Dani's Blog

Danni 3 the final 2011

2012-01-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Gira Volta left - I've started to think about the front legs crossing too now hat I have the carriage and balance

and now move the back legs!

So that is my old friend Danilon with our DIY schooling method - he loves it and really looks forward to working - the state of the car park is another matter!! hope you enjoyed meeting him again. I've hacked him out now for three days of relentless walk and we will start the whole fittening process again building u to long trots up hills but i think I'll keep up the inhand he is so much more supple for it and even managed a shaky Piafe and baby passage yesterday..........slowly slowly or as one kind Spanish facebook friend said "Take your time - do not waste your time"

Danni in hand 2

2012-01-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

asking him to step through and over behind

hmm probably shoulder in (ish!)

still working on the Giro volta

towards the end of the session I bend him towards the movement for more collection

some moments are better than others - down hill is great for losing your balance

back to Giro Volta

Think it helps

If not Ollie provides a cat half halt

The balance i wanted

Danni in hand 1

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

working on the left bend in Giro Volta

Danni starting Traver

Poor Danni has had a poorly foot - we've poulticed the nail holes, the shoe has been removed and replaced but he wasn't up to his usual daily patrols around the villages that he so relishes, so instead I've kept him amused with some in hand exercises in our car park including starting to teach him a Spanish walk. You might think it is a vanity pace but it does help to free the shoulders and he has had to really concentrate on controlling his balance remembering to move his back feet before things reach a critical state will take a little longer - I'm going to break my post down into short sections so bear with me if the photos that Charles took the other day aren't quite in order

oooch!

2011-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Ah well the days have grown short now and as you expect when time is short Danni has an abscess in his foot ( we think) So it is shoe off and daily tubbing and think of a good excuse not to stand holding him with steadily numbing toes. For the minute this was taken i had dreamt up the excuse that the wheelbarrow needed emptying so my husband Charles as left holding Danni but it doesn't work very often. Years ago I was a dab hand with the Animalintex and was pleased that my effort supported by sticky vetwrap and a good supply of electric tape stayed in place over night. I was a bit disappointed as Dani has been doing well mastering a little more collection and trying to master the Spanish Walk but I suppose that is horses.

The mares are still out overnight swathed in rugs with neck covers and I've added stable quilts under neath to keep TB's Diva and Belle extra cosy - they also have a double field shelter but use it more in the summer strangely enough.

Bodkin should be the most grounded foal ever (apart from Magic who also stayed with his mum until he was nine months old) because he is staying with April for her to look after him for the winter, even though he has passed the six months curfew. He has carved out his own little niche for himself amongst his Aunties - a determined chap he solemnly collects a separate super each night and morning and will stand up for his rights to even the veteran Belle! I think by the spring he will feel he is heard stallion and "In Charge" of all the mares!

The majority of the youngsters came in for Guy Fawkes night and firmly arrived each night thereafter for a cosy stable each - so six boxes taken and three empty - it will be a lottery if it snows amongst the mares for the spare stables, but if April and Bodkin double up and we make one extra one all should be well. Vibes for a mellow winter would be appreciated though!

Do drop in to Danni's facebook page too at www.facebook.com/Danilonspanishstallion sometimes it feels easier to post a picture there without resizing it!

Bodkin's new rug

2011-11-14T02:21:00.001-08:00

Well with the forecast struggling as the Autumn draws on it was time for Bodkin to have an upgrade from his Bolero or Foal rug. Charles and i spent quite a long time sorting through the shiny wrapped rugs and holding our arms apart to simulate Bodkins length and finally settled on a 4'6" on for hm to grow into as they were out of stock of the 4' ones. Just as well as although he does look rather festive I'm not sure how long this one will last!

Time to leave the nursery

2011-08-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Bodkin and his mum April

Well the time came when April pined for adult company and all of the grass in her little nursery paddock had gone. With fear and trepidation it was time for Bodkin to take his place in society and join the grown up otherwise know (or called by Charles) "The ladies that lunch" Young Dolly was confined to her stabel for the day to allow Bodkin to meet Diva and Belle and settle in before addin our young live wire Dolly.

Chlres led Dolly back up the lane in the afternoon and let her go in the long field from the garden I could only hear the pounding of hooves as Dolly aproached and she burst over th bank with hooves pounding - only to be soundly rebuked by April, Diva and Belle who had all taken ove maternal duties

However Dolly was allowed to canter along at the rear

"gosh i realy didn't know there were so many horses in the world"

a sceen of bay silk Diva, Belle April and Bodkin

they looked much better going uphill but the camera wouldn't click!

and meanwhile................

Sophie and Toffee the warmblood contingent - Sophie is looking really well after her last dose of shhh wormer

and this week....!

2011-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Toffe really shouldn't be here because he is a woarmblood but he is such a lovely yearling with a perfect glossy black coat and no trouble with sun burn

whilst poor Archie needs total sun block before venturing out the capion on the tin reads "do not allow the horse near anything you do not want painting white for ten minutes" and Archie is just so generous with the white "paint"

but here he is monarh of all he surveys and it must be said apple of his dad's (Charle's) eye

The top of the hill is the best place on a hot summer day - we've opened four fields for them now so they can mimick their natural wandering behaiviour - funny though they are always by the gateway at breakfst time.never miss a meal!

to cont!

Time for a catch up!

2011-08-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Archie aged two

Full brother and sister Magic and Amie both out of Diva by Danilon - I sometimes have to check the lengths of their tails to tell them apart

(don't worry magic seems to be missing two spherical objects at the moment..........maybe I should be worried!

The water trough que

"Little" Sophie also aged one, again by Danilon out of a Holstein mare

Sorry I've been hording these and not posted them but see above like a number 42 bus my post come along in twoes!

News from Bodkin

2011-06-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

Bodkin is happy to report that after earnest application to the milk bar he can now see properly over the stable door - result!! Not to mention has at least two teeth - ouch! April doesn't believe in coming into season with her foal at foot so we will have long wait for a full brother of sister but in time, in time.

I nearly tripped over this little chap with his liquid brown eyes and trusting expression when taking Bodkins photo - he must be his special friend. I hope he makes it and just maybe doesn't did holes all over the field and eat all of the grass and produce two hundred young but that is a bit of a tall order so maybe I'll just enjoy the Innocent baby rabbit for what he is today and not anticipate tomorrow.

A colt foal!!

2011-05-06T03:00:00.001-07:00

April has her own system of birth that she has tried and tested - the other year we positioned her under cameras and relentlessly watched her all night and April waited and waited........and then had the Archie at the top of the field all on her own just as she had planned. So this year we kept a discreet watch but let her have her own way in her private field shelter with old Belle for company.
We watched the weather forecast for the weekend with trepidation - the foal was officially due tomorrow by Charles calculations. But it was pleasant in the early morning sunshine this morning- milky warm in fact and there in the private corner at the top of the hill was a proud mother conducting her very own "foal checks" which reads something like:- full wash, check; feed check; check umbilical check; lick tail to stimulate muconium check; settle down for own breakfast of Dobson and Horrell oats ( long story but the corn merchant only had the "posh" ones!)
The vet agreed with April that everything is perfect and here is the little chap:- officially out of Shabril Will by Shaab, by Danilon Pre who's by Official XXIX out of a Yeguada Millitair Mare Jeletita. He can even claim to be related to Fuego via Goran....some way back!

and the stripes around the top of his tail ?? from gramps - Official of Yaguada Suseata! Now Here's the boy...

Baby foal has now dried to a rich bay and is sleeping soundly in his stable

Working on the canter

2011-05-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our finished "wind assisted" canter at the end of the session, the lower ones ore the work in progress.

There is a lovely view from the school towards St Hilary church spire on the ridge

Rising trot (I'm a lean forwarder to rise I'm afraid)

Danni's more collected trot to finish - I was pleased with this carriage

Riding the canter forward for a big bound - Charles pointed out I'd reverted to putting my elbows out.....sigh

Earlier canter work - I think you can see a difference between here and the last photo at the end of the session ( that I put first because it was the best one ah hum)

So after a hectic couple of bank holidays Danni got his chance to go to a school to work for a change. i wanted to work to get a big canter bound and then bring him up for a more elevated carriage. Charles wasn't happy with my efforts to the right as Danni was drifting out through his left shoulder and so we spent some time cantering with a counter bend to open that shoulder - which for me was rather like rubbing your tummy and patting your head type job! but eventually we succeed and he became straighter. I was really pleased with his finished balance - you''ll have to excuse his mane billowing in the wind, it has been a breezy few day here in cornwall even the Scillonian didn't sail one day!

We hacked home through lanes laced with bluebells and cow parsley just in time for Danni's lunch!

Danilon in april

2011-04-21T01:53:00.001-07:00

Danni had a rare treat when we hired a school for an hour this week but I think the work we have been doing with him to approach collection is starting to pay off and he has gain more elevation without dropping his back.

and nothing like a nice long rein when you have finished to stretch your neck ahh..... sorry to be brief but time and tide!!

Car park schooling and what is that!!

2011-03-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

Danilon in shoulder in in hand in my usual scruffy but happy working clothes!

Danilon walk pirouette. note posh hat for camera and the hoof oil!

Dani's bottom!! He really has matured this year

Danni goes out around the Cornish lanes each day without fail, up and down hill, dodging the traffic and stopping to chat to pedestrians along the way but some day when we return he does a little work in hand as our schooling space is "limited!" But over the course of the winter, slowly slowly, as the collection has increased, his forehand has elevated and his bottom has enlarged, so I think we are on the right track. Now he is starting to step towards the bridle more thoughts are turning to piaffe ...sigh................. lets hope Danni's do too!

Our youngsters (by Danilon) had such an adventure this morning when a lady I often meet around the lanes, driving her invalid carriage with her dogs trotting beside her, dropped by the top yard to say hello. Well ! Heads came up nostrils flared ears pricked as never before and i ran for a camera quickly because they are usually half asleep!

Two year olds Archie and Amie

Archie giving this new mode of transport due consideration

hmmmmm what is that????

Amie's ears nearly met - she is out of a thoroughbred mare

Amie is Magic's sister

They have now gone back to munching their hayledge but just for a brief moment you could see their future as they puffed themselves up to look more important.

Archie's evening adventure

2011-02-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

So!! We went to collect the horse yesterday evening as per normal and no a horse in sight in their customary position watching the gate. Until we looked up the field that is and spotted A sea of horse faces on the heap of ancient mine waste that separates on of their three fields in a very distinct traffic jam or was it a que? Diva had parked herself prominently and no one was going to pass whilst Amie admired the view - probably being given anxious advice by her mother - Diva's current colt Magic is just behind her.....

It was obvious they were planning a cross country party so I raced back to grab the camera and Charles positioned himself ready to record the action........

Archie's chestnut face can just be seen waiting behind Diva's firmly parked bottom - if he was a boy racer he would be revving the engine by now............eventually I went and moved Diva allowing

Archie to leep the bank

and look very pleased with himself indeed - he is by Danilon of course and only one and a half

yes definitely - just what he had been waiting for a clear jump - you can see the gateway if you look closely just beside it

Toffee Sophie and Magic

and would you believe it but this morning he hung back and let the all of the other horses gallop up the field (the top field is by far the best in their view) and then popped the bank in the other direction just for fun but I didn't have the camera so you'll just have to believe me on that one!

Mud wollowers

2011-02-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

Toffee

I am happy to report that all of the foals or should I say yearlings have mastered the art of rolling in the mud, applying an even coat to every inch of their bodies - I'm sure this new art skill will put them in good stead throughout their lives.........So you will forgive me for concentrating on photos of their heads today on what is surely a "Day Lent" of gloriously warm sunshine the rain having gone through in the night - leaving behind mud of just the right consistency for earnest plastering said fur coats.

Sophie by Danilon will she grow into those ears?

Sophie again - now gate sized

Toffee and Magic two sparing parteners - mega mud bathers

who love each other really

I asked Charles to bribe Archie and Amie to look up from their hayledge

Diva the long suffering baby sitter

So that is how they have grown this month -all getting really tall - I sometimes look back through the blog to see how thy progress and find it amazing - the progress they make. But every day is a pleasure to watch them grow and interact with each other - the friendships, the squabbles, the rivalries. They for their part have learnt that Charles will be filling the haynets by mid morning and arrive tactfully, slowly and discreetly to see "excuse me????" if there is a little hayledge over to supplement their daytime grazing and then spend the rest of the morning quietly ruminating together and watching our progress with their stables. Diva normally organises this swathed in rugs to protect her short glossy coat picking her way carefully over the muddy field towards us with an expectant expression on her face - well who could resist the old girl!

Dani's dressage course

2011-01-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Charles working on Danilons right bend

Flu is no fun i can report and as the Dressage course that we have been waiting for with Peter Madison Greenwell came closer I felt sicker and sicker. The day dawned when Danni came home sweating from exercise and i came home shivering and so the game was up and I went to bed...........cough cough cough.

A week went past and Charles and Danni grew confidential and I wondered if I would make it out of bed just to see them go - phew just!

Danni and Charles looked great together - Charles is quite the "canter er" anyway with his show jumping background and and Danni was soon bouncing along in front of Peter shaking his head gently as he does when feeling really well and happy, causing Peter to chuckle and remark "He's feeling well!"

Danni working on his right bend with Charles - he's a little stiff in the poll sometimes

Charles and Danilon at working trot

A lot of the work that we do with Danni is geared to a simple assimilatin of the balance and freedom of paces - no fancy tricks juts straight forward daily work to improve his way of going whilst making sure he is mentally HAPPY!

Dani particularly likes the emphasis on happy! Then he is free and relaxed and able to progress to his ability. This weekend his transitions improved and he added a much improve half pass to his repertoire............half a packet of polos and some very nice carrots for tea!

Danni's winter outfit and other chilly mutterings

2010-12-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

Danni looked rather like Desert Orchid today for his morning exercise as we both piled on as many clothes as possible before setting out between the snow showers. He grew rather err ummm whisper - portly, after he last snow incident, so I'm trying to keep going until we are stopped by too much ice on the roads.

We still have our robin with his haunting song amongst the barns rafters diving down into the horses feed buckets ans scooping up every spilled oat that falls - I'll miss him when the winter ends and he moves off to do what robins do for the rest of the year!

