Oh my gosh, this is amazing! We truly appreciate this – it was very unexpected and I’d say pretty successful! Thank you for doing this! This was truly a surprise and a great thing for the horses and those trying to help them – this makes a difference!
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ALSO… I just saw this on my local FB feed!
Most of you have probably heard on the news about the fires in California. They are all around us, but not near us. We have the smoke, but no fires.
Well, we have two very large, Olympic qualifying Three Day Eventing venues within 10 minutes of our house. One is 10 minutes to the North, and the other is 10 minutes to the South. The one to the South, I pass every day. It is called Paso Robles Horse Park.
They are done with show season, so they thought it would make perfect sense to open up their stalls to horses in need of shelter from the fires.
Yay Paso Robles Horse Park. Good on you!
Here is a news story about it, plus some stills I took from the news video.
The Paso Robles Horse Park is setting up temporary stalls to help those who have had to leave everything behind due to the wildfires burning throughout the state.
The horse park is hosting two nationally rated horse shows for hunter jumper competitions this weekend and next, but some competitors impacted by the fires are arriving a little early.
“It is great that we got to move in a little bit quicker here because it left room for the evacuees to come into our barn,” said Holly Charlebois, West Marin resident.
Charlebois brought 20 show horses down from Northern California to the Central Coast for the Paso Park Fall Classic Series. Moving those horses frees up space at her barn where they have, in turn, taken in 20 evacuees.
“You know I feel horrible for the people that are more affected than we are. We are happy to help any way we can and hope that if we were in the same situation, they would do that same for us,” Charlebois said.
Those at the Paso Robles Horse Park are also doing what they can by installing temporary stalls to house horses that may need to leave their homes due to the blazing fires up north.
According to park leaders, they started receiving calls days ahead of their typical load in time from people wanting to see if they could bring the animals they consider family to a safe place.
“Particularly being affected by the Kincade Fire, looking to get out of the poor air quality and into a safer zone,” said Amanda Diefenderfer, Paso Robles Horse Park Director. “We also had some people calling and asking to pull in a few extra stalls to bring a few horses that may not be competing but they wanted to get them somewhere safe.”
The park has set up about four barns to help close to 40 horse owners keep their equines safe.
“Luckily, we are really glad to be able to expand and doing everything we can to accommodate. We have actually brought in a few extra stalls from down the road to really work to help out everyone we can,” Diefenderfer said.
This comes the same day as the Easy Fire broke out in Simi Valley. Horses there, like across the state, have also required rescue. Many of those horses are being taken to the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara.
Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
You can see the smoke in this one… it is just in the air, there are no fires near us.
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Police are urging owners to be vigilant after a horse who sustained such serious wounds in a malicious attack had to be put down.
The 18-year-old mare sustained a significant wound to her neck and shoulder between 4pm and 6pm on Tuesday (29 October) in a field in Mendham, Suffolk.
A spokesman for Suffolk Police said the mare had been wearing a rug, which it is believed was removed by the suspect before the attack.
“The horse had to be put to sleep as a result of the wound,” he said. “Officers investigating believe it to have been a deliberate attack.”
Sgt Brian Calver, from the rural crime team, said: “We would suggest other horse owners review their security measures in their paddocks and stables, and we are also urging the wider public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
“This is a particularly disturbing attack and one which we don’t want to see repeated. It’s vital we catch those responsible as a matter of urgency.”
Anyone with information on the incident should contact police, quoting crime reference 37/65784/19.
In this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out on Thursday 31 October 2019, don’t miss our vet and National Hunt specials — packed full of interesting features, interviews and much more, including why equine legs swell up and what to do about it and how National Hunt trainers approach jump schooling their horses. Read our feature on how to minimise your horse’s distress when it comes to fireworks and some vet advice on what your horse needs to stay healthy this winter. Read our reports from across the disciplines including eventing action from France, racing from Cheltenham and much more.
Good horsemanship starts with a feeling for horses, and knowing your horse is invaluable. In dressage we seek to replicate the natural movement of the horse, but the horse in nature doesn’t repeat these movements while bearing a load. So what can we do to achieve our goals and keep our horses sound and happy?
In an ideal world, repetitions would be kept to a minimum. Sometimes professional riders are lambasted for working their horses at higher levels too soon. However, often the benefit of the rider’s experience means they know how to present the work to the horse in a way that is easy to understand, and so the horses have actually done fewer repetitions of the movements than they may do with a rider who is doing it for the first time.
