Amaethon Welsh Sport Horses & Ponies

15/09/2025

3 Days Old and getting the cheek on

14/09/2025

Miss Anna and I had a lesson on Saturday with Julie. The weather was extremely challenging with high winds and the Patumahoe School Calf Club Day with loud speakers blaring and then sirens from a fire brigade display. She’s such a sweet girl.
She’s also been very distracted the past few days as she’s totally fascinated with the new foal Ophelia and is spending all her time on her boundary transfixed on foal watch. I think she’s a bit clucky 🤣

11/09/2025

Welcome to the World Ophelia. Well done to Dior
Full Sister to Vincento, Iago, Guilietta, and Luciano.
Sister to another mother to Bassanio and Anna (Tempest)

07/09/2025

22/08/2025

Fychan and Brooke. They have been doing so well in Showhunter and Showjumping and are off to Taupo this weekend to compete.

20/08/2025

Great idea

09/08/2025

After the 1970s, horse trainers in some sports—particularly dressage, eventing and jumping, but now also in reining—placed increasing emphasis on head position under-saddle.

This steady march toward a very arched neck has led to the controversial and detrimental welfare concern of hyperflexing the horse's head and neck position, known as 'röllkur' in German.

The rewarding of roundness in horse sports resulted in judges penalising mouth opening as a ‘resistance’ or ‘evasion’.

This led to riders opting for nosebands in order to mask the horse’s signs of discomfort.

As time went on, increasing hyperflexion was accompanied by increasing tightness of nosebands, culminating in ‘crank’ nosebands which can deploy forces of up to 1400 mmHg, far higher than humans can withstand by a tourniquet and sufficient to cause permanent damage to the horse’s nasal bones.

Dr Andrew Mclean - Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 2

05/08/2025

Great post about the bio mechanically incorrect leg flinging we so often see in dressage today.

***Blickschulung am Sonntag - Die Trabverstärkung***

Definition der Richtlinien:
In den starken Tempi erhöht sich der Raumgriff durch den kräftigeren Schub der Hinterhand. Die Vorhand kommt durch eine vermehrte Beugung der Hanken zum freieren Vorschwingen.
Das Pferd soll bei deutlicher Rahmenerweiterung in Selbsthaltung bleiben und mit der Stirn-Nasenlinie etwas weiter vor die Senkrechte kommen. Das Genick bleibt der höchste Punkt.
Während der Verstärkung muss der Reiter darauf achten, dass er nicht in Rücklage oder hinter die Bewegung des Pferdes gerät. Ist das Pferd genügend vorbereitet worden, kann sogar ein leichtes Entlasten, insbesondere zu Beginn der Verstärkung vorteilhaft sein.
(Richtlinien für Reiten und Fahren - Band 2)

Auf den Grafiken sieht man eine Trabverstärkung, wie in den Richtlinien definiert. Die beiden Beinpaare des Pferdes arbeiten parallel.
Unten links, eine heute auf Turnieren übliche und vor allem oft hochbewertete Trabverstärkung, mit deutlicher gebrochener Diagonale.
Auf dem mittleren Bild zeigen wir mit Hilfe der grünen Striche, wo sich das Vorderbein in Bezug auf das diagonale Hinterbein befinden müsste.
Auf dem rechten Bild zeigen die gelben Striche wo das Hinterbein in Bezug auf der Vorbein sein müsste.

Die Frage, die sich aufwirft: warum muss man sich derart weit von der Natur des Pferdes entfernen? Zu welchem Zweck? Korrektheit müsste doch in der Bewertung weit über exaltiertem angespannten Gestrampel liegen...

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***Visual Training on Sunday – The Extended Trot***

Definition according to the official guidelines:
In the extended paces, the horse's stride length increases due to a more powerful push from the hindquarters. The forehand moves more freely as a result of increased flexion in the joints of the hind legs.
The horse should maintain self-carriage even with a clearly lengthened frame and bring its forehead–nose line slightly in front of the vertical. The poll remains the highest point.
During the extension, the rider must ensure not to lean back or fall behind the horse’s movement. If the horse has been properly prepared, a slight lightening of the seat—especially at the beginning of the extension—can even be beneficial.
(Guidelines for Riding and Driving – Volume 2)

The diagrams show an extended trot as defined by the guidelines. The horse's pairs of legs move in parallel.
Bottom left: an extended trot commonly seen—and often highly scored—at today’s competitions, with a clearly broken diagonal.
The middle image uses green lines to indicate where the foreleg should be in relation to the diagonal hind leg.
The right image uses yellow lines to show where the hind leg should be in relation to the foreleg.

