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Melissa Douglas Equestrian

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Melissa Douglas Equestrian

Melissa Douglas Equestrian Southland based rider, specialising in retraining and rehoming racehorses.
•NZTR Acknowled Retrainer

18/10/2023

Ride #2 for Peter 🦄
Happily wandered down the road in the wind and went for a spin ba****ck afterwards. Perfectly behaved the whole time, loads of fun and felt as safe as they come 😊
Just as kind and obliging to ride ba****ck as he is with a saddle on, and not at all phased about things moving in the wind.
Wanted to march along on the road but stayed in a walk, and didn’t get keen or silly heading back towards home ⭐️

16/10/2023

Introducing Peter, who arrived yesterday to find his new home.
8yo gelding by Ferlax, approx 16.2hh (will measure). 18 race starts , is lightly raced for his age, sound just slow. Last raced 8th October.

I know this horse well from the track and have ridden him regularly over the last 3 years. Has always been a very quiet, safe ride on the track with no tricks and good to handle on the ground. Not spooky and never shown any signs of a buck or rear. Happy to work alone or in company and regularly used to babysit young horses in work.

Had his first ride here today and as usual was a lovely quiet ride, relaxed in all 3 paces, correct canter leads on both reins. Very balanced canter, the first horse I’ve ever seen manage the tight corners on this arena on their first attempt! Hasn’t quite got the idea of jumping yet, but I do think there’s a smart jump in there when he clicks and gets over something bigger.

I picked him up yesterday on his own, and he settled straight in with no fuss. Was unsettled in the stables on his own today, but nothing difficult and completely understandable in a new place. Likewise was a little stressy when I initially got on, but did nothing wrong and within a couple minutes was back to the usual Peter we know and love.

A lovely boy who will be missed by his racing stable and will make someone a special friend 🥰

20/03/2023

Lincoln Hills (Hills)
8yo chestnut gelding by All Too Hard. Approx 15.3hh

Last ridden 4th March when retired from racing. No soundness/health issues.
Beautiful looking boy with a super attitude who’s going to shape into a really lovely horse!

Came in today at his usual dinner time and was totally unphased about going for a ride instead.
Perfect gentleman to hop straight on, no fresh antics, and really willing to have a crack at his new job!
Wasn’t bothered at all about leaving his mates and never gave them a second thought. He was more interested in having a nosey around the car park at the end than rushing back to his friends!

Will easily settle into a nicer contact with a couple of rides to learn the ropes, would likely benefit from a noseband, but it’s early days and I’d expect a huge improvement within a handful of rides.
Has popped over logs/tyres before and was bold as anything, zero spookiness, will make a really fun jumper!

Very well loved by his racing stable, he’s a dude to have around and I’m sure will be very missed!
Really neat horse who someone is going to have loads of fun with! 🧡

12/01/2023

Taking advantage of having Princess here, teaching our wee fella a new trick!
She’s been a lovely, kind paddock mate for him, and let him tag along for a little wander this afternoon 😊

10/01/2023

If you want to do dumb things and get away with it, you probably need Princess 🤦‍♀️👑
After her initial test drive, Princess went out in the paddock for a 3 week spell while I had a break over Christmas.
I brought her in planning to lunge her today but she was that laid back I just jumped on instead. Just a quick trot round, but not a foot out of place, even with her buddy calling out to her the whole time. Super comfortable to ride ba****ck, more like sitting on a lazyboy than a horse 🙈
So far she’s been pretty hard to fault! ⭐️
(Excuse the fact I put the camera in a terrible spot and chopped her feet off🤦‍♀️)

19/12/2022

Meet Princess, 4yo 16hh unraced Shamexpress mare. Possibly as wide as she is tall! 🙈
Retired as a racing prospect roughly 2months ago but due to her perfect behaviour record she has remained in work to help a young horse learn the ropes of trackwork!
Superb nature, has never shown any naughty tricks and her trainer can’t say enough good things about her! I’ve watched her work at the track everyday and am yet to see her put a toe out of place.
She’s a really lovely girl who is so eager to please and is really going to thrive off the track!
Goes without saying she has no problem keeping weight on!!

First ride off the track today, and as expected was super lovely, no hiccups and just happy to be there. Happy to mooch on a long rein, very happy to stand for pats (infact I think this was her favourite speed today!)
More on the whoa side, but certainly not lazy and a couple of rides to figure out her new job will see her more forward. Fairly balanced and even for this stage of her education, I found her pretty equal on both reins.

Just as straightforward on the ground, stood quietly in the stables and practically put the bridle on herself as soon as I picked it up! She loves having a job to do!
No known vices, trucks and floats. Good with other horses, we’ve got her paddocked with a wee yearling and she’s been nothing but kind to him. Currently shod in front only.
Will develop a cough on dry hay, so hay and chaff does need to be damp before feeding. Not an issue with damp hay.

