Post by heather on Oct 31, 2009 10:19:02 GMT 1
Although I had said I was going to Monty's Okehampton demo, I didnt mention that I was hoping to save a horse in the process, in case we couldnt make it happen, didnt want to tempt Fate!!
Two great friends of mine here, Graham and Di Smith, had told me that Graham's daughter bought a nice TB gelding a few months ago, but he had turned out to be a confirmed bucker. He had been out of work for a couple of years when Abi bought him, but she had a 5 stage vetting and all seemed fine.
A big grey gelding who moves like a dream, hes a real eventing stamp, came from a top racing yard, sold to a farmers wife and daughter, daughter moved away from home, wife hadnt time, and so he was chucked out in a field for 2 years. He is now ten, but we realise that he probably was out in that field for a reason!
Skin and bone when Abi bought him, in putting on some condition he started to feel his strength and the next thing she knew, he put her on the floor as soon as she attempted to ride him, especially in a school.
She took him to a local event riders yard, a very good rider, and although she couldnt ride him herself due to a bad fall, she put one of her work riders up, also a good and very stable rider, and she was flying through the air within seconds. Abi had everything checked for pain, but nothing came to light.
Abi was at her wits end, she has two young children and couldnt risk getting thrown badly again. So rather than pass him onto someone else, she had booked him into Potters to be put down next Wednesday.
He is such a potentially talented horse, I hated to see this happen, so I emailed Kelly and asked her if she could fit him in for the demo. Good old Kelly said she would do her best, and got Linda Ruffel who sorts out the horses for the demos, to contact me. Linda, bless her, could sense the desperation in my voice and arranged for us to bring Woody for Monty to assess.
So yesterday, Graham, Di and Abi, arrived with Woody, and Monty, hearing the story, I am certain couldnt resist the challenge!! So he agreed there and then to use him in the demo. Sue Palmer, an equine chiropractor working on the demos with Monty and Kelly, also checked Woody out for any back pain or other problem and pronounced him absolutely fine.
Woody was first in, Monty doing join up with him first. In a short time he had him following him round, and then, he called Adrian, his French rider ( I met Adrian- a show jumper- up at Kellys a few years ago, and was very impressed with his quiet riding, lovely hands especially) to bring the saddle in.
I dont think any of us expected what followed. The moment he released him, the explosion that occurred was like nothing I have ever seen. He reared vertical but somehow with his back rounded, and leapt into the most enormous series of bucks I think I have seen in my life. The audience gasped!!
Gradually the bucks became smaller, but heck, I could see why Abi didnt fancy getting back on!!! Monty then put the dummy rider on, and Woody continued to buck occasionally but in a much milder way.
Adrian came back in, and Monty explained to the audience that he was going to put on the gumline, the 'buckstopper' which some people think is cruel. With the buckstopper, when the horse goes to buck he punishes himself but if he doesnt buck the gumline does nothing.
For me, it was the buckstopper or the bullet- which choice would you make if it were your horse? Interestingly when we examined Woody's upper gum later, there was just a faint pink mark- a lot better than the hole in the head he would have had next Wednesday, putting it bluntly. Monty stressed that this was not for the inexperienced, but then again, I doubt that a bucker bad enough to need a gumline, would be tackled by a less experienced rider anyway.
Adrian mounted and Woody bucked round and round the pen, but with nothing like the force as he soon realised that he brought the buckstopper into action if he put his head down too far- Monty didnt have it on even tight, so it still allowed him a certain amount of freedom to put his head down.
Adrian moved his legs back and forth, just sitting there as if out for a Sunday afternoon hack!- in order to get Woody accustomed to the rider's legs, and gradually he stopped bucking and settled. At this point you could really see the potential this horse has, with such fluid paces, and a really good uphill canter.
Monty announced that Woody was going to be put down on Wednesday if a home could not be found. Frankly, I would have ended up at least having him here to try to rehome him, to prevent this from happening, as I knew that he could be ridden through this.
To my absolute delight, RA Dan Wilson offered there and then to have him, I know that he will be able to cope with Woody, and he will have a great home and a real chance in life with Dan.
Monty was so impressed with Woody's aerobatics that he is going to use the video taken last night for a programme on Horse and Country TV.
The next in was a very naughty little Dartmoor, who lives about a mile from Woody! We hadnt realised it or they could have shared Graham's trailer! The pony is very spooky, and also has kicked his little girl owner pretty badly, so Monty worked with him to get him over his spookiness. I didnt see all of this as we also had the trade stand there, and I was on the stand for part of this session.
