Our
training philosophy is that there is no short cut for
a happy, comfortable and willing partnership.
FOALS
Our mares foal down indoors in large foaling boxes.
The foals, for the first few weeks of their lives, go
out during the day and come in for the night. For the
first week or so they are walked alongside the mares
with a soft towel round their necks and a human hand
on their quarters. Once they have the hang of walking
quietly they graduate to foal slips, which are always
removed once they reach their destination. They are
taught to turn round for the gate to be shut and to
have their legs handled. Once they are old enough to
stay out all night the only actual restrictive handling
they receive is for the farrier to feel their legs and
hooves, although they come running to greet us and get
a scratch and a stroke every time we go in the field.
WEANLINGS
The foals are weaned in a group and go together into
the big foaling boxes while the mares are moved to new
pastures. They hardly seem to notice and settle down
with their friends very quickly. The colts and fillies
all live out together until the weather turns and then
they come in at night throughout the winter. More good
leading practice!
ONE
TO THREE YEAR OLDS
One year olds stay together as colts and fillies until
the colts seem to be getting too amorous. Then they
go to separate groups with the older fillies and colts.
The colts usually mix in groups with any geldings currently
at the stud unless or until they get too colty for that
and then they will be in separate paddocks but within
talking and touching distance of all the other male
horses. They will not have much handling other than
for the farrier or for a couple of weeks prior to a
show. They need to just go and be horses. However, whenever
they are doing something with us then they are expected
to behave, walking quietly, with all four feet on the
ground and giving us respectful space. We rarely have
to use a serretta (although they are shown in-hand in
one), although we do sometimes use a controller headcollar
to get the colts attention. However, we have found the
most useful piece of equipment for handling youngsters
is a small water pistol!
FOUR
YEAR OLDS
We start their education, in the autumn of their third
year, with leading practice, gentle and relaxed lungeing
sessions, bitting and long reining. In the spring of
their fourth year they will be backed. We take our time
over it but generally find that the PRE is genetically
programmed to be a riding horse and they can’t
understand why it takes us so long! For the next year
they will hack out with very a few short schooling sessions.
Our main aim is to help them to find their balance again
under the rider and to move forward freely with a good
swinging stride and back, tackling the odd ditch or
fallen tree on the way. We have quiet lanes and miles
of orchard alleyways and woods to use.
FIVE
YEAR OLDS AND UPWARDS
The proper schooling starts now, although they still
get plenty of hacking out. We ask them to go forward,
with a swinging back, into whatever contact they want
or need to take from us. We never ask for an outline
we just keep an even, giving contact as they will find
their self carriage and form the correct outline by
themselves. We ask for straight, forward and swinging
strides. We work for accurate school figures and gently
introduce the lateral work. They will also do pole,
calvaletti and jumping work. We absolutely do not use
gadgets of any kind, just a Wells cavesson, long lines,
saddle and snaffle bridle.
There
is no short cut for a happy, comfortable and willing
partnership.
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