Steering.

we keep a contact from the beginning as this mare has been long reined previously.

First ever canter

we canter as soon as they feel willing, this first canter as you can see is reasonably balanced.

we canter on both reins.

Learning to halt.

End of the session, nicely relaxed.

We utilised part of this pond

to build a very useful water jump!

I spy with my little eye....

This green stuff's nice and comfy

This end first? Possibly not!

Leo

DAD who is not amused to be so far away!

Galilleo first day

the harem

other three brood mares, two of which have been covered this week.

Jezebel first steps

This four year old by Harper's Bornival is almost ready to get on as you can see. She has been extensively long reined and led out in tack from another horse, lunged etc and will soon be sat on and go straight out for a hack. with an older horse. Not perhaps the normal way of backing but it works for us, as we have high banked hedged narrow lanes and the mare is already traffic proof.

retired horses June 2008

Narramore Final Matinee

This is Jacques, five later this year, competing at Pontispool Intro BE. Had he not jumped so big over a ditch and then been faced with the Pre Novice option which he effortlessly jumped, he would have ended up 4th...as it was it was instant elimination...
His breeding is by Matinee du Madon (Selle Francais) ex a TB x ID daughter of Ambertson (Knock Boy bloodlines) who's dam was our foundation brood mare.
Funnily enough I can see her expression and way of jumping in this pic, she was by a stallion called Frere Jacques, hence this one's name.

If you think that pathetic fence

will keep me in here you must be mad...Harry hopefully contained away from the builders..

It can take ages

to find all the horses, this one was hiding down a disused track below the fields.

Total puzzlement from Rene

because I was trying to make him stay away to take a decent pic, and he wanted to nuzzle the top of my head which he always does as a greeting!