What did you get for christmas?

Well I got everything I wanted minus the breyer. ;) a bridle that is absolutely gorgeous on Nell, a middleweight turnout rug, tote bag for all my brushes, tack box cover and saddlepad. All in purple of course! I'm most pleased with the rug and bridle. The rug seems slightly lighter weight than her turqouise one but she looked comfy under it.

The most amazing thing happened today... The sun came out! The wind was chilling but it was actually dry for a change so I took Nell out in all her purple gear. Saddlepad, bridle, reins, my jumper, chaps and boots; all purple. It took me about an hour though just to sort the bridle due to Nell's strange head shape. Lengthening the noseband made the bit drop in her mouth, then the throat strap was too small so I took the halter conversion strap off and finally by the time it was sorted she barged me out the door and I had to do a flying mount off the block as she trotted off!

Other than that it was a good ride. It was rather on the quick side but enjoyable nonetheless. I will get some piccies of her all tacked up in her purple stuff for my next entry.

Happy holidays!

I'm probably not going to be blogging now until the new year so to anyone who reads this and I havn't as yet wished a Merry christmas: Have a good one! And don't forget your ponies on christmas day, You'll be glad to get out to see them after your roast dinner, even if they don't apprieciate your efforts!

Also I've just finished the letter to the westfalen registry but I don't expect they'll be happy to recieve it so close to christmas so we'll post it after the hols. Keep an eye out; who knows we might just get lucky.

Until then

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Quick Update

Just a quick update as I havn't really had time to blog much. College coursework has been creeping up on me and the weather hasn't exactly been good enough to ride in.

Liz, Emma and I were meant to have gone on a fancy dress tinsel ride. This involves meeting up for the fancy dress competition and then following a trail of tinsel with the closest riders to the optimum time winning. Of course that morning I woke up to grey clouds and lashing rain so that put the dampers on our plans. It is supposed to be held after christmas instead now so keep an eye out for christmas pics soon!

In other news, Nell and Lucy are moving down to Kestel for christmas to give the field a rest. They are practically mud surfing on a dry day and swimming on a wet day and with the iminent threat of mud fever growing we decided that something needed to break. It will also mean we don't have to feed haylage, only have to go up once a day and the girls get to taste sweet, sweet grass.

I asked for stuff for Nell this christmas instead of the usual Breyer. I'll miss not having another model on my shelf but her needs are much greater. So I was poking them the other day. My predictions are: Either a new rug or a neck rug, the purple web bridle I've been dying for, a purple saddle pad and either the purple adjustable helmet I was after or purple stirrup irons; although the box looks a little big for that.
Can you guess I like purple? ;)

A draft of the letter to Westphalian Registry

To whom it may concern,

We are looking for some information on a Haflinger mare we purchased last January. We noticed in the spring that she had a Westfahlen brand on her quarters and wondered whether you can help us identify her. We are not completely sure of her age because of her lack of history but she is roughly 16 which would make her birth year 1992. The number under her brand is 99. Could you please check for mares with this brand number and similar markings. You may have to search for mares of a different year due to the uncertainty of her age. We have enclosed a copy of her passport and a photo of her brand. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Gaenor Jehu




So what do you think? Anything to add? Anything to take out?
Any pointers on letter layout and writing would be much appreciated.

What we know already

Ok, so everyone pretty much knows of our quest to find my Haffie Nell's past but here's a small list of what we already know about her.

• She came to us with the name "Nell". We think her previous owner said that she had a different name they couldn't pronounce but sounded like Nell.
• She is an older mare. Not sure of exact year but sold to us as 16 making her a 1992 horse. She may be older or younger but has suffered malnutrition which has affected her teeth.
• She has a Westfalen haflinger brand with 99. beneath it. This may be the year she was foaled or the year she was branded.
• She was bought from a Dealer in early 2007 and has lived in Cornwall ever since. She may have been hanging around Britain for a while or she was imported by the dealer.
• She has had foals. From the shape of her ribs and udders she is suspected to have been a broodmare at some point in her life.
• She is well broken in English riding style. She is a bombproof ride which suggests she has been broken for a while now.

