KH:: So we went to Holland... need we say anymore!!! Part 1

As you may have noticed from our numerous blog posts Kate and I spend A LOT of time together and A LOT of time with the four leggeds. During these times we chat about a myriad of subjects, Horses, life, Horses, gin, Horses, politics, Horses, work. You get the idea. Being out the house for 12 hours a day when you have 4 beautiful neds in the barn is no easy feat. So one day, we got this amazingly bright idea...

Wait for it...

Famous last words...

Let’s make money out of Horses!!!!!

So we had this thought that since we’re both obsessed with Horses maybe we should go and buy two from Holland, that had all the breeding that just ain’t around in the UK and then... sell them. 

So we had this conversation whilst having a walk break in between the galloping bits at somerford farm ride and afterwards when we got back we made a catastrophic decision. To have a gin. So of course we booked the flights to Holland for the following Friday and off we went.

Now. I’d love to say it was like clockwork, but when you’re travelling with calamity Jane, it was never going to be a walk in the park!

First off. GET THERE. 

I booked the flights and made a folder with all the locations and horse details. Kate did everything else; the hotel, the car, the contacts, the euros etc. It started well, up at 5, car parked, shuttle to the airport... and so began the comedy of errors.

European flight, we left 45 mins for security. On arrival at the airport,we were of course asked to present our boarding passes. Smugly, I reached inside my bag to reveal the folder (of which I was pretty impressed with...I made a folder :o ) 

Crap. “Where’s the folder, have you got it?”

“No, Hayls you have the folder, you were just looking at it a second ago on the shuttle”

“It’s not here”

“Sorry, what?”

“It’s not here”

“Serious”

“Ye”

“Sort it out!”

*quickly scoots off to ring the shuttle company who said not to worry, the folder was on the bus and he’d bring it back round on his next shuttle, only 20 mins there and back, he’d be with us in 40 mins.

“Noooooo. I need it NOW. Our flight will have taken off. Please, please, please” (commence amateur dramatics, turn on seriously stressed teary/ I will kill you if you don’t come back voice) “PLEASE!!!!!” 

He arrived in about 15 mins, 30 mins for security. Perfect. Phew!  “Sorry doll, bad start, but no worries now, we’ll fly through security, I was in the states a couple of weeks ago, this will be easy.”

And onto the conveyors our bags go. And out Hayls came and was quickly escorted to the search desk by the man wearing gloves. “Crap, what’s in them?” “FFS, mine hasn’t even been put through.”

So commenced the did you pack your bag yourself? The searching revealed several inhalers. Those need to be in a plastic, see through bag. They were removed and back the bag went to be scanned again. At which point Kate’s bag is finally put through, and popped onto the ‘Needs searching desk!’ “Oh dear, I gave you one of my inhalers in case my bag was lost.”

So both are sorted and heading back through, at which point my bag comes out and head back to the ‘Needs searching’ desk again. “WTF” I start wetting myself: “They think I’m a terrorist!” 

“Hayl, you just said the T word!!!!”

It turned out to be a pot of Vaseline in a side pocket I’d missed. We were on our way with about 5 mins to grab a quick coffee and make the flight! An hour later and we landed in Holland, thank god!! So we picked the car up and then we had to start driving on the right hand side of the road.

Now, trotting around Holland, we weren’t completely alone. We had Jane. Our trusty sat nav from 2002, that hadn’t seen an update in her life. Turns out, in Holland, they have changed several of their roads in the last 15 years. 

“Jane, where are you taking us?”

“Jane, this is a field not a road”

“Jane no”

“Where are you taking us Jane”

“Jane?”

“Omg Jane”

“Shut up Jane”

“FFS Jane”

“Jane we will kill you”

Anyway we made it to the first dealer. We were there to see a dressage mare who just wasn’t anything special. But in the stable next to her, stood a jet black mare, with a kind eye, who was nothing but a bag of bones. She’d just come in apparently and we were welcome to have a look at her. We were tentative, she had no neck and looked so thin, but I handed Kate the papers and she said “We simply have to see this mare”. And so we did. The girl let her loose in the school, and we were blown away. This dot of a horse, with a serious lack of condition floated through the air, with an elegance that was simply mesmerising.