At the back of the farm a pair of buzzards wheeled above the stables with their poignant shrill call as I mucked out today and i disturbed one later, dining on a rabbit in the little group of apple trees that we have planted up there but he didn't go too far and was soon back on the ground with his rabbit lunch.

The youngsters make the most of the days picking at the hedgerows and ambling about as we beaver away carting wheelbarrows, haynets, water buckets and feed buckets. We break the ice on the water troughs only for them to freeze again and so if it is OK could we send the new cold spell back, Christmas or no Christmas - thank you so much!

I can't be snowing

2010-11-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

I went up to the top of the farm this morning intent on getting a picture of Mounts Bay which can be magical cast in shades of white from jack Frost but as I fussed about looking fro the best spot not the very best spot to take my picture I looked across to see our youngsters pounding towards me with an "Oh goody there's Mum" expression on their combined faces. As you can see tails were raised heads lifted and even the old passage thrown in for artistic effect as they explored the strangely altered world this morning..........acting credits by each participant below!

Sophie in the lead with Toffee Amie Archie Magic and Diva Right to left

Magic was staying uncharacteristically close to his mum this morning

Do you remember Sophie who was orphaned at four months old well here she is doing very well

Sophie is by Danilon out of Morwen Lissie a Holstein mare

I think she is going to be substantial shall we say!

It is the fastest they have moved for some time

Diva Brood mare in charge

Archie about a year and a half is by Danilon

Diva with foals Magic and Toffee our very own Totilas and Fuago - it will be fun to watch them grow up side by side the Warmblood and the pre/TB cross

Danilon yesterday

2010-11-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

Well Danni goes out each day for his daily road work which he regards as a sort of morning patrol to check the neighbourhood out but when he gets back I sometimes do a little bit of in hand work gradually gaining a better balance and carriage and a bit more stretch behind. I've just progressed to attempting traver around the car park - we might need some more gravel when I've finished the winter!

It's on a bit of a slope as yup can see but it has really helped him find his balance

The only colt to look at the camera in an intelligent fashion - Mr superbug! Magic the others just keep eating!

2010-11-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Toffee whispering to Amie

We had a week of storms last week and I came to terms with mucking out ten each day, had a close encounter with a mangy fox (collected by the RSPCA) made a facebook page from which I'm occasional arbitrarily logged out when i least expect it, got very wet riding Danni but not as wet as Charles on Sunday and chapter four -Sooty's story came out in Pura RAza Espanola. Phew who's got time to ride!

Find Dani on facebook

2010-11-11T04:32:00.000-08:00

Danilon now has a page on facebook!! please pay him a visit he is getting very lonely!

Christine Taylor

Create your badge

Meet the family

2010-11-07T10:09:00.001-08:00

Well i wont repeat the story of the great escape but it is in my B&B blog the ednovean diaries if you are interested. Suffice to say the horses decided that there was strength in numbers and decided to move in together were they are all very happy! Toffee and Sophie still keep closely together - two quiet figures grazing in the distance sometimes joined by Magic but you know three is sometimes a crowd......!

Toffee the Holstein

Archie the yearling (fear not he was gelded in the spring) with his sisters Amie and Annie with Diva behind who is notionally in charge of the daily expeditionary force.

Magic our little chip of Danilon's block looking very magic ish

A great day for the beginning of November though isn't it!.............if only they were house trained.

The Silver Stallion (cont)

2010-11-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last year I put a children's story for Christmas - chapter one, in the blog so now I think it is about time for chapter two! The story has recently been serialised in the Spanish Horse magazine Pura Raza but if you have missed it here it is:-

Galloping in the sun

Danilon found himself again in a small enclosure - this time not the sanctuary of his birth that he had shared with his beloved Jetetita but a lonely cramped place. Here he wheeled helplessly around the edge with his fellow colts, pressed together and calling frantically. They could still just see the dust move where their mothers had galloped beyond the slamming gates. The gates that barred them from following them back to the place of their birth, the place to which they would never return, a part of their lives that had gone forever.
As the day drew on they remembered their hunger and with that they started to feel thirsty so still tightly pressed together they started to explore the tiny coral and the view to a new world around them. They still called for their dams but with less and less hope until they found a water trough and pushed unsteadily forward to drink. With the cool water came fresh hope and they whinnied hopefully once again but their brief optimism was soon dashed and eventually they fell silent sweat in the mounting heat of the sun.
Carlos returned, a slight crouching old man, wily in the ways of horses, to shake a few Oats into a manger and throw some Lucerne on to the floor. Carlos would be their guardian for the next years as they grew, always watching with his bird like eyes as he over saw their lives, artfully manipulating their habits, mostly to suite Carlos but for now the colts were Grateful and tentatively started to feed and take stock of their number – they were the same as before, the little band of colts that had played so happily all summer but now they had no mares to mother them and give them milk and guard their sleep - now they were now alone in the world.
They would grow and become horses together as time went on, roaming the far fields until they were three but for now they started to learn about the world of men.
First the headcollar, fitted over their unwilling ears; this evil thing that dragged them to and fro against their will ………..and then the branding.
In years to come, Danilon swore he had always had the mark of the mighty S he bore on his quarters. The mark that joined him to this place forever, burned into his skin with a hot iron. Perhaps it was kinder that he wiped it from his memory for ever and had no clear memory of that day for as he huddled with his half brothers after his ordeal, he decided never to think of it again.
With the next day came Carlos - and with the next day the gate was opened and they were pushed quietly through, to follow a horse and rider (for now they could see that they were indeed two beings) - spreading out, hesitant and snorting, as the men drove them up a stony path (for surely the world new no bounds) that gradually led them up into the hills………and then the men were gone leaving them quite alone with just a gentle breeze touching their skin.
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The biggest chestnut colt Diablo always so sure of himself, always boasting that his mother was queen of the herd because she wore the silver bell around her neck, hung back now and let the others take the lead. Danilon found himself beside his usual companion Doncel, a gentle clever fellow with a coat already greying and together they moved tentatively forward. They quickly found a little path through the rocks with the warm breeze moving behind them and started to climb higher and higher up the hillside until they reached a little plateau with sparse tufts of vegetation. As they snatched hungrily at mouthfuls of the dry scrub, they settled to take stock of the situation. Below them shimmered the plain dotted with the silver Olive trees, above a blue sky so big and clear it could have stretched forever but dropped instead to the jagged peaks of the Pyrenees - Was that the place they had come from in the distance below? No more that a dot now, fading at dusk, just as the memories of their past life slowly faded away. Were those the mountains they were to cross one day to meet their future? For this was one of the secrets that their mothers had whispered to them. Over the months to come they would always look to the mountains, smelling the cool clear air that sometimes came across the plain and would eventually bring the chill wind of winter and they would shiver a little at the though of crossing the high peaks.
Sleep came uneasily to the little band of colts, as they pressed together under the stars that first night, sharing the comfort and warmth of each others presence. Peering fearfully into the darkness, Danni thought he heard Jeletita’s voice floating into his consciousness as if born on the breeze "Danni my dear, when you are alone, look at the stars and remember me for I shall always be with you. Follow the wind and it will show you where to go and with each day you will grow tall and strong" and comforted at last he slept a little, propping his legs to doze where he stood.
With the dawn came a new confidence. Were did the paths go? Little tracks made by generations of horses guided them through those first few days. Exploring and feeding they developed a rhythm to their days. They remembered the whispered secrets from their dams "You must follow the wind and race it to the sun if you are to grow tall" and they would all set off in a dizzying race until they could race no more. And they grew bigger and stronger learning to pick their way carefully over the rocky ground; compete in mock battles rearing and plunging in an effort to wrestle their brothers to the floor or grabbing at that tender spot just behind the knees like naughty school boys tickling the arm pits of a friend. They would sometimes dropping to one knee themselves, grasping their rival by the neck to trick their friend before spinning away to start all over again. Tired at last, they would settle to roll idly in the rich red dust. There could be a penance to be paid to the loser of these games of course – he may have to walk behind for a day or two after he had lost or only drink the water after the winner but generally they were a happy good humoured lot that hung together through sunshine or rain. Sometimes they tried the dances of the young stallions, the lofty passages of floating trots that stallions performed for the mares – although as yet they could see none. "Look at me look at me" one would cry as he set off in a shaky dance – head raised and neck arched in mock bravados. But the long uncoordinated limbs that always seemed to change would not carry them for long before they lost their balance and descended to a clumsy trot to the mirth of their brothers.
With the winter each year, came the cold and finally they would move reluctantly back down the hillside towards the man place, driven by some instinct and as if by magic on those days that the hunger bit, they would spot Carlos’s old battered pick up bringing them food; the plume of dust showing them his progress across the plain. Then they would while away the days picking at the food that Carlos brought for them and watching the things that horses watch.
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They were not alone of course. They shared their home with the angry black fighting bulls that they watched warily from as far away as possible. One day Doncel had surprised a cow and her calf as he had skipped happily around a blind corner and had paid a price as she charged at the surprised young colt, tearing a deep wound into his quarters with her vicious horns. Doncel limped miserably behind the group for the many days and Danilon fell back to keep him company in the weeks that it took to heal. "Come on I will scratch you neck – you are bound to feel better" but Doncel miserably thought it didn’t help a bit – but was kind enough not to tell Danni.
Sometimes they would watch the men and horses working with the bulls melting away into the rocks on the secret paths they were convinced that only they knew. They marvelled at the courage and agility of these gaucho horses, how proud, how strong – one day they would do that and arch their necks high.
And as the second summer in the great pasture came to a close, a cold wind blew again from the Pyrenees and they shivered a little and wondered what lay beyond the mountain that they were destined to travel beyond. At last driven by hunger they made there way down into the valley for the last time to see if Carlos and his pick up truck would come.
Carlos had been waiting for some days, watching the sky and feeling the cool of the autumn slip toward winter, for surely it was time. And sure enough towards dusk on the third day he spotted the three year old colts picking their way down from the hillside, just as the wily old Spaniard had taught them to do - though they did not realise it.
He would come back in the morning when the colts grew hungrier and more compliant and so for now he left just enough food in the waiting racks and troughs to keep the young colts there, hoping for more with the morning.
For now Carlos had a new plan for them. …………..

This was to be their last night of complete freedom under the stars in the company of their brothers. To feel the warmth of their neighbours next to them; to enjoy the social scratching of their scrubby manes and tails as they stood nose to tail in earnest effort, teeth clicking gently over their companions coat in gentle half circles. Colts become stallions and their fights become more earnest as they grow stronger so generally they must live alone unless lucky enough to have their own herd of mares of course. So it was a very special time together that Danilon and Doncel dozed happily side by side, as they had so often done. The faint silver light of the moon shone gently on the two colts as they stood amongst their brethren – Doncel now heavily flecked with white over his head and shoulders, with the jagged scar marring his flanks and Danilon with the tell tail disks of silver that mark the dapple grey, breaking through the Iron grey coat almost like the stars overhead. And this night marked the end of their fragile freedom to gallop in the sun and race the wind. For now they would again join the world of men and this time, it was for a more serious journey. A journey that would take them beyond the mountain and that was Carlos’s plan.

P.S I have one up my sleeve for Christmas!!

Just be aware......Myopathy

2010-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi don't want to sound alarmist but apparently horses are dying unexpectedly here in Cornwall. A good friend sent this through to me this morning from the network Cornwall web site:-

"You may have heard that there have been several deaths in Cornwall very recently of horses taken with A TYPICAL MYOPATHY. This is NOT contracted horse to horse but via environmental and climatical conditions. IT IS VERY RARE but over the last two weeks 20 horses have died because of this.There is no vaccine, no warning and it strikes without mercy.Mrs Ruth Beadle BSc (hons )Equine science has just lost her much loved and very well cared for mare to this and so her death has not been in vain WE NEED YOUR HELP! Ruth is collecting data on this condition to have analyised so if you, or anyone you know have had experience of this terrible equine condition please email info to ruth.cassettari@virgin.netRuth has the experience and the backing of vets from a widespread area to research this and help prevent anyone else having to deal with this.She is doing this to benefit all horse lovers everywhere and is at her own expense and time BUT SHE NEEDS INFORMATION AND YOUR HELP.She has asked me to point out that your horses need to be stabled overnight if at all possible as it tends to strike those how are out overnight the most.The purpose of this message is not to frighten anyone, it is a very rare condition which unfortunately is rampant in Cornwall at this time. Forewarned is forearmed. Please forward any info you or any of your friends may have . "

Our local vet's web site Rosevean Veteranary practise has a very good information sheet
click here

I've never heard of it before but it does give pause for thought doesn't it...............

yearlings and foals and er dolly!

2010-10-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

So do you remember Magic our striped foal - well here he is resplendent in his new grey coat and proud as a peacock! He matches his full sister Amie below quite perfectly.

Amie meets Toffee with her full brother Magic standing to the rear

Perhaps I should explain - it was such a beautiful afternoon, that we decided to let the yearlings graze the little "orchard" (six trees) beside the back stables for the afternoon and inevitably -very, very, soon an inquisitive troop of foals appeared to make their introductions.

Amie and Archie are now yearlings and have made a wonderful job of mowing the paddock since this photo

Toffee with the little orphaned filly Sophie

Sophie - such a sweet filly and now doing very well

Archie who was born last July is by Danilon meeting Toffee (By Lenard Holstein) born this February

Diva has been promoted to herd mother much against her better judgment

and that was the day that the sky was a perfect blue, the sun was delightfully warm, the grass was still sweet and Autumn had yet to settle over us Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate winter

and lastly Dolly now a strapping two year old and we will start her after Christmas if she doesn't find the perfect home (Husband not included!)

A visit from PMG

2010-09-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Peter explaining the Half pass for the 300 time even Danni is listening

Well we treated Danni to a course with Peter Madison Greenwell this weekend just across the road at St Piran's Stud - I'm afraid Charles took some stunning photos of the post and rails with occasional horse just glimpsed in the distance but with a bit of surreptitious cropping I think you can nearly see the horse!!