My opinion on Haflingers

Ok. So I was searching for haflinger forums on the off chance that I might find some more information on Westfalen Haflingers. No such luck but I came across a thread on the Horse and Hound forum about them. Someone was asking about them for her friend's begginer child and many of the members told her some stuff that would make most haffie owners annoyed to hear. Here's my opinion on some of the things mentioned.
"I would not think of them as being a child's or nervous rider's pony" This, I would say is true. They are very strong willed and need a rider who knows how to deal with strong personalities.
"Hafliners are like our strong natives and can easily carry 15 stone all day out hunting!!." Very true. I'm roughly 12 stone and Nell easily carries me for three hours without breaking a sweat. They're very hardy.
"The ones I've known have all been very bombproof, but also a bit stubborn and strong." Again, True, or at least of Nell. She's solid as a rock and willing to do whats asked of her but she knows what she wants and stops dead in the middle of the road if she doesn't get her own way.
"Majority have bad feet, a lot are awful on the ground, certainly not child friendly, and many are a pain in the ass to ride too." I could agree with the bad feet thing but Nell was neglected so it was probably malnutrition that caused brittle hooves. To our knowledge however, she's never been lame and she's as sure footed as they come. As for on the ground, yes they are strong and they know it. But it all comes down to how much groundwork has been done with them. Nell was very bolshy on the ground when we got her but now she's good as gold. She still has a few moments but never as bad as she was.

In a nutshell:
Are they good first ponies? No. Although there are a few, they are very strong willed so are more suited to riders who can deal with stubbornness.
Are they any good at competing? Yes, definitely. Haflingers are great to be shown in any discipline and excel in anything from halter through jumping to endurance or western.
Have they got good tempers? Yes, in general they are quite sweet and bond well with their rider. My Nell has a nasty bite though and bad habits are very difficult to get rid of in Haffies.
Do they have any breed related health problems? Not really although some have been known to have bad feet and as most haflingers are long in the back they can get tender in that area. Otherwise though, they are built like a brick outhouse and are tough as nails.

If you find the right haflinger for you, they promise many years of safe riding, comical moments and are probably the most quirkiest and fun horses you'll ever own or ride.

History lessons

I was browsing the net for Haffies the other day when I came across something rather unexpected. I discovered an old show picture of a stallion named Aristo.

Lo and Behold there on his quarters was a familar firebrand. I had noticed the mark during the spring after Nell shed her winter coat and we had been searching for a lead on what it may have meant. Suddenly out of the blue we find Aristo bearing the same mark and the excitement starts to build. Finally we have something on our horse without a past.

Whether it was fate or purely amazing luck a few moments later I came across this:

This is the brand for Westfalen Haflingers. Unfortunately the site is all in German so I cant tell you what that means. We sent emails to people who seem to have a connection in the hopes they understand english and can tell us more about the brand.

It is strange to think that my Nelly Noodles came all the way from Germany. We always had an incling that if she was british she would have come with more history and its not unusual for dealers to buy horses abroad and sell them for more over here. It is a shame that all her past was lost along the way but now at least there is a chance of finding out who bred her if there is a registry. I always wondered why Nell never really listened to me. It was probably because she speaks German! ;)

The most wonderful thing so far about finding her brand is that we now have proof that she is PURE haflinger. I always knew there must have been a mistake when we got the passport saying she was a cross. Hopefully on these facts and pictures alone we will be able to re-register her.

I'll update you as we get more information but even if we don't it has been wonderful just knowing where she came from.

Horse Profile: Nell

Nell came to us in January 2008 in an awful state. Rode into the ground and fed little, she had no energy left to show personality. What was worse was that she had come from a knowledgable stables. It was the speed at which she recovered that really told us how neglected she had been. A horse who is hard to keep weight on will stay underweight for months at a time before recovering wheras Nell took only a few weeks. It was obvious that she was a good do-er who had just been run into the ground. 6 weeks into good feeding she started exhibiting more personality. She was headstrong and would walk well ahead of you and it was obvious she was getting bored standing in a field all day so we started to ride her slowly and gently.

A few months later and she was looking very well. We did notice that although still a bit ribby and roach backed, she was shaped very roundly. Our vet confirmed that in the past she had been a broodmare which is why she looks like she does and pees so often. We often joke about how she needs Tena lady!



Summer came and we moved her to Kestal Farm with the others. Lucy came along too and they spent the summer munching on long, lush grass in a field all to themselves. Her condition was fantastic by now; her coat was soft and shiny, her roach back disappeared and her personality really shone. She proved herself to be a wonderfully bombproof and fun ride, although exhibiting a stubborn streak which is well known in Haflingers.


