Parklands Connemara Sporthorses

22/08/2024

Tiny having his fancy shoes made whilst I stand in my old Ariats with holes in them !

20/08/2024

What a great honour for our Australian Breeder to be interviewed.
Well spoken Nawarrah Park Welsh Ponies, Cobs & Connemara Stud 🍀

18/08/2024

County will be visiting our area this week !
Not too late to book in a test ride on one of these beautiful saddles!

11/08/2024

Oh dear !!
Only Breyer collectors will understand !

😂😂😂

08/08/2024

❤️❤️❤️

How a horsewoman knows she is rich:

I am rich. I have $15 in my checking account and a golden mare in the barn.

I am rich. I have a car that mostly works and enough gas to get to the barn every day this week.

I am rich. I have boxes of pasta and generic sauce in my pantry and enough hay to feed my horse through the winter.

I am rich. I have enough old coats and sweaters to layer up and stay warm while I do barn chores.

I am rich. I vacation by camping with my horses and going to cheer on my horse riding friends at horse shows. Sometimes I even play too, and spend $1000 to bring home a fifty cent ribbon that I will treasure more than a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.

I am rich. I have tools: duct tape and baling twine and the know how to fix just about anything with these tools.

I am rich. I find joy in making my own things, making do, and making right. I have a 20 year old saddle, a 35 year old body, and the wonder and joy of a 6 year old child learning that a horse can give her wings.

I am rich.

My wealth is not measured in dollar signs but in horsey snorts and nickers. My riches aren't spent on electronics and fancy clothes but are shared with my human and four footed friends.

Next time someone finds out that I have a horse and says, " You must be rich to afford that" I will smile, and agree.

-Suzanne Waldrop

📸 Photos by Furey

08/08/2024

The Superiority of Wool Flock Saddles Over Synthetic and Foam SaddlesIn the realm of equestrian sports and horseback riding, the saddle is a pivotal component that can greatly influence the performance and comfort of both the rider and the horse. Among the various saddle types, wool flock saddles ar...

07/08/2024

Today we visited the shrine of Remembrance.
Every year we visit on August 7 , to lay wreathes and poppies ,to remember our 8th Lighthorse regiment who fought the “Battle of the Nek “ WW1 .
Lest we forget 🌺

05/08/2024

A super weekend was held at Finley Pony club , competing at their recently upgraded PC State Championship course.
Thankyou Finley for a great event.
Keeping Tiny at his peak thankyou Macedon Ranges Equine & Canine Therapy
Thankyou County Saddlery Australia for your support and helping us turn our jumping pony into a dressage star!
Counting the days to when our County Jump saddle arrives 💕

01/08/2024

Happy Birthday to all our beautiful horses 💕
Tiny got new “Jammies “ and a lovely warm bath❤️

25/07/2024

"We must never forget, every time we sit on a horse, what an extraordinary privilege it is: to be able to unite one's body with that of another sentient being, one that is stronger, faster and more agile by far than we are, and at the same time, brave, generous, and uncommonly forgiving." William Steinkraus, Olympic Gold Medalist

25/07/2024

Welcome to our Parklands Broodmare family !
We are very excited to have the beautiful “Slaash”” come to retire with us and have beautiful Connemara babies.
Oh WOW are those babies going to the jump the sky !!
Slaash is by the great showjumping stallion “ Caracas “ out of a ( iiu) Selle Francais mare Kia .
Thanking the Bloomfield family for entrusting her with us 💕

22/07/2024

I believe show jumping horses shouldn't live life bubble wrapped.

When I worked in Sicily, Italy at a Grand Prix Show Jumping stable, every horse lived in a stall. They would go into a small square paddock (solo because heaven forbid they be in the same paddock with another horse *gasp!) and every evening the groom would wrap all 15 horses' legs with bandages. Every morning the bandages would get removed and the process would repeat.

I had been hired specifically as a rider. I rode about 8 horses daily (I didn't have time to saddle the horses I rode, hence the groom was necessary!)

These horses were total machines.

They could jump 1.60m like it was nothing. 1.30 was a joke.

They didn't have a speck of dirt on them, their mane was always on one side (I still haven't figured out how to get Zefira's mane to stay on one side, but then again I never worked as a groom before & amazing grooms are worth their weight in gold!). They were spotless. Ate the best food. Had the best supplements.
On all accounts, these horses were well cared for.

And yet I absolutely HATED working there. (Not Sicily though. Sicily was GORGEOUS!)

I stayed for all of 2 months before moving on to greener pastures.

Because even though these horses were Grand Prix.

Even though they were well cared for and extremely well trained.
They were like working with robots.

When I rode them they had no interest in bonding or connecting with me.

They had a job to do.

I couldn't cuddle them - as soon as they were done with work they wanted to stand in their stall or paddock alone in peace.

