11th May, 2008 Cello

Thought you might need another photo.....

11th May, 2008 Horseworld Open Day

Top to bottom - although quiet, Sunny wasn't at all sure about all this new fangled equipment; Garth the mule was born in 1963 the same as me but he dribbles less!; this Shire horse is one of four heavy horses at Horseworld - they all look fit and happy; Prince is probably the tallest yearling I have ever worked with - he was the foal I worked with last year that came back from his loan home just for the day.

Another busy week ended with two short demo's at Horseworld. Three loaders during the week all with different issues - one a first time loader, second a New Forest pony that has previously jumped over the front bar and then a big horse that I had actually met six years ago, when I was training, that has decided to go into pressure against the partition and scrabble with his feet. We managed to get each one loading nicely and the last horse is now travelling without a partition but with a full width front bar and back bar. He wasn't totally relaxed yesterday but it was fascinating to see him make use of all that room and standing with his back feet wide apart.

I also went to work with a horse I haven't seen for a year and his owner is now hoping to bring him back into work. Along with the Haflinger I went to see on Thursday, he was one of the lightest most responsive horses I have ever worked with and deeply offended if I didn't use my most subtle request. Bliss. I also introduced Frances' pony, Pete, to long reining and he accepted the surcingle and all the kit like an old hand - except when he saw the long rein move towards his right eye - he could cope on the left or out of both eyes but wasn't at all sure about the right hand side. Weird isn't it? But it gave us something to work on before we blithely carry on long reining him.

Horseworld was a delight. It was so sunny and there were 100's of people there to see all of the horses.

8th May, 2008 Jumps

I spent the morning at Hoplands Equestrian Centre watching Kelly Marks and Rosie Jones having their jumping lesson with Pat Burgess. Pat does some fabulous stuff with gridwork, encouraging the horses to really lift at the front and the riders to "plug in" with their seat bones until they feel the horse take off. It's at least a hundred years since I did any show jumping and now I am sorely tempted.

7th May, 2008 More Nelly and Bakeburn Jethro

I don't know where the chestnut came from but the I think his father gave him the blaze.

6th May, 2008 Clever Nelly

Nelly had her foal early this morning and by the time I found them he was looking pretty robust. It's hard to leave such a vulnerable youngster out near the roads but it is what he was bred for and providing some idiot doesn't run him over, he will have a lovely life. It's a bit like having a cat, most people wouldn't keep them locked up in the house. Nelly was very pleased to be given a feed and I shall check on them regularly. I have called him Cello.

6th May, 2008 Latest reviews

Molly (first time loader)

Just an update to let you know Molly eat all her dinner in the trailer last night. She was a very good girl, she hesitated with me a little and did her paw of the ramp. Then she worked it out and she went in lovely.
LN (Molly above)

Many many thanks for yesterday, it was really just what we both needed and I feel more confident in handling him, knowing he is not just a frightened little scrap. It is reassuring knowing what I need to practice and how to do it with him - you are brilliant!!
CG 10.4.08 (First touch and headcollar)

Lancer has really come on in leaps and bounds - not literally!! So far he is leading from stable to stable and to the end of the yard and back and she also put a rug on him that he wore for about 1/2 hour and didnt bat an eyelid! Since you came out to him it really seems to have helped his confidence and he seems to accept that people dont hurt.
CG 18.4.08

Me and K took J-pony for a walk today, we were mostly on the roads and he was perfect , he didn't come in front of me once and there was no nibbling, K was amazed at the difference two weeks can make...
TK 12.4.08 (Jack, pre-starting pony)

Thankfully, long-reining hasn't turned out to be the nightmare that it began as. Thanks so much for de-mystifying the whole process.
AS 12.4.08 (Oberon, former trotting horse)

So back to the tried and trusted Sarah Weston method and bingo, at last, headcollar on. AND I’ll have you know, within ten minutes I was leading him around the yard and he was being fantastically good. I hadn’t reached the leading stage with him before so I’m really chuffed. I’m going to keep him in for the next few days and do some more sessions with him.
CB 15.4.08 (Scrumpy, Exmoor colt)

Even better today. Headcollar on this morning..using the same method…and a 15 minute play in the yard. Went out this lunchtime and bought him a new headcollar that fits him better. New headcollar on this afternoon and a ten minute amble down the lane. He was only very slightly silly, I was expecting him to be a bit of a loon but he really good.
CB 16.4.08

Thank you very much for the report and thanks again for giving us more of your time on the day.We have put in to practise all the things you and Sheila taught us and L and I agree we feel more confident around the ponies. I took M to a Fun Ride on Sunday, I re affirmed with her who is the leader ( it didn't take much) and she followed me straight into the trailer, I thanked her and backed her out and repeated this again, then off we went to the ride, had an exhausting day as she was extremely excited about the whole thing , she jogged/ trotted/cantered for the whole of 12 mile ride! then loaded beautifully to come home,.
HPJ 15.4.08 (Loading)

Thank you very much. I found the session with Zippy really useful and will do a few minutes groundwork with him several times a week. All 3 ponies went for a ride Sunday morning and Zippy was much better leading. He did not pull but he did come across infront of me when trotting. However you gave me the tools to sort this so he soon will be more perfect than he already is. Thank you again and it was great to meet you - someone who can tune into horses and their personalities instantly.
A very happy Jackie and rabble, 2 legged and 4 legged!
JM 15.4.08

I have been working with Katie this week and she is already showing much improvement over a week ago. NW 18.4.08 (Young show pony - groundwork session)

M is doing well. Her behaviour on the ground has been good, so far. She still has her ears back a lot, but some days she has enjoyed my company! Most evenings she volunteers to be brought in from the field which in much nicer than her previous tendancy of cantering at me with her ears back and then spinning to threaten kicking at the last minute.
AP 19.4.08 (Grumpy horse!)