Learning to train different horses to grand prix is a very different skill to riding one that is already trained, and it requires great patience. I don’t start my horses at small tour until they are eight as I like their seven-year-old year to be one of consolidation, but I have started several at grand prix aged nine. It doesn’t hold them back.
Good eyes on the ground are invaluable, and sometimes it is best to swallow your pride and let a more experienced rider show the horse a new exercise, particularly if you are trying to keep the repetitions down.
Make your training short, sweet and meaningful. Strengthening the horse’s core by riding on different surfaces, up and down hills, walking on roads and incorporating some polework is key to building an athlete that can cope with the demands of the sport.
Know your horse
“Feel” needs monitoring. We’ve had fun at home with a new app that tracks us riding in the arena, and shows the route we take and how long we’ve spent on each rein and so on.
We use sleep monitors on some of the older horses as, if they don’t lie down at night, it can be a sign of orthopaedic pain or stiffness. Or you can simply check your horse’s rugs to see if he’s been lying down.
Repetitive strain injuries are common in dressage horses, but often there are signs, such as leaning heavily on one rein, that can be picked up by the rider.
Of course, ideally you would start with a horse with good conformation. But know your horse’s strengths and weaknesses and use common sense: if your horse has an upside-down neck, then you will have to focus on keeping his back strong; if your horse has long pasterns, make sure your shoeing is tip-top so he doesn’t end up with collapsed heels, causing more pressure.
Many anecdotes can be brought up about top horses having long careers despite bad conformation, but top horses will have balanced riders. Rider fitness is our responsibility and crucial to being an easy load for the horse to carry.
Keep your horse off his forehand. It already has you, the saddle and much of his natural bodyweight over his front legs. I see too many young horses trotting round on their forehands whacking their front feet down, which is far more damaging than the horse being one centimetre behind the vertical at times.
Social media trolling has made some riders terrified of picking up their reins. Learn to ride in balance and save those suspensory ligaments!
For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
Patrik Kittel and Deja win the freestyle grand prix
Patrik Kittel has been one of the leading lights of international dressage for over a decade and next week will compete for Sweden on Well Done De La Roche CMF at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon — his 11th championship. He is also currently standing for the position of rider representative on the FEI dressage committee, at the same time as preparing to welcome his first child in October. Life is hectic for the 42-year-old, but he finds the time to tell H&H about the riders he most admires.
When asked which other riders he has most admiration for, two names dominate Patrik’s response.
“Isabell Werth continues to amaze me all her time — she has such willpower — and then there’s Charlotte Dujardin,” he says.
“You define a good rider, not for doing well with one horse, but with several. To really educate horses and stay on top for years— that’s an amazing rider and there’s not many who have done that,” he points out.
“When I watch Charlotte ride I get really jealous — she has the most amazing position in the saddle. You watch her ride at lower levels, like elementary, and her horses already look like potential grand prix horses; it’s very impressive to see that. She’ll be back on top of the world for sure — the good riders always climb back up again.
“Success is not about luck or money, but about the ability to educate and the science of keeping horses sound and happy. Everyone has a different approach but it’s the riders doing that who still inspire me every day.”
Patrik and his wife, Australian Olympic rider Lyndal Oatley will welcome their first child this October, a daughter.
“I really hope my daughter will be as good as Charlotte one day,” says Patrik. “I’ve joked with Carl about him training her up to be a new Charlotte.
“My little girl can do whatever she wants to do in life. But horses give people lots of responsibility, and kids who have been involved with animals from a young age generally grow up to do well and have more responsibility in life.”
Read the full interview with Patrik in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out today (6 September). For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
In the mixed zone at the Rio Olympics with German eventer Julia Krajewski
Are you considering a career in equestrian media? Then don’t miss Horse & Hound’s exclusive Q&A session, which will take place at 8-9pm on Wednesday 9 January on the H&H facebook page.
Horse & Hound’s editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins will be joined by website editor and social media expert Carol Phillips as well as senior news writer Lucy Elder to discuss the opportunities and challenges for those looking to break into the equestrian media industry.
Whether you are at school, college or university – or out at work but looking for a career change – then come and join us for an informal chat about what it’s really like to work as an equestrian journalist and what other roles make up the world of equestrian publishing and the wider equestrian media.
