The Playful Pony - Paddock Paradise Agistment

22/08/2024

'Behold the brontosaur-horse'.... A few weeks ago this recently retired OTTB was so bucket focused he had no idea that he was surrounded by a food forest... Enter one brumby, a track system and some spring time inhibition... and VOILA 🤣

18/08/2024

"My horse is 18hh, metabolic and really tricky to manage"...Was how my conversation started with Podge's human...

Top pic: August 2023, agisted normal 'premium'' place.

Bottom: August 2024, agisted hills & native grasses.

27/05/2024

3 ponies and a thoroughbred galloped into a bar... 😎

21/04/2024

I've been pretty triggered by the brumby virtue signalling lately.... and finally I put my thoughts down on paper 🤷‍♀️

19/04/2024

Well then...

Tonight Anth said to me "Do you want the drone footage of the track?"

Which apparently he took in Summer and was worried about rattling the brumbies...But you know what? Even if it looks ghetto from the ground -this track looks boss from the air 👌

19/04/2024

This arvo I was listening to Active Horse Agistment plus's new podcast and I thought it was a good time to do an impromptu vid of my track.

It's shaky.. and I say the F word... and the wind is pretty hectic. Sorry not sorry 🤣 That's what happens in these parts.

If you haven't given her a listen yet, check out Toma's podcast.. The production quality is a bit 'how ya going' as you'd expect for a first podcast (says me, who's faaar to chicken s**t to even try) but the content is terrific!

Plus, there's something cool about listening to something at the beginning and being part of it through the growth stage.

Track Talk: A Podcast on Horse Track Systems is where it's at if you're interested in what this weird track system stuff is all about👌

05/03/2024

More than once, someone has enthusiastically explained to me why Twenty20 or BigBash cricket is more exciting than normal cricket…🏏

They get all animated and start explaining overs and balls…And finish by saying ‘Ya know, it’s just a more exciting format’… to which I politely agree and then try and knock myself out with a rock.

And THAT dear friends, is exactly how I expect you to respond when I gloatily post about my foray into Level Three dressage….

It’s still the same silly, sandy rectangle, with the same labouring, huffing, puffing jockey aboard her adorable hippo… Only this time we do slightly smaller circles, an S shape and attempt a fancy trot.

And at this point, if anyone needs to knock themselves out with a rock, please know that I understand and I invite you to step outside and look for one to minimise your agony now…

For everyone else, this is real edge of your seat stuff…

Not really…

But I have photos and I’ll be fu**ed if I dont use them to leverage a gloaty post about my most challenging and favourite boy.

So we went, we saw and we conquered the serpentine, the 15m circle and the lengthened trot in a pretty flash field, with some pretty flash company to get a bloody ribbon.

A RIBBON!

Cynical me used to sneer at these 50c satin objects (being too busy on a mission to win that elusive rug), but later that day I hung around for 2hrs to collect my 8th place ribbon because I'M SO FU***NG PROUD!

Anyway, next up..and because I’m an egotistical ribbon addict - I entered the Showjumping component.

The only problem was that I had not so much as jumped a twig on this horse since April last year… because he started stopping, which made me get whippy and then I hated myself… so we just stopped entirely with the whole thing🤷‍♀️

Anyway, on Sunday - I told myself that we'd do a few hot laps of the warm up arena and if we pulled a refusal I would laugh, tip my cap and gracefully depart the arena with no whips or fuss to be seen. ..

And My Godfather... he jumped the BEST he ever has in his life in the warmup arena… So we picked up our fanciest canter and presented into that showjumping arena like we were at the World Equestrian Centre.

And right on cue the judge said... ‘Ohhhh it’s YOU! … I hope I dont end up the topic of one of your social media stories’

To which I responded ‘Well, we shall see how you score this round... ‘ as I wiggled my toosh and set off at a very fast and fancy hippo canter to hit the jumps.

I wont talk you through each fence… because, Christ, even I know when as story has gone for too long.. but I adopted the ‘If we go fast enough it will be easier for him to jump than stop approach’ and pretty much smoked the entire class by 15 seconds and went clear.

So.. THAT people, explains the absurd grin on my face in this selfie.

It was fun.