This summer me, Emma and my sister took the horses to a show. Lucy was a veteran to showing, Tralee was a hunter so unfazed by large crowds and Nell was just Nell. It is possible that she was loved once upon a time and she too wore a blue ribbon but for me it felt like the first show. All around the in-hand ring she acted like a bitch, pulling me and standing on me but looking back at these photos, all I can think of is how beautiful she looked. She may have only won a 5th and 3rd but I think she looked wonderfully conditioned and clean.

Nell has a home for the rest of her life with me. We may not know about her past, whether she was ever loved or just used as a foal factory, but as for her future; she is secure and in a home where she will never go unloved.

A quick run down:

• Name: Nell


• Height: 14.2hh


• Gender: Mare


• Breed: Haflinger (x?)


• Colour: Flaxen chestnut pangare


• DOB: 1992
  
• Strength: 4/5


• Stamina: 4/5


• Speed: 4/5


• Riding Comfort: 4/5
  
• Temperament: 3/5
  

Horse Profile: Harriet

Harriet does not belong to us but is owned by a good friend of ours. She is a Shire x Cob and was the first horse I'd ever sat on. In fact it was Harriet who taught me to ride. A 16hh, 6yr old Shire x Cob is probably not most people's first option when their 11 yr old daughter says they want to ride but in our case she was our only choice. In fact Harriet turned out to be a perfect ride; Quiet, gentle and the most bomproof horse you've ever met but also willing and eager to move up a gear.

I learnt everything I could on Harriet and she is a perfect hacking horse. In the school was where I had difficulty. She was a big, strong horse and I was still learning. Although I continued to hack Harriet, I went elsewhere to have lessons. Two years on and I was able to handle Harriet much better and even Emma who started lessons in the same place began riding her. Although she has a naughty side which manifests itself in bucking when on the beach or cantering through a field, Harriet has been a solid and sturdy mount that always has a place in my heart, and now it seems Emma's too.

A quick run down:

• Name: Harriet
• Height: 16.2hh
• Gender: Mare
• Breed: Shire x
• Colour: Black Sabino
• DOB: 1997

• Strength: 5/5
• Stamina: 3/5
• Speed: 4/5
• Riding Comfort: 5/5
• Temperment: 5/5
  

Bloody horses! Bloody Weather!

I could have killed Nell last week. After not being able to ride for 2 weeks thanks to atrocious weather, Tony Marr puts a brand new set of shoes on the mare. A few days later she's thrown one off. Tony shoes well, and even with her hooves she normally keeps them for at least 6 weeks, but somehow managed to pull it off. The hoof was in great condition - it hadn't cracked at all - and it looked like the shoe had just slid off the hoof, it was that clean. Thankfully Tony came out again and replaced it and today I finally managed a short ride 'round the lakes with my friend, her horse and our dogs. The weather has been as unpredictable as ever - wet and windy one day then warm and innocently sunny the next and now it's half term its just Sods law that it will pour down until the day I get back to college. On a tremendously positive note: Sarah's selling her half of Nell to me! The grumpy, bolshy, stubborn old mare will actually be all mine after christmas. Yes so she might not appeal to everyone with her headstrong character but I can't help but love her all the more for it. First things first though; I must buy her a new girth as her current one lost a buckle a few days ago and I went riding with only one buckle on the left today. Probably not a brilliant idea, but I was NOT going to miss another day of riding. If I hadn't been able to use the saddle I would definately got on her bareback. I was that desperate to ride.

It is horse related...

Zahra is our puppy; a springer x Cocker spaniel. She's 3 months old at the moment, smart and incredibly loyal. We had always decided that when we got a dog it would be taught to follow the horses out on rides so yesterday was Zahra's first walk with me on horseback. It was a very short ride, no more than 10 mins and was literally up one lane and back down another. Nell had just had a shoe replaced so it needed bedding in but as I knew we wern't going out for long I hopped up on her bareback. It was halfway down the lane I realised I'd forgot my helmet as well, but knowing that if I turned back Nell wouldn't start off again, I left it at that and continued with Zahra behind. Nell was fresh, bouncy and impatient to get going. It's funny how different she is when shes out on her own.

