Pony care in winter part 2

Well there's no let up in this cold weather which means we have to keep on top of watering and feeding the ponies.
As the grass is frozen the ponies aren't too keen plus if they do eat too much of it, it can cause stomach problems. That means having to feed hay, which is simply grass which has been allowed to grow tall, then cut by the farmers in the summer and baled.
My years of looking after ponies and horses gives me a rough idea of how much hay they need. My 5 small ponies munch through around 1 bale of hay a day, half during the day and half in their stables at night. Some of my big horses are eating nearly a bale a day each!
Equines are used to grazing ie moving around to find tasty pieces of grass. Generally hay is put out for them in piles, one for each horse which means that they not mooching around as much and can get bored. So as well as filling them up, the hay needs to keep them occupied during the day. Just as in children, boredom leads to allsorts of unwanted behaviours-escaping from fields, running round and injuring themselves etc.
My big horses also have a feed at night to give them additional nutrients. There is discussion over whether ponies should have a small feed to ensure they're receiving all their required nutrients, however, my ponies are all native breeds, used to foraging on mountains and moorland for their food and my current view is that whilst they're looking fat and healthy I don't consider anything other than grass and what other vegetation they find in the hedgerows etc is necessary.
How do I know if the ponies are healthy?
Coats, eyes fat and behaviour.
Ponies coats should be lovely and shiny. If they are dull it's usually a sign they're not feeling great. This is the same with their eyes which should be nice and bright.
All equines usually start the winter carrying some degree of fat (some more than others-note Jinny and Maisie!)That's how it's meant to be in nature. So we expect them to drop some weight through winter. You can tell if a horse is underweight-it's hip and shoulder bones will stick out just a bit more and you'll start to see it's ribs. (Just be aware that horses in top competition work will look extremely lean but they should have very good muscle definition. Also some horses, like humans, just really struggle to keep weight on).
A regular feel of a horse or pony's rib area will quickly tell you if it is too thin-if you can feel it's ribs it's probably too thin. You wouldn't even feel any ribs on most of our ponies!!! I do actually wonder if I'm feeding mine too much hay!
The more scientific way to monitor their weight is to use a measuring tape and measure their tummy about a big hand behind their front legs. Done regularly this will give you a good feel of what a horse's weight is doing and I think is a good idea at the moment as it's not normal for some horses and ponies to be just eating hay.
As with people, if the horses are behaving unusually they may be unwell, feeling hungry. This may show as them standing with their heads hung low-just looking unhappy, moving awkwardly or just being awkward. They're just trying to tell you-they just can't speak!
Water is the other real problem at the moment as pipes, taps and hosepipes are frozen so it's a case of ferrying buckets of water from the house to fill the stables water and provide sufficient water outside. Additionally, as they're eating dry hay their water requirement increases.
I spoke about telling whether or not a pony is warm in a previous post.

What can YOU learn from horses?

I've been very fortunate be have been around horses, bred, trained, driven, competed in dressage and cross-country (very scarey) from the age of 6. My parents knew nothing of horses and we looked after all our horses and ponies ourselves and learnt (sometimes the hard way) as we went along. This has taught me so much about communication (that's non-verbal!) and getting along with people, including;

It doesn't matter how hard you pull or push, you can’t physically move a horse-you have to encourage it to want to do move (or do something).

Sometimes things go wrong which can be frustrating. To move on you need to be calm and either try again with clear signals or take a different course of action.

Just like people they're all different and need treating differently.

When teaching a horse you need to stack the odds in your favour-if the horse doesn’t do whatever you wanted, you need to take responsibility and realise you’ve’ probably missed out a bit of the jigsaw.

Sometimes its just not worth the fight! Come back another day and try again!-you need to understand you and your horse to know when you're going to lose the fight!

When my horse and I are connected, it’s just an amazing feeling and I can sometimes ride by thinking, hardly using any signals.

It's great when they see you, whinny and come over for some contact.
I know all my horses pretty well and for each, know their favoured spot for massaging.

Don’t bother if your in a hurry-they know and play you up!

Would you/your business benefit from experiencing great team building or communication or leadership from the equine experts? If so contact us for more information on a very refreshing and effective coaching method in beautiful surroundings in the heart of Cheshire.