It felt safe.

AND I did not give up on this horse.

Look out Level 3..We’re coming for you, knockout rocks, ribbons and all 👊

02/01/2024

You know that feeling when you want to share something huge but Average Joe will have no idea what you're all juiced up about?

Well here goes...🤷‍♀️

The horse in this video is somewhere between 12 and 15 years old. He's got two testicles, one and a half ears and came from the wild in September.

He is also the scariest horse I've ever worked with.

Once, in early days he pinned his ears and charged at me, so I alley-ooped over the fence like an Olympic athlete.

It was pretty rad if I do say so myself...It was like pole vaulting, except instead of a pole, I cleared the 8ft fence using just my stumpy legs and sheer terror...

And with that, I admitted defeat and never went in his yard again…

And a few days later he was shunted off in a stock crate with another stallion - to be trained by someone with skills far greater than my own...

And over the next 7 weeks they were trained by an incredible horse person in Ballarat.

During that time the other stallion progressed amazingly... By week 5 he was being ridden and week 6 he was poking along on suburban streets and cantering through the bush like the ultimate trail boss.

Meanwhile, my little mate with the missing ear was kinda going nowhere...

He did a bit more of the chargey stuff and eventually tolerated a halter but would barely lead and some days it took 40 minutes to catch him in a 6m x 6m yard...

And on the fateful day he came back here, he gifted the trainer a broken rib and prickles in her un**es as he towed her through the paddock on her back.

So as you can imagine I was not exactly thrilled to have him here again…

But not knowing what else to do, I chucked him in a paddock and went inside to ruminate on my terrible life choices.

And to be honest, having him out the window has been like a big, brown reminder of how badly things can go wrong with horses.

And while all our other brumbies are the coolest little dudes, this is one complicated m**o...

But over the last few weeks, while googling 'Can you use a dart gun on horses?' we started trying to work with him in the paddock..

Because you know... we got him into this mess, so we had to at least TRY to get him out without a dart gun.

And bit by bit we've made progress...

It just needed to be done on his time and with constant reminders that the poor thing is just scared out his mind…

Because TBH, it sometimes feels safer for us to get all big and whacky to show'em who's boss.

Yeah I said it... but I’m sure you secretly know what I mean.

So against all my better judgement I swapped the long, whizzy dressage whip for a bag of treats… because I figured, if he was going to charge me again, there’s not a lot that a bendy bit of fibreglass could do anyway 🤷‍♀️

And fast forward to now, and he comes up and can be caught in the paddock.

Last week I trimmed his front feet and taught him to pick up his hinds with no kicking or nonsense at all…

It was huge, seriously.. probably the hugest, biggest most bravest triumphant achievement of my entire life... and it was all done so slowly, in such tiny steps.

But because it was so methodical and so measured and repetitive, it weirdly wasn't scary at all.

Also, his feet were starting to fold over onto themselves... refer to point above about 'creating a mess' and feeling obligated to fix it, if you're wondering why I bothered 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, this afternoon we took this video and it probably looks like nothing... But we took him for a walk in a neighbouring paddock.

There was no scooting, snorting, yanking or bolting - he genuinely seemed happy to poke along and it felt like I could have worked him with hay string.

I’ve got no doubt this was only possible by to going right back to the basics, with some really simple stuff I learned from Dr Shelley Appleton… and that means I’ve been mixing positive reinforcement with negative reinforcement - which according to some hoity toity horse folk is the worst crime on earth.

But between whips and darts and certain death… I kinda gave up on applying the usual rules in this situation.

So for anyone else out there feeling like you’re in over your head…

I feel you.

I know the revolting combination of having an oversupply of anxiety and a shortfall of skills.

It’s a brutal realisation BUT it’s not the end of the road.

By a) being prepared to go back to the beginning and b) by getting rid of unrealistic expectations and c) taking things really, really slowly - there is light at the end of the tunnel.

But with that, it’s really important to find a trainer you vibe with…

And there are some REALLY s**tty ones out there.

A few months ago I listened as a trainer told me they weren't 'cruel’ but sometimes cranked up a horse’s hind legs to lay it down, then the person walked over the top of the horse and left them tied and incapacitated to 'think about things’ while they went inside for lunch.