Sarah explains: “If you’d asked me when I was 16 what I wanted to do for a career, I’d have said be an equestrian journalist working at Horse & Hound. I’m living the dream, though I have to admit it’s not quite what I expected and it’s changed a great deal in the past 15 years.
“Join us to find out what it’s really like, what jobs exist and what they entail, and anything else you’ve a burning desire to know about equestrian media — we’re looking forward to it.”
This Q&A session is part of Horse & Hound’s careers special, which is running across our website, magazine and social media channels this week. The action kicks off today (Monday 7 January) online, followed by our careers Q&A on facebook on Wednesday, prior to the magazine going on sale on Thursday 10 January.
In Thursday’s magazine Andrea Oakes talks to young equestrian professionals to find out how their education choices set them on the path to their dream jobs and Hanna Lindon investigates options in the equine industry for those looking to change career — at any age. It will be well worth a read.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Holly Coetzee is certainly a showjumper with a difference. The Dubai-based rider competes all her horses without a bit and keeps them barefoot, while at home she rides and jumps her horse Prince completely without tack.
“I regularly hack out in the desert with just a neck rope — he is a very special horse,” says Holly, who competes in both eventing and showjumping in the UAE.
“One of my best moments was galloping along the beach and playing in the sea tackless with him.
“While not all horses will be able to do this, I do think with enough time and patience most horses could be taught to be ridden tackless or bridleless because if you are riding correctly, from your seat and using your body not your hands, your horse should listen for those cues without needing to be told with reins. The key though is time and patience and in my experience a lot of riders today want immediate results.”
H&H recommends that you always wear a helmet while riding
Holly’s conversion to the benefits of bitless and barefoot management came in 2015 when, after two successful seasons of competing at 1.25m in the UK, her 17hh 11-year-old German warmblood Connor was diagnosed with gastric ulcers, navicular disease and laminitis.
“I was advised by vets to put him down unless his condition drastically improved within the next two weeks, which of course was devastating,” says Holly, who grew up in Derby before moving to the UAE and has trained with Corinne Bracken, Nick Burton and later worked as a coach at the Emirates Equestrian Centre.
“Although my three previous horses had all been kept successfully barefoot and I had been riding them bitless, I was convinced that because Connor was a ‘proper’ showjumping horse I couldn’t possibly keep him barefoot or showjump him without a bit!
“Despite my own doubts and fears I knew I had to try something different, because conventional shoeing had so far failed me. I agreed to give this more natural approach a try and when I returned to Dubai the following year he came with me newly barefoot.”
Connor was given a year off work and put on a new low-sugar, low-starch diet and “became a new horse” and has since always ridden in a Dr Cooks bitless bridle.
Holly’s most recent “project horse” Prince is a thoroughbred ex-racer.
“I rode him bitless from the word go with no issues,” says Holly, who works as a freelance rider and coach based out of Al Ruwayyah Stables in the Dubai.
“Prince took to schooling and jumping very well and I quickly realised he was going to be a brilliant brave cross-country horse. He moved up to the open class — Dubai’s ‘biggest’ eventing class — after a few months with no issues and he continues to improve at every event.”
Holly now regularly gives talks, workshops and demonstrations on bitless and barefoot riding and competition in the UAE.
“Before setting my clients off over fences, I ensure that they are riding their horses straight, into a steady contact from their leg and are able to use their body, seat and legs effectively to control their horses,” Holly explains. “Many of my riders are now competing successfully in showjumping, eventing and dressage — for national dressage a snaffle bit is used — and we are now well-known on the competition circuit for our extremely competitive bitless and barefoot team!”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Irish Olympian and Fellow of the British Horse Society Eric Smiley launched his new book Two Brains One Aim, written with freelance journalist Ellie Hughes, at the recent International Eventing Forum (4 February).
In this extract, he discusses how the bits horses wear can impact on cross-country safety:
I first noticed the desire to achieve greater control when the minimum weight restriction was removed from the eventing cross-country phase in 1998 (previously all horses had to carry 165lbs (75kg), made up with lead weight if necessary, for the cross-country phase). At the same time, courses started becoming more technical. These two changes brought control into focus as lighter riders were now riding big, “scopey” horses, and they needed better control to negotiate the more technical courses. The short fix was to find a bit that offered more control.
