did all the kids who came on camp and rode him. Because he turned out to be, one of those ponies that every kid should have, stoic, calm, kind and dependable., traits i have come to realise are quite prevalent among all the horse that come from the wild mountains of the central plateau.

I met Tussocks owner months ago, on a beach ride i did to raise funds for the Kaimanawa horses. She mentioned at the time a horse she would like to have worked, we kept in touch and then just before Christmas Tussock arrived just in time to join in with my last horse riding camp of the year.

He was every inch that old fashioned pony type, stocky, round, soft moving, and intelligent without being hot or fiery. He was however not always the most angelic of all ponies, like any pony worth his grass, tussock had learned a few tricks over the year he used to his advantage. He shoulder barged, or dragged you around a little bit when leading him, and sometimes threatened to charge right over top of you. He also had never cantered with a rider on his back before, no fault of his, but he thought a lovely slow trot or a walk were the only paces that would ever be required of him. I quickly explained to him the new rules around here, you were not allowed to crowed the person leading you, and when a rider squeezed with their legs he had to move forward immediately, even if he didn't want. It took me about ten minutes to teach this, and from then on tussock was the dream child's pony.

By the end of the first week of camp, he was jumping playing games, going on rides around the farm all with a tiny ten year old girl on his back. you know what i think he liked it to, he was always there to be caught in the morning, even though he knew it meant working all day long, He stood for hours being brushed plaited and patted.

I put Tussock on the market on behalf of his owner after this, he needed a home where he could be ridden every day and have kids fuss over him. A couple of people came to see him, but he wasn't 'flash' enough for their children, it doesn't matter how safe they are sometimes, people cant see that a amazing jumping technique and showstopper looks wont help your child if they are already a terrified rider. But it was okay that he didn't sell because i kept using him on camps where he was fantastic and every child loved him.

Finally on the last camp of the holidays, a girl traveled five hours with her mum to come try him over the course of the week. The little girl loved him, absolutely adored him, and so did the mother who couldn't believe how well behaved and safe he was. She just loved to canter tussock around bareback, finding that far less scary than cantering with a saddle on as it turns out.  When it was time to go home, there was a very sad goodbye and lots of tears, talking to the mother later the girl cried the whole five hour drive home.

So last Friday, after lots of consultation with the mother, i loaded up tussock, and drove the five hours south. The little girl had no idea he was coming, her mother wanting it to be a surprise, even getting her out of school early so they'd arrive home in time for Tussock to get there. I can tell you that was one happy girl who came running out looking a little surprised when i drove up, before running to look in the float window just to make sure that tussock really was in there.

Sometimes selling horses is a miserable work, trying to match buyers with the right horses, and selling animals you love with no guarantees with what will happen to them after they leave your hands, and no matter how well you produce a horse, your always liable to get the backstabbing and bitching when someone doesn't win everything on a horse they buy off you, your reputation is always on the line,. But in cases like this it makes it all worth it. A super special little pony went to a awesome kid who loved hims, and most importantly parents, who can see what his true worth as a child's pony is.  To make it even better he now lives at the most gorgeous equestrian property, with lots of other happy ponies, post and rail fences, beautiful gardens and arena and stable. Tussock is definitely going to be living the dream life with his new owners.

Just another update- got a call from tussocks new owners today, they have been to a show and pony club, bringing home a neckful of ribbons including 3, 1st places, the mother described having tears in her eyes as her daughter and tussock won best combination! they couldn't be happier with him, really this just makes it all worth it for me, I'm so happy to know hes gone on to be so successful and well loved! couldn't ask for more.

Lastly i would like to say thank you to Julie, who gave me the lovely Tussock to work with and sell for her, its always a pleasure to get to work with such nice people and horses, makes my job much easier. Definitely thinking of her and wishing her well, for what shes going through right now.

If anyone is going to the Kaimanawa show, and see a smallish  pony the colour of dry tussock grass, please go over and give tussock a hug from me, and introduce yourselves to his lovely new  rider and family, who are just the most wonderful people.

I didn't really get around to fine tuning my last post, i just typed the news out, didn't proof read and then pressed post. this is what happens when your tired though, nothing gets done with the usual finesse, used when you have time and energy up your sleeve. There was something i wanted to mention, but didn't get around to previously. Now feels like the right time to talk bout it.

i think I've talked before about how our expectations affect how are horses behave, as does our preparation and training we put into them. Well never are these things more relevant, than at horse shows.This is where a handlers/riders nerves, inconsistencies, or lack of training, all rears in ugly head in the form of horses misbehaving. Now i have never had a problem taking horses to shows for the first time, in fact i have taken four in the last month to there very first events. Its true that the wild mare was exceptionally quiet, but none of mine at least, behave much differently than they do at home. they don't suddenly become monsters, they might walk around with their eyes wide open, but that's about it.

