Our Horses

Folly… 15.1hh bright bay mare 22 years old.  Folly has been with me since she was 13 months old and is now 21. Haflinger x Shire 15.1hh bright bay mare.  She has suspensory ligament damage on both back legs and sesamoiditis on one leg.  She is a happy horse that loves attention and is a real character.

Dusty…12.1hh grey mare 16 years old.  We bought Dusty for our Daughter in 2000.  She is laminitic.  Dusty keeps Rosie company otherwise Rosie gets very stressed if Dusty is away from her.

Bramble…14.2hh strawberry roan mare.  Bramble is our oldest resident at 40 years old, she has no teeth, lives on 4 big buckets of soaked feed and sucks the haylage then spits it out. Bramble is very attached to Rosie and they are always together grooming each other.

update. Sadly we lost Bramble February 2011. Bramble and Rosie will never be apart again. At least they had 4 happy years together here with us and a nice retirement. They were such good friends. God bless.

Rosie… 14.3hh chestnut mare.  Rosie is well into her 30’s, she has laminitis which is under control, Equine Metabolic syndrome (Like a Type 2 Diabetic) and she had Liver damage when she came.  Rosie has to have 4 big buckets of specialist feed a day as she is not your typical fat laminitic.

update. Sadly we lost Rosie September 2010

Bubbles…12.2hh chestnut gelding.  Bubbles again is well into his 30’s, his teeth do not meet at the front and his back teeth are wobbly so again needs a special diet.  He is a recovered laminitic and now helps children learn to ride.  He loves his job and you would never believe with the way he acts he is actually as oldas he is.

update. Bubbles has found himself a lovely home and is ridden a little and fussed alot which he loves.

Mac…Is a 13.2hh liver chestnut gelding flaxen mane and tail 30 odd years old who used to teach disabled children to ride.  He is a laminitic, and has Equine Metabolic Syndrome like Rosie with a bit of Cushings disease thrown in too. Lovely sweet nature and was used on the ‘own a pony days’ to teach children how to groom and pick feet out.

Snowie…. 12hh grey mare.  She is an antique too.  Snowie is our ‘killer’ pony.  Nobody else I dont think would put up with her behaviour.  You cannot catch her easily as she will try to kill you lol.  Even in the stable all you will be greeted by is a bottom and if you proceed you will get both back feet aimed at you.  Snowie had a troubled life and used to be hit, so its no wonder she is like she is now.

Harvey… 13.2hh liver chestnut gelding 30 year old.  When we first bought Harvey he was quite aggressive.  He used to be muzzled with his old owners as he had bitten a few times, basically he pulled a face and used to get a smack round the head.  Then when we took over, off came the muzzle and everytime he pulled a face we would just be nice to him.  Gradually he has come round to our way of thinking and is a lovely boy, though still is very expressive with his face.  He too used to be a Riding for the Disabled pony

Charlie 13hh chestnut gelding 30’s.  Charlie has been retired from the Riding School as he has curvature of the spine.  He lives out with his friends in our 25 acre field.  He too does not act his age and has teeth problems where they do not meet properly.

Poppy (Peony)… My friend gave Poppy to me as she didnt use her much in her Riding School.  Poppy is a 16hh Irish Draught dark bay  mare who is 22 years of age.  Poppy is scared of other horses and is none too keen on going out in the field though enjoys being turned out in the indoor school where its her favourite place to have a roll.   I dont think that her Mum ever took her to one side and explained that she too is actualyy a horse, though I suppose she is nearly human as she is so intelligent.  Poppy was a Grade A showjumper in her time who competed at all the top events including Wembley.

Bear… is a 13.2hh dark bay mare who is approx 15 years old.  She was stood at the back of one of the holding pens in Melton Horse sales and she had the longest coat I have ever seen.  She stood there bewildered and her feet were so long and starting to curl, well I just had to bring her home.  She has a lovely temperament and is so vocal.

update. Bear is now with a lovely family just down the road

Arther and Chester… Our miniture Shetlands.  Well what can I say,  They are very cheeky and into everything.  Arther is 35 inches tall dark bay gelding and Chester is 33 inch bay gelding.