Peter worked with us on the quality of a true contact with the horse working through an actively swinging top line and making use of those pesty transitions to test the point. Danni likes to drop the contact and float along instead of swinging into his bridle but this weekend he felt really secure in his work and balance and came up more in front. Peter was equally insistent at the end of the session when riding him down to a lowered neck that he remain between hand and leg as he relaxed to a long rein. Peter also pointed out the difference if i didn't "load" his shoulder by tipping forward as Danni stretched so the effort was a lowered and stretched neck but still with the shoulders raised.......................I now ache all over!!

You wouldn't believe how much my tummy muscles hurt................and back muscles...............

this one is from day two - I think you can see more collection and elevation

My efforts at half pass can only be described as abysmal - patting the tummy and rubbing the head doesn't com into it............or is it the other way around? Peter eventually manoeuvred Danni and i into the correct position to give me the feel for the correct bend and balance.

But Peter kindly worked Danni each day too, producing some superb work that Danni is capable of, finishing with some working pirouettes and flying changes to drool over and an overall soft swinging carriage to die for.

Danni was nearly asleep before his supper tonight a very tired but happy stallion!

Sophie

2010-09-07T13:33:00.001-07:00

Lizzie's filly foal Sophie this evening

Just a quick snap of Lizzie's filly foal this evening tucked under her haynet. She is being such a good foal - as her mother grew weaker she walked so slowly beside her almost becoming the carer herself. It had been agreed with the vet, that to take the foal away would distress Lizzie more and I think she was her solace as she approached her end.

The vet came daily but the most powerful drugs regime that he could prescribe could not help Lizzie. On Saturday when Lizzie s breathing grew worse we called him again although she had already had her two daily injections and after a large dose of intravenous bute (for inflammation) Lizzie was able to make it to her paddock for a last day in the sunshine.

I watched her in the afternoon as we went to collect them -the cluster of foals with Lizzie.... Lizzie no longer eating but advancing a step at a time as the little group moved forwards, watching over her precious foal as she grazed. Lizzie didn't want her super but as I tempted her with a small scoop of mix, she looked from me to the foal and back to me again several times and I think she knew her time had come.

I got up through the night to check her and each time her ears would prick as i crept quietly in to the yard as she stood immobile and resolute, with her foal standing quietly beside. She was silhouetted against the wall, as she has so often stood before, waiting for her foals to be born in the past. By the morning she was finally ravaged by the disease and too weak to go out although she came to the door with her foal as usual.

I waited a little longer than I should have done before going in to cook the guest's breakfast and so I heard her fall or did she at last lay down but opening her door i was able to let the little foal creep out and gently guide her into the next door box. Such a quiet foal, she waited patiently in her little stable beside her mothers. Lizzie didn't see her go and Charles waited with her for the vet to come and she quietly slid to sleep in her own stable.

In all from noticing Lizzie was loosing a little weight and changing her diet, to her her end was less than two weeks.

Lizzie was only thirteen years old and a precious member of our family always organising us from the gate that looked into the garden. To lead Lizzie through a field of horses was for the sea to part in front of you in a majestic progress, as she with her head raised on her beautiful swan neck held effortless court. Lizzie, who would install herself in her stable each evening to wait for her super and Lizzie gathering all of the foals that she doted on. She was very special.

Lizzie in her first winter with us

Morwen lissie

2010-09-05T02:37:00.001-07:00

We lost our wonderful matriarch Lizzie to liver failure this morning after a short but devastating illness. She was a proud horse and struggled to the end but went down at breakfast time this morning. Thanks to our vets at Rosevean veterinary Practice for coming out daily to attend her and for the final inevitable visit this morning. Her foal is quiet having stood with her mother until nearly the end and is well and strong survive. We will miss Lizzie's strong proud nature and gentle ways.

Archie 'nd Amie

2010-08-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

Well as it is a brilliant evening in Cornwall and I had the camera out there is just the time to catch up with last years foals Archie and Amie both by Danilon, and of course, Amie is a full sister to Magic and that is the end to the picture overload of the Danny babes!

Lizzie the foal magnet

2010-08-28T11:37:00.001-07:00

We've just brought dear old Lizzie in at night as she was looking a bit harassed as Frank Spencer might say and wasn't quite herself. As chief brood mare, herd responsibilities were weighing on her and Belle was making quietly determined bid for leadership now she was unencumbered by a foal. And so Lizzie transferred to the grazing at the back of the farm with Diva. Well within a day, all three foals were obediently pottering along behind Lizzie who seems to be a Pied Piper for foals or at least an earth mother!

Trying to capture a photo of the elusive Sophie was not easy stalking her this way and that across the field as she hid behind Toffee but eventually we succeeded...............although she took revenge by drooping slightly for the camera!

Interestingly Toffee is by Lenard the same sire as Lizzie - he adores her and follows her everywhere

Sophie - coat pending

It's a kind of magic

2010-08-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

OK so I know the photos all look very similar but if you had stripe like that you'd think it was a ind o magic too............just can't resist a Queen song. I wanted to record his coat markings, because alas magic tigers grow older and with it new coats and Magic has opted for a sort of grey serge effect but just for a short while he has been the magic tiger of Ednovean Farm!

Magic by Danilon out of Divers Perk (or Diva)

WE have planned a rest winter for Diva now after three foals in a row but as magic is only about six weeks old she will have a full time job for a while yet.

What a cracker

2010-08-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

We went to visit Val today and catch up with Dandy, a colt foal by Danilon out of Daisy (Shaab) and what a cracker he is turning into! Huge and "doing like a trout" as they say in Cornwall. The pics don't really show how much bone and size this chap has got but I think he is going to be very special - a real cracker!

A Tiger update

2010-07-31T12:01:00.001-07:00

Diva is normally studiously waiting by the gate each evening against the perils of being left in the field overnight (heaven forbid) but this evening she had moved up to the top field and so Charles set of to collect them and as i had the camera out, here's our little tiger. His name is steadily metamorphosing into its adult form from Tiger Bay to The Magic Tiger to just plain Magic. So Magic it is a name road tested for centuries that rolls easily off the tongue in a gateway

"Magic"

Super for two

2010-07-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Super for two this evening - Sophie has become bored with stealing her mothers tea and has upgraded herself to sharing Toffee's instead............or maybe she noticed that Toffee gets stud mix whilst plump mum Lizzie has a more chaff based mixture!!

Dolly has grown on this Summer and i suppose in the "real" world she would be racing by now instead of wrestling with the concept of keeping her bucket the right way up

A visit to PMG

2010-07-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Dani and I unexpectedly had the chance of a couple of lesson with Peter Madison Greenwell this weekend and so this time we arrived in plenty of time!! Dani really enjoys parking as he can survey the scenery from a comfortably stationary position and the corner of Rachel and Paul's indoor school at St Pirans was a perfect view point up the valley for him. p.s Charles is threatening to crush my hat but every body needs a lucky hat don't they?

Our first day started gently with work at trot and canter and I claimed "lack of rider fitness" ............ which worked for one session ah hum. The canter transitions were to be ridden more forward giving the feel of a strike off from an undulating wave or rhythmic round cycle of the back. I was pleased with Danni as most of his preparation has been schooling whilst hacking around the roads and our daily more intensive car park training in hand. (See Jenny Rolfes book for details.......car park optional of course)
Peter felt Danni's stride had improved and he was generally more forward which was good news but now as Danni approaches a more meaningful collection he can become "unsettled" for which read hold on tight mum, before giving his best work that has progressed a notch up the illusive ladder of training. Peter said this was not unusual as the horse explores the new energy and that it was important to persevere at this stage as it could be a major barrier to progress if not addressed leaving many horses and riders in a permanent elementary/medium limbo. At least I was not alone and in fact when I struggled with one transition and said "all that is happening is his back is going up and up" Peter said Good.........strangely I felt oddly reassured!! and pushed for more from Danni. Our last exercise of the day was to canter large trot before the corner and then strike off again into canter

For our second session we wanted to concentrate on the illusive half pass.......and did we work!!

Danni gave his best most balanced engagement yet (after a small whip around) and felt superb. I wasn't always fit enough to follow each exercise to a neat conclusion but I think we grasped the essentials in a process that saw us shoulder in up the centre line, then turn again to traver then turn again to half pass in walk trot and canter. I didn't really get the degree of lateral bend that I should have done at times but we did get some nice steps. As i tired Peter allowed us to counter canter then leg yield to the quarter line before half passing back to the nice secure fence. He remarked at the end that the more difficult work should be at the beginning of the session and then give easier exercises towards the end to encourage the horse.

My nemesis was attempting to cater up the centre line right leg leading to half pass to the track --Cue a change of legs each time as my weight went to my outside seat bone.......very embarrassing but Peter changed the exercise to catering large and then strike off in true or counter canter on the straight sides to position the horse before returning to the centre line to apply what I had learnt...........and phew - made it. Thank you Peter and Thank you Danni. To say I was cooked was an understatement!

Dani drying out in our car park after his shower - I think I'm talking to some guests

Sunning the other side with "dad" Charles - if he goes into his stable damp he covers himself in shavings and poo................horses are all the same!!!

An orderly line up

2010-07-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Super time at Ednovean forms an orderly Que, the only rule is that Lizzie is fed first!

Belle is strangely insistent that she has to have her bucket next to Lizzie with her satellite Toffee in attendance

April arrives next and poor young Dolly has to stand on the end - I'm not sure how they arrived at this opinion but peace and quite reigns provided that this order is strictly adhered to!

Meanwhile, Our little tiger is still in his private nursery, with his mum Diva until he gets a touch larger to join in the fun and games with the other two foals.

Isn't it strange the things that you meet out hacking? The oddest ride I had the other day with Danni, was when I met the Marazion Iron man challenge ( Marathon section).....So what to do when faced with about one hundred burly men earnestly running along the road? Well, I chose one competitor that looked as though he would run at the same speed as Danni and trotted up the hill in the midst of the marathon until I got to our junction. Very adaptable things Spanish Stallions!!!!!

Ladies who lunch

2010-07-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

An evenings blogging would not be complete without our "ladies who lunch" with quite a few shots of Sophie aka Summertime, Lizzie's filly by Danilon

'cause with a star like that............

she's just going to steal the show

in front of ST Micheal's Mount

TB Dolly by Replendant Cee, half sister to Tiger colt (see next post) with Toffee by the Holstein Lenard - he's working on the fur coat and no that's not our house in the background!! We live to the left behind the hedge...............

good night from Sophie and check out the other two posts for the days picture fest

Yearling patrol

2010-07-02T12:12:00.001-07:00

Archie is coming up to his first birthday soon

Whilst I had the camera out I thought I'd record the yearlings from last year - Danni seems to be throwing some big stock!

Annie part Holstein with Charles born last May (that's Annie not Charles!)

Tidy the mane for the camera.........................

"Aren't i sweet" Amie who was born last June -

We abandoned the letter prefix this year as too complicated as we stuttered and mumble "Annie no Amie, I mean Archie"
Read the next post for our new baby.........

Tiger, Tiger burning bright

2010-07-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

Diva and son with human helpers Ryan and Charles going out to the field

Tiger Tiger burning bright...........................We switched on the camera first thing this morning to see Diva curled up in the middle of her bed with the little chap cantering around the stable using her as a marker - every now and again he would look pointedly at the spot the milk bar should be............"priorities old boy priorities!"
Later on, our little chap had his first outing into the outside world, after yesterday which could be described as a wash out. Diva refused to move very far from the safety of the gateway but at least he felt the sun on his back. Look closely and you'll see he has tiger stripes across his back to go with his eel stripe - he is the most gorgeous colour and we are starting to wonder if it would be worth testing Danni for the super duper opalescent or is it pearlescant gene..............ah horse are made of dreams!

an uphill conformation........with stripes

his grey rimmed eye so I suppose he will go grey - shame about the stripes though!

Well he has a big frame to fill so is making an early start on the milk bar

So Happy!!

2010-06-30T15:23:00.001-07:00

So happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Diva has foaled tonight at the surprisingly early hour of 9.15 or in the middle of Time Team (suppose I'll never find out if they found the Abbey.......... Still) She had comprehensively refused to stay in with the other mares yesterday, making her feelings know by clearing the five bar gate -pregnancy bump and all and so we gave her a private paddock with an open stable door ( essential if you are Diva) and today she had been running milk all day

So in the middle of Time Team Charles switched to the camera and..............was she breathing strangely.............run. She foaled easily but was in a difficult position for Charles very close to the corner - still she quickly started to call to her foal and he in turn was soon up and sucking in half an hour............so fingers crossed it is looking good so far - Did i mention it is a Colt!!

Danni didn't need gas and air but did clear up the end of Divas hot mash when she had had enough and is seen here celebrating with a new hay net for the night

A useful car park!

2010-06-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's been "a while" since Danni made an appearance in his own blog - a combination of forgetting the camera if we do hack to a menage and a busy B&B have left him with out his picture taken lately. We've worked in hand a little bit this week - just crossing the back legs over or in Danni's case wriggling for all he is worth as he struggles with five left feet! and today Charles got he camera out to record said back leg stretches all conducted in our car park in front of the stables

"Please can i go back to bed now Mum? I'm a really good boy!"

Waiting for the trans continental.....

2010-06-18T01:46:00.001-07:00

Stork that is! Dear old Diva is getting near to her time and has expanded to an enormous extent - she has a couple of fields to herself with her own help yourself stable and is making full use of it often with her two year old Dolly snoring beside her. Now Diva is huge and in need of rest but I'm not sure what Dolly's excuse is other than being a teenager ( Dolly's two) Still Breakfast on the porch is just the thing to start the day for Diva and she was really toasty in the sunshine too!

Thought you may like to see Toffee who has been promoted to a head collar

and gorgeous Sophie born last month going off to "work" for the day!

Dandy Days

2010-06-15T01:23:00.001-07:00

We popped in to meet Dandy, Danni's latest son at his home yesterday and one week on he has grown sturdy and strong on Daisy's abundant milk whilst carefully tended by his auntie Mel. The two old mares are besotted by their new charge sharing a joy of their new addition to their herd that will be their future as is natures way.

The two old mares that stand guard over their new charge ..............well sometimes three is a crowd!

but always room for some comforting milk

Dandy got out of bed especially for us when we arrived with exaggerated stretches

"is this a good angle for my tail? "

Daisy with her "Mum" Val

It was lovely to visit them in their idyllic sheltered meadow.

