Winter
Posted by DE&DL Henderson on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Winter is here, the days are shorter and the mallee roots are crackling on the open fire in the living room. While the mornings are beautiful and crisp, the cold weather makes it harder for enthusiastic early morning riding ventures!
Despite this, during the last two months, we (Alexandra particularly!) have now got saddles and bridles on the two young colts, Cufflink and Shooting the Moon, and they are working well.
While Moo is only exploring the early steps of life as a riding horse, Cuffy is now taking part in musters and becoming a reliable member of the work team. Alexandra says he is forward moving, amiable and keen to work. Fully grown cows are a little bit scary, but he loves working calves (much more his size!).
Slingshot has competed at her first pony club Grand Prix (mini one-day-event), behaving beautifully and coming home with a ribbon, and at her first Munglinup Easter Campdraft, placing in the juvenile class. She has also competed in hand and in dressage at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show, coming third in her in hand class and second in her first ever dressage test. She is working well at home, mustering when required without any fuss.
Calibre has been busy---she competed in the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix (mini ODE) placing in her section, and in the Munglinup Easter Campdraft. At the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show she won the working stock horse utility class and won her in-hand class.
Huntsman had a quiet start to the year, competing in the working stock horse, led and dressage classes at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show. He came third in his prelim dressage class. Dear Huntsman has now joined the Ridgway family at Condingup, who have been in love with him for some time. He is being ridden by their son Callan and is having plenty of adventures with him, including the Esperance Pony Club one-day-event, going to team penning days, pony club rallies and bush rides with his family. We miss him terribly, but he is making another family happy and that is what we are aiming to do with our horses!
On the breeding front, as the days get longer and spring approaches, we are planning to run Qualia Cufflink with Escholar October, Cunnamore Calibre and Easterly. Tilraider is due to be scanned this week and is possibly already in foal to Cuffy (toes and fingers crossed!).
Luckily for us Easterly was not in foal when she suffered synthetic pyrethrin poisoning earlier in the year---she was treated successfully and we now look forward to getting her in foal this coming season.
In addition to the stock horses, our other horses and ponies have been busy too!
Susie the wonder pony has been to the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, carting Richard around the course to gain a blue ribbon, while Guiness the grey managed to secure Alexandra a third place in the local and juvenile sections of the Munglinup Easter Campdraft.
Black Tave, with Barbara in the saddle, won the E-grade section of the Esperance Pony Club one-day-event in June, while the trusty grey Stocking Stuffer (Buddy) won the E-grade section of the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, and several classes at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show, including the Champion Pony Hunter.
Easterly strutted her stuff at the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, proving that she is a real working mother to bring home a ribbon while watching her own progeny take part.
Bruiser (Papa's Pride) is in work, going well and getting ready to do some ODEs and dressage in the last half of the year.
Many of the horses are being worked on a daily basis, despite the cold and the warmth of the inviting fire in the living room. Ahead of us we have a breeding season to look forward to, and the challenge of working more young horses. There are plenty of cattle to be worked, pony club schools and rallies to get to and hopefully a few fun events away from home in between.
Despite this, during the last two months, we (Alexandra particularly!) have now got saddles and bridles on the two young colts, Cufflink and Shooting the Moon, and they are working well.
While Moo is only exploring the early steps of life as a riding horse, Cuffy is now taking part in musters and becoming a reliable member of the work team. Alexandra says he is forward moving, amiable and keen to work. Fully grown cows are a little bit scary, but he loves working calves (much more his size!).
Slingshot has competed at her first pony club Grand Prix (mini one-day-event), behaving beautifully and coming home with a ribbon, and at her first Munglinup Easter Campdraft, placing in the juvenile class. She has also competed in hand and in dressage at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show, coming third in her in hand class and second in her first ever dressage test. She is working well at home, mustering when required without any fuss.
Calibre has been busy---she competed in the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix (mini ODE) placing in her section, and in the Munglinup Easter Campdraft. At the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show she won the working stock horse utility class and won her in-hand class.
Huntsman had a quiet start to the year, competing in the working stock horse, led and dressage classes at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show. He came third in his prelim dressage class. Dear Huntsman has now joined the Ridgway family at Condingup, who have been in love with him for some time. He is being ridden by their son Callan and is having plenty of adventures with him, including the Esperance Pony Club one-day-event, going to team penning days, pony club rallies and bush rides with his family. We miss him terribly, but he is making another family happy and that is what we are aiming to do with our horses!
On the breeding front, as the days get longer and spring approaches, we are planning to run Qualia Cufflink with Escholar October, Cunnamore Calibre and Easterly. Tilraider is due to be scanned this week and is possibly already in foal to Cuffy (toes and fingers crossed!).
Luckily for us Easterly was not in foal when she suffered synthetic pyrethrin poisoning earlier in the year---she was treated successfully and we now look forward to getting her in foal this coming season.
In addition to the stock horses, our other horses and ponies have been busy too!
Susie the wonder pony has been to the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, carting Richard around the course to gain a blue ribbon, while Guiness the grey managed to secure Alexandra a third place in the local and juvenile sections of the Munglinup Easter Campdraft.
Black Tave, with Barbara in the saddle, won the E-grade section of the Esperance Pony Club one-day-event in June, while the trusty grey Stocking Stuffer (Buddy) won the E-grade section of the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, and several classes at the Esperance Equestrian Club Autumn Show, including the Champion Pony Hunter.
Easterly strutted her stuff at the Munglinup Pony Club Grand Prix, proving that she is a real working mother to bring home a ribbon while watching her own progeny take part.
Bruiser (Papa's Pride) is in work, going well and getting ready to do some ODEs and dressage in the last half of the year.
Many of the horses are being worked on a daily basis, despite the cold and the warmth of the inviting fire in the living room. Ahead of us we have a breeding season to look forward to, and the challenge of working more young horses. There are plenty of cattle to be worked, pony club schools and rallies to get to and hopefully a few fun events away from home in between.