Criminal Diamond..Diamond lives at Louella Stud with her 5 year old daughter Baby.  She is a stunner 17hh black mare with a small star on her forehead, a true Black Beauty.  She is by Criminal Law out of Betty Boo who was out of Orchid Star, Primitive Star’s dam (the best Irish Draught ever produced) Diamond is a shiverer so struggles to back up.  You would never know she had a problem going forwards though, walk, trot canter.  I bought Diamond 10 months in foal, she was such a beautiful temperament but had been run ragged at the place she was at before and had sustained quite a few injuries from the other horses up there.

update. Diamond now lives here with her best friend Charlie in the 25 acre field

Baby… is a 17.1hh 5 year old 3/4 Thoroughbred 1/4 Irish Draught mare who is by Lord David S (Nijinsky’s son) she is out of Criminal Diamond.  Baby lives with her Mum at Louella Stud in Coalville.  She is a very talented youngster who was such a big girl she needed extra time to mature before she started her ridden career.  She jumped the bath on the yard end to end when she was 2 weeks old omg.

update. Baby has now started her eventing career with a girl that is on the shortlist for the Olympics. She is doing very well and won her first 2 events.

Fizz… is a 14hh Dun gelding who is approx 15 years old.  Fizz is not Fizzy at all and you have to wake him up to do a lesson.  He is a lovely pony who has taught numerous nervous children how to ride as he has such a laid back attitude.

update. Fizz lives with Bear now up the road and is with a lovely lady

Izzy 15.3hh coloured mare. Izzy is beautiful and was our best horse in the school. She was handled by anyone as she was so easy. She didnt have the best start and was terrified of whips. Now she has regular work and a routine with plenty of love and kindness and her true personality is shining through.

Missy or Glantraeth Miss Surprise to her friends 15hh registered Welsh sec D mare aged 10. I have known missy since she was 12 months old. She is one of the kindest horses that you would ever wish to meet. She would sleep on the sofa if you would let her. I bought Missy just before we moved to Claybrooke, she moved in here before I did.

Charm 14 year old mare. Charm has developed the most lovely temperament now but when I bought her I must admit I thought what have I bought. She arrived off the lorry dragging her handler down the drive, she was wound into a frenzy. We put her in the stable but she ran round and round and I thought she was going to jump out. My partner Tony put her in the field the next day as couldn’t watch her like that anymore, then she started to settle. I think that she was raced and rallied everywhere by her previous owners so you would get on her and off she would go at 100mph. It took a long time and a lot of patience to just get her to chill out especially when ridden, but she got there in the end. Charm lives with Diamond and Charlie in the big field.

Bilko is a 12.2hh welsh type gelding. He is such a superstar well at least he was until he got kicked and broke his scapula. The Vet wrote him off and prepared me for the worst. He could not put any weight on that front leg at all. We couldnt get the trailer near enough to him so we walked him for 100 yards, it took 2 hours bless him. We box rested him for a long time and then after a while started walking him in hand in the barn for a few strides and very slowly increased the length of the walks bit by bit. After a few months we have a tiny paddock that we would turn him in. Now he goes out with Folly and Dusty and I am pleased to say cantering round and bucking, so I think he feels better now lol. Bilko is famous in the Riding School circuit, he has taught many small jockeys to ride. He would take tiny little steps for small or nervous children or up a gear for the more advanced small jockeys, what a superstar. He hasnt been ridden since his accident but there is no rush. I think he just wants to stay here forever bless him. What an amazing pony, I was beginning to wonder if he would make it. He is a tough little pony.

Little George 12.2hh gelding. George is a real character. He was used in the Riding School.

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