Kelly then came in on Pie and did his Trec obstacle course stuff, which he clearly enjoys as does Kelly. Then Monty came in on Mendip Stud's wonderful QH Jay's Master Copy, who I have also had the privilege to ride, and Monty clearly enjoying himself to the max, put Copy through his paces, including the incredible spins and sliding stops, on the lightest possible rein- even riding him with a very lightweight fishing line attached to the bit, to prove how little the well trained Western horse relies on the bit for control.
I would far rather watch this than much of the dressage of today- the wonderful lightness in the hand is something that, if you havent experienced it, you are really missing out! I have experienced it many times with high level classical horses, and also when riding Copy a few weeks ago, and why anyone would want to ride on a contact with 5 kilos in each hand, is beyond me, when you can ride with just the weight of the rein and achieve such wonderful lightness of control.
The Kelly and Monty swapped horses, Kelly making an excellent job of riding Copy, and Monty mucking about on Pie, although he made a pretty good English rider too- many riders half his age dont look nearly as good!!
Last in was a very spoiled and beautiful 18 month old filly, bred by the owner, who had become very bargy and also was impossible to load without a companion cob. Monty put a heart rate monitor on this filly- he also had it on the Dartmoor pony- that he had used in the science trials that he and Sparsholt college had been carrying out earlier this year.
This was truly fascinating, to hear the heart beats of this filly- up to 153 just coming into the arena and seeing the audience, and then Monty working with her, her heart beats coming down as low as 64. He then started to work on loading her, her owner was convinced she would be his one failure!- and within minutes, he had her loading by herself! The heart monitor showed the heart beats to be slowing more each time he put her up the ramp, and by the end her owner had her calmly going on and off the box, without a single problem.
All in all, a really good evening- we had loads of genuine interest in the saddles and EE too, great to see a number of friends there too, John and Lou of course, from Mendip, on the stand next to us, and Robert Fowler, Pure Feeds other business partner.
So a very late night for all concerned, I didnt get home till past 1 am, and am a bit zonked this morning! But elated that Woody has another chance in life and his story will be followed up for Horse and Country, so a fantastic result.
Thanks a million Kelly, for getting Woody into the demo, and literally saving his life!! Must be Fate, because had it not been for the demo being here this week, Woody would without a doubt have been put down on Wednesday.
Heather
Two great friends of mine here, Graham and Di Smith, had told me that Graham's daughter bought a nice TB gelding a few months ago, but he had turned out to be a confirmed bucker. He had been out of work for a couple of years when Abi bought him, but she had a 5 stage vetting and all seemed fine.
A big grey gelding who moves like a dream, hes a real eventing stamp, came from a top racing yard, sold to a farmers wife and daughter, daughter moved away from home, wife hadnt time, and so he was chucked out in a field for 2 years. He is now ten, but we realise that he probably was out in that field for a reason!
Skin and bone when Abi bought him, in putting on some condition he started to feel his strength and the next thing she knew, he put her on the floor as soon as she attempted to ride him, especially in a school.
She took him to a local event riders yard, a very good rider, and although she couldnt ride him herself due to a bad fall, she put one of her work riders up, also a good and very stable rider, and she was flying through the air within seconds. Abi had everything checked for pain, but nothing came to light.
Abi was at her wits end, she has two young children and couldnt risk getting thrown badly again. So rather than pass him onto someone else, she had booked him into Potters to be put down next Wednesday.
He is such a potentially talented horse, I hated to see this happen, so I emailed Kelly and asked her if she could fit him in for the demo. Good old Kelly said she would do her best, and got Linda Ruffel who sorts out the horses for the demos, to contact me. Linda, bless her, could sense the desperation in my voice and arranged for us to bring Woody for Monty to assess.
So yesterday, Graham, Di and Abi, arrived with Woody, and Monty, hearing the story, I am certain couldnt resist the challenge!! So he agreed there and then to use him in the demo. Sue Palmer, an equine chiropractor working on the demos with Monty and Kelly, also checked Woody out for any back pain or other problem and pronounced him absolutely fine.
Woody was first in, Monty doing join up with him first. In a short time he had him following him round, and then, he called Adrian, his French rider ( I met Adrian- a show jumper- up at Kellys a few years ago, and was very impressed with his quiet riding, lovely hands especially) to bring the saddle in.
I dont think any of us expected what followed. The moment he released him, the explosion that occurred was like nothing I have ever seen. He reared vertical but somehow with his back rounded, and leapt into the most enormous series of bucks I think I have seen in my life. The audience gasped!!