This is a real person.

They’re well known and I have friends who go to them for lessons…

I can’t even.

Let’s move on...

So please, you cant be too careful with who you choose to follow and where you want to learn.

And at this stage, I am not your person.

I’m currently in the down draught, realising how much I have to learn…And not in a mopey, miserable way.. I’m actually quite excited about the whopping huge expanse I still get to learn…

If you do want to learn and care for my opinion - I can’t speak more highly of Dr Shelley Appleton and her online course - You'll find it at Dr Shelley Appleton Calm Willing Confident Horses

You can learn wherever and whenever you want - I alternate between her and Lucinda Green on my treadmill in the mornings… It’s like the nerdiest, sweatiest, gruntiest, thumpiest learning environment you can imagine.

You should try it. Really you should 😜

Finally...I share this post and video knowing there will be people flexing their fingers ready to share their opinions about this horse and my choices.

What I should have done, what I shouldn’t have and most likely a comment or two about getting him gelded (refer to the bit about preferring to catch him rather than dart or rope him to get access to the ‘plums' for clarification on that)

But unless you have been right here, in this exact situation I really urge you not to make assumptions.

I’ve always tried to show the ’not polished’ side of what I’m up to… and this is probably the rawest post I’ve written and it feels weirdly cathartic to share.

I’ve lost interest in trying to 'make an impact’ and cant be bothered to try and influence anyone (because we can all think for ourselves, cant we?!?) so I guess I just wanted to share a story about the abrupt jolt the universe can deliver just when you think you’re starting to get things figured out 🤣🤦‍♀️

Lastly, please don't let this story turn you off brumbies.

This guy is a bit of an enigma and confronting as it’s been, it’s given me a wonderful wide angled perspective on equine behaviour and the weird positions we put horses in every single day when we expct them to be part of our world.

And really, truthfully... brumbies are generally the coolest, non-spookiest, hardiest things you’ve ever met… And well worth your consideration the next time there’s a horse shaped hole in your life 🤗

27/12/2023

Childhood re-activated 👌

25/12/2023

Four flavours were finished and two were untouched...
What's your pick for what happened next? 🤓

24/12/2023

How cute is Little Milton's second go at halter training? 🤓

It's a pretty big deal because if you remember, the halter he arrived in had grown into the back of his head....

I can't even imagine the pain it would have caused... but I can tell you that it created the unholiest stench I've ever known.

I legitimately thought the wafts were caused by a dead animal until I discovered what was actually causing the stink 😷

Anyway, according to him it's a no harm, no foul situation and now the scabs have healed - he doesn't seem too fussed 🤣

Here we're (imperfectly) demonstrating a rad little exercise taught by Dr Shelley Appleton Calm Willing Confident Horses... and while it wont go winning any awards for edge of your seat equine entertainment, it's really effective at developing feel, focus and softness.

Because just quietly, prior to this we were demonstrating some dirt yard waterskiiing...

(It's a new sport, for which I am an Olympic hopeful 🤣)

Anyway, today I also used the same exercise with our new OTTB and the anxious brumby stallion... It's a ripper tool and a great little 'trick' to know...

I apologise for not having any dirt yard waterskiing footage but please enjoy his theatrical interpretation of a yield at about 28 seconds 🤣🤣... and just incase the warriors are coming - his halter was loose on purpose, for further information read the post from the top 😬🤦‍♀️

Have a lovely break everyone and I hope you're squeezing in as much horse time as possible 🙌

12/12/2023

Some people can only DREAM of having a chilled canter through the bush like this.... And look at this little fella go!

This is Tyrone, our 11yo stallion captured in September. It's his third ride EVER and first canter.

What a dude... and yes - he'll be ready for rehoming very soon

10/12/2023

Two brats and a brumby sample a water buffet for the first time 😎💦

Today, with the serendipitous arrival of warmer weather combined with the discovery of these great concrete troughs (hiding under a huge bush, left behind by the old owner) a trial water buffet called...

From right to left we have mint, rosehip, salt & vinegar rainwater dilutions.

Of course, these horsey cocktails were created a teensy, tiny bit for the benefit of the hairy brats.... but mostly, realistically to quench my own curiosity about the whole concept.