Zahra was a little uncertain at first and at one point scarpered back towards the stables when a pair of dogs scared her. I waited for a moment then called and Zahra came streaking towards me, tail between her legs. She was terrified of the dogs but being so loyal she found the courage to go past them and we were off. She stayed close to Nell, who had no problems being followed by a pup and when we got to the road, I told her "wait", which she did willingly. She's very obedient. Perhaps I'll take her into obedience classes when she gets better at ignoring distractions. We came across a car on the road but I clicked to my left, telling Zahra "here" and she slipped behind Nell and walked next to us as the car passed by. We then headed down another lane which would bring us back to the Rescorla's yard. Zahra was well behaved in spite of Nell prancing a bit to get back, and we even tried a little trot up the drive.

Next time we will go a little further and further again after that until she gets the hang of staying to the side of the road. Next time though, Although I trust Nell, I will remember my helmet.

Not quite Home

A few weeks ago we moved Nell and Lucy(my sister's pony) to another yard. Mainly due to a lower cost it was logically a good move. That doesn't mean I'm happy about it though. It doesn't feel right walking up someone elses driveway to get to the horses and now we have to trek over to Kestel before every ride if we want to use Tralee or Harriet. Needless to say it doesn't feel like home. Perhaps we will move them back at some point but for the time being I'll have to put on a grin and bear it.

Horse Profile: Tralee

This picture was taken on the day we bought our first horse home. Tralee is a 15.2hh connemara x Gelding who is now 19yrs old. We had owned a loan horse before him which hadn't worked out so before buying Tralee we took him on loan for 2 weeks. He was previously owned by Captain Sparrow of the Western Hunt so naturally for the 14 yrs that the Captain owned him his job was to be a hunter. Not the kind of hunter that trots around a ring and then has to jump a few logs; no, Tralee was a real fox hunter, hardy, tough and reliable.

His vetting didn't come back all clear - He has low ringbone in his near hind - but his eyes are bright and heart strong. The ringbone does not seem to bother him although he will rest that leg more often than the others. We introduced him to Harriet on his first day home. Large ladies must do something for him as now he thinks he's a stallion. ;)

This was mum's first hunt. Tralee was keeping an eye on the Morgan stallion that he thought might try and steal his girlfriend, Harriet.

Years of hunting and little schooling has left him somewhat ewe necked but overall he's a fantastic little horse that is built to last. He has a pony stride and generally takes his time in everything but is so reliable and bombproof its not worth moaning about. He can go fast when he wants to, however and his age sometimes comes into question when he's prancing down the road or spooking at an ice-cream sign. Last christmas Mum took him hunting and he was behind the red-coats all the way and was in his element to be back hunting.


This year Tralee got a sprained ligament which was a long time healing. Although we were still able to ride him it was very slowly. He seems to finally be getting over it and Emma even did a small jump on him the other day.

Captain Sparrow, and Tralee as a 4 yr old; not long after being imported by Tregurtha from Ireland.

Not surprisingly, Tralee is very well known here in the lower parts of Cornwall. Many times while hunting last year did Mum have people come up to her and say: "That's Captain's horse, that is". It was great having all the history of our old boy and knowing exactly what has happened throughout his life. Quite often people have no knowledge of what there horses may have suffered previously much like how it is with Nell, our 1/2 haflinger mare.

A quick run down:

• Name:Tralee
• Height: 15.2hh
• Gender: Gelding
• Breed: Connemara x (Welsh D?)
• Colour: Chestnut with Flaxen mane/tail
• Place and DOB: Ireland in 1989

• Strength: 3/5
• Stamina: 4/5
• Speed: 3/5
• Riding Comfort: 2/5
• Temperment: 5/5
  

Unreliable Cornish weather on the "Dambi ride"

For the past few weeks we have seen very little sunshine. In fact, our whole summer has been wet, windy and down-right miserable. Emma and I finally decided that Tuesday would be a good day to get out on the horses and sure enough the following morning we had a warm start with the sun bright and beaming heavily on us.

We had a pleasant walk to the stables with the sun on our backs and chatted happily about how it had been ages since the weather had been nice enough to ride. We must have taken a while to get Harriet and Nell tacked up as we didn't mount until 12 ish although we had reached the stable an hour earlier. Heading off with Harriet in the lead, it was nice to sit back and enjoy Nel's brisk pony walk. On day's like that it feels like the world stands still.