Safe to say we left there, with the little black Zhivago/Krack C mare as a firm favourite and a serious contender. We then drove straight to the first jumper we had lined up. This mare, as the dealer told us was pretty green. When Kate first sent me her details she said “this is your kinda horse”. And boy she was right. She was in far better condition when they brought her out he stable, but absolutely terrified. We tried to walk round her to take a look and she was literally sh**ing herself! The whites of her eyes showing, her ears flicking like crazy. We didn’t get close and dealer said it was probably best just to let her loose in the school. And so he did. She was so powerful, Baloubet shining through. When she stood, snorting, tall as she could make herself, she was pretty intimidating. But we watched her jump, and I looked at Kate, “this is a serious horse!”

We then saw a couple of others, a nice sj with a temperament to die for and some gorgeous dressage Horses. No world beaters, but lovely, quality Horses. Our last meeting was with a dealer who got his first horse out and handed Kate a schooling whip and within 30 secs of the horse being in a tiny round pen type arena said “Let’s start the jumping”

We were mortified and he Horses were topping out at the huge heights. But then he brought out a sunning Zhiroccho blue. I had high hopes for this horse. He was shod in front which was weird as an unbroken 3yo. He started to trot and he looked like a cart horse! “Aha, they’ve been driving this, what is going on?”

Bewildered, Kate and I watched in astonishment as this horse with about as much style, as us pair after one too many gin & prosecco cocktails, began to run itself to the jumps, flying them with an almighty power. When trying to change the fences he was still coming and everyone had to take cover! That horse had so much heart, but was not going to be an easy sell at home. After seeing a couple more and nearly being mowed down by an insane stallion, we were shattered and heading back to the hotel!

We ate, drank, chatted and slept. 

We were on the plane home discussing which Horses stood out...TBC

H: Let it all go... and see what stays

Each year with Drifter I liked to set myself goals. When we first started it was simple: This year I'd like to get on Drifter at least once without falling off.. A slight exaggeration but hey, that kind of thing. This year I want to jump a course away from home, stop him freaking out over rugs, overcome his fear of different shades of grass. 

Then the more I began to learn about how horses think, the more I began to question what we did. I wanted Drift to feel happy with what we were doing, not to just do it because he had to. So my goal that year, I wanted to ride Drifter without a bridle. Now it seems so simple. You just take the bridle off and ride. But then it didn't. I was going to offer Drifter ultimate control, and a choice... if you don't want to, you don't have to. And if you don't want me up here, there aint nothing I can do to stop you hitting the eject button, with that classic rodeo bronc you have polished to perfection. 

But then one day, we just did it. And no Drift didn't tank off like I imagined, or do anything silly. He just stood there and waited for his cue. Now he wasn't very responsive to start with, he got confused and wasn't sure, so we worked on it, and we still work on it now. But he was letting me be there, and offering me the chance to work with him, as partners, not a leader and follower. The two most important things I've found with riding at liberty is respect and trust. He must respect and trust you and you must respect and trust him. With these two I think anything is possible.

The first job, was to get Drift to listen completely to my seat, so that when I stopped riding he stopped moving. Essentially our emergency stop! 

The second slightly harder job, was to get Drifter to turn when I moved my body weight. Now, I'd been practising with my bridle on, so he knew what I wanted. But he also had a choice, so I had to ask... and keep asking nicely until he cooperated, and then reward him!

 The goals in subsequent years then became to ride at liberty in an open field, to jump, to stand up!

Riding at liberty has taught me so much about myself and Drifter. There is no place for losing your temper in the saddle and when you have no bridle- it has to be 100% teamwork. And if they say no to something, then you have to accept this, and respect their choice, and you know what, that's okay. 

We have two more on the bucket list... cross country and beach riding. I can't wait!

Without communication there is no relationship, without respect there is no love, without trust, there is no reason to continue...

K:: Teaching the Dressage Diva to Jump

Finally came the time to dig out my brave pants and teach him to jump. Why? He needs mental stimulation; its great for developing more power, confidence and he actually enjoys a good blast around the farm ride.

We've had a few blips along the way, ending with me having a black eye. Note to self...buy a skull cap!

Imagine how a Gazelle leaps, transfer that to a horse and you have Russia's day one jumping style. 2ft jumps became 4ft, we must always make sure we don't touch them (even if it means smacking mum in the face with his head). Oh and finally, if not sure - put the breaks on so you can take a look and Gazelle leap like never before off all fours from a stand still.

It's ok Hayl, I got this watch...

I decided to hang my brave pants back in the cupboard and pass the reins to Hayley - who actually thinks this is fun!!

To be continued...