some of it i think really does just come down to our expectations. I don't expect mine to misbehave, and they don't. Because i don't expect it, i handle and act the same way around them that i do at home, so they react as the normally would around me. Now i have been to hundreds of shows in my life so i am pretty calm about the whole thing, i still get nervous from time to time, but i know if i start acting nervous my horse will pick up on it straight away and reproduce the effect ten fold, so i always try and stay very outwardly calm. horses are also suckers for routine, they like the same routine day in and day out, it gives them security. So if your at home and it takes 20mins to brush, saddle up, and fuss over your horse, and then at a show, rush around in panic, it usually this change in their routine and your body language that upsets them. Same if your warming them up, why change the way you warm them up from what you do at home, all this communicates, is that something very different is about to happen, and they have no idea what. I always wander around on a loose rein at home for a couple minutes, i do the same at the show, I'm not suddenly clutching the reins, trying to pull their head in or make them look pretty in front of my fellow competitors, i just let them look around and then carry on like i do at home in the paddock.

Secondly you get out what you put in. If you've missed bits in your training, or don't practice certain things, its not magically going to come together on show day. The main thing is manners, if you kind of let your horse smooch all over you at home when hes relaxed, and be right on top of you, or even paying you no attention at all. You get to the show and suddenly it leaping all over you and dragging you across the truck park, its not because your at a show, it because you never taught it manners, and now when its nervous it doesn't have a leader to look after it. Its always just basic stuff, horses like leaders,  then they feel safe, if your getting walked all over, your not the leader and therefore not looking after your horse. Its not magic, teaching them to stand still when handled, not bump into you, and not be looking off in the distance, will produce a horse that stands calmly at show, because they know the rules, and they feel secure that someone else is the boss and looking after them. No magical, potions, gimmicks, or trick required. Get the ground manners right, so the horse, is calm and easy to handle, by the time you get on its back its already in a calm state of mind and then you can only improve from their. Horses arent born with manners and knowing how to behave its something we teach them, and teaching them always works out better in the long run

I know of, and have worked for, so many people that are sure that there horse is going to be 'wild' at the show, some even giving them calming medicine before the horse has a chance to misbehave. The poor horses most of the time would have been absolutely fine, we just get so nervous we feed our own expectations onto them. There was the one horse that used to drag me around the showgrounds like a steam train, and then leap in the air at the smallest thing, it wasn't a big horse horse but it was pushy, i remember praying that the lead rope wouldn't snap as i tried to hold onto it head and slightly point it in the right direction. I was youngish at the time, and my advice would definitely not have been considered, i was there to "let it look around until it settles, and not upset it". After a few shows i had enough of it, so as soon as the owners were out of sight, i made it stand still, it wasn't allowed to take a step without my permission, also the lead rope was always loose, i never had to pull on it, it wasn't allowed to jump on top of me, shoulder barge or run me down. You know what that horse was perfectly relaxed and calm after that, we never had issues and it was lovely to ride...of course owners thought it was just the calming past finally taking effect....

Wild horse to show horse

I'm late posting this, but i have finally got around to sharing the good news. The wild mare, Fern, went to her first show and did fantastically. Travelled well, behaved fantastically and jumped like a super star. Couldn't really have asked for much more.

It was the first event of the Autumn calender, and i took three horses, just to keep me busy for the weekend. Fern, my big warm blood, and another young pony I'm schooling for a friend. The Wild mare however was the star of the show. doing a fantastic dressage test, clear showjumping, not blinking an eye at the colourful poles, and galloped around the cross country like shes been doing it all her life. Although, gallop may be a strong word, grey thought a sedate canter was far more appropriate, and so she cruised up and down hill, through the water jump and across the flats in a beautiful relaxed pace.

Showjumping



 Finishing the dressage

For those of you who may not know, i do eventing, which consists of three phases. First always is the dressage, based on how well you ride a pattern, and how your horse goes, it basically testing your accuracy and finesse as a rider and seeing how obliging and obedient your horse is. You get a percentage mark, that is then converted into penalty points, with the aim being to get the lowest penalties.

Second phase, in a one or two day event, is showjumping. This is just a course of colourful jumps set up in a set order. For every rail you knock down, you get four penalties, if your horse stops, four penalties again, also if you go over time, you get penalties for every second you go over. The idea is to be under time and leave all the jumps up, not adding to your dressage score.

Thirdly is the cross country, basically big solid obstacles like logs, ramps, ditches, drops into water etc etc, usually there will be about twenty jumps in a course, and its is a lot longer than the showjumping. For every jump you horse refuses, or runs out at, you get twenty penalties, and again if your over the time you get penalties for every second that your over.

The aim of eventing really is to get the lowest dressage score possible, and then don't add any jump penalties to it. which is exactly what Fern did. Which is awesome for any horses first competition let alone a wild horses.