Can any of the above techniques help YOU in your job/business/family life?

Pony care in Winter

Ok so you might think the ponies get cold in winter-those of you who have visited us will know that they grow a thick coat in winter which plumps up when it's cold so MOST of the time they're warm enough.
How do we know if they're warm enough? We feel their ears and behind their front legs-if those 2 places are warm the ponies are warm enough-if not they're probably a little cold.
Jinny, our black Shetland pony has been seen with a white frost coating so she's obviously been happy to remain outside in very chilly conditions!
The weather that does makes them cold is heavy rain with a strong wind as the wind drives the rain into the coat and down to the skin. Occassionally they will then be found shivering from ear to tail so it's a quick fit of a rug and preferably a move to a stable for a while.
Having said all that our 2 Welsh Mountain ponies do tend to need rugs on when it's cold-just like humans some feel the cold more than others! Very occassionally Poppy also needs a coat. Our big horses all have coats on, sometimes 2 in the winter as they're not bred to live out and so don't grow such thick coats.
We are very kind to our ponies as they can all go into stables at night for some respite from the weather.
Hard frozen ground also causes problems-firstly they struggle to walk on it so there's a risk of damaging one of their delicate legs and secondly they really aren't keen on frozen grass! That means that we have to put out hay for them to eat which can get rather costly!
Cold also causes their water to freeze over and usually our taps. EVERY day we have to break the ice for them to be able to access drinking water-it's a horrid job as you have to take your gloves off to get the ice out. If taps have frozen we have to carry water from the house to wherever the ponies are.
Ice on the ground is extremely dangerous for horses, as, just like humans, they can slip on it and break a leg, however if horses break a leg they usually have to be put down. If it's essential for them to cross ice we have put hay over it which gives the ponies some grip but often people keep their horses in the stables if there is ice on the ground-last year some horses didn't go out at all for 3 weeks! Wherever possible it is far better for them to go and stretch their legs, even if just for a short while, otherwise they're like cooped up children-they go mad inside and then are completely mad when you let them out-with the possibility of another leg injury! You can't win sometimes!
Snow is another problem- again they need extra hay to eat as there's no grass but also the snow compacts in their hooves and for the ponies it's like walking on 4 balls-or for us teetering on extremely high stilleto heels! We've tried allsorts but haven't found any way of really resolving the hooves issue-we just hope they don't run around and hurt themselves!
If you'd like to learn more, or have just bought or are thinking of buying a pony and would like to attend one of our practical pony care courses specially for new owners please get in touch.

Girls fleece clothing

We have a few beautiful fleece jumpers left which are now available at significant discount.
These make lovely gifts for Christmas or birthday, all having pretty, colourful pony designs.

Gift Vouchers for pony fun

Our gift vouchers are a great Christmas gift idea and you can redeem the voucher any time until December 2011 (so you can choose to come when it's not quite so cold!).
We can supply the gift vouchers as a chocolate bar (small additional charge) complete with a personalised message over a pony picture-so the recipient actually gets a small gift, rather than a paper voucher.
They can be used against our remaining pretty pony fleece jumpers, our popular pony experiences or against a party.

Christmas pony gift ideas for girls

We've had our thinking caps on for all the parents and grandparents out there struggling to find unusual pony gifts for your pony mad daughter.
We've added gift vouchers which can even come disguised as a chocolate bar with a personal message to the recipient!
How ecstatic is your daughter/grand-daughter going to be with a pony gift that's unique and that will be remembered for a long long time? Simply take in a few of our testimonials and you'll get a flavour of how much people enjoy a visit here.We've also developed a membership scheme, The Perfect Ponies Club which can include several visits plus discounts for additional visits, siblings and pony parties.
PLUS if you join our Perfect Ponies Club before the beginning of December we'll throw in a gorgeous cuddly soft toy pony as a bonus.

Come and see our new party pony, Maisie

Finally got round to taking a photo of a rather muddy Maisie.