And naturally, because horses are the giantest of pansies... the entire concept of strange buckets were terrifying.

Until it became an accurate representation of me at a seafood buffet (in those glorious days before I became a flacid vegetarian that thinks honey-soy tofu is a 'treat'🙄)

Anyway, let's move along..

Featured in this video you'll see Timmy Trumpster, Milton (the gift giver of enormous thigh bruises - see past posts if you dont know what I'm talking about) and Steven our plumpest and most hilarious brumby sampling from the buckets.

Within 40 minutes all buckets except the minty water were empty.. so my warped, creepy, pony stalking sense of curiosity considers that a win!

So ummm....water we think of next? 🤷‍♀️😎

01/12/2023

For everyone playing at home, the correct answer to the bit of bruise trivia was:
'C) a double barrelled gift from our newest tiny terrorist'

Please enjoy this video of the offender after being released from quarantine...

Turn the volume up for maximum enjoyment.

This little fella is Milton, he was a $150 acquisition from the Euroa Sales a few weeks ago.

He's got a few physical and mental hurdles to overcome but the little twerp is going to be an absolute firecracker 🤣💣

29/11/2023

Ok folks, was this horse inflicted injury from...
A) a bite from a brumby stallion
B) an unplanned dismount from a 11hh pony
C) A double barrelled gift from our newest tiny terrorist?

Bonus points will be awarded to anyone who does NOT comment on the milky whiteness of my thighs 🤣

17/11/2023

We found a new place to play, just down the road! 💦

04/11/2023

Our new place has this lovely labyrinth of laneways leading out to little slices of horsey heaven... Here's a video of some of our distinguished retirees exploring a lovely little sheltered 5 acre paddock for the first time... after chasing us down there in the buggy- because buggies always bring the good stuff, right? 🤣

Even though there are some good splashy mudholes in there, it's a good 10 minute, mostly uphill walk for them to come for water - which they do at least 3 or 4 times a day (at differing speeds, depending on who's leading the charge 🤣)

I've been quiet advertising any agistment here for a few months, because the threat of drought put the brakes on for a while - but we can probably fit one or two more in if there's interest.

Meanwhile the track option for our slightly more rotund, grass affected friends has been extended another 600m - and they're all too busy forming awkward teenage relationships to realise they've been short changed in the grass department.

We only offer retirement or spelling agismtent here - and it's not priced like the chuck-em-in-a-paddock-out-the-back option that seems to be the norm for most retirement agistment 🤷‍♀️. Our prices vary depending on needs and are around $150/week but as you can see - they really do get to live their best lives and these oldies absolutely deserve it.

Agistment includes daily balanced hard feeds, ad lib hay, regular paddock & playground rotation, feet trimming and routine dental.

Enrichment, cuddles, treats, equissage and scritchings are all complimentary... Ridiculous nicknames are unavoidable 🤣

If you're interested, get in touch - otherwise please enjoy these happy souls

19/10/2023

This is worth a read, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Any trainer who insists that one method is always truly superior is short changing themselves and their horses.

Having the tools to employ different techniques and taking the time to learn them, in my opinion is much more balanced & a better way forward 🤓

https://www.facebook.com/emotional.horsemanship/posts/pfbid02B9t6VvhptVEqHYGVq1HTYLJJsHQqraWq7xvVgVESmJMDNnDgPtbESzqBo4o9xSdHl

The reason why some behaviourists and clicker trainers dislike me, is because the research and practices I employ, sometimes contradicts the behaviourist framework.

In layman's terms, I tend to irritate or anger traditional trainers who use R+ or food reward, because it has not been my experience or research that pressure is always aversive to a horse.

There is the understanding in modern horse training circles, that we need to move away from training techniques which cause horse discomfort, fear or confusion. Positive Reinforcement, means "Additive" Reinforcement, not "Morally Superior and Ethically Better" Reinforcement. That is not my opinion, but a fact based plainly on the research.

But because the research is rarely understood properly by the masses, too many R+ trainers and businesses hijack the word positive and don't seek to adequately correct their communities misunderstanding the R+ means "additive" not "better" allowing, perhaps conveniently, for their clientele to believe that they are automatically making a emotionally positive choice for their horse. Of course R+ can be. But it is not a guarantee that it will.