A similar thing happened in show jumping. Bigger jumping horses were introduced — they were not necessarily better or more careful, they just had bigger jumps. Courses became more technical, so there became a need to control these horses.
In dressage, the desire for control has taken a different route. While there have been adaptations to the snaffle and double bridles, these two pieces of tack have remained a constant. Crank nosebands and hyperflexion have become the focus.
When it comes to bits there has always been a fashion, a “must have,” a “follow the trend.” Bit manufacturers see opportunities in the market and take them, convincing the uninitiated that a certain bit will make all the difference because it is “kinder to the horse” or “more natural.”
Bitting to gain control produces problems for everyone, from the happy hacker to the upper level rider. Coaches must feel like they are swimming against a tide when they advocate correct acceptance and understanding of the rider’s aids, and instead, see three-rings, pulleys, and big hunks of metal. The welfare and integrity of the horse remain paramount, but, at times, it seems this has been replaced by the need for control at all costs.
When double bridles were permitted in the dressage phase of eventing, riders saw this as an opportunity to gain the control they felt they were missing in a snaffle. Thank goodness this trend has been identified and rule changes seem to be coming in to rectify this. In show jumping it appears that riders will resort to anything in order to gain control, provided it is within the rules.
Every discipline has its own requirements and some would say that it is not possible to draw comparisons. But I think there are similarities and that it is important for us all to seek a moral common ground.
We all want a nice riding horse: one that goes, stops, and turns on request. When asked to jump, we want the horse to know what to do. When asked to gallop, we don’t want him to run away. In dressage, the “Carl Hester effect” has changed the face of the discipline throughout the world. To watch and listen to this brilliant horseman should be a must for all riders. In time, the ethical way of training that Carl so inspires will filter right through the sport at all levels.
Does the end justify the means? No, of course not, but we need to be careful to supervise that it does not. At this year’s Junior and Young Rider European Championships for all disciplines, I was able to watch each discipline warm up for their respective classes; because of the age grouping most riders had trainers. Indeed that’s why I was there. I was struck by the difficulty the stewards have in enforcing the rules. Not so much when they are clearly defined (as in show jumping), but more so the interpretation of the rules in the dressage warm-up. Each rider had a headset on and was being instructed by her trainer. In many cases, it amounted to “supervised bullying” of the horse with a high degree of “mental cruelty” — always on the edge of the rules and their interpretation. Hyperflexion, excessive use of spur and or whip, seeking “false paces” in place of correct and ethical schooling.
Classical principles dating to Xenophon some 2400 years ago should still be upheld today:
1 That the horse should be allowed to develop naturally.
2 That force should not be used.
3 That the result should be beautiful and beautifully easy to watch.
In show jumping, jumping clear is the aim. The issue of making horses careful is, and always will be, part of the sport. The ethics of how this is achieved is open to much debate. Bits and bitting can be a part of this.
But it is for eventing that I have my main concern with the misuse of bits. In dressage and show jumping there are undoubtedly issues, but cross-country there is far more danger lurking.
“Fake” Control
Horses are not natural gallopers. Their instinct allows them to sprint, but they must be taught to gallop, just as they are taught to walk, trot, and canter. To perform in all gaits in harmony and control should be every rider’s aim. Without this harmony and understanding, we open a Pandora’s box of possible problems.
Asking a horse to gallop at Preliminary (US) or Novice (UK) cross-country speed of 520mpm before he is comfortable with a fast canter (350–400mpm) has every chance of triggering his natural response of “run.” The moment speed becomes a conditioned response to the rider shortening her stirrups and getting into an open space, the rider feels the need to control it. Now problems arise and the perception is that brakes are needed.
The range of bits and gadgets is endless. Some of the most popular are:
➤ The three-ring or bubble bit.
➤ The elevator.
➤ Rings and pulley reins in various forms.
➤ Curb chains — excessively tight.
Every one of these is a potential disaster waiting to happen!
The aim of flatwork training is to produce a nice riding horse for all occasions. As the topline is rounded to encourage the horse “through” from leg to hand, an acceptance and understanding of the aid is produced. This harmony must also be present cross-country.
The bits I have listed above, and others like them, have an action that encourages hollowness in the horse’s way of going that is detrimental both on the flat and over fences. Not every horse has a natural bascule over a jump — and we should make every effort to work with what the horse is given and encourage him to buy in to what he has to do to jump. But by using bits that encourage an incorrect way of going, we create many problems for ourselves and the horse:
➤ The jaw shows resistance.
