31st December, 2011 Looking forward to 2011....

No New Year's resolutions but plenty of plans afoot for 2011. I have already started training for a sponsored walk/run that I want to complete with Jack in September 2011 for the IH charity of the year. The charity will be chosen at the IH garden party in July and is likely to be a welfare charity for horses. I plan to walk 10 miles a day for seven days across the New Forest and hope to be joined by friends and their horse on foot throughout. I have already been sponsored for the special fell running boots that I'll need and received offers of pony nuts, board and lodging for Jack as well as reiki and physio care for him. Please let me know if you would like to sponsor us.

Work-wise I will be carrying on as usual and hope to be busy. I should have the new dates for the Equine Awareness Courses very shortly and the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre Course for Wild Foal Handling is booked for 24th to 28th October 2011 inclusive and has one student enrolled already.

The Friends of the Hampshire Animal Rescue Team will also be fund raising this year and are keen to assist the Team in setting up a charity to support their work. Anyone who has an interest and expertise in setting up such a charity should contact me in the first instance - this should be a thoroughtly worthwhile and long term project for someone to get their teeth into.

The Listening Post gives me plenty to do on rainy days and in the evenings and we will be running a short article writing competition alongside a photography competition in the next edition. I need to get plenty of material in the files just in case I do go to Botswana to work for three weeks! If that particular plan doesn't come off then David is going to buy a convertible car and we'll be off to Scotland for a few weeks instead. I'll be offering to do RA work while I am there.

I am hoping to be mentally and physically a lot fitter by the end of the year! It should keep me going until next Christmas!

31st December, 2010 A last look back.....

Just a bit of feedback on my book before the end of the year.

"Hi Sarah, I would just like to say a massive thank you for shipping your book so quickly, it has been a tremendous help. I have now moved Holly up to Somerset and she has made friends with the two Dartmoor rescues up there and is settling in great. I am continuing to use your book every time I work with her and she is like a different horse. I would like to come on one of your courses next year - I am officially converted :-)" Vicki O.

"The book helped a lot, we are both keen on the natural horsemanship approach but we really worried about how to move from the reducing her comfort zone... Steady patient 'advance and retreat' to actual contact. Also moving onto how to get the headcollar on. Your book also gave us the confidence to refuse to let anyone headcollar her -which we both felt was the wrong thing to do -and as a result we started out with a foal who was wary and cautious, but not scared. So getting her trust has been so much easier. K is just 13 and I have really let her do all the work with me in the background, and I am so thrilled that she and Briar have come so far in 6 weeks. " Angela D

And a bit of news on two more.....

"I just thought I'd give you an update on Merlot's story since you met him in August 09! Merlot was a three year old appaloosa that you helped me and him with the basics of talking to each other and moving his feet and using a Dually. I'm delighted to tell you that his lovely nature just grew and grew the more I worked with him. The first time I sat on him it was as if he's been doing it for years... I remember trying to follow Kelly Marks' Perfect Manners book to the letter! (Later he went to...) a busy livery yard and riding school with all that goes with that, and was an absolute star the whole time. The amount of noise and trouble and hustle and bustle and strange things and horses he encountered was huge and he was wide-eyed sometimes but always sensible. He is now being looked after in the New Forest by a lady who is working and enjoying him very much. I would just like to thank you for everything you showed me and Merlot, and for helping me to give him good beginnings. Everyone who meets him comments on his nature and manners, and I trust him completely in my hands and anyone else's and that means a lot." Rosie G.

and of India, the horse that we taught to load quietly....

"Just thought I would let you know that I successfully transported India (in Ruth's trailer!) to her new home in Salisbury today! What a fantastic result! I have just received an e-mail from her new 'mum', Hayley, telling me how well she has settled with her new field mate, sharing their hay & taking turns to roll in the same spot. I am so happy :-)" Michelle W.

25th December, 2010 Jack's Christmas Crunchy Cross Country Part I

We went out to earn our Christmas calories this morning and obviously Jack had to come too.

25th Jack's Christmas Crunchy Cross Country Part II

24th December, 2010 Merry Christmas

All is peaceful here with the horses all just eating their heads off. I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

21st December, 2010 Semi-colonoscopy

With no work due to the snow, I have ample time for my editorial duties for the Listening Post. I have received some really interesting articles and all I need to do is sort out the odd bit of grammar. I am looking for articles that are interesting, educational and have an Intelligent Horsemanship angle. If you feel inspired to write them please send articles to me at sarahweston.logg@virgin.net . They need to be either 900 or 1,750 words or thereabouts and you can leave the proof reading and editing to me providing you have no ego!! I am also trying to build up a library of really good horse photos that I can use in the magazine, so, if you would like to see your picture in print, send them to the same e-mail address. They need to be high resolution (at least 3MB) and really good quality - I can't promise to use them all but I will give credit for all those that I do. The wonderful thing has been that of the photographs that I have receieved so far many have arrived with a brief story attached.

18th December, 2010 Pure as the driven snow.....

Pie turned up looking like a fright today. He has been in amongst the burnt gorse branches. I gave him and his friends a bit of lunch. I was touched to have received a cheque for £25 towards feeding all these hangers-on from a lovely client of mine. All the ponies are still looking bonny.