She's looking very content as she and Jinny 'escaped' from the area they were supposed to be in as it obviously didn't have enough grass in it and the pair of them have been happily munching the VERY long grass in the out of bounds area!
Maisie is only around 30" tall and is an 8 year old, Miniature Shetland mare (girl pony).
She'll be assisting with pony experiences and pony parties for both tiny tots and teens plus she'll partner with adults on our corporate team building and leadership courses.
As we've done with all our ponies, Maisie will undergo some induction training with my daughter and friends before she's let lose on our visitors!

Christmas pony experiences through December

Yes we're decorating ponies up for Christmas - reindeer antlers, sleigh bells and christmas decorations in a Christmas version of our pony experience!
You can book into one of the public sessions for only £12.50 for an hours fun with up to 6 children
here
or contact me to book your own exclusive session for 1 to 6 children.
Children from as young as 2 can come and have fun here and there's lots to touch and feel-pony hair, pony mane (lots and lots of that!), christmas tinsel, fluffy saddle cloths etc.




see what else we do here

We're in the Chester Chronicle

Have you seen the article in the Chester Chronicle yet? It's all about how I came to set up Cheshire Pony Parties and has such a 'feel good' factor about it. AND it has a lovely picture of the ponies, me and my nephew.
View the full article here

Another tiny new arrival

I am delighted to announce the arrival of our latest VERY tiny pony, Maisie.
Maisie is only 29" to her shoulder, which is an incredible 7" smaller than Poppy!
She is a very pale strawberry roan and looks a very pale grey. Like Poppy she has a mass of mane-perfect for smaller children and children with special needs to feel and hold. She is termed a miniature Shetland pony, whereas Poppy is a midi Shetland pony. Previously Maisie has had a foal-can you imagine how small that must have been?
Maisie is very used to children and loves to be fussed.
Whilst everyone will adore Maisie, she will entertain tiny tots (2-3 year olds) and older girls (10-14 year olds)at their parties as she'll be fab for pampering!

Christmas pony activities

Why not let your child spend a wonderful hour decorating one of our ponies with reindeer antlers, sleigh bells, leg warmers and Christmas decorations plus a short ride too.

We have some some public sessions available on our events diary which are only £12.50 per child, alternatively you can come and have your own exclusive Christmas experience for up to 4 children-just email or ring to arrange.

This activity is suitable for ages 2-10.

I might even tell you all about my own pony Christmas story!

Kids half term pony holiday activities

Looking for something different to do in Cheshire with the kids over half term?
We've got some fun kids pony activities to suit ages 2 up and including adults!
Take a peek at our 90 minute activities, some for the 4-10 age group and some for the over 8's including adults.
Our popular hour long pony experiences are also running during the half term which cater for the 2-10 age group.
Either book in to one of the dates on our events diary or contact me to arrange your own exclusive group visit.
Happy holidaying!

Amanda's tales-My missing horse

Listening to Richard Madeley yesterday morning on BBC2 I was tempted to ring in-they were talking about things returning after going missing and their sports reporter talked about losing his dog-well I can top that with knobs on several time!
MANY years ago, when I was about 13, I used to bring my pony home for the week-end so I could play with her and watch her as kids do! My dad kindly created an area in the garage which was safe for her to stay overnight!
My younger sisters used to ride her on the garden without any bridle or saddle, which does seem a bit silly now! We didn't have a gate on the drive so my mum used to block it with her car.
Now one of my sisters, Jo is extremely horsey and one isn't. The one that isn't horsey was having a go on my pony, a VERY spirited 13.2h dun, arab, welsh mountain cross 5 year old mare, called Caprice. Caprice obviously decided she'd had enough and took to the air over the boot of my mums yellow Austin 1300 and off home with my sister still ontop. Fortunately she had the sense to bail out (technical term for falling off!).
She came running in and I immediately ran out of the other gate to see if I could see Caprice-in my stocking feet-no time for shoes.
Off I went following the trail by asking various neighbours and car drivers who had been stopped by the apparition 'Have you seen a horse?".
I'm no runner so she had gained some headway! I ran about half a mile towards the main road at which point I stopped a bus, explained what had happened and he took me to nearer Caprices' field.
At this point (still no shoes) someone told me that some guy had tried to lassoo her (no chance!) and I just thought 'that's going to make her even more determined not to be caught!".
D'you know I can't actually remember the details of what then happened, apart from she made it back to her field safely and my parents didn't receive any insurance claims!
Which reminds me about the Christmas Day 'gone out for the day' saga!
Anyway I think that tops a dog going missing!
What do you think!
PS if anyone has any info about Caprice (guess she's long gone by now) please get in touch. She lived with us for about 17 years and then went to a pony club home near Lambourne I think? I hope she went out in style.
What fun we had Caprice.You taught me so much. Fond memories