Good luck little Dandy!

To Daisy a boy!

2010-06-05T01:40:00.001-07:00

Congratulation to Daisy!! It's a boy born at 1.30 am this morning after a nervous week of foal watching for Daisy's mum Val.

Charles whizzed off before breakfast this morning a managed to get a couple of snaps before we served our B&B guest's breakfast. This is the first foal for Daisy is a lovely compact mare by the good HIS horse Shaab and she was Artificially inseminated as she dozed in her stable to Danilon last year - we were thrilled when she took first time as she is a "more mature" mother of fifteen and blooming with her new baby - just can't quite work out how it happened!

Meanwhile Dani has had a busy week this week as ALL of our mares came in season at the same time - it was one of those moments when your life flashes before your eyes, as they all stood there declaring ah hum their interest. Danni was a star at the AI centre and our record the other day was in and out in ten minutes with Dani happily sucking his polo mint in the lorry on the way home.

This week Charles has succumbed to tendinitis in his leg and the garden is open for a village charity tomorrow so a day limping behind the lawn mower is called for dosed with pain killers..........I'm not too popular but at least it's not a horse!

A Spanish friend

2010-06-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

We've had a lovely couple of afternoons lately working with a new Spanish friend - Louise that belongs to a friend Val ( thanks for permission to post his pickie!) Val sent these through of his session with Charles. I must say it was very relaxing sitting on a block outside of the arena chatting with Val, watching the chaps at work! Louis is a charming young Pre from Spain, with life in front of him, looking set to enjoy every minute and I thought you might like to meet him!

Our day started just before five this morning with a trip to the AI centre for Dani - Mel could only collect at 6.00am. Danni was a bit surprised to be put in a lorry at that hour particularly as he was laying down asleep a moment earlier. We were outside of Mel's gate at 5.40 looking at the Guard dog ........"Do you think he bites i enquired of hubby?" (it was my job to do the gates) "Put you hand in and see" Was the charming reply..........hmm we were home again before 7.00 and Mel inseminated little April and the rain it raineth. A quick sprint for me down the lane to NO1&2 containing Diva and Dolly and they sleepily greeted my absolutely bone dry having spent the night n the filed shelter whilst I was drenched.............Horses hmmmmmmmmmm must be some sort of cure!

Warning picture overload!

2010-05-22T01:41:00.001-07:00

Morwen Lissie (Holstein) with her Filly foal by Danilon at Ednovean Farm

Some more pictures from day one of Summertimes adventures...............................

A tired but happy Lizzie

The sheltered paddock behind the yearlings stables

Toffee Lizzie Sophie (Summertime) April and Belle

Day two and Belle who has been apoplectic at having to live just with Toffee, glowering at us from her nursery paddock, got to move back in with the group Phew happy face and had she mislaid the foal?!

Lizzie again just because she's blooming!

Lizzie and Belle

Day three and yippee it's pogo foal

Toffee Lizzie and Sophie

Toffee who managed to jump the post and rails yesterday much to the annoyance of the mares that I found earnest group looking at the miscreant colt happily eating the other side of the fence.

Our yearlings by Danilon were happily asleep in the dewy grass or should i say the night shift as they graze overnight and snooze in the stables by day allowing the mares to have "private time" in the back three fields

Charles armed with a trio of lead ropes waking the babies up as you can see Annie is now bigger than Charles!

Amie nearest the camera, then Archie and Annie

and that was yesterday at Ednovean Farm!

The first morning

2010-05-18T12:08:00.001-07:00

Thank you Di and Claire for the good vibes - Lizzie and Sophie (Summertime) were able to travel to the field the next morning after their vet check. Lizzie soooooooooo loves her foal and Dani got quite a few brownie points too! We put best friend April in with them too and in typical best friend fashion she settled down to enjoy the new "luxury hotel" whilst keeping a careful eye on Lizzie. April had rather more work to do this afternoon when they were joined by Belle and her foal Toffee (Isn't that Tufty you may ask? but Charles had a change of heart to Toffee and I know it's official because he changed the Teasing chart too!) April jealously guarded Lizzie and her baby for the day ushering Belle away and generally making sure that the new mother and baby were undisturbed. This evening we brought Belle and Toffee in first and then returned for Lizzie and co - -watching the foal trot neatly along beside her mum, as I led April in as rear gunner, it was just amazing to think that the little creature was inside Lizzie such a short time ago. Summertime!! and now Diva's udder has started to fill - please don't let it be twins ( we had the twin scan but she is HUGE!!)

Gorgeous filly

2010-05-17T02:50:00.000-07:00

AT 11.30 last night we checked the monitor to see Lizzie was preparing to foal...........ulp!! By the time I reached the stables Charles had the filly out and had already named her Summertime and I was only looking for my socks! The stables were in twilight as the bulb immediately over the box had failed two minutes into use so not many pictures but Lizzie was her usual efficient whirlwind - never mind vet checks Lizzie does them- all cord wash, feet trim, wash foal, bottom wash with particular attention to the root of the tail, manoeuvre to feed and then she was ready for a warm mash and coo over her new daughter with a newly filled haynet for afters

first moments - I didn't risk the flash

Dad Danni (Danilon) waiting for his tea last night - he's now gone back to bed curled up as usual for the morning for an "essential" snooze

Lizzie

2010-05-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Lizzie is preparing for her big event, her udder filling ready for the birth of her new foal by Danilon. Her belly stretched uncomfortably tight as she carries her foal for the last few days. She was restless in the field today one minute in one field near the lane the next she had plodded across the farm towards the footpath with her best friend April anxiously in attendance. Tonight may be the night but so we thought last night watching the monitor between naps as Lizzie snored happily in her stable supine in her cosy bed of fresh straw. It is an anxious time for us as we wit for her to give us our cue to help nickering affectionately to us each time we approach to check her..............but perhaps tonight will be the night??...............

Lizzie Holstein now almost wider than she is high

April is not straying from her friends side

Lizzie has that far away look - you can almost hear her saying "Love and Peace Man" hippy fashion at the moment

Lizzie above the village of Perranuthnoe - that's Diva in the distance who will be next to foal.

Time passes

2010-05-03T12:58:00.001-07:00

Archie By Danilon out of April

Well time passes in a steady routine of our days and with the time the young colts grow, Archie into a long legged gangly youngster, Annie and Amie into elegant pretty fillies and Tufty (or to be precise Charles has now rechristened him Toffee) into a strapping colt foal. And then there is Dolly of course turning into a handsome well balanced filly with a canter like a show hack, she has always lived with the older mares and is expected to behave very well indeed by them!

Our daily routine remains much as every other day - each morning we feed and turn out the youngsters and brood mares and I muck out the stallion before we cook breakfast for our guest. And little by little our youngsters mature and our brood mares grow larger and more careful in their movements, almost without us realising it.

Lizzie will be the next to foal - our Holstein mare, deep bodied and powerful even she is now blowing as she trots past me for her super in the evening. She should foal in ten days or so, followed by Diva a big Thoroughbred mare. Diva will have a holiday after this foal and not return to the stallion until next year. April is enjoying her year off springing about the field with Dolly in her second childhood.

Amie nearest to the camera TB/Iberian and Annie Holstien/Iberian

Tuftee(Toffee) monitoring the footpath that separates him from the big boys - that's Archie!

Dani has spent the winter quietly exercising around the lanes, often meeting other horses and riders as he goes along his routes or stopping to be patted around the villages. Mostly I've hoped to lengthen his neck and stretch and round his back muscles this year; getting him to relax and drop his rib cage. I've worked on the hills to get him to push from behind going up and sit and drop his quarters, bending his hocks going down..............and I've looked over the hedges and enjoyed his company for the rest of the time! And in our daily routine time passes and the horses grow strong.

Colts in spring

2010-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Archie by Danilon

Spring is just around the corner or at least the promise is there - never stronger than this morning with a perfect blue sky and wall to wall sunshine. Our fluffy, scruffy group of youngsters from last year, are getting ready to emerge swan like into their first proper summer coats.

The morning "difference of opinion!" between Archie Annie and Amie

Dolly now a sleek two year old and looking very grown up

Little Da Vince struggling with the skill sets needed to eat the grass or should I say reach it

So what are you looking at!! Little horror!

A round up of the day

2010-03-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well today at Ednvoean Farm started with a frost - I'd say it was unusual but this year would prove me a liar so let's say the usual frost, still little Tufty aka Da Vince is made of sterner stuff and determined to start his career as a serial grass eater extraordinaire.............

Whilst mum Belle was definitely in season and making eyes at poor little Archie in the next field and if she thinks a foal in January would be a good idea i definitely do not!

Charles declared it "nice enough" for the horse to go out without their rugs in Spartan fashion although I must admit it was pleasantly warm later. Dolly divest of her rug has grown on again into a fine filly and is at the stage of looking furnished - probably only until next week when she will shoot up again and look gangly all of again

Dolly's mum Diva - i must admit to a soft spot for the old girl (13) who is a bit like a galleon in full sail with a following wind - she's in foal again to Danilon

and looking very well indeed - Diva came from Ireland originally

WE gave Dani a treat today and hired the school at Kestral - i warmed him up after his hack there in a longer outline

and i think he is showing more self carriage now and relaxation?

Well i spent a lot of time in canter exercises today which he loves and his face is looking very happy and confident in the photos

my usual dodgy position but he does feel very light in the hand and able to carry himself

our last simple change was replaced by a flying change!! I had quit my stirrups out of frustration so perhaps I was sitting squarer ah hum and naturally we don't have a photo never mind I expect the next one will be along in six months or so...............! Dani spent the afternoon in bed as is his habit laying out flat in his stable after his mid day feed - it's a horse life for sure

Launching Da Vince

2010-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

With trepidation we took Belle and her new foal Da Vince out to the field for a few hours yesterday to enjoy the early spring sunshine - alas the grass has had too many shocks this winter to look appetising but I'm sure to chance to stretch his legs with Mum was just what he needed to work up another appetite!

Belle is avery concerned Mum at the moment and is keeping a strict eye on the everything the world and the universe and stuff...................

Today the weather had an icy chill in the air and so we dressed the little chap in a rug for his outing - by lunch time he was safely back in bed and Belle to put her hooves up metaphorically speaking for the rest of the afternoon with a good haynet

Waiting by the gate to go back to her stable

To Belle a colt

2010-02-24T19:35:00.001-08:00

Well Belle was just about ready to foal when we went to bed and sure enough at 12.30 she started to paw the ground and by 12.45 the little colt made his way into the world. Belle settled to a steady effort the only sound in the stable was her deep rhythmic breathing and the sea echoing up across the fields from the cove below the village

his nostril could already be seen breathing at this stage and Charles broke the sack

and extra effort from Belle

and already she had started to wicker

her first job - the foal had a strong suck reflex and soon had his first precious feed and the after birth passed ........so we left them to bond and watched them from the monitor. At Eighteen Belle is an "older mother" and so this will probably be her first and last foal for us and of course the sire Lenard is long departed but this little chap looks a big strapping legacy to them both.

We went out again at 3.30 to supervise the next feed and by 3.50 we had muconium!!

Danni and company were all in bed already and so we might even try some sleep

Good morning - how does De Vince sound for a name??

Still waiting

2010-02-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

As you can see Belle is still blooming and still in the singular but we watch and wait and Belle looks dreamily on - oh for a nights sleep.

Still waiting

2010-02-20T10:36:00.001-08:00

Belle just below our garden this afternoon.

Well we are still waiting for Belle night after night..........that is Belle relaxes the night away curled up or stretched out flat whilst we wake at ten minute intervals to check the monitor. Belle potters of each morning with the troupe to what they must think of as the grazing grounds and we spend the day waiting for the next sleepless night - I suppose that is a fair division of labour!

Dani had three days training with PMG this week for the first time for five months

I've been mostly hacking in the deteriorating weather conditions of this winter, working with the aim of relaxation and calm with Dani's back raised and ribs lowered - covering many miles over the Cornish lanes meeting other horses and riders, stopping to chat (although Danni sometimes joins in the conversation with a series of hums )Looking for freedom of movement and length of stride and throwing away the contact so that Danni balanced himself.

Using the straight bridle paths to practise the walk to canter transitions and then back to a free rein walk before gathering up again to strike of on the other leg. But serious dressage has passed us by so we approached the first lesson without too many expectations but with the hope that we had laid the ground work for a secure summer of work.In the first session peter reviewed the working in technique to engage the hind leg with the emphasis on letting go of the inside rein, feeling for a forward swinging stride that carried us lightly forward in a calm and relaxed way. The transitions that came towards the end of the lesson carried a twist in the tail on walk canter trot walk canter without the horse shortening the outline particularly in the final transition (which was when the rider was about to go to sleep )

Day two

The lesson went well today - Danni worked in on a loose rein inviting him to work forward into the rein but letting go as much as possible. With a swingy forwards trot established on the twenty metre circle, it was time to trot a square, using the outside rein and turning my shoulders to turn and a loose inside rein to check up on me.......Next came shoulder in on the square back to straight ( I straightened too sharply) but then followed by a turn across the square again using my weight and outside rein. Trot canter transitions very forward releasing the inside rein with two or three around the circle eventually simple change then repeat before the main session of work which was all in canter............... turning up the three quarter line and leg yielding out (still in canter) progressing to turning up the centre line leg yielding across two or three strides before half passing back, before riding straight forwards ( I was crimson by now but Danni had settled into a relaxed easy stride) across the diagonal; finally canter up the centre line and halt to finish - a BUSY lesson. And suddenly I had a dressage horse to ride.

Rider corrections - let go of the horse, let go of the inside rein keep the paces forward and in the final canter work push the pelvis forwards more. The school area was progressed from the intensive twenty metre exercise to the entire school as collection improved and Peter said it was the best he had seen Danni Canter!! and Danni stayed calm throughout with no Dobby ears, bucks or kicks!