➤ The head comes up.
➤ The neck goes hollow.
➤ The shoulders become blocked.
➤ The steering becomes delayed and unresponsive.
➤ The back becomes less “through.”
➤ The rider stops using her legs for fear of more speed.
➤ The horse’s hind legs are less engaged.
➤ The rider’s hands become the dominant aid.
And so it goes on.
The problems that occur when hollowness appears can manifest in different ways:
➤ Lack of roundness to a jump.
➤ Dragging of hind legs (causing poles to fall down behind).
➤ Tight shoulders (causing more poles down in front).
➤ Tight shoulders (causing more chance of hitting solid fences).
➤ More stand-offs or long spots.
➤ More speed, less impulsion.
Spend a day watching cross-country and you will see some unsightly pictures. Look more closely and there is also a trend: most of the ugly sights are control issues. Look more closely and you will see these control issues will also have a bit issue. Course designers cannot make the jumping phases of eventing higher or wider in their effort to separate competitors, so they have had to use their imagination to test the control of horse and rider.
Course designers explore the concepts of the control of line and pace, the control of accuracy, and the riders’ training of their horse in answering this control.
Coaching riders and horses to meet these challenges of control requires skill, but there is a perception that this increase in skill is a euphemism for more control. More control can come from an improvement in the way the partnership works together, or it can be tack-induced. The latter is a shortcut. This is not to say that a change in tack can never make a difference for the better, but it is important to know how to retain the good qualities when in control and not to just “be in control”! There is too much of the latter.
A lot of our everyday problems are directly attributable to bits and bitting. Moreover, only a handful of top riders are skilled enough to “cope” with the issues created by bitting, leaving the rest to struggle with the consequences of these issues.
Is your horse nervous at natural fences? Here’s how to boost a horse’s confidence ahead of the new eventing season.
When Cross-Country Becomes Dangerous
Good cross-country horses look, think, and react. To the rider who says, “He’ll jump anything,” I reply, “That’s not always a good thing.”
To produce a suitable canter or gallop, the horse must allow himself to be balanced by accepting the rider’s leg aids. These aids should engage the hind end in a way that doesn’t produce speed, but encourages the horse to accept the contact and the resulting adjustment to speed in a round and rideable way. Failure to do this makes it difficult for the horse to see, assess, and take responsibility for his part in the jump.
Imagine a car with its accelerator stuck on and the brake as the only regulator of speed. The driver would survive for a short time but very soon the brakes would overheat and fail. This is what happens to over-bitted horses — it is called “running through the bridle” — and it can have frightening results.
Hollowness over solid fences is a problem in itself, but add in a drop behind and safety becomes a very real issue. When the horse is unable to see what he has to do until the last second, he will not be able to react quickly enough to stay safe. Furthermore, the way the horse is likely to hit the fence will be with his forelegs above the knee. This is the type of impact that often causes a rotational fall or a fall on landing as the horse is unable to get his undercarriage under control.
There is an indisputable link between bitting and falls. As the rider endeavors to regain control and balance in front of a fence, the horse inverts and so the ability to ride from the leg to the rein diminishes. The takeoff becomes uncertain, spreads become a lottery, distances in combinations become short, and the “out” element becomes very chancy. A blow on the horse’s forearm could be the result, and with it, the risk of a serious fall.
Price:Two Brains One Aim can be purchased for £19.95 from Quiller Publishing. It is also available to buy via Amazon. Published by: Quiller Publishing, 2019
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
A full house enjoyed the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships (10 to 14 April) gala at Hartpury last night (12 April) featuring the opening Kingsland Equestrian junior challenge, a Graham Fletcher lecture-demo and the feature Blue Chip grand prix.
Nicole Pavitt gave the crowd their money’s worth with an edge-of-your-seats round on nine-year-old chestnut mare Paris 16 to take the class in a seven-horse grand prix jump-off that had them yelling and gasping in equal measures.
Early riders left rails on the floor tackling course-designer Nigel Jess’s 13-fence first-round track and it was not until 12th drawn Rose Moss jumped a copybook round on the scopey African Affair that a clear round was found. Six more combinations eventually joined her, with Rose and Olli Fletcher jumping clear on two rides apiece.