I own a clicker. I use food reward in every single training. I promote it use responsibly and correctly. But I would never advocate it as inherently superior.

I have been in situations where I have had to rehabilitate former R+ horses who showed similar or worse symptoms of trauma as horses who had been abused by heavy pressure based training or R- training.

R+ and P- are two sides of the same coin. Just as R- and P+ are two sides of the same coin. Yin and Yang.

And Operant Conditioning is just one, of the dozens of ways learning can occur.

Learning can be an internal experience not mediated by external reinforcement factors. Learning can be social, emotional and self reinforcing. E.G. Constructivism Learning Theory, Social Learning Theory and Affective Neuroscience. No, there is not enough research done on these theories as relates to horses. But the lack of research does not mean lack of reality. And science is drastically under funded and under motivated around horses, considering that the number 1 and number 2 causes of death in horses are both preventable diseases where science has given us solutions, yet we are still not adopting them. How can we expect more advanced research if as a community we are still not adapting and adopting old research such as Operant Conditioning? So the argument that "there is no science on XYZ" is absolutely baseless.

The best science around is the multi-generational human and horse experiment called horsemanship. It meets all the targets of an experiment and data points required to create strong hypothesis and confident statements of truth. Multiple researches in controlled conditions, not motivated by economic means, in different countries, climates and with different breeds of horses, for hundreds of years have repeated certain experiments and gained consistant results from millions of horses and continue to try and teach these. I do not subscribe to the belief that old school training was always rough and hard on horses.

What happens, when your touch, becomes something the horse likes, enjoys and finds value in? R+ tried to rebrand pressure as Tactile Cues, and I think this was an important step. Because the word pressure carries a projection. But what if we let go of our projections?

Let go of projecting abuse onto pressure
Let go of projecting ethics onto a clicker
Let go of projecting emotional intelligence on 80 year old research that didn't believe in emotions

What if we looked just at the facts, and the horses understanding?

A horse CAN find your touch a good experience, positive for them emotionally. They just can.

But you are going to have to train it. Turns out, it is most likely a learned skill. And I do not mean the touch that itches just scratchy spots. I mean the touch that informs, guides, instructs, leads, flexes, holds, frees and communicates. All different qualities of pressure.

Old timers called it Feel.

I guess so do I. But I try to bring some super modern research onto it.

02/10/2023

It’s not all brumbies and bad language here..yesterday we took Mary Kate to kick up her heels around Kyneton...

After LITERALLY stopping traffic on the main street we sauntered into the The Kyneton Hotel for lunch…

I'm pleased to report that the lentil burger was to her liking and the chips were sublime.

Kudos to the staff for showing this gal a good time and also for the sneaky carrots smuggled from the kitchen 🤫🥕

Now, as fas as calling cards go, Mary Kate is mad for bright, bold accessories so she was thrilled to have The Dungbeetle in tow as her royal s**tcatcher…

Meanwhile, we were just relieved to have a speedy way to clean up her steamy parcels… Because, yep, we have been caught out before and it’s hard to make a quick getaway with an 8hh pony in tow 😳🙈

All in all, it was a splendid afternoon but the the real winner on the day was meeting someone called Ashley and posing for a real-life Olsen Twins moment 📸👯‍♀️

Thanks for having us Kyneton, you were fine-ton!

Boom tish...We're here all week... Try the lentils 💃🐴

30/09/2023

Ever wondered what Day 1 would be like with 2 unhandled stallions?

Chuuurrrr, me toooo!

Anyhoo, today I went off to a showjumping clinic with Cucumber, while Anthony tried to kill some time before Collingwood made their mark on the big grassy field we’d all love to ride on.

So while I pretended to be full of rum and testicles.. I jumped a few poles and actually punched the air because I cantered in a group and DID NOT DIE.

So there’s me, feeling like Jemima Kooombayah Key with my racehorse - only to check my phone and see

“I nearly fed the roan stallion through the fence but the dog f**kditallup”

So here, ladies and gentlemen.. is how a level headed person just hangs with a wild stallion and makes mates.