I wonder? is it by initially displacing or should I say mobilising the horses lateral core balance that more response is achieved in lateral work?? Should have asked Peter

Day three

What a disaster. The sun shone - how lovely I thought idly gazing out of the kitchen window at a horse trotting around the school the other side of the valley. Still I made myself busy for the morning until Dani's lesson at 100............the phone rang "are you coming for your lesson today" said Paul .......It's 1000 That's ten not one - nightmare Danni was stuffed into his tack and I departed at a brisk trot for the village past Dani's mares looked on in astonishment over the hedge, at Hubbies hurry with mane flying. We just managed to get there for the last twenty minutes with red faced apologies. And as the landrover had broken down on day one Charles had to run across the front field to get there too.

Thank you for being so kind to us Peter and retrieving the situation with a well chosen session of work on shoulder in examining the weighting of my pelvis and deepening of my inside leg. It was a shame and I felt I had let Danni and peter down, as Danni was tuned to the minute to work more seriously on the last day but the rider had better learn to tell the time!

Today I owed Danni a long walk in the countryside and took him out for a couple of hours- he gave a very nice walk canter transitions as we passed through the first farm and when he stiffened I remembered Peter's advise "sometimes you have to talk yourself into it" and rode more positively forwards for a fantastic balance..........just before the most powerful leap over an apparently bottomless "in-danni's-veiw" puddle. Danni was very pleased with himself in harnessing his power..............in fact I'd swear he had swerved to get a good line to jump the puddle rather than go around! Definitely proof of the pudding - just need to do it in the school!

Well back to the monitor - we may have a foal or a mechanic to mend the landrover before long but i don't think I'll count on it!

Foal watch

2010-02-10T11:02:00.001-08:00

Well we have officially started "foal Watch" for Belles delivery - she is due on the 14th of February and we are feeling very nervous indeed. Belle has had a couple of foals before so all fingers crossed please and think of me watching her through the night (aided by the cat of course who has similar insomniac qualities) on the infra red camera. It gets quite mesmerising after a while. Charles reports she is now eating her supper!

No to Rolcur

2010-02-09T11:56:00.001-08:00

Xenophon not precisely but in essence " there can be no more grace in a dancer trained by whip and goad then a horse by whip and spur" sorry I read this about thirty years ago so my memory is a little hazy and the book was written in BC so of course things have changed alot since then and still....................Please fell free to copy this logo

Christine Charles and Danni

Today - schooling

2010-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

In Dani's session today I started to feel more of the swing and fluidity that I would like - it felt as though the less i did the better he went - early days for this part of his development (or mine) but a glimmer of hope perhaps!

Dani's morning

2010-01-18T09:31:00.001-08:00

It was a glorious day today and I hacked Dani along to an outdoor scholl several villages away for my first session since ooh........... November. Anyway I think I put the winter to good uses hacking Danni out on a long rein and asking him to stay loose and elastic with a lengthened neck and swinging back, getting rid of some of the tension that was starting to creep into his work (and mine)

Collapsed my waist again

His canter is so comfortable (i suppose to slide my leg further down the saddle and release the knee)

Warming up

Ping, Pang and Pong

2010-01-10T10:29:00.001-08:00

Amie

We remain confined with Ping, Pang and Pong, our three foals from last year, as the ice is too treacherous to get them across the lane to the field or even for our stallion Danilon to do anything more than trudge, slipping gently around the car park in hand. But still they enjoy coming out on to the little area in front of the stables for a daily fuss and brush supervised by Danilon of course in his role as Baby sitter!

Annie from a Holstein mare Lizzie, who was born in May, seem here supervised by her father Dani in his stable behind her.

Annie again with Charles ( who's rather smitten)

Archie, born in July whose fur coat does look better than that in the flesh but spends a lot of time in bed asleep probably waiting for spring.....getting rather plump too

Archie is just starting to develop the wavy Iberian Mane!

So that was today at Ednovean Farm - still snowing steadily tonight and all brood mares only leaving their stable for a brief time with great reluctance! I've written more about them in my Ednovean farm blog:- http://ednoveanfarm.blogspot.com/ for some more of life on Ednovean farm.

more snow

2010-01-07T06:06:00.001-08:00

As always with horses the daily routine went ahead as usual - just as horse expect it too. We were grateful to Ryan this morning for struggling in this morning against the weather and there was a further heavy snowfall as the mornings work started.

We decided against leading Diva Belle and Dolly down the by now treacherous lane, to join April and Lizzie and turned them out for a few hours beside their stable once the snow had stopped a little but it must be said working conditions were a little challenging to say the least.

Lizzie wasn't impressed as there is no point in being boss horse if you don't have any other horse to boss except April! still, they too settled down outside of their field shelter for the day with bulging haynets hanging inside and the doors open for them to come and go as they pleased for the day

Charles ventured out to retrieve a wheel barrow - you can just see Dani's capacious bottom and his daughter Amie in the next box

Dolly and Belle above Mounts Bay

Belle and Dolly's dam Diva

A view across the bay from the top of the farm

Dolly mounted a lookout position for the day

because a young thoroughbred filly can never be too sure what is lurking in that strange white stuff.

We are trying to keep the horses in their regular routine as far as possible to avoid accidents with over fresh horses galloping about but it is a worrying time. Poor Danni hasn't been out of his box for two days now although I popped to the corn merchants yesterday and bought some complete nuts to substitute for his usual Horse and Pony nuts............I've just been back out to the stables (2.00pm) and found him doing what Spanish horses do if unemployed - tucked up asleep in his bed.

Snow bunnies

2010-01-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well the snow set in jut as we finished getting the horses in last evening and by the time we went back out to check them at 9.00 o' clock, it was "deep and crisp and even" to coin a phrase.

This morning the world was still white but with a thaw in the air and so we decided to keep the TB brood mares in their usual routine and take them along the lane to join Lizzie and April. Belle and Diva skated along the lane, looking entirely suspicious with the ever optimistic Dolly in tow before creeping carefully into the field to park themselves for the day. I took them some hayledge to pick at, which nearly caused consternation as it blew away like tumble weed in the viciously cold wind. Heads shot up, nostrils flared and I was forced to retrieve it before mass panic broke out...............hay with legs .....Hay with legs......... RUN

We were so lucky to get Dani's schooling session in on Sunday - he's been confined to his stable today babysitting as usual, although he does tend to dose off between haynets.

Archie this morning, we kept the babies in as the yard was icy.

Charles has named the foals the three piggies because of their exuberant high pitched whinnies whenever they see us

Dani today

2010-01-03T09:53:00.001-08:00

We don't have our own school here at Ednovean after i unwisely made our old one into an Italian Garden beside the house.............well I thought our horse schooling days were finished but now we have Dani and Dani's babies waiting in the wings ..................so a flat enclosed space would be very nice indeed! Still we have obtained permission to construct a new one and I'll keep my gardening urges to myself this time!!

After the shock of loosing Sootty life has settle into a sort of order with Charles and i sharing Dani every other day now to tramp around the cold, wet lanes - but today Charles chose to take Dani up on to the top of the farm to start the new years schooling resolutions - forward to 2010

Charles mostly worked on Dani's lateral work aiming for a more relaxation in the steady rain as i huddled as near to the hedge as possible wearing three jumpers and a coat

Happy new year

A childrens story for Christmas

2009-12-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

The Silver Spanish stallion

Chapter One Jetetita

Silver and white,

shone the colours of the night

that a new light came from a star.

A huge moon hanging overhead cast a silken glow into the little gulley the old mare had chosen for her special moment; for she had known that it would come. And now the little foal lay damp and unmoving, cold in this strange new place "Come on my dear you must try" she said as she breathed her hot breath over the tiny baby. An ear moved and his little head bobbed up, eyes unseeingly open in the silver light that one day would be the colour of his coat. "That’s better, now come on" more urgently now "Come on dear, you must stand. I must be able to show them……." Her sad tired voice trailed off. "Come on dear" and again the hot breath moved passed the little fellows ear. Something stirred within him and a little magic from the night settled on his inert legs – a small struggle, then a bigger one. To his surprise these new legs lifted him towards the gentle voice in the silver light and he was up. Up near the magical creature that would love him and care for him for the few short precious, months they would have together.
Brown eyes as deep as pools filled with love bent over him and again the glorious warmth of her hot breath. "That’s it my son, now come, come" Nothing could take this wondrous creature away – nothing and somehow the foal found he could follow this creature of love and gentleness on the start of his path towards a new life and a new day.
The disk of the moon dropped low in the sky as the mare reached the safety of her sisterhood, her heard mates. And as they were enveloped in an inky darkness, on the plain below them the lights of Madrid glowed brighter as they always did just before the dawn. The waiting mares gathered around to admire the little fellow. "Beautiful Jetetita, just beautiful" The old mare stood shakily but she had one more duty to perform in her exhaustion. With the warmth of the accompanying mares surrounding them she nudged the little fellow towards her waiting milk as he staggered and tottered along her flank. At last he found this first gift that she had to offer him and grew stronger, as a new and golden light crept over the horizon, a fresh and golden day that flicked the dust and slowly lit the old mares sweating flanks. "There my dear we are safe now" and content, she fell asleep surrounded by her sisterhood that stood and watched the precious new baby. Danilon.

With the dawn, came new warmth, slowly reviving the old mare, as the herd stirred and became watchful. For with the dawn came the man in his truck, bouncing up the track form Madrid each morning, with his presents of Oats and Lucerne.
Oh wonderful Oats, Oats so crisp, they could almost see them now in their minds eye, rattling sharply in the half light into the open wooden trough, as he carelessly walked along emptying the rustling paper sack, the sweet smell drifting towards them in the dry morning air. The herd bustled purposely forward towards the troughs with little Danilon fearfully pressed against his old dams flanks as they were swept forward. Jetetita paused to nuzzle her new baby "Come my dear, stay close" but little Danni looked up with imploring eyes to his wondrous goddess that cared for him. The old mare sighed, she desperately needed the food but would not risk her precious baby, and she would have to wait. Her head hung a little lower as hunger bit at her belly but she did not move to follow the herd as the delicious oats rattled faster and faster into the manger. "Jetetita, Jetetita" called her pair companion Roseanna "you must eat" "I know but……….." Jetetita looked at the trembling foal. "Ah follow me - stay close" and the two old mares slowly reached the edge of the crush with little Danni wedged carefully between them "Now eat" said Roseanna and then the old bay mare with all the strength that she had learnt working with Carlos and the fighting bulls on the plains in her youth Roseanna lent her big scarred shoulders into the younger mares as Jetetita gratefully began to feed.
With each mouthful of the delicious golden oats, her blood stirred and her tired body gained in strength. She snatched one last mouthful before moving away to let her friend Roseanna eat the last. And only then, did her careful movements catch the watchful eyes of Carlos, who picked out the tiny new addition to the herd. "Why Jetetita, you have a foal after all – you old devil" and with that he stomped off, almost as stiff as the old horse to collect a headcollar from his pick up
Roseanna looked up from the last of her feed that she had so generously shared and whispered her farewell to her friend. "Grow strong for us little Danilon. - God speed". For She, Roseanna, had no foal to give this year and knew she would have to leave soon too - perhaps for the place of light beyond the stars……… and the time was coming very soon. But she was glad as she watched her old white friend and her little black son take her heart into the future.
And then the heavy gate clanged and Jetetita and Danilon (Danni) disappeared - to the place beyond the fence. The place of humans
The little enclosure Carlos prepared with fresh straw and water was heaven to Jetetita. For Carlos was a kind old man but rough, in the way that farmers are rough. Pushing and cajoling the horses from place to place with a stinging slap from his work worn hands or a gruff shout - but still, he would tenderly nurse the sick or injured horses and watch over the old ones, until their day came of course – for Carlos was a farmer and did what he was paid to do – rear young horses to be sold. But for now Jetetita had her heaven of easy food and shelter and time to spend with her new very special baby. Carlos dragged a stiff brush over her dusty white coat and she began to feel better. As she nuzzled and caressed Danni, she whispered the secrets that only horse know to him, day by day and into the night, telling him of many things between heaven and earth but keeping others for later…. Much later…..They slept side by side under the magic of the stars and Danni feasted on his mothers milk And Danni found his new inky black legs would carry him in tight little circle around his mother faster and faster until she begged him to stop and the dust hung heavily in a cloud in their pen. By the end of the week they were ready to go back to the herd – the mare with her head held proudly high and her smart black colt trotting strongly beside her. Only one mare wasn’t there to greet them - Roseanna. When had the lorry come to take her away? Was it as she chuckled over her new foal or slept blissfully beside him? A tiny tear formed in Jetetita’s heart that turned to light and went up to the stars - for such were the sorrows of the horse.

Such a summer above Madrid – such sounds in the air - the muffled roar of the traffic from the city below and the jet planes overhead – the snorts of the huge mysterious stallions that lived in the place beyond and the humans that became one with them to become centaurs.
The scents of the rosemary and sage carried sometimes on the wind, mixing with the dust and the human smell from the city, all carried on quiet currents that eddied through the horses’ lives and informed their days. Each gust, each echo, would bring them news of different things from beyond the horizon, things that the old mares remembered from past lives and whispered to the young ones.
Danilon cared not a bit for this as he discovered other little shapes that peeped out form behind their mother’s tails. A brotherhood of colts to race and wrestle with, to compete for the precious oats with and he travelled further from the old mare under the clear blue sky in a summer that would surely go on for ever.
Sometimes the humans came of course and Danni learnt to avoid Carlos’s stinging slaps and cross shouts. Quick and agile he avoided the blows and laughed at his assailant as he skipped nimbly away. Off to race and tussle with his brotherhood of colts or back for Jetetita warm milk. For Jetetita’s part she proudly watched as her young son grew strong and bold but as the days grew shorter she slowly grew more distant and aloof for she knew the time would fast come when Danni must leave her.
And Jetetita had a new secret, a new life to carry forward, if she could. For one day as Danni played with his brothers she had visited the magnificent stallion Official that Carlos brought to the fence each day. Arrogant and proud with a flying black mane flipping his magnificent form, he waited today and called to her. "You are beautiful my dear" in the gentle song of the horse "So Beautiful" "Pha" Said Jetetita "You are flattering me" pinning her ears flat back "I need a new son for next year" and they joined in time and it was so.
That night in the velvety darkness, Official listen intently from his stable, with his strong stallion sons stretching in rows through the barn beside him. His sons that would learn to carry the men in Dressage as the centaur – the horse’s art so subtle, that the slightest wrong flick of the tail could spoil it, thus he understood the purpose of horse and man.
This Dressage he had practised for many years and now his sons would learn and then they would go over the mountains beyond the horizon to the far places they could not know and they would have sons of their own. This was his wish he made to his star.
Slowly, the old stallion gently lowered himself to sleep in his soft bed of shavings. Sometimes he heard the sounds of his mares and new sons gently carry to him: The softest nicker or scuff of hoof in the dust, the whispers of the sweet mare’s song to their foals, his sons. And He was content and beyond in the inky darkness Jetetita nuzzled the sleepy Danilon and smiled at her secret as her new foal moved inside of her.