Both Nell and Harriet were feeling well, so we enjoyed a short trot past the woods and past the long cow fields until we reached the area we called "three gates".

Nell being her usual "lets get the job done" self, Emma took the camera and snapped this photo while Harriet in true character stood stock still munching. Three gates (although not the official name) is named so, for the three gates that you pass along the trail to Marazion. The first used to be a narrow gate which would have to be pushed open, however has now been changed to a step over that allows only walkers and horses or a few determined cyclists along the path.

No sooner had we taken the picture did we recieve a phone call telling us that there was a huge cloud of rain heading towards us. We had no desire to turn back so early into the ride so we sheltered in the trees and waited for the storm to pass, not realising just how heavy the shower would be.

The horses stood braving the weather, tail to the rain as we sat hunched over in the saddle with me wearing little more than a t-shirt and Emma a hoodie. Both Nell and Harriet looked miserable and we tried to position them behind a tree as a storm of small hailstones pelted us and the horses. Goosebumps crept across my bare skin. The cold and wet made our shirts stick to our backs. Then it stopped.

As the grey clouds rolled overhead amidst the swirling dark, a sliver of blue sky tinged the horizon. Wet and cold, we still weren't to be swayed. We pressed on. Further down the track the rain threatened again but this time we were only hit by a mild shower - at least by Cornwall's standards. We sheltered for a while as Harriet dined on the hedgerow and Nell impatiently continuously tried to turn for home.

Eventually it passed again and we once more set out, more determined than ever we were not going to be beat by the rain. As we came down over the hill the rain had become little streams on the hard rock that ran down among the purple heather.

It was a shame my camera could not quite pick out the beautiful colours against that bleackness. Even the horses who by this time were sodden put up with the cold and damp and continued down the track. At the second gate, which is always open, we urged the mares into a canter along the grass. We stopped before the third gate to check girths then carried on cantering. Harriet took the lead as always, cantering easily with her long comfortable stride as I held tight to my half Haflinger, with her quick and bouncy extended canter. Bringing them back to a walk at the top of the hill we went steadily down the track which, although stony, was wet and the grass slippery. At the bottom there was a little conflict between the two horses - neither of which wanted to take the lead up the huge hill. With a bit of persuading however, Harriet once more led the way with Nell cantering quickly up behind. We passed through the farm with little incident and by then the sun had started to come out and we could enjoy our ride once more. We got to the road with the sun at our soggy backs and passing over the river Nell let out a gruff whinny to the horses in the field.

As we passed under the bridge where the cars roared overhead it was like being in our own little bubble, so seperate and distant to the angry motorway above us. It was a little piece of tranquility in a fast moving world. As the drivers rushed by in their cages of metal, time stood still for us alone.

Nell picked up her pace as she rounded the bend to the bypass. She had obviously come down here often with her previous owner and was used to the gallop along the track that ran parrallel with the road. We however, had been told a tree had fallen across the path so opted for the road instead, much to the little mare's dissapointment. The road passing the local swimming pool is narrow so we trotted most of the way up the hill to avoid causing trouble and as we reached Marazion we found it pleasantly warm and sunny.
Emma can't even remember taking this picture of Nell and I as we came down the hill towards Tregurtha but looking at it, it was hard to believe the weather had been so abysmal earlier in the day. The only sign that it had rained at all was the little trickles of water running along side the roads. Nell was walking out far ahead of Harriet, determined to get home and back to her field mate but was once again dissapointed as I changed the route down towards three gates again. We passed by the chimney stack, turning our backs on the cloud that had drenched us earlier, that had appeared to our right. While Nell impatiently stomped and tried to turn me for home, Emma caught these beautiful shots of the chimney.



We headed down to Trevarthian farm and headed in the direction of three gates. Thinking we were going down into the long grassy field between gates one and two, Nell picked up her pace, prancing slighty with her tail raised and eyes bright. We passed by the field however, instead allowing the girls to let off steam up the TREK track. We headed home and Nell instantly started calling to the other horses, in particular her field mate Lucy, while Harriet calmly continued to plod on behind at her usual pace.
Despite a wet and windy start we reached Kestal Farm feeling happy about the ride. We were both glad in the end that we hadn't turned back just because it was raining as after all, thats just Cornish weather for you.