Pony craft activities for pony mad kids birthday party

Need some ideas for activities for a pony birthday party? Look no further.
We offer a number of pony craft activities during our parties and can provide you with some tried and tested, inexpensive ideas to delight your pony party guests.
Simply email me and I'll forward a copy.
Simple!

One Chester mum's stress free kids party

'It was the most relaxing kids party I've done'
was one comment that we received following one of our pony parties. Why? Because we recognise that kids parties can be stressful for parents so we offer a complete and flexible party package.
We can provide you with pony invites for all your guests.
No need to think about party tea-we have a local lady who provides a home-made party tea with all the things you'd expect in a kids party tea-selection of sandwiches, drink, crisps, sausages, fruit and veg and a fairy cake. It always receives good reviews.
We can provide quality, filled pony party bags so you don't have to spend hours searching for suitable party bag gifts.
Alternatively we can supply you with party bag contents for you to include in your own party bags.
We can even supply a fantastic, personalised pony cake in either plain or chocolate!
And whilst the children (and often the parents) are busy pampering and riding, we provide complimentary hot drinks for the parents, plenty of seating and some magazines.
So you can simply relax and enjoy your child's party.
To book your relaxing child's party simply ring or email us and we can handle (almost!) everything for you.

Blacksmith just been to trim ponies feet

Why does it have to rain just at the point you need to be outside?
Blacksmith arrived at the same time as the rain.
Anyway all the ponies have had their feet trimmed which will do them for another 4 months or so.
If you don't keep on top of it, their hooves grow unevenly which can cause strain on various parts of the leg/foot causing lameness.
At least they don't have shoes on (as they're not ridden much on the road)-then they'd have to be shod approx every 8 weeks plus shoeing is over 3x the cost of a trim.
It all gets rather expensive!

Nigel Botterill's Entrepreneur of the Month

Monday was a great day as I received my Entrepreneur of the month award from Mr Nigel Botterill himself, infront of well over 50 other entrepreneurs.
It was lovely that so many people recognised either me or Cheshire Pony Parties from having read about it in Nigel Botterill's Entrepreneurs Circle monthly newsletter. I felt really important.
As well as receiving a certificate, I received a bottle of Botty's Bubbly and had some professional photos taken for me to use in the business. They'll be on the website as soon as I have them-they have a fresh feel to them-I was really pleased with them.
Once I have the photos I'll use them in some PR too-got to take advantage-not every day I win anything!

Latest equine addition moves beautifully

Well, my new mare, Kandi has arrived safely-she's very fine for a warmblood,l which is great as I'm what you might call small!
She travelled really well after a bit of kicking at first.
We've seen her REALLY move now she's in with new friends-I'm not sure I'm going to be able to ride such a big moving horse! She'll have to spend a life producing beautiful babies if I can't ride her-I'll give it a go tho'.
Unfortunately one of her shoes needs some attention so once that's sorted we can think about bringing her back into work-can't wait-she has a lovely nature-kind and seems pretty sensible, if a little babyish, though she's not been worked for about 6 months and she's only 6 AND a warmblood-notoriously slow to develop- so we;ll take it steady.
Very exciting-watch this space.

New warmblood brood mare purchased

Whilst searching for another tiny pony to join the party herd here, I fell upon a beautiful 6 year old mare who wasn't too far away.
She is very well bred, was imported as a 4 year old from Germany and appears to be very sweet natured.
She's not been in work for some months as her previous owner was working away, so I'm hoping to bring her back into work-I'm really hoping that she'll ride and move nicely and that I can do a couple of dressage competitions with her-we'll see! Her real job will be to produce gorgeous foals as at 25, my 'old' mare is a bit too old to produce another foal, which is a real shame as her 4 year old son moves beautifully and can jump too.
I'm off on Sunday to collect Kandi and I'll do some lungeing with her first before getting someone far braver than me to have the first ride!
I'm really quite excited-it's been 19 years since I last bought a horse for me.
Watch this space for our progress.