Yes, the dog - that dog.. is a total pain in the arse… But to Anth’s credit he had no idea he’d get so close - so we’ll be locking his sad, sorry, senior arse up for the next few days xx

30/09/2023

This is a national disgrace.

All three of our brumbies were captured around Tantangara Dam and it's gut wrenching to think that their families have been slaughtered.

We did this.

White men did this... And surely as a society we're better than just watching on while our own government murders these animals.

There ARE people that will rehome these horses - instead, people are PAID on our tax dollar to lock the gates to the National Park shoot the brumbies indiscriminately.

At last count there were 131 stallions, foals and pregnant mares shot and left to rot.

For shame Australia.

29/09/2023

The Brumbies arrived and we're all still alive! 💃

24/09/2023

Lovely types hey?? 😍 The bay at the front & roan at the back will be arriving on Friday.

Both unhandled stallions, the bay is approximately 15hh and the chunky monkey around 14.2hh.

They were trapped around Tantangara area of Kosciuszko.

I'm very grateful to Indigo Brumbies for getting them this far.

The bay has part of his ear missing so will likely be know as Chopper... as for the Roan, we'll just wait and see :-)

23/09/2023

Two new ponies today! 🥳😎

23/09/2023

I made two unexpected choices today...🤔
The first is these sunglasses and the 2nd is to adopt two stallions from the wild.

And to be honest, I'm happy to stand my ground on the sunnies... but with the stallions...

Well, let me tell you a thing or two.

There is not one single, compelling, disparaging, offensive reason I have not used to troll myself.

And STILL here we are 🤷‍♀️

So before you flex your fighty fingers.. here are a few favourites I've been mulling over lately.

First up... Do I have the skills?

Well, I'm going with 'not yet'.. but I've got the space, time and motivation to learn.. So stick that up your bum 🖕😳

Second, if we all f***y around slathering ourselves with reasons to say 'no' then nothing will change... (yes, double entendres were intended 👊)

4 days, FOUR DAYS after my first brumby came home he legitimately followed me around the farm cuddling me (I'll link vid below)....

Meanwhile, on that very same day - brumbies were getting shot by the Victorian Government and left to bloat in Barmah (I'll also link to those photos..Don't look if you're going to complain)

So I thought..

F**k it...

I can't NOT do this just because they have balls.

And then I thought... maybe I could just document the WHOLE thing... Including the fails, the disasters and the ragrets.

Who knows.. people might be interested? 🤷‍♀️

And that brings me to Part Two of today's sermon.

🙅‍♀️ Sponsorship in the equestrian world needs a real shake up.

To me, sponsorship is about sharing stories and selling dreams...

And, I'm not sure about you... but I am so bloody sick of seeing equine brands backing wealthy white people who don't do much except show us what it's like to win sashes in different places 🤷‍♀️

Yawn.

So anyway, I'm devising a pretty rad way for companies to support a hella more interesting side of the horse world...

As you know, Ya Gal can spin a mean yarn but what you might not know, is my other half is a secret Tiktok star (I s**t you not, he gets 1 million views on his videos on our sheep...Not bad for an electrician 👌

Now, I want to be clear here.. Sponsorship and donations are very different... and I am not, nor will I ever ask for donations.

The seed I'm sewing here is for corporates, for businesses to consider spending some of their marketing spondoola on stories about the 'other end of the scale'

What do you think?

Would you like to see more equine welfare supported by big brands? Not in a token, here's $2 kinda way... but genuinely THIS IS US kinda way?

I'd love to know what you think. Honestly.

07/09/2023

Seeing as horses are browsers (not just grazers), its madness to me that we keep them away from trees & shrubs.

A few years ago, my vet mentioned that the stomach of wild horses were 50% full of shrubs, twigs and leaves… and it got me thinking.

I have zero credibility in the scheme of things… but I just wondered whether maybe it’s an important part that’s missing in our domestic, square-pastured horse lifestyles?

Anyhoo, while we were looking at our new place I just kept shooting love-heart eyes-emojis at all the fodder trees…

And as you can see here, Cucumber (the recycled racehorse of the squad) really loves stretching up to get them snackettes

06/09/2023

Day four with my friend from the wild 🍃🐴