H:: UPDATE. The Nightmare of PSSM

So I think the last time I posted things were looking pretty bleak for Drifter. He'd had a huge setback and was the most poorly I have ever seen him. To see him lying down constantly and looking so helpless, I have to admit I feared the worst. I felt sick to my stomach for the period it went on for, it lasted just under a week at the chronic stage. 

Still looking rather sorry for himself!

Unfortunately due to the fact that we thought Drifter had colic on the first night, things got dealt with rather slowly and so although he had pretty much every test under the sun conducted on the following Monday, the results were inconclusive, except for a raised ACTH level, (though not at an alarming rate). I can only put this down to the fact that he tied up on the Wednesday evening, and when it came to having the tests, his levels were already reducing ( I don't know enough of the science!). 

Having some well deserved respite time with his bestie Rush!

Of course, following this Drifter was sore for several weeks; he was slow, tired and had definitely lost his sparkle. Even his stubbornness was pretty much non-existent. It was a really tough time, but thankfully he stopped going down. In a months time, he returned to normal in himself and so we set about bringing him slowly back into work, with a rehab and exercise plan. 

Which included hacking out and bringing Princess along!

To cut an excessively long story short, a few months on and he is back at the top of his game. He has a sense of maturity this year which I have never seen in him before. He seems to trust the world a little more, and perhaps even put more trust in me. He is back to jumping every week, he's been to the farm ride and even to the beach again. I'm determined to keep his muscles healthy alongside keeping my own back in shape. I think about things a lot more now and he is more mollycoddled than ever! 

There's no place I'd rather be...

But he's happy and I count my lucky stars, that boy is there waiting for me every morning in the field; I honestly can't imagine life without him. 

Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms:: Alyssa Knight

K: Meet Bizzie

Dressage breeding originated from stallions being bred for strength, agility and beauty for the military. Stallion stations produced the foundation stallions which still influence world class breeding today.  

I had decided if I was to continue to keep Russia with me, he needed a companion to take over from our leading lady Spice. I wanted a beautiful warmblood, with flashy paces a pretty head and trainable attitude. Easy right? Wrong! I am 5ft, holding together a giant warmblood isn't an option and I don't believe I need that for success in the arena. After months of searching, we went to look at a beautiful Everdale yearling, he melted my heart. But at 15hh already I had no hope. He was just too big. 

Month later, I finally stumbled over my little pocket rocket. Meet Bizzie (Sugar House Bizzario). Having viewed her I tried to discuss the negatives with Hayley, but ultimately she was perfect for me and I was bringing her home. 

Bizzie incorporates some of the great stallions in her lines. The world renowned Lux Z, Weltmeyer, Nagano and Rubenstein. But she's small, like a compact tall pony - she was made for me. 

This little horse concludes my herd (for now). She is everything I hoped, friendly, brave and full of energy. She fitted in instantly and has no qualms with Russia acting like a stroppy spoilt man most of the time. She's my go to for a cuddle and takes everything we throw at her on with a typical swish of her head! I plan to back her this year and can't wait for her future. 

To be continued...

'A horse is a projection of peoples dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - giving us the capability of escape from our own mundane existance.' Pam Brown. 

H:: The nightmare of PSSM...

So Drifter has a rare muscle condition known as Equine Polysaccharide storage myopathy, otherwise known as PSSM. In simple terms, he has an abnormal accumulation of glycogen in his muscles. It is a condition that primarily affects quarter horses, draft horses and of course appys.

We found out around 12 months ago. Drift went very lethargic, reluctant to move forward, incredibly stiff and generally did not seem himself. After several lameness work ups, osteo, clipping, bloods, we were at a complete loss. Just getting him to trot was exhausting, I just could not ride him and he wasn't happy. The only thing his bloods showed were a high enzyme count which suggested he'd tied up.

Pre diet: Jumping flat and twisting from behind. He was getting under fences like he never usually did.

My vet mentioned that there was a rare condition called PSSM that might be the culprit, he explained it in general terms and recommended I put him on the high oil low carb diet. Of course I started immediately but there was only minimal improvement, I was building up very slowly as he wasn't used to a diet with lots of fat, he's always been kept on a very minimal diet due to his hooves!!

So of course I went home and researched, and posted on my old faithful - Phoenix horse. This forum is full of people with so much knowledge, but also a genuine interest in helping others. They directed me to the PSSM facebook group which I found immensely reassuring. It also had the 'Miracle Diet'.