Honestly, I don't even remember half of their names.

I don't believe show jumping horses should live life like machines.

I don't believe they should be bubble wrapped.

My horses live in the mountains.

They live out.

We cuddle them.

They know their names and come to us when we call them even if they are all the way on the far side of the property.

They don't run from us when we go to catch them.

They live in a herd.

Yes, it happens they get bumps, scrapes, and even (very rarely) weird mystery injuries that only they know how it happened. (Zefira somehow banged her joint a year ago and although it wasn't serious it's been a slow year of healing which set our competition schedule back longer than I would have liked.)

When I ride them, they KNOW ME. They know my husband.

They enjoy their job and work but they aren't robots. They have opinions, and ideas. They are allowed to.

They have fun. They try new things.

And in their free time they race each other up and down the mountains, jump in and out of our arena, play with each other and wander from one paddock to the next.

If they want a nap in the trees in the shade, they take one.

If they want something from us, they ask us for it.

Honestly, my husband and I might have paid for our property but our horses OWN this place.

Once, a long time ago, I worked for a 5 time Olympian in Belgium. Her horses lived out.

I was allowed the incredible privilege of riding her Olympic horse. This mare was phenomenal to ride. She had IT. Something special.

I'll never forget what my Olympic boss had shared with me about this special mare who had just placed 3rd at the World Equestrian Games and who'd competed TWICE at the Olympics.

She said, "when she was born she spent the first several years of her life living in the mountains just being a horse. She learned where to put her feet, how to gallop up and down slopes and got to just be a horse. I think that is a HUGE reason why she is one of the best horses I own."

When we bought Lilly and Q in England and when I bought Zefira many years later, NONE OF THEM were sure-footed mountain horses.

Actually, they were all a bit "wimpy."

I'm pretty sure if you had released them in the wild they would not have survived.

Now you wouldn't know it! They are surefooted. They are careful. They are extremely fit and athletic.

They like to play (even though Lilly and Q are getting older!).

They aren't afraid of a little rain or hail.

The wind and strange mountain weather doesn't bother them.

They aren't afraid to take chances and make tight turns and climb up or down banks.

They enjoy a good scratch on our trees.

And most importantly they get to be HORSES.

And that is why, no matter how expensive the horses are I own or will own in the future, I will always let my horses be horses.

22/07/2024

Darcy and Parklands TimeTraveler’s first Grade 1 at Bacchus Marsh PC HT.
Dressage a work in progress !
Beautiful solid cross country and showjumping 💯
Very very proud of these 2 ❤️
Thankyou Bacchus Marsh Pony Club for a great weekend !

14/07/2024

The boys !
Another wintery wet day at Whittlesea Pony Club Brian Woods Memorial SJ Day!
Both the boys came home with Reserve Champion 💕overall .

13/07/2024

Beautiful mares settled into our farm life with ease💕

12/07/2024

Great lessons today hosted by Macedon Pony Club
Thankyou Murray Lamperd Equestrian
Stonesthrow Equestrian Centre
And great SJ lesson by Murray’s Daughter Lamperd

11/07/2024

11/07/2024

And off we go

09/07/2024

‼️Eventing clinic with Murray Lamperd, Claire Thomas, India Lamperd‼️

Friday 12th July

All levels welcome! Full cross country course levels 6-2.

Entries on Event Secretary.

https://eventsecretary.com.au/equestrian/19401

08/07/2024

Welcome to the Parklands Family.
First rides 💕
Last week we brought home 2 beautiful young mares retired from racing .

02/07/2024

The Parklands horses had a wintery wet show jump at Yarrambat Horse & Pony Club on the weekend.
Darcy and Tiny winning the Pc B Grade championship and Woody competing at his first SJ PC D grade with a 5th in the championship and placing in his events.!
Flory had a great jump outing with Chrissy Grear and loved every minute.
Thankyou to all the team at Yarrambat for a great day
The Nrg Team - Stockgain for your generous sponsorship and Grain & Mane for the great photos!

29/06/2024

The Superiority of Wool Flock Saddles Over Synthetic and Foam Saddles

https://countysaddlerystore.com/blog/the-superiority-of-wool-flock-saddles-over-synthetic-and-foam-saddles/

26/06/2024

What a brilliant article so very close to my heart.
I had the honour of riding and competing “ island King” sons and Connemara Park progeny.
So very proud to have their bloodlines in our stallions today .

26/06/2024

The CPEDI2* Para Intermediate B Grade IV was again won by Darcy Macaulay and Parklands Faltango

24/06/2024

Early mornings
Walking

24/06/2024

Beautiful saddles and County’s follow up service is so very helpful and friendly .
Thankyou County Saddlery Australia
For your continued support and friendship.