The question arises:
Why is there such a strong departure from the horse’s natural movement? For what purpose?
Surely correctness should be rated far above exaggerated, tense flailing...

12/06/2025

Fychan and Brooke. From the Pointways Showhunter last weekend where they are currently second in the leaderboard. And they are about to start with Auckland Area Dressage Development Squad. What a team. So proud of them.

05/06/2025

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160828483351193&id=684776192

04/05/2025

I follow a lady on Facebook called Anna who is a redhead and a huge personality. She made a post today about how she needs her own bedroom space which got me thinking about my own Anna ( horse) who has the hugest personality and how it took me 13 years to realise that she loves her own paddock because she wants my undivided attention when I visit.
As I’d asked AI to turn her into a person picture wise a few weeks ago I thought I’d give them her details and ask them to do a Bio for her. She really is more human than horse and AI absolutely nailed her pic and personality.
Those that know Anna will agree this is her to a T.

Anna
Anna – The Modern Maven
Age: Late 20s
Occupation: A high-performing creative strategist with a side hustle in wellness coaching
Vibe: That vibrant, magnetic redhead who turns heads when she enters a room—equal parts chaos and charisma

Personality:Anna is a full-on, unapologetic blend of high-octane energy and deep self-awareness. She's the life of the party and the one who dips early to recharge with a cozy blanket, soft lighting, and zero small talk. Extroverted with an introvert's recharge meter, she thrives on meaningful connection, especially one-on-one. She'll give you her all—but don’t think for a second she’s just doing it for your approval. She knows she’s talented. She just wants to know you noticed.

Strengths:
* Exceptionally driven, she throws herself into every task with passion—sometimes too much.
* Hyper-empathetic and tuned into people's needs (especially if they're her people).
* Fiercely intelligent with a restless curiosity and a mind that will not sit still.

Needs:
* Space to decompress and the freedom to follow her creative whims.
* Clear appreciation—don’t skip the "thank you," and for heaven’s sake, don’t rush past the chit-chat.
* A calm, predictable environment to balance her internal whirlwind.

Quirks:
* Will absolutely give you the side-eye if you drop off lunch (or hay) without a proper hello.
* Talks a mile a minute, but somehow still listens deeply.
* Manages to make her high standards seem like a warm hug instead of a burden.

At her best:She’s magnetic, generous, inspiring—an overachiever who uplifts everyone around her while smashing her goals.
At her worst:Overwhelmed, overcommitted, and curled up in a blanket wondering why no one gets it.

Human Anna would wear:A silk jumpsuit with sneakers. Noise-canceling headphones. Organic lip balm. A planner full of stickers she never uses.

Social Dynamics:Though part of a herd, Anna is proudly selectively social. She enjoys the background buzz of others but needs her own space to shine. When you visit, she expects full eye contact, a proper hello, and for you to act like you came to see her — because you did. She’s the kind of girl who waves from across the room at the group, then whisks you away for a deep one-on-one walk-and-talk.
She’s the friend who loves you fiercely but books seperate Air BNBs on social trips.
If forced to share paddock space, she becomes the “fun aunt who loves the kids but needs a glass of wine and quiet after”

03/05/2025

First lesson in a long time. Great to be back in the groove. Anna is such a star

Gorgeous sunny day to be out coaching and mentoring clients in South Auckland today. I absolutely love what I do , but days like today really make the heart sing!
Shared lunch hosted by the irrepressible Sue Buschke, long time friends who I adore coaching and problem solving with, meeting Lauren's adorable bably girl and finishing off the day with lots of laughs with team Berry.
📸 Judith Hinz and her homebred mare Anna. After major surgery, Judith had a few sessions on Feelika ( JOKER the horse simulator ) and it's so good to see her back on board her gorgeous mare.