"Danilon" to the fleeting deaf ears as he raced away again to play "Danilon……." But Danilon’s heart was filled with adventures and so Jetetita waited until the darkness of the night. "Danilon my dear my sweet one - you are ready now" The strong little colt shook his handsome head "Ready for what" "Now you must leave me to run in the far plains" "You will chase the wind and have such adventures and one day you will be a fine stallion with mares of your own" "Oh no mama" "Yes my dear, it is time" and the old mare led him firmly towards the dawn and the waiting oats. But today it was different there were no oats in the waiting trough, no Carlos with his rustling bag. Instead the gate was open to the world beyond and new men pushed them artfully through. This was a new Carlos today, quicker and firmer, no longer easy to evade. In an instant the press of his mother against his shoulder and she was gone departing with her sisterhood through the choking dust and Danilon was alone.

Alone now with her sisterhood, Jetetita remembered her seven sons, slowly smiling as she counted them one by one - that is if a horse could smile….. and last she thought of Danilon, her little Danni "Yes, this one was very fine, the best" as she dropped her old head and caught her breath and her legs stopped running from something unimaginable. "Yes very fine – he would do well" but still a tear formed in her heart, became light and went to the stars. This one to light Danilon’s journey

Please read to your children and enjoy but all copywrights are reserved - tell me if you like it and one day i'll write the rest of the book!

Happy Christmas

Sootty

2009-12-21T06:26:00.001-08:00

27/5/1988 - 20/12/2009

We lost Sootty yesterday to a sudden onset of colic - he deteriorated rapidly despite two vets attending throughout the morning and by lunch time to9 struggle was lost and it was decided to let him go peacefully as he lay in his own bed. Desperately missed.

A new day

2009-12-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Lizzie enjoying a roll this morning

After a surprisingly quiet night we let April and Lizzie out into the front field that has not been used for a while and then we took Belle Diva and Dolly along to join them. Lizzie again got hot so we had to remove her rug but she soon settle to roll in her nice new grass field.

Dolly couldn't believe that the world was so big peering this way and that - taking everything in - the far moors

St Micheal's Mount

Good greif !! she almost seemed to say but what a sensible filly

and modelling her early Christmas present on account of the recent downpours

Belle (Joyce's Hope) Hopefully due to foal in February in front of Perranuthnoe village

Belle April and Diva with Dolly just disappearing out of shot

It's time

2009-12-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Danilon

The time has come or in truth is long past for the foals to leave their mums and start an independent life and so tonight the deed was done with a certain sadness for a part of their lives that would never come again. i normally ween by putting the foal in the next box to mum with a chatterbox but this we didn't have enough free stables and so after a certain shuffling of accommodation it was decided that Annie and Amie would share and the increasingly amorous Archie would have a box to himself. Armed with a friend from the village and two bridles we set off at the usual time to catch Lizzie and April and casually took them down to the bottom yard. Lizzie looked at the arrangements and started to blow but stood quietly as Annie was put in her new stable and then Archie - who smelt a rat and dug his toes in in a prelude to a flap. He did agree to follow April in to the next door box though. and then we quietly led the two mares away to the other end of the farm where no 1 and 2 had been prepared for them and their supper was waiting - they tucked into their supper without a murmur.........only I felt guilty!

Back to find Diva and Amie still waiting patiently to come in a quick shunt and Amie joined Annie but the two sisters apparently hate each other oh dear. Diva always the lady walked quietly back across the lane to her new stable and also tucked into her tea. Which left Sootty and Danni effectively baby sitting..............hmm I don't think they are enjoying the job but we have explained to Dani that fatherhood holds some responsibilities!

The three foals soon settled to a light supper of Dengie Hi Fi and a few nuts as they must stay in for a few days and are now pulling at their haynets in an expert fashion.....Dani and Sootty are doing their best to ignore them

We have weather

2009-11-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

Sooty one summer a few years ago when we didn't live under water

Well we have weather in Cornwall at the moment - each day brings torrential rain and gales turning the fields into lakes and the gateways into quagmires. The mares and foals foray bravely into the fields each day, although we had to give up and break out the New Zealand rugs for the mares, which caused great consternation to Archie when "mummy turned blue" He flapped about the gateway looking at all the legs until he found the "right" pair to follow poor chap but he has come to terms with locating his morning pinta under the diaphanous folds now. Yesterday evening the poor souls had made an orderly group under the hedge with their tails turned to the wind but the rain was so intense that it was rising as a secondary spray over their heads...........yet another evening with rugs hanging on every available surface, dripping sadly on to the floor, as the horses munch blissfully in their stables away from the torrents.

Sooty and Danny have abandoned all dressage in flooded arenas and we have taken them out for long steady road work instead, plodding for miles through the lanes at a steady walk and trot. Of course Sooty's dressage days are long over but he enjoys his daily constitutional still swinging along at twenty four with his big warm blood walk. poll swivelling this way and that to check the hedges for different coloured leaves or worst of all white polythene bags. He hit the jackpot the other day with a complete field of cows sending him cavorting sideways in a crazy passage emitting loud snorts as poor Dani and Charles plodded solidly on bemused by the entertainment.

And still it rains so no photo but this is Sooty pre Cushings probably taken in the summer, when he was in his late teens and before he grew the Koala coat - how time flies -we have them in our lives for so short a time...........................but for now he enjoys his daily walk with me.

I've just found a blog that might interest you try http://naturalhorsemanship-apen.blogspot.com/ and if it's there a youtube video from Golega! Wow!!

Archie this morning

2009-11-11T10:59:00.001-08:00

I stalked Archie about the field this morning waiting for him to do something interesting but no he plodded about considering this and that sampling this and that and only pausing n the most un photogenic places in the field. He even clambered on the spoil heap from a badgers set/foxes earth to improve the view over the hedge before eventually noticing that the horses were moving on to the next field in their morning agenda and he had better keep up!

Archie waiting in the gateway for Annie

Climbing on a spoil heap to improve his view over the bank - watching him pop over a pole yesterday i don't think he'll stop at the planning stage for long!

And those big broad ears are just like his father Dani's

A blacksmiths visit

2009-11-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

Annie and Lizzie (Holstein)

Annie has grown on well this summer

I finally caught up with my husband Charles and our blacksmith Nigel Stevens as they pottered about the fields this morning looking at the youngsters feet

and I finally had to ask them to come out from behind the horses to have their picture taken

The two half sisters Annie and Amie

and finally Nigel and Charles!

Filly for sale

2009-11-03T02:21:00.001-08:00

Looking at our expanding collection of horses (and finite number of stables) it is time to make a hard decision and let Dolly go out into the world - in short to offer her for sale. We feel the time we would put into her production really should go into Dani's stock.

Dolly is by the Thoroughbred Resplendent Cee

Resplendant Cee has now moved from Devon and is standing at New Hill Farm Stud, Worsley

http://www.newhillfarmstud.co.uk/Cee.html

A quiet dignified stallion that is ridden out every day and when I saw him was standing in a mixed barn of horses looking very happy indeed. After just taking a second look at his web page though I can see his attributes do not stop at his super temperament he is.............

Winnings of over £95,000

including the Ripon Championship Trophy, The Queens Stakes etc

Graded Elite by the Sports Horse Breeding of Great Britain via his Timeform rating

A European Breeder's Fund nominated Stallion

"Racehorses of 2002" describd him as a Fluent mover, smart performer and acts on firm or soft going

His Dam - Western Friend was sold through Tattersall's 2 year old sale for £250,000 - Western Friend (USA) is Dam of 7 winners from 7 Foals. She was by Gone West

His sire Polar Falcon (USA)won 5 races to the value of £225,000 including the group 1 Haydock Park Sprint and is a leading sire of Group winners

...............In fact *** we shouldn't sell her at all!!

Out of Diver's Perk (IRE) foaled Apr 02, 1996

Divers perk with Guy Brewer up in her racing days

We bought the Irish TB Diva, aka Diver's perk, already in foal with Dolly for Danilon our Spanish stallion with the aim of producing Sports Horses.

Diva is a big great galloping mare with the chasers stamp, by Executive Perk (IRE) sire of 1210 foals of which 466 raced to produce 122 winners.

Divas was imported from Ireland and initially sold through Doncaster sales. She trained well beating winning horses on the gallops but failed to act on the race course and was retired to stud after a particularly bad fall. She is a quiet charming individual, a delight to handle with burning brown eyes that follow you around the yard. she will finish her days with us.

Dolly

Dolly was born at 1.30 much to Divas surprise and they spent an idyllic summer together and Dolly was naturally weaned just before Christmas by being put in the next box to Mum each night but still with a chatter box, when the time came to give Diva her own time to prepare for her next foal.

Dolly at Weaning last year

Dolly has always been corn fed and stabled over night with sympathetic daily handling. she has started to mature this year into a big scopy intelligent filly with lots of bone and should make a smart eventer to cross any country. She is at present running with the brood mares by day, including her half sister Amie.

Divers Perk with her 09 filly Amie by our Pre Stallion Danilon

Dolly's half sister the spanish sports horse Amie

To read more about Dolly scan back through the farm Diary

Dressage time again

2009-11-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Dani had his next module of training from Peter Madison Greenwell this week revisiting the transitional mode................ and was rewarded with a session with Celia Cohen a meastro equine physio....rider succumbs to a cold.

On the first day

Peter liked Dani's relaxation at the beginning of the session but decided to work to improve Dani's "sit" into his downward transitions with the back raised in a revision of the work for the year. To this end I was asked to ride forward to halt using the legs a little further back than normal to raise Dani's back and allow the hind legs to snap further under his body. Things started gently with simple transition to halt from walk progressing to trot and then canter - by the end of the session the canter, halt, canter transition repeated around the circle with growing frequency..........well "rider malfunction" was the best way to describe my performance!

now by the second day!

Peter went back to those ***** transitions and further complicated the issue by asking me to collect the canter by slowing the rhythm of my seat at A and on the centre line whilst sliding my inside knee down the saddle and letting my inside hip progress further forward. Well I think I need to practise that one too ah hum

and finally

Misty rain put paid to the outdoor school and so we worked inside - raising the back at walk whilst working long and low, a little shoulder in to half pass. Trot halt trot not even twitching the rein a nano touch which eventually showed me something of a raised, lifting balance through the shoulder. A simple change of legs at canter in which if I failed to keep his back raised he would creep behind the leg again to loose impulsion in a perfect demonstration of achieved impulsion and finally finishing with a long and low trot going large around the school. Hmmmmmmmmm - I sympathise with Peter and Dani!

Codis

Working on Monday I remembered the lifting balance of the shoulders that I had felt in Danilon in the final transitions and applied it to the half pass - bingo much much better. Thank you Peter sometimes you can only learn by doing!

Saturday dawned for Dani and Celia Cohen (equine physio) paid one of her regular visits to Dani - I have a little trouble changing the flexing to the left and Celia found some soreness in his poll. She used an extreme stretch to help free the area, fittingly helped by an apple on a stick. Dani can be seen in the first photo supervising the loading of the stick with the help of Celias mum Pip.

and he was only too happy to follow the tasty morsel

to whichever unlikely position it was likely to assume

What's a chap got to do to get an apple around here!

Supper Time

2009-10-22T10:24:00.001-07:00

There is a certain gathering of the clan at supper time each evening now, miraculously they have subtly changed their clocks and have trained us to bring them in for their tea earlier and earlier. By tonight everyone was gathered by 3.30 in a fairly orderly que - the two groups of brood mares having integrated earlier in the week ( see the ednovean diaries!). The system is simple "Lizzie rules OK" and so Lizzie the sturdy Holstein mare sweeps in with her foal beside her first each night, as is her right, with her best friend April an impatient second accompanied the laid back Archie. After this we gather Belle, former chief of staff of TB mares, Diva "anything for a quiet life and hates crowds darling" and Amie (who loves her two new foal playmates) and finally Dolly, who as a yearling is considered below anybodies notice but does a nifty line in que jumping given half the chance. Phew - it's a busy few minutes.

Beginning with A

2009-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

Annie, Charles and Lizzie making their way in from the fields

As Danilon's first crop of foals began with and A the beginning, alpha, the first - so our three young foals have started their ABC.
To reach the nearest pasture behind the stables we must cross a public lane with a footpath over it, so control is paramount for us from an early age. From birth, the young foals are escorted with comforting arms around their chest and quarters behind their Mum and as soon as they are big enough they are presented with their first baby headcollars and then led with one hand around their quarters still, to guide them forwards and a soft slip rope through the nose band of the headcollar. Each day, in the morning when they are turned out and in the evening when they come in to supper and bed, they learn to lead almost without realising it, as part of their daily routine. Within a few weeks Charles is able to take the foal in one hand and the mare in the other and the daily routine of life goes on.
This week all the mares had their regular visit from the farrier and this time, as always, the foals had their feet examined carefully on a hard standing whilst the farrier carefully checked the angle of each foot, taking them back into the stable to trim and then back out to examine the results..

Spot the foal

Annie and Lizzie

I think some one has a soft spot for Lizzie!

Charles horse sitting whilst I ferry Dolly into her stable before we head back to the house with Belle on the left of picture, Diva central and Amie right.

Belle leading the next group down the lane to the stables - that's Diva and Amie behind.

Belles bulge is due in February - fingers crossed

Diva and Amie

Which just leaves Archie the baby of the party with his mum April

To catch up at the back!

Goodnight!

The Danilon selection

2009-10-05T10:28:00.001-07:00

April, Archie with Lizzie behind and Annie at the front

Well Charles took a stroll around with the camera this morning - too late for the frolics and antics of first thing but just as the contented little group were moving up the hill to the next field to graze for the day.

