Sunset at Westwood

It has been amazing weather for a winter school holidays - cold, but sunny, and NO RAIN! YAY!

Sarah captured a beautiful sunset after we had spent most of the day outside with the horses...

Self Loading?

School holidays is a grand time to do some more handling with the young horses. Elmo needed to learn to float load, and Oreo could probably do with a refresher (or so we thought....)
Is this what you call self loading?????

Float is hitched to car and driven into the arena.

Baby horses are let out of hill paddock and into arena...

Before we have time to grab the halters and start the float work...

Oreo marches straight to the float, and puts himself on (nearly taking Elmo in with him!)

It has been many months since the big boy has even seen the float -

not bad for a 3 year old!

Just because I am the "trainer", I did actually put his halter on and walk him on and off a couple of times, sheesh - cant he let the mum have a little bit of the credit!

Elmo had to have a bit of think time, especially without his big mate, but got the idea pretty quickly.

Gotta watch out you don't bang the head Elmo...

... and we are on (and quite relaxed about the fact).

He was then super confident and "knew what to do", marching on and backing off when asked like a pro.

He is meant to be a golden baby, but is such an icky wishy washy cream colour at present.

(Secretly he wishes to be grey, and was VERY happy to find old fire ashes to roll in again!)

Elmo is 20 months old, and I measured him at just under 15hh, which is bigger than I thought. He always looks so puny next to the big fellow (who is now 16.2hh at the bum and a bit less at the wither!)

Well I don't know why Sarah insists on doing this with the camera(because it is not the first time), and my Oreo really is a beautiful horse (in my eyes anyway), BUT...

and...

Maybe this is a horse version of a bug-eyed emoticon???

Fantango (Hunny) - Sarah's New Pony

The week after we returned from Europe, we ended up driving all the way to Kerikeri to take a look at a pony I had had my eye on since before we went away. It was well worth the trip (taking the horse float "just in case....") - as we ended up bringing Hunny home!
She is a beautifully schooled 14.2hh 12 year old mare by Kingsway Diamond. In the past she has done a lot - show hunter, show jumping, dressage, pony club, saddle hunter, but for the last little while hadn't been doing much as her rider had turned 17.
Hunny is quite a step up from Spots, and has more "buttons to press", but once Sarah sorts out how to ride her properly, they should have great fun together.

Sarah looks pleased with her!

Working on the basics

Hunny loved it at WEC

And just because Spots does, Sarah thought the new Hunny princess pony might like to splash through puddles.... and she did!

And stretch her legs over some trotting poles.

We look forward to reporting on progress over the coming months.

Goodbye to Spots

It was a sad day in our house a week ago, when we said goodbye to the lovely Spots, who has gone to live in Featherston with a family who will adore her.
Spots has been the perfect all rounder Pony Club pony for Sarah over the past three years - she has turned her hoof to everything from games, to trekking, polo, jumping, camping, pony rides, road riding, home movie star, and everything in between - always exactly at the pace that Sarah has asked for. We couldn't have hoped for a better pony for a girl to have fun with!
The day before, we took her to the local Equestrian Centre to blow out the cobwebs, and have a fantastic last ride with Sarah. The wind was howling, but they didn't care - they had a ball!

A bit of a gallop

Happy faces

Thinking about some jumping

It's been a while!

Cooling off

The new and the old - Hunny and Spots

Baby Photos Elmo

This is mum JK Shari, by JK Sacramento, out of Shah's Pearl. Shari was bought in foal to Wakonda-O-Indiana, but sadly lost a lovely big coloured colt foal at birth. Shari adored the kids, and would search them out, spending ages chatting to them. Shari lived at my friend Viv's place until we moved to Westwood.

It took a while to get her well again, then next season she went to Cowboy - a stationbred cremello stallion with awesome movement and a kind sweet temperament.

Finally, Elmo was born! A cute palomino - kind of pink with blue eyes - like a Barbie pony!

Pretty soon, it was time to learn how to wear a halter.

Aunty Tracey came to help - so who do you think is the cutest?

And after that big lesson, it was back to the paddock with mum for a big drink.

Baby Photos Oreo

High time I put more horsey stuff on here, but not much to report outside in the rain!

Thought I would add some baby photos for our two young guys.

This is Oreo and his mum - Ludens Gold (by Ludendorf) - don't you just love those ears! (He is still growing into them, even now).

And this is dad - Wakonda-O-Indiana - American Spotted Draft, with Sarah at the Stallion Parade at Karaka.

Oreo was bred by Onewerre Stud in Te Puke, where Bud the stallion stood.

The first day Oreo arrived at Westwood.

Very hungry of course, after the trip from Te Puke, and very relaxed and laid back!

Yep, dem is good ears I say!

The kids tried really hard with the camera to get Oreo's best profile - oh dear!

He settled quickly, living with Poppy pony, and had big sleeps every day so he could grow into a BIG boy when he was older.

He was a darling to lead, and handle.

After Poppy, he got to live with my broodmare Shari.

Winter had him decide he really rather would have been born a bear, such was the coat he grew!

All mud, fur and hooves!

Shari taught Oreo how to behave.

And how to run up and down the hills - he wasnt too sure at first!

but quickly got the hang of it.

Then he got bored and thought he might teach himself a few circus tricks...

... and he grew...

... and he grew...

until sometimes he nearly fitted his ears!