Rose gave the riders something to chase with a competitive opener on the Billy Congo eight-year-old — and Nicole did just that with a breathtaking turn into a double one stride away and an indecisive approach to the final Blue Chip oxer.
It makes the long journey worth while Paris 16 is pure class tonight by winning the Grand Prix ( who says don’t have chestnut mares) #equitopmyoplast #charlesowenhelmets #prestigeitalia #veroequestrian #redmills #poweredbyprotexin #EQUstreamz #rockelgloves
“I saw a long one to the double and had to kick,” she said. “Phillip Miller told me it was a short six strides to the last and to go on five but once I’d landed over the [penultimate] vertical I couldn’t see five strides so hesitated and went on six.
“I’d put an extra stride to the last in Addington’s grand prix two weeks ago and was just pipped by Helen Tredwell, I’d never live it down if it happened again.”
Afterwards, Nicole said Paris 16 was “pure class”, adding: “Who says don’t have chestnut mares!”
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Olli Fletcher finished in second place on Temple Rebus, just over a second and a half behind Nicole, with Rose and African Affair in third.
Nine classes are due to be jumped at Hartpury today, including the Eskadron pony discovery championship and the Pikeur pony novice championship. Competition wraps up tomorrow (Sunday) with seven classes to be jumped.
Don’t miss this week’s edition of H&H magazine, out 18 April, for a full report from the Blue Chip championships, as well as all the normal reports, news, features and interviews.
The organisers of the first “world bitless horse day” hope to raise awareness and “give all riders the opportunity to think about going bitless”.
The World Bitless Association (WBA), which was formed last November, says it hopes events, including trail rides, competitions and demonstrations, will be held across the world on 7 September.
Charity trustee Johanna Richardson, who also sits on the WBA board of directors, told H&H the organisation aims to “help facilitate and promote more humane methods of horse training and to promote equality in competition for modern bitless bridles”.
“We hope the day will allow bitless riders to network, and also for bitted riders who might want to explore going bitless, or who want to switch,” she said.
“All sorts of things will be happening. No one’s registered yet as registration hasn’t opened but it’s going to be global; we’ve had interest from Brazil.”
Ms Richardson said the organisation will provide support packs and relevant advice, for individuals, organisations or event organisers who want to run events or training.
She added that the main aims of the WBA are to represent bitless riders and raise awareness of welfare in riding and training.
“It’s not just saying ‘remove the bit and put a bitless bridle on’, it’s about the whole way horses are ridden, and how all of us can improve in everything we do,” she said. “Everyone can make changes and bitted or bitless, we represent everyone on that angle.”
The final WBA aim is to “fight for rule changes” to allow riders to compete bitless and “on a level playing field” with those who use bits in all disciplines.
But Ms Richardson stressed that the charity is not anti-bitting.
“We’re not against them; we just want to bring about opportunities for personal choice,” she said. “It depends on what the rider needs from the horse and how the horse reacts to the bridle it’s in.
A mare previously written off as “too quirky” has returned to the showjumping ring after a seven-month absence to win a newcomers class at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre.
The 10-year-old Mervs Thanks A Million II, an Irish-bred daughter of Flexible, was partnered to an unexpected victory earlier this month by Newbury-based Poppy Stronge.
“We’d basically given up on her because she was so difficult,” said Poppy, who bought the mare six years ago. “We couldn’t sell her, as goodness knows where she would have ended up, so we just put her in the field.”
“Rowan lunges Blue Movie between shows and doesn’t ride her or jump her at all at home, so we thought we’d give that a try,” said Poppy. “It seemed to be working, so I put her on the lorry and took her to the show. She was really hairy and unclipped, but she jumped brilliantly. I’ve clipped her so she doesn’t look so awful and we have another show soon. I’m now waiting to see if this was a fluke or Rowan’s method really works. If it doesn’t, we’ll probably breed from her, as she’s lovely on the ground and would give us a nice foal.”
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Despite the mare’s quirky nature, Poppy is a fan of mares generally.
“I do seem to get on well with them,” said 23-year-old Poppy, who runs the family’s sport horse livery and sales business.
“Dad’s always off racing and Mum seems to be a permanent babysitter for my brother Sam’s [a former jockey and now a racehorse trainer] son, so I’m doing all the riding and grooming at home at the moment. I love it,” she said.
For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