This year Danilon has sired one bay, one chestnut and one grey foal but all of them are bold and upstanding ready for life's journey.

Archie the baby at ten weeks still enjoys mum's milk

The fields rise high above Mounts bay that's St Micheal's Mount set in the bay not that Archie and Annie care - they are too busy supervising Charles or maybe they have a "good side" like an actor/ress

Archie

Archie practising formation grazing with his mum April

April the sweetest mare is very proud of her bouncing son

Archie (looking slightly carthusian) and Annie

That's better

growing every day

Amie is growing more independent of her mother Diva now

and is the only grey ................so far!

Dani's growing family

2009-09-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Lizzie, now back in the top yard with April and definately queen bea

Annie, who's now nearly as big as her mum!

Just settling for the evening hay net

Young Dolly our tb yearling born last year who is by Resplendant Cee now a Sports horse sire

Dolly loves tea time

Remember Archie - growing now (click to enlarge the picture to see his sister in the next box)

He'd really like all of that hay net for himself

But as it is mum April get her share too

and two separate bins are the order of the day to keep the peace at supper time

we ran out of time to photograph Ammie with her sharply pricked ears

Sootty at twenty three is in the autumn of his years but enjoys grazing in the evenings (when all the girls are out of sight!)

Danni's dressage clinic with PMG

2009-08-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Stepping into shoulder in around the circle under Peter's gaze

Danni again attended a clinic with Peter Madison Greenwell, his regular trainer, over this weekend in Cornwall, the weather was fitful but we had so much fun even though we both had to work very hard.

The first day

The first day could be drawn a line under! For some unknown reason it did not go as well as we had hoped. Danni did not engage from behind or lift his back and of course without those two things we did not have lift off!! and so Peter had a private chat with Danni and I watched feeling rather foolish from a garden bench beside the school. We always hope for Peter to ride him on each clinic and Danni was soon motivated back to his usual self. Peter felt his (that's Danni's) covering duties had effected his muscular timing and usage.

The second day

I hacked down to the village determined to raise my energy levels and started the warm up with shoulder in around the circle which has proved a good routine for Dani lately. Peter continued with the start of the lesson correcting and cajoling for so much greater accuracy, control and focus. As Danni stiffened through the poll in left shoulder in peter pointed out that I had let my left shoulder creep forward and outside hand "against the neck, against the neck against the neck." Finally we progressed in that exercise to changing the rein on to the adjacent twenty metre circle still in shoulder in and then back again effectively changing shoulder in direction ,each time at x. By this time Danni was truly between hand and leg, soft and relaxed yet elevated and responsive and we were ready to move on. The canter exercises concentrated on keeping Danni moving forward with a big rhythmic stride with frequent simple changes across the centre line, counter canter and bounding lengthening. I found that I really had to focus on Danni's balance to extend the canter and then ride an admittedly "soft" corner in counter canter before lengthening again. Peter was only warming up by this time as the rain started to slat down and i had to discipline myself to frequently relax the inside rein to reward Danni and keep the contact soft, as the reins turned to ice in my fingers. A Three loop serpentine firstly with counter canter and then with a simple change on the centre line "Don't indicate the new leg simply by flexing him, use your seat and legs" A shallow loop either side of the centre line and finally, turning my shoulders to make tighter and tighter loops to change legs and we finished by striking to canter on either leg whilst going large around the school. Again sit centrally use my legs don't really on the reflexions. And lastly a relaxed lobing canter around the school that by now felt so good and I realised how much I had been enjoying myself. I looked about from my little world of the horse and realised that the only spectators left were my husband and friend sitting huddled under their hats, gently dripping and Peter of course!

The third day

Back to shoulder in around the circle but continuing this time in trot and canter..........well i didn't do too well at canter even with Peter gamely sprinting across the arena towards me claiming to be a bull that Danni the bullfighting horse had to dodge. We were very soon comprehensively "dead" but still managed a few steps. The idea of to apply more pressure and thus to invite a greater effort from Danni therefore engaging and lifting his back for greater athletic strength. Peter also had a few words to say about the variations of leg and touch of spur to keep the aids light and the horse forward as well as nano managing my position that always was ready to slip astray.

A lot of the session was spent in canter, using the previous days exercises and also using leg yielding from the quarter line to the track for instance and then half passing back across. The extra moment of suspension of the canter helped the half pass as the leg yield helped the lateral bend.

We have so much to work on before the next course - to break each exercise down into small sections and secure them before presenting them back to Peter again in six weeks. And I must say although seriously pooped ( that is the polite term) i enjoyed the course immensely, Peters encouragement and enthusiasm combined with Danni's rhythmic powerful movements that sometimes he almost seemed to float around the school as if by magic. Thanks Danni and Peter.

Dani and friends

2009-08-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Danilon at Ednovean Farm

Dani has a perfect position just at the entrance to the little stable yard beside the house. All comings and goings must pass his close daily scrutiny and each day Charles likes to pause with Dani's first colt foal son and the pair gaze at each other until the imperious whinnying of April summons little Archie to bed at her side.

Archie meets Dani

"My word" he could be saying
p.s i did have hold of the brood mare in the other hand when taking this picture

Dani is working towards his August Dressage clinic with Peter Madison Greenwell - his trot is getting bigger, his engagement through his downward transitions is improving..........and i am getting distinctly nervous as usual at the prospect of Peter's scrutiny!

A visit to the BAPSH

2009-08-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

The ridden mares lining up before their individual shows - we sponsored the mare class so I was delighted to arrive in time to watch it

An invitation from a friend for a lift to the annual Spanish Horse show proved to tempting to resist last weekend and so at twenty five past four i crept from the house and past the stables where the horses were already stirring sleepily as her car headlights flicked over the outline of our five bar gate.

The roads were rewardingly empty at that time on a Sunday morning and we made good time to Hartbury to glide onto the show ground at 8.30a.m. We knew there was a show by the collection of lorries and colony of tents and caravans but know one lept out to charge us for car parking and so we made our way towards the nearest sighting of a horse. Eventually i remembered that the secretary hired the end stable and sure enough there was a lady ambidextrously handing our numbers checking entries taking back keys and selling programmes with remarkable good humour.

The mare class was warming up in the collecting ring in a peaceful sort of a way which serendipitously was the one that we had sponsored to do our little bit for the Spanish horse and so we settled down to watch for a while and bask in the sunshine on the permanent stands.

My eye was taken by the rhythmic canter of a Bay mare and i was surprised to see the big S brand of Suseata stud on her hind quarters that matched Danni's and thrillingly she was the eventual winner too !

I'm afraid the lure of the Stallions was too much for us to watch the entire class though and the rest of the day was spent in contemplation of the Stallion judging in the magnificent indoor school and wondering how Danni would like to attend the show. The stallions lined up in turn just below where we were sitting to wait patiently to go forward to the judge and the two pictures on here are the ones I thought particularly characterful as they contemplated their fate. (also not many more came out!!).........and the champion of course.

Stallions lining up just below where we were sitting to go forward to the judge

The immaculate Champion

My day finished back in Cornwall as it had begun by nine o' clock and Danni and Sootty were waiting by their doors for a visit along with Lizzie and April and their foals neatly trained satellites lining up beside their mums to say good night - it was nice to be home.

Diva was covered again this week for the last attempt of the season and this time she ovulated well with minimal fluid but our vet took no chances and prescribed an injection regime four times a day to help her uterus contract together with a wash out. Poor Diva has now concluded her stud season for this year and will either rest this year and possible be hacked out over the winter or take a year off next to bring her to an earlier covering date

Diva and Amie today

2009-07-31T10:47:00.001-07:00

Diva and Amie

Amie showing off her blue greay adult colour

Morning turnout

Mum, Diva loves her stable

We are still waiting to get Diva in foal this year but a scan today shown ONE three point eight follicle and so we are optimistic that Danni may be able to cover her by Tuesday. Danni is feeling very optimistic too!

Amie is slowly shedding her baby fur to display a sleek blue grey adult coat - the only grey (so far) of the little family but things can change very rapidly with horses but at the moment Annie is very nearly black and of course Archie is distinctly chestnut but all a capable of suddenly changing their colour. Sootty my twenty three year old Holstein, was the darkest black when we bought him at four and a half months old and is now snowy white, flecked with brown freckles.

Diva is the most lovely, kind mare and i hope to ride her this winter if she doesn't get in foal as Sootty is less than impressed by too much exercise these days although he enjoys a walk out most days - just not too far!

Danilon and A.I.

2009-07-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

Danilon meets Maddonna at Trenarth Equestian and A.I. Centre

A relaxed and unhurried collection by Mel Hennah with Charles holding Dani

We've had a busy week with the mares staying in in the mornings to wait to be scanned by the vet and the happy news is that Lizzie's pregnancy has progressed to a heartbeat and Bell has been blood tested and is still in foal. Diva on the other hand, passed her after birth easily after foaling but then needed a lot of anti biotics to cleanse and so we missed covering her on her foaling heat. She was ovuplanted and inseminated on a large follicle on her next cycle, which is about the point that the 2% chance came back to haunt us and a second follicle continued to develop to the point that it may become cystic and interfere with the development (or not) of her next pregnancy. Her first scan was inconclusive so we must wait until Monday for a firm decision on her progress.

Divas foal Amie is turning a beautiful blue grey and is showing signs of making friends with Dolly- Divas yearling filly

Which brings me to little April our newest mum. As she was quite foal proud we decided to return to Trenarth AI Centre to collect from Danilon instead of a live covering with her young foal at foot ( or should I say underfoot).

http://www.trenerthequestrian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=75

We are hoping to move her foaling date forward a touch in the year as poor Archie (another name change) will only be ready to wean at Christmas.

April with her colt foal by Danilon with the evening sun coming through the sky light

Dani loaded and travelled like a pro and quietly waited in the lorry for his appointment - leading the lady in the next lorry to ask if he was in there? He understood exactly what was wanted of him without fuss and we were soon on our way home...........in time for tea in fact job done. April cuddled her little foal to her throughout the insemination procedure so now we must wait with the curious optimism of anyone who keeps horses :-for the next step on the dressage ladder, the next foal or even that a newly bathed horse couldn't possibly roll in that patch of mud.................well perhaps next time who knows

The Orange gentleman now one week old - Charles thinks Archie for a stable name

Always room for a little bit more milk - April is doing him well and he's putting on weight

Perhaps Artimis April's foal

2009-07-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the weather stayed enchanted for the little chestnut colt to go back out to the field with his mum April. We thought long and hard about whether to put April out alone in our separate maternity paddock or let her return to her usual field with Lizzie her best friend. Eventually we decided the usual field with Lizzie had the most shelter and everybody "knew" each other anyway from the day before.

April nuzzling her foal - Dani's first colt

April - always a good doer is blooming with motherhood

Annie's short term memory can't be all that good though.........!! because she was very curious about her little half brother.

The mares and their foals moved away up the hill for the day

Annie was convinced that the camera was for her perhaps she doesn't realise she is mid molt!

Annie:- Holstein Pre cross - she's nearly as big as her dam Lizzie

Today is a different story though with torrential rain beating down since breakfast time so the little group didn't spend long in the field before we ferried them still dripping back into the stables. The chestnut colt plunging in Charles's grip like a slippery electric eel with April nickering constant encouragement beside him until he had settled to march resolutely back to his nice dry stable.

Annie didn't want to be caught and leave her special mum April so wasn't too popular as we slipped and dripped down the field (in fact Annie seems to prefer April's company to her own mothers and up until now has enjoyed having mum with her milk bar and an adoring Aunt to look after her - still April seems happy to be the permanent baby sitter for the group leaving Lizzie free to relax and graze. )

Dani's chestnut colt foal

2009-07-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Well I dare say they (the pictures) all look all the same to you but isn't he gorgeous?

We thought we'd bring the mares in early tonight as there was a storm brewing and when we reached April and Lizzie's field, Lizzie called but didn't come.............. and there tucked in the far sheltered corner at of the the field April had tucked her most precious colt foal about fifty yards from her lifetime companion Lizzie who was discreetly on guard. The little colt had been safely delivered and dried by mum, Charles guided him in as i led April down to the stables and mum was son tucking into her supper Phew - what a day!!

The infra red camera that I have been watching night after night now shows mother and son quietly resting as the gail gathers outside.

Dani and PMG

2009-07-08T01:35:00.001-07:00

Dani set off across the valley for three days of intense training with Peter Madison Greenwell , once again this weekend. The weather prove fickle after the long dry spell but couldn't damp an inspirational course with Peter and we managed to dodge the showers.

The devil is in the detail so they say an so it proved for he course. The first day was spent refining the shoulder in and traver with emphasis on a soft a fluid bend to the left before progressing to half pass.

For the second day we had a double session to give Peter enough time to work independently with Dani - helping him with his half pass and addressing the issue of Dani sometimes dropping his back as he enters the movement with a complex exercise ..........i carefully wrote the whole thing down when I got home! Before progressing with Dani's flying changes. Dani felt wonderful when Peter hopped off and said "Your turn" happily I only had to do simple trot canter transitions with an emphasis on FORWARDNESS.

Peter felt that we too might try a flying change the next day as the changes of rein had progressed through a given number of strides to one step the day before. Alas as Peter predicted Rome wasn't built in a day but we explored the building blocks of the movement and I grasped the significance of the inside leg to ask the hind leg to change as well (whoops!)Peter hopes to establish Dani further in August and we have so much to work on in the mean time that I'm sure the time will fly. Thank you Peter

Our vet came to scan yesterday and found Lizzie's pregnancy to be progressing well and Diva ready to cover today.............meanwhile April is expanding still by the day so Sooty has given up his big box for her and we once again have a full stable. Dani is looking optimistic!

A2% chance

2009-07-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

Lizzie with her filly foal Annie in her day stable

Sharing Mums corn

Leading out to the field notice her curly tail with the white hairs

OK so stopping to pose for the camera

Well the vet said that Lizzie had a 4.7 follicle and was ready to cover and Lizzie said B***** off" and nuzzled her foal to her. So in view of her strongly held opinion it was obvious that some lateral thinking was called far and so Dani went off to Trenerth Equestrian for the night to meet Madonna. http://www.trenerthequestrian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=75

As Mel said "He took an immediate shine to Madonna - we didn't even have to show him a mare" and Mel arrived with the semen the next day and we collected Danni later wearing a very smug expression. Unfortunately Lizzie had been scanned earlier in the morning by our vet and the follicle had gone BUT there was a slim chance that the second follicle forming could continue to develop, so as we had the semen.................! Well Lizzie was scanned again today and is fifteen days in foal! meaning Danni's semen must have waited patiently for two days before bingo - the 2% chance!