Thank you so much for all your help at the weekend, it was fantastic stuff and has given L and I new drive and determination to continue in the manner you have started. We will keep to the exercises you have suggested and look forward to seeing you again in a couple of weeks.
CH 21.4.08 (Rather determined cob pony - groundwork session)

I found your instruction helpful and I now feel that I understand the way S sees me. For me to attain that leadership is something that I feel would give me a great deal of satisfaction and achievement knowing that I have helped S to become relaxed and taken over the responsibility of leadership from her.D wanted to know if I thought it was money well spent. I said it most definately was.
MC 23.4.08 (Groundwork session)

I am however pleased to report that J has really calmed down now. T & I continue to lead in and out and he certainly respects our space now. No rearing either! Thanks to your expert advise.
He is getting back to what we originally saw. Staying out virtually 24hr/day has also released his pent up energy even to the point we kept them in on Sunday night due to the thunder storm and Monday morning a feeling of dread came over me but he was good as gold when I took him out on Monday morning.
SB 23.4.08 (Groundwork session)

Funnily, we seem to have solved the nipping and shoving issues. B got really arrogant one day, so I used the "big body language" backed him up and made him stand until he started chewing and yawning and since then there has been no problem at all. Guess I just needed to stop being a soppy date and get on with it.
DA 23.4.08 (Youngster - groundwork session)

Just wanted to let you know on Monday eve, after a couple of practices at loading and unloading and closing the ramp etc, we took G-horse for a 20min ride round the block in the trailer, and I was able to get her to travel on the correct side of the trailer (it was all planned like a military operation, with 2 helpers). She stamped a little bit to begin with when we set off, but then settled well, and when we got back, we took it very slowly to unload her, and she was very chilled out, she came out calmly, step by step beside me down the ramp. So a big thank you because the techniques you showed us really did work and both Girlie and I were able to stop worrying because we knew our 'system'.
KB (Warmblood loading horse)

Following one of those days when everything went wrong, I finally came to the decision that my three year old Anglo Arab bred by Mum, was terrifying the life out of me. Pushing and charging. It was quite apparent that I would need to send her away for some kind of education, but where would I send her? Who would not beat her with a stick, tie her up to a tree for hours on end or worse - starve her. You hear such awful horror stories and who can you trust. After browsing the internet for hours, I kept coming back to an advert on a local equestrian site for Sarah Weston Natural Horsemanship - Natural, that must mean kind! I phoned Sarah for a chat who was so calming that I immediately felt better and more confident. I knew that she was the person for me. She was able to fit around my long working day and came to see Maddison & I a few days later. Within minutes, Sarah had achieved what I had not. A calm horse that would stand still and listen move forwards and backwards without barging and pushing. I was so proud, I nearly cried. Sarah put everything into perspective and once she had things firmly established with Maddison she coached me to do the same. Finally, I stopped shaking. After Sarah left, I turned her out on her normal head collar. Being away from her friends for such a long time, Maddison would normally have been dancing down the track with my arm feeling like it had a lead weight attached to it! She started to rush a little bit, I stopped her and asked her to move out of my space, which she responded to very well. A bit further on her friends came into view with our other three year old galloping down the field to greet her. Maddison continued to walk on a smiley rope and did not try to rush. We still have a very long way to go before our next visit from Sarah as Maddison will still try to offer me mixed emotions. But I am no longer frightened of her. I now love my beautiful girl again who I previously came to despise. Don't give up on what might seem like a hopeless situation. Intelligent Horsemanship may not be for everyone, I didn't think it was for me, but sometimes you need to think outside the box and look for alternative solutions. Sarah Weston is the best thing that happened to me. I can not praise or recommend her enough. Keep up the good work.
Article written by Tracey Head for the Listening Post.

3rd May, 2008 Full frontal

Talin (Andalusian cross Arab)

It's not what you think. Today I have been working with a cob who looks like a small version of a Clydesdale. He is the most "into pressure" horse I have ever met and whenever I stood in front of him, even at a distance, he took this as an invitation to walk straight through me - and I mean straight through me. Fortunately by the end of the session I was able to persuade him that standing still was a better option. I also worked with a Quarter Horse that has changed out of all recognition since I saw him two weeks ago. Thanks to his owners being utterly consistent with him and consistent with each other, he is now looking so much calmer. He brought a rather difficult week to a close.

On Monday I had a small gynaecological operation under general anaesthetic and felt absolutely lousy for two days afterwards. Still, the fact that the consultant was a Mr De Kock brought an air of hilarity. On Thursday I worked with an 11 month old cob cross who was a darling and then went on to work with two New Forest stallions aged four and five that have not been handled very much. I used clicker training to get the first headcollar on the younger one and then couldn't get rid of him - please put the headcollar back on, please put the headcollar back on, please...... These two live on a farm with hundreds of other animals including goats, sheep, cows, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs, pigs and have been together all their lives. The following day I worked with a difficult loader that flies backwards whenever anyone approaches the back of the trailer. David and I went to a barbecue tonight and I lasted all of fifteen minutes before I wanted to go home to sleep!!

Nelly has still not had her foal despite being really huge. She keeps disappearing for days on end and worrying me stupid but then turns up with Oliver in tow. I hesitate to say it again but she is imminent.