10 days post diet: Finding our wings again

Being completely cynical by this point, I gave it a go but with very little hope. After 7 days we had some ENERGY. After two weeks I had DRIFTER. I couldn't believe it. I jumped him and I felt like we were flying again, like it was nothing. So of course, he has stayed well and truly put on this diet ever since and it has never stopped us since. He's been amazing and has achieved so much in the last 12 months including sailing his highest fence yet at 1m 25 !!

3 weeks post diet: Flying at 1m20

But it isn't without nightmares. Last night I arrived at the field as usual in the pitch black after work to find a Drifter that didn't want his dinner. ALARM BELLS.

I brought my two weather hardy neds in to see what was up, and Drifter was not right. He didn't touch his hay and was shifting from one back leg to the other, in serious pain. He kept trying to get down and was refusing to get back up. He looked so uncomfortable. In the 10 years that I've owned him I can honestly say I have never seen him look so ill. As I was sat on his stable floor with his head in my lap, I was reduced to tears.

My poor baby

Having a heart horse is something you can't really put into words. To say he owes me nothing, is an understatement, I owe him everything. He has changed the whole way I look at horses, and he has got me through times and places when nothing else could.

After our vet gave him some pain relief, and buscapan, he significantly improved but was still visibly uncomfortable. He is still not right but improved. He has had a huge scoop of turmeric in his feed tonight and is rugged to keep his poorly muscles warm. I have yet to see what the next few days will hold but I'm positive we'll see it through. But it is a stark reminder that our health is everything, that it the gift. To wake up and be okay. To wake up and have everyone we love be okay. That's all that matters, everything else is a bonus...

Keep calm and carry on...

H:: A bit less control, a lot more to learn

So we kicked off the shoes and were embarking on our barefoot journey. It was then when I started researching further into training and horsmenanship techniques. I went on a Horse Psychology course and learnt clicker training, and I wanted to subscribe to Parelli but it was just too expensive for a student! So I read books, of which Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov and Dancing with horses by Klaus Hempfling were my top two.

Just hangin' around together

TofE made me really look into myself rather than always at Drifter, what signals might I have been giving off, and how much emotional congruence plays a role with horses as much as people. Horses know when we aren't feeling right, they know when we aren't ourselves. One of my teachers once told me, if you're already in a mood, don't even bother. This is an interesting concept, but one I don't completely agree with. I think it is a LK says; you have to be true to your emotions, the horse understands better if you accept you’re not happy, rather than if you're trying to be okay when you're not. Riding for me is a total stress release, and the challenge is whether Drift decides to bring me out of it, or join me in the bad mood!!!

So we decided the next part of our journey to liberty would be to ride without a bit. So I bought a Dr Cook off ebay, as these seemed to be a popular choice on the forums and we gave it a go. My first time riding him bitless I popped him over a tiny cross pole and he gave me this:

SOLD! The lack of a bit seemed to have sent Drift into orbit and I couldn't believe how different he jumped. And the best bit; excuse the pun; if I got it wrong and misjudged, Drifter was not pulled in the mouth. Since that day I've never bitted Drifter again because he doesn't need one. Nothing evangelical, just that he seemed happier which meant I was too.  He is now ridden in a side-pull for jumping and hacking and still his Dr cook for xc. I see it as part of my training process to work on his responsiveness and although it makes things more difficult at times, the reward to me is totally worth it.

It is tricky for dressage since we can't compete at all bitless. This is a huge sticking point and one I think BD really need to look at changing. I really don't see a bitless horse having any advantage so why not? Dressage at it's best, is the most beautiful display of horse/rider connection, the less the control, the more beautiful in my opinion. I've seen Grand Prix done with a cordeo, and it's utterly breath taking.

Attempting dressage HC. 

So. Which one?! I have tried so many bitless bridles to find the best connection and comfort for me and Drift. The side pull is my out and out favourite, which is literally two reins on the side of the noseband, but it is also the softest with no more pressure than a head collar. My plan is to get Drift going in this for xc next, but  he can still be partial to a good bronc for fun, so I need to make sure his responsiveness is perfect first.

'Mum, wasnt that an awesome jump?'
 Proceed to bronc for Britain forgetting Mum has yet to purchase her 'oh shit strap'!!

I love riding bitless and intend to break P using a side pull, if I can get her training and preparation right, there's no reason not to. Interestingly since I stopped riding using a bit in 2010, Drift's dentist appointments have been pretty much unnecessary, they have always commented on how fantastically soft his mouth is with no sharp teeth. And finally, riding bitless was definitely our precursor to riding at liberty, not that it has to be that way, it's just that for us, that was the natural progression.

Every rider has that one special horse that changes everything about them..