Video of her very first time seeing poles, and the closest we got to any drama the whole ride!

Lovely, lovely girl who is going to be a fantastic best friend for someone! 👑

11/12/2022

Another 2 lovely horses headed away to their new homes this week.
Our Big Mama (Maple) is off to be a mum, and Last Try (Bones) is off to be a fun farm hack 🥰

26/11/2022

Poppies Boy 🥰
Viewed and sold this afternoon to a lovely local home! Going to miss my wee Popstar! 🦄

22/11/2022

5yo 15.2-3hh gelding by Niagara.

I’m guttered to be posting this horse on here, I was hoping he could stay at the track longer but unfortunately racing is not his thing!
4 race starts, sound just not very fast!

Super cute, kind horse who’s an absolute pleasure to have around. Very well mannered, never shown a glimpse of any tricks under saddle. Has always been a lovely quiet ride and regularly used to lead horses off him in trackwork. No major vices, pretty easy to do everything with!
He was a bit confused with his change of routine today, but never acted on it or objected to anything, just a little distracted to begin with. Did come right pretty quickly with a job to do!
Likewise was fidgety in the stalls by himself until we gave him a mate, but not difficult/fizzy and nothing he won’t settle out of in a day or 2. Not generally clingy to other horses, just feeling lost today! Again just a young horse with a sudden routine change!
He had his first look at a wee jump and stepped straight over it with no fuss. He’s going to love jumping!
Loads of fun, safe, and loads of potential! Best friend type of horse! 🥰

19/11/2022

How super cute are these photos! 🥰
Missy in her new home, looking like a wee professional already! So happy she has fallen on her feet with a fantastic home that she well and truly deserves! ❤️

18/11/2022

Well if you can turn him out for 5months, fill him up on feed and good spring grass and climb on with no stirrups it’s safe to say he’s pretty quiet!!
(His jockey threw herself in the deep end and forgot her boots!!🤦‍♀️)
There are very few horses I would climb on in this situation but I had no concerns over this fella! I’ve said it a million times but he really is just the coolest horse around!

Muni arrived right as the horse market died for the winter, so he was turned out for a holiday and has been babysitting a yearling that needed a buddy. Now that I’ve found some time to get him back in he’s ready to go find his person 😊
Super easy to handle and ride today. Stood quietly in the cross-ties even though there wasn’t a horse in sight. Did have a wee lunge before I jumped on but there were zero antics, just straight on with the job.

Is currently barefoot but will get shoes on. Felt like he’s really taken on board his schooling from before his holiday. With a couple days work (and some proper riding on my part🙈!) there’s going to be some really lovely work in there 😊

11/11/2022

As expected Missy got snapped up pretty quick (to the relief of my poor phone that hasn’t stopped for the last 24hrs!)
Super chuffed with the home she’s heading to, an exciting future ahead for her! 🦄

10/11/2022

With my waiting list of horses growing by the day and limited space at home I’m having to get creative with getting through them! Missy had her test drive at the track today, while she waits for a space to come home. Although I’m picking she won’t last long enough for that!

15.2-3hh 5yo mare by Showcasing. One of my favourite rides at the track, I’m going to miss her in the mornings!
Absolutely fantastic nature, a favourite with staff because she’s just so lovely to do everything with. No nasty tricks, as quiet as they come on the track! Happy to go and work by herself or in company, just a really easy, straightforward horse that wants to please. There’s not really a lot to dislike about this one!

Very pretty, and with some schooling she’s going to shape up into a pretty flash horse. Popped over a baby log today for her first look at a jump with zero drama, wasn’t bothered when we paused the jumping to let a tractor pass!

Good to do everything with, fine with other horses. She’ll adjust pretty easily to her new life, not much phases her, as uncomplicated as they come!

Note she is missing a front shoe in these photos/video.

09/11/2022

Cheers 🥂
This sweet girl had a fantastic home lined up before she even arrived but has been here for a few test drives before she carries on to her new home!
She’s thriving on being a pet and in just a couple of days has quickly become my best mate, of all the horses I’ve rehomed this one might be the hardest goodbye! I would have quite happily snuck her into a permanent spot if I could! 🥰

05/11/2022

Last Vintage arrived at her new forever home this week! I’m so happy this special girl has got such a fantastic new home, and can’t wait to see the baby she pops out next year! 🥰

24/10/2022

Savez Vous (Tui)
Waved goodbye to Tui this afternoon, and I couldn’t be happier with the fantastic new home she has found herself! 🥰

12/10/2022

A very honest first jumping attempt from Tui today 🥰
Very straightforward and uncomplicated, wasn’t phased at all by the jump and really enjoyed popping over it!

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Invercargill

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

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