Lizzie's foal Annie has continued to grow and lives out at night now coming in through the heat of the day and pushing mum for her share of Spillers Stud mix and is now led in and out to the field in her new foal sized head collar.

April is nearing her time now and proceeding in a stately fashion with a filling udder and dreamy look in her eyes as the ever energetic Annie cavorts and leaps about the field secure with her two mums.

Danni has anothe PMG course this weekend and the delicious prospect of another assignation with Diva - what a busy life he has.

A little bit excited

2009-06-14T14:48:00.001-07:00

Just a little bit excited watching diva's new filly foal starting to blossom in the sunshine today as she gradually grows stronger. She looks so much like Dani in the way her head and neck are set on and of course she has his "trademark" white star.

Dani has gone off this evening to an assignation with a phantom mare called Madonna so no dressage tomorrow..................

A new journey

2009-06-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

The first outing into the little foal paddock

morning milk break

Diva spent her day nuzzling her new baby

So treasured

The new foal in the dew laden grass

An update on Annie who kindly donated her baby rug - well it didn't fit anymore!

Diva needed a second visit from our vet this morning to help her on her way but we were able to turn her and her new foal out by mid morning into a world shrouded in a thick fog. The little foal was dressed in Annie's cast off and out grown rug for the first couple of hours but by lunch time the sun had burn its way through and we were basking in the heat of June and so she was undressed for the rest of the day. She spent most of her day asleep cocooned in the long grass with Diva Doting over her looking the happiest horse on the planet.

We brought the pair back in at about 6.00pm and Diva gave a big contented sigh when she saw her newly cleaned and refurbished stable and the thickest straw bed added by a friend of hers

A 2.00am encounter

2009-06-11T03:44:00.000-07:00

Just arrived

Dani nobley giving up his sleep to supervise the proceedings

This way to the milk bar

a good bath

and another

target!

Born this morning at 2.23am- A filly foal By Danilon Pre out of Divers Perk TB (Executive Perk) or Diva to her friends

So - shortly after 1.30 Charles woke me to show me Diva on the monitor (he'd had the first nap) and whispered "she's about to start" and Diva was tucked like a pyjama horse looking nervously at her tail. i made a quick phone call to the village to alert a friend before dressing and reached the stables at nearly the same time as her .

The presentation wasn't initial good but as i phoned the vet, Charles managed to locate the other foot and nose at about knee level, so embarrassingly, I was able to report to the poor man that I had just woken up that "ah hem there seems to be a foal on the monitor now"...........perhaps we should invest in one of those new things - mobile phones I believe they are called! He was very charming though and will call on his rounds to check the foal later today.

The elegant filly was up and sucking in no time at all and Diva was grateful for a small warm mash that gave her more strength to re wash her new foal. We went to bed by at least five o'clock and i must say i slept in until 7.30 but Charles got up at 5.30 to exercise Dani who reported to be "puffed up" and walking out like a racehorse - and not a car on the road.........I wonder why?!

Diva!

2009-06-10T13:16:00.001-07:00

Feeling rather nervous tonight as when we brought Diva in from the field tonight she was running milk.................!

She has been installed in the foaling box for three nights now under the infra red camera, as she foaled three weeks early last year. Charles woke me up at three o' clock the other morning to point out that she was stretched out - no doubt sleeping very soundly too - unlike me.

She's just tucking into her supper now so we can only wait and keep our fingers crossed for a safe delivery. And Danni - he can only think of Lizzie at the moment, who has a 3.5 follicle on her last scan and he should be able to cover by Saturday. He needs his sleep right now!

At 2,00am a filly foal with a white star - at 4.am - who needs sleep!

The ednovean mares in the sunshine

2009-05-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

The Ednovean mares hanging out together

Annie growing very bright and independant

Dolly - Diva's yearling from last season is by Resplendant Cee

Diva and Belle are firm friends - Belle is in foal to Lenard

Diva standing guard over Dolly

Must have dozed off

The TB yearling Dolly playing dead in the sunshine

Annie Looking very professional over the fence

Charles loved this one - he thought she looked as though she was eating a boiled sweet

Annie posing with mum

The sun has come out at last at Ednovean farm and all the mares have settled back down from their excitement at the newest addition - Annie. Annie has been practising a series of dizzying dressage movements - flying changes every couple of strides, figures of eight - to the assembled oohs and ahs of the adoring equine audience, that Lizzie defies .......dares in fact, to look one moment longer than she thinks fit.

Charles spoke to to Lizzie's sire, Lenard's old owner and she told him Lenard was renown for putting a lot of lift into the horses stride so the combination with the Pura Paza Danilon is an exciting one. We are hoping for Belle to have one last posthumous foal by Lenard if all goes well so it will be interesting to look at the two generations next year - the grand daughter compared to the daughter or son.

Still with the wonderful weather is was super to wander about the field with a camera and i spotted Diva's filly from last year Dolly, playing dead in the sunshine - she was so soundly asleep she was snoring and didn't pop her head up until I spoke. Her Mum Diva was still looking over her in a kindly fashion although she is expecting Dani's foal in June - the 26th. Her pregnancy has gone much better this year and she is blooming so i hope she has a safe delivery and what then for Annie? Will we stop following her every move - probably not!

Fillies and shoulder in

2009-05-16T10:26:00.001-07:00

The filly's first day out

Learning to walk beside mum

On day two of Lizzie's filly life she went out into the field for the first time with Charles guiding her with his hands around her shoulders and quarters and Lizzie anxiously "assisting" with a series of gentle wickers and nuzzles. We were pleased with the amount of quality Danni brought to the union and the little filly moved off for her first taste of freedom bouncing like a gazelle across the field. The little paddock is nicely sheltered but with a bad forecast for the rest of the week i bought her a cute navy foal rug in the mammoth size of Three feet!

Second day out wearing her new rug

Lizzie wasn't at all sure about the merits of rustly new rugs for foals and did her best to get her nose in the way but very soon the filly was quietly dressed for her outing and that was that as far as she was concerned.

Today dawned bright and blustery with occasional squalls of horizontal rain - click any of the pictures to see the angry white horse coming in across the bay behind them.

Charles has named the filly Annie for the stable at least and today was the day that Annie discovered she could gallop across the field

Annie a sweet quality foal

Danni had his usual three day schooling again this week, stretching and strengthening, flexing and collecting - by Friday I worked more on his shoulder in -finishing with a session of shoulder in up the centre line interspersed by ten metre circles which at least stopped him trying to "lean"his shoulders on the fence and he did his best one yet..........so for Monday we have planned........!

Poor Sooty has been very troubled by his feet at the moment after his last shoeing and although the smith came back out and seated out his shoes he is still not very happy so he is confined to short walks around the village. The two extremes of life the young filly just starting her adventures and the old horse drifting towards his sunset - but not yet.

Dani's first filly more pictures!

2009-05-12T04:12:00.001-07:00

Lizzie has been starring on Lizzie/cam in our bedroom for over a week and this morning when I checked her for the milionth time she was in her usual place - two minutes laer she was down and faoling with two little feet already emerging. It was remarkable how quickly Charles dressed and got to the stables to assist.

Introducing Lizzie cam

2009-05-11T11:05:00.001-07:00

Lizzie's favourite snoozing place beside the left wall

The foal is now getting very active indeed!

After many sleepless nights checking Lizzie, we succumbed to the luxury of an infra red camera mounted over her stable. Now we can observe her effortlessly from the comfort of our Bedroom - perhaps comfort is too strong a word for the eerie half light cast by the TV but its better than going outside in you dressing gown in the middle of the night.

I never realised how inert horses were in their own time until watching Lizzie all night - she barely moves from her favourite spot by the left wall for the night before getting up at a lady like 6.30 to finish her haynet before waiting fro her proper Breakfast to be delivered at 7.30am.

Our vet was calm and reassuring today assuring us we would just have to "sit it out"........and he remembered one horse that went "a whole twelve months" but tonight the slightest suspicion of milk is marking her glossy back leg and the muscles either side of her tail feel soft - so here's hoping!

Sunday with PMG

2009-05-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

A photo from Saturday

For Sunday we had booked a double session to allow time for Peter to ride Danilon.

Peter worked Danni through shoulder in initially and then worked him at canter stopping to adjust his bridoon bit higher in his mouth. Peter experimented with the flying changes and suddenly Danni "Got It" and as Peter revisited yesterdays exercise of a loop five metres either side of the centre line Dani started to change. Not little mean changes but big exuberant expressive changes - one, two, three across the centre line one way and again one, two, three for his second trip! We were thrilled by Dani's progress with Peter. And now it was my turn.

The first exercise was the shoulder in on the circle working from the inside leg to the outside hand - bringing his shoulders in by bringing my outside hand across the neck. I think my hands still have that Pony Club demarcation line and don't cross the neck very readily and so naturally I wobbled about, havering between angles, secure for four or five strides and then woops my weight would slip to the outside leaving my inside seat bone flaoting in the air with the horse no longer working from my seat to my hand. This exercise showed a particular weakness in my left pelvis position and levelness that I need to work on at all paces before those flying changes will come my way with any accuracy.

Peter wasn't happy that Dani was anticipating the change of direction and legs too much now and wanted to go back to work on two concentric twenty metre circles with my not letting Dani's left shoulder escape outwards on the change of rein to the right circle and working him truly from the left leg to the right hand on the left circle. Moving up to canter trot transitions but now making Dani wait until he was working securely before making the transition. Solid work to lay the foundation for Dani's future i hope.

And this is Lizzie, Dani's no one wife and Mrs Robinson - still showing no signs of foaling but nickering gently when we just visited her with her super - ah well another sleepless night for us, at least Dani could have the good grace to stay away too but he was already covered in shavings from his first nap of the night!

Danni with PMG saturday

2009-05-03T01:29:00.000-07:00

ooh my shoulder

Peter wants more sit and engagement in the canter

Lizzie and April from across the valley - still no news!

I found it a hard session on Saturday spent mostly at canter! We started on the twenty metre circle working for shoulder in to the right and the left, continued through a three loop serpentine with counter canter centre loop. Next exercise canter three quarter line leg yield to fence - continue by flexing to the outside away from the leading leg then leg yield in - change the bend leg yield out - up the center line leg yield to fence. The point to emphasise to Danni that he must stay on the leading leg no matter what the bend. Asked to collect the canter more for second phase.
Continue to counter canter twenty metre circle - bend to inside of circle.
Change legs through simple change on the centre line - continue aiming for to canter a six metre circle - finish by cantering a short loop across the centre line changing on the centre line "quicker with the legs - quicker" Rider(me) very pink and panting!!

Apologies for the short list of movements but another lesson at 11.00!

Dani's PMG fix!

2009-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well the day didn't start too well with the key to Lizzie and April's field magically misplaced - we hunted high and lo as they solemnly looked on and it eventually turned up in my jodhpurs pocket - so we were late already but Charles refrained from mentioning the obvious cause!

Danni's session was at 4.0 pm today so we brought the TB mares, Dolly, Diva and Belle, in early from the weather, that had changed from early sunshine; to slight drizzle; to heavy rain; to an absolute torrent. Lizzie and April make use of their field shelter when the have had enough, so we knew they would be OK in our absence and Sooty had been out for a ride with Charles earlier in the day. Danni made use of our absence and the silence in the yard to settle down to sleep in a patch of poo, snoring exstacticaly, obviously deciding it must be a day off. No, No No chap get up!

So with Danni extricated from his nest of shavings wearing a natty pattern of stable stains it "only" needed a quick bath and mane plait to make him presentable for Peter. It was then that I noticed his brushing boots still floating around in a bucket of water and I had forgotten to transfer them to the washing machine let alone dry them, so he had to wear a very dirty daily set............and i went into the house to change....except i couldn't find my "best course" jodhpurs either so settle for a clean but faded pair with only a small hole which would be fine provided I didn't fall off. So we matched rather but Charles had applied a layer of hoof oil which did brighten things up a bit so we set up in the gathering rain or should I say wall of water for St Piran's.

A mare had just foaled there, so we would have to work outside but we were greeted by a happy, upbeat Peter and Danni did his best to strut his stuff for him despite the weather. i quickly showed walk trot and canter ( I definitely favour canter in bad weather to keep warm) and then Peter set us to work on the twenty metre circle. Peter was pleased with Dani's relaxation but still wanted more engagement and jump in the canter - moving Danni more into the hand with the leg in rhythm with each stride and I was scolded for failing to let Danni sit in my hand. Peter then asked for us to use canter shoulder in to emphasize "inside leg to outside hand" turning my shoulders and bringing my outside hand slightly across the neck just in front of the withers.........and to the left it was SO hard, my left knee magically slid up the saddle and my leg felt totally ineffective. To the right phew much nicer. Rachel appeared to rescue us from the now horizontal rain as they had settled their new mum down to allow us to use the indoor school.

So a lesson in two parts, one common theme, in two environments. The work in the indoor school was more about emphasising the use of the outside rein to move the shoulders across on twenty and then ten metre circles and achieving a greater flexion to the inside in traver. Peter said it was important that the horse should be round and working well between hand and leg before the lateral work should be attempted.

For today's traver he asked me to think of drawing the horses body in with the leg and body weight as apposed to pushing him in with the outside leg. Naturally I firstly lent to the outside and then totally flattened my inside wrist as i moved my hand across - i must have some sort of invisible barrier I mentally can't cross but eventually with perseverance my hand came to the correct position and my elbow stayed in and dear Danni turned out a very nice traver for me. As a correction to me on this occasion he asked me to bend Danni to inside by sliding my elbow back past my ribs on a small preparatory circle and then present the traver form this increased flexion.

And now the sun has come out and Lizzie is still not thinking about foaling as all the horses settle for the night contentedly munching. Tomorrow we work just after lunch so wish me luck!