Gradually the bucks became smaller, but heck, I could see why Abi didnt fancy getting back on!!! Monty then put the dummy rider on, and Woody continued to buck occasionally but in a much milder way.
Adrian came back in, and Monty explained to the audience that he was going to put on the gumline, the 'buckstopper' which some people think is cruel. With the buckstopper, when the horse goes to buck he punishes himself but if he doesnt buck the gumline does nothing.
For me, it was the buckstopper or the bullet- which choice would you make if it were your horse? Interestingly when we examined Woody's upper gum later, there was just a faint pink mark- a lot better than the hole in the head he would have had next Wednesday, putting it bluntly. Monty stressed that this was not for the inexperienced, but then again, I doubt that a bucker bad enough to need a gumline, would be tackled by a less experienced rider anyway.
Adrian mounted and Woody bucked round and round the pen, but with nothing like the force as he soon realised that he brought the buckstopper into action if he put his head down too far- Monty didnt have it on even tight, so it still allowed him a certain amount of freedom to put his head down.
Adrian moved his legs back and forth, just sitting there as if out for a Sunday afternoon hack!- in order to get Woody accustomed to the rider's legs, and gradually he stopped bucking and settled. At this point you could really see the potential this horse has, with such fluid paces, and a really good uphill canter.
Monty announced that Woody was going to be put down on Wednesday if a home could not be found. Frankly, I would have ended up at least having him here to try to rehome him, to prevent this from happening, as I knew that he could be ridden through this.
To my absolute delight, RA Dan Wilson offered there and then to have him, I know that he will be able to cope with Woody, and he will have a great home and a real chance in life with Dan.
Monty was so impressed with Woody's aerobatics that he is going to use the video taken last night for a programme on Horse and Country TV.
The next in was a very naughty little Dartmoor, who lives about a mile from Woody! We hadnt realised it or they could have shared Graham's trailer! The pony is very spooky, and also has kicked his little girl owner pretty badly, so Monty worked with him to get him over his spookiness. I didnt see all of this as we also had the trade stand there, and I was on the stand for part of this session.
Kelly then came in on Pie and did his Trec obstacle course stuff, which he clearly enjoys as does Kelly. Then Monty came in on Mendip Stud's wonderful QH Jay's Master Copy, who I have also had the privilege to ride, and Monty clearly enjoying himself to the max, put Copy through his paces, including the incredible spins and sliding stops, on the lightest possible rein- even riding him with a very lightweight fishing line attached to the bit, to prove how little the well trained Western horse relies on the bit for control.
I would far rather watch this than much of the dressage of today- the wonderful lightness in the hand is something that, if you havent experienced it, you are really missing out! I have experienced it many times with high level classical horses, and also when riding Copy a few weeks ago, and why anyone would want to ride on a contact with 5 kilos in each hand, is beyond me, when you can ride with just the weight of the rein and achieve such wonderful lightness of control.
The Kelly and Monty swapped horses, Kelly making an excellent job of riding Copy, and Monty mucking about on Pie, although he made a pretty good English rider too- many riders half his age dont look nearly as good!!
Last in was a very spoiled and beautiful 18 month old filly, bred by the owner, who had become very bargy and also was impossible to load without a companion cob. Monty put a heart rate monitor on this filly- he also had it on the Dartmoor pony- that he had used in the science trials that he and Sparsholt college had been carrying out earlier this year.
This was truly fascinating, to hear the heart beats of this filly- up to 153 just coming into the arena and seeing the audience, and then Monty working with her, her heart beats coming down as low as 64. He then started to work on loading her, her owner was convinced she would be his one failure!- and within minutes, he had her loading by herself! The heart monitor showed the heart beats to be slowing more each time he put her up the ramp, and by the end her owner had her calmly going on and off the box, without a single problem.
All in all, a really good evening- we had loads of genuine interest in the saddles and EE too, great to see a number of friends there too, John and Lou of course, from Mendip, on the stand next to us, and Robert Fowler, Pure Feeds other business partner.
So a very late night for all concerned, I didnt get home till past 1 am, and am a bit zonked this morning! But elated that Woody has another chance in life and his story will be followed up for Horse and Country, so a fantastic result.
Thanks a million Kelly, for getting Woody into the demo, and literally saving his life!! Must be Fate, because had it not been for the demo being here this week, Woody would without a doubt have been put down on Wednesday.
Heather