Cheshire Pony Party wins Entrepreneur of the Month

I'm delighted that Cheshire Pony Parties has won Entreprenuer of the Month from serial entrepreneur Nigel Botterill's Entrepreneurs' Circle.
Nigel has built 5 multi-million pound businesses in the last 5 years and is now allocating 25% of his time helping other business owners to grow their businesses, via the Entrepreneurs' Circle.
It's by implementing just a handful of the recommendations from the Entrepreneurs' Circle that I've been able to dramatically increase the income for Cheshire Pony Parties. There are many more recommendations that I've picked up from the monthly circular and information in the members' area, which are in planning stage, but should also help drive up income.
So I'll enjoy with pride my winner's bottle of Botty's bubbly and continue to develop Cheshire Pony Parties.

Willow Tree falls whilst ponies in use.

We are fortunate to have lots of different trees around us, including Oak, Apple, Willow and Silver Birch. We are used to trees getting blown down in the wind, particularly our Willow trees-in fact when we moved in there was one down for us to deal with!
Sunday was rather wet and windy and to keep the ponies happy, I decided to do the experiences in the ponies' normal field, rather than the orchard. We hid in the stable to do the pony pampering part of the first experience then got drenched whilst my little visitor rode. It dried up for the second experience but shortly after we started riding I suddenly heard that familiar cracking sound which precedes a tree going down! We watched as the canopy of the tree glided, as if in slow motion, gracefully to the ground. The ponies in the field were startled by this and ran off. I managed to hang on to the little girl riding AND Poppy, to reassure her (Poppy) that there was nothing to worry about. Poppy did a sterling job and didn't move an inch.
Needless to say, regardless of all the weather could throw at these two families, EVERYONE thoroughly enjoyed their visit.

New horse on way

Whilst trying to look for another pony for the parties, I stumbled on a gorgeous mare for sale who I hope will become a brood mare for me.
She's very well bred-her father is stunning, and the mare is extremely pretty too.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that she'll pass the vets test-

Horse safety

I'm very conscious that children are safe around our ponies, whilst at the same time giving enough freedom for them to enjoy their experience.
I've put together some tips on being safe around ponies which give some insight into the reasoning behind the safety tips.
Simply email me and I'll forward them back to you.

Learning to ride-Amanda's top tips

I'm frequently asked by both horsey and non-horsey mums about where and how to teach their child to ride. In response to that I've come up with my top tips about learning to ride including where to ride, what to wear for riding and what age to start riding.
Don't forget we can provide a great introduction to riding, ensuring children feel confident around our tiny ponies before jumping onto a larger pony at riding school.
Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to respond.

Back off holiday now

Well the phone didn't stop ringing whilst I was away and I've managed to squeeze a few more people in for pony experiences.
The campsite we stayed at in Dorset had rather intermittent wi-fi, making it pretty difficult to stay in contact with the world. Whilst I couldn't send emails at least I could read them, sometimes. Very frustrating!
Since we've been back I've managed to shoot a (rather amateur) video of the ponies which is on you-tube and on the Cheshire Pony Parties website. I'm amazed at how quickly I was able to do this-it was so easy.
Off to plan my next video!

Enchanting, bespoke, luxury children's parties now available

I've just added the ultimate 'Perfect Pony Party' at Cheshire Pony Parties -THE most enchanting, bespoke childrens party for the most discerning of parents.
The parties are designed to be all inclusive, covering party food, cake, party bags, transport to and from our idyllic orchard, gift for birthday child, hot drinks for parents oh and the ponies and my team's wealth of experience and knowledge of horses/ponies.
All our party guests are treated as individuals so everyone goes home with wonderful memories to cherish.
We haven't forgotten the adults either with inside and outside seating, complimentary hot drinks and a variety of publications to read whilst not on photography duty!
Our current, standard parties are loved by both children and parents-just imagine your child's Perfect Pony Party.'Take a peek here

