Archive for June, 2009
The Farrier’s Admonishment by Mike Bromley
The horse is a beautiful creature
So proud and so bold
This we can see for ourselves
No need to be told
A beautiful creature
Right down past his knees
I look and behold!
What are these???
For his feet are contracted
Wry-footed, quarter-cracked
And bent
Without good feet
He’s not worth a cent
For to see a horse limp
Gives me grief untold
And if Someone’s at fault
I’ve been known to scold
Through sandy desert
And over rocky trail
A horse can’t do his best
If his feet they should fail
Though it’s been said before
I’ll say it once more
A horse can’t do his job well
If his feet are sore
A horse should be shod
With a sense of panache
If he is to run
A 300-yard dash
A horse should be shod
With a certain sense of style
If he is to carry his rider
For many a mile
The horse is a beautiful creature
Of fine symmetry and form
And so should be his feet
This should be the norm
It only makes sense
That his shoes be made neat
So that they only enhance
His already beautiful feet
So farriers please endeavor
To learn your craft well
If you don’t, you’ll cause
Many a horse living hell.
Mike Bromley, The Blacksmith Poet
Starting Young Horses
Started the chestnut filly a week ago, she wanted to buck but we would not let her, she tried everything but would not be allowed to be ignorant so now a week into her training she is obedient and listening to the legs and hands and seat of the rider.
Bella learns to canter along side her stablemate, Tuff who teaches her how to stay in forward motion, using the horses natural instinct to be part of the herd helps them learn quickly with little fight.
Started the grey warmblood, he is 6 years old and never been broke. He is a sensitive horse, has learned to steer and move off the leg with many circles around the arena in walk and then trot. Whenever he drifts away from the track, we circle and point him back toward to track, until he wants to stay out there. This is a very intelligent willing horse.
Cross Country Training
photography by Glenn Hunt Photography whose outstanding work can be seen at http://www.glennhunt.com.au/
Remember to practice schooling your cross country jumps with rhythm and balance as the basic criteria when approaching a fence. You must also be straight to the jump and coming at it with an appropriate speed. Practice makes perfect, so be sure to take your time and do your homework.