Training pony to drive

Have been thinking for a while that I need to train Jinny to drive to keep her weight down-I'm too big to ride her and my daughter already has her own pony to ride.
I put the driving saddle on today and the driving reins. She wasn't keen with me standing behind her (this is usual as horses can't see behind them and are prey animals!) and tried to turn round to face me (which is usual). Once she realised I was staying behind, she settled into it really well. I was rather surprised as I could position her where I wanted her-we could go in straight lines or go on a circle-usually they wiggle around at first!
I'll try her like this for a couple more days then I'll put the breeching straps on- they go round their back legs and sometimes they protest!
It'll be great to have a driving pony again-we have a little carriage that I hope will fit her. At least we can practise in the orchard before going out on the road.
Can't wait!

We're off to The Royal Horse Gala

I'm very excited as I've booked for the children and I to go and see this amazing display which last came to the UK 16 years ago.
They have 16 stallions who will perform to music - some to flamenco music.
Having seen the Spanish Riding School of Vienna a couple of years ago I know this will be spectacular too.

My old horse looks like she may have another foal

Finally my 24 year old mare (who I've had since she was 5) looks like she has a healthy follicle which looks like I may get her in foal again-hurrah.
It's been a bit of a slow process-back and forth to Leahurst(the specialist equine hospital on the wirral) where Caroline argo has patiently watched her ovaries over about 8 weeks now. The first follicles weren't healthy and we had to wait for them to go their course but fingers crossed she'll be in foal this time next week to Rhondeo, a beautiful Hanoverian dressage horse owned by Suzanne Lavendera.
Then only another 11 months to go.
We also had our photo's taken today for the University's publications!
What a day.

Organic compost for gardeners, allotments etc

We have a growing heap of horse manure, otherwise known as organic compost. It's lovely and dark and crumbly which I think is how gardeners, allotment growers and fruit and veg growers like it. Some is at least 3 years old. If there are any gardeners or growers who would like some compost at a very reasonable rate please get in touch!

New dates for kids holiday activities

Finally found four dates for kids holiday activities with the ponies-the children love the sessions-simply messing about with ponies! What could be more fun.

Competition looms for my young horse

After weeks of should we, shouldn't we, my homebred part Hanoverian 4 year old gelding is off to Ryedale show in Yorkshire to compete in the Burghley Young Event Class.
His name is Walentin (or Tino for short) and is by Suzanne Lavandera's gorgeous Hanoverian dressage stallion Walentino. His mum is my little Irish TB mare who I bought when she was 5 and who is now 24! (and still Very fit!).
Tino exudes presence, just like his sire and just loves to work, just like his mum! His paces are effortless, huge and off the floor-the difficulty at the moment is keeping everything quiet and small! He LOVES show-jumping and takes his rider into the jump (and over it!). I'm sure he'll be like his mum cross country-safe and nimble-she always knows where her feet are and he's demonstrated the same playing in the field!
He's VERY sensible and I tell the story of when, as a young colt, I was mucking his stable out with him in it-I got myself caught in the corner, just at the moment he decided to roll-he had me cornered with his feet. He just stayed there whilst I rolled the wheel barrow over his front feet, then I stepped over him, then he got up-pretty switched on!
Anyway, I wish Tino and his capable young rider, Jess Worthington a safe and enjoyable day. (secretly I hope he gets placed, but I think he'll look small against the other horses).

Wonderful week-end of perfect pony parties

Just completed a marathon of 4 pony parties in one week-end. Phew. All went really well with wonderful feedback.
The childrens parties are enjoyed not only by the children but by the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and others who are amazed at the fantastic outdoor space-I think everyone is smitten once they see our tiny party ponies grazing in our Orchard at the bottom of the garden-what an idyllic childrens party venue!
I've just been to look at some unusual gazebo's to provide cover for when it rains (as I'm sitting watching the rain outside!). That's just one of the things I'm trying to enhance, as well as providing a pleasant, landscaped seating area for the adults to enjoy their complimentary drinks.
Got to look at the diary and sort out some dates for childrens holiday activities with the ponies. These were a big success at Easter-I just need to find some space to squeeze some in!
Find out more at http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/