The Cornmill Stud - Rocky Mountain Horses

27/11/2024

Today we received Lola’s official certification form from the RMHA.

For those who don’t know much about Rocky Mountain Horses, it’s mandatory for both parents to be “certified” as having the right physical characteristics and most importantly the regular four beat gait, which is the signature gait of this breed before their foals can be registered.

We were very fortunate years ago to have the opportunity to breed a foal from Gemini, who belongs to my childhood friend Richenda. She was the reason I got into Rockies in the first place so she has a lot to answer for !

I will find and post below videos of Gemini and Lola gaiting. You’d be hard pressed to tell which is which ! Two peas in a pod if ever that was possible.

Edit: here it is! Plus a cute baby pic too

https://www.facebook.com/share/12BgNsKLQkN/?mibextid=WC7FNe

27/11/2024

Lola is certified !

So happy to receive our lovely Lola’s certification.

Lola was our very first homebred Rocky, by the now sadly departed Lightfoot and out of lovely Gemini, bred by Happy Trails Ranch

It seems a long time that Richenda Collado Dawes bought Gemini with the help of Dianne Banks, but here we are!

Huge thanks also to all involved in her training especially Becca Parsler for starting her and Tara Stone for all her help.

I must also mention that, when discussing who to cover Gemini with, it was Larry Anthony who said, without a moment’s hesitation, “Lightfoot”.

26/11/2024

Dreamy x Grace - a little pamper session for our silver smokey black boy

29/10/2024

Good girl, Tess!

https://www.facebook.com/share/8C4zAAMqDzUkwSn7/?mibextid=WC7FNe

26/10/2024

Darling Sangria off to her new loving home ###

25/10/2024

First time long reining in the great outdoors for Lilo :)

Bit clingy to Bryony but steering and stopping were pretty good it was just the confidence to go forwards. It was a familiar route but still went through a busy farm yard and along the road so lots to stare at.

I always long rein youngsters but as Lilo has such a late birthday I'll do extra hacking out on long reins to help strengthen her before she has to lump me around for any distance.

She does already wear a bridle and knows how to turn her head, but I long reined from the cavesson today and will keep doing so until her steering is better. The long reins are heavier and the signals can be slow. Much better to use a thick padded cavesson while we're still in drunk baby mode!

25/10/2024

Poor Lucky is knackered after 5km of Big Fast Walk practice this morning.

Her preferred speed is a fairly forward but not marching walk. Energy efficient, and relaxing to ride, but if she's ever going to have higher gears then she needs a bit more impulsion! At the start I just wanted forward motion and basic steering but now thats pretty well established I'm asking for different speeds of walk.

She's improving rapidly but is still a bit inconsistent and crooked in the way of baby horses everywhere, so her speed can fluctuate a bit. She travels a bit crooked if left to her own devices, and although she is very responsive to aids you do sometimes get less or more response than the last time 😂

Now after lots of practice her lateral work has improved so I can keep her travelling straight and she's hacking out nicely solo so we don't interfere with anyone else.

A brisk marching walk is still hard work for her though and keeping the speed consistent is tricky. I'm aiming for the top of her walk speed just below where I would expect her to start gaiting, but as you can imagine it's not quite as easy as it sounds!

Then of course I get half a dozen strides of nice marching walk and theres a quadbike starting up or a cow sticking it's head out of the hedge or half a dozen barking dogs and her heads swivelled or her shoulder pops out or the speeds changed 😅

It is working to build the right muscles though. She used to always bounce right from walk to fox-trot if she got too fast so i'd have to bring her back, but now she's offering the odd stride of saddle gait 🥳

I'm still not asking for it, but starting to change what she's offering is a good sign. One day she'll walk right into it, but theres a lot of conditioning work in her future still!

25/10/2024

And that’s Lilo backed Tara Stone

Achievement unlocked! 🥳

Truthfully probably could have done this without much fuss at any point in the last few weeks, Lilo is pretty chill, I was just making it even easier for myself by doing extra groundwork 🙂

Got on, got off. Got on, walked a few steps, stood still (ish) for a minute then got off the other side. Very uneventful just how I like it!

13/10/2024

Poor Lilo!!!! Wannabe spider

11/10/2024

11/10/2024

We are so pleased to announce that our lovely Cornmill Illuminata (“Lulu”) has joined 4 other Cornmill horses at Natalie Stewart’s stud in Leicestershire

As many of you will know, Lulu is by Tara Stone’s incomparable stallion, Holy Smoke and out of our American import Just Teasing (“Tess”), also dam of Bridget Collins’s Cornmill Dandelion Moon (“Tsuki”).

We have retained Lulu’s half sister, Cornmill Liberty Bell (“Libby”), also by Smoke. We were truly blessed to have Smoke pass his silver and dun genes to both girls!

We wish Natalie and Lulu the very best life together both as a ridden horse and also as a future producer of fine Kentucky Mountain Horses. She will be a future bride for Natalie’s black stallion, Cornmill Sirius Black.

11/09/2024

What a day!

Iceman has passed his vetting with flying colours, and has landed in the most wonderful home.

New homes coming soon too for Lucky and Lulu, I’m so thrilled with where they are going.

I’m exhausted still from the show, overwhelmed with legal work and exhausted further because BT decided to carry out repairs at 5am this morning right below my bedroom window - what a racket !

But these are all minor things in the general all round happiness for being blessed to have these horses in my life, and finding them the very best of homes to go to when it’s time for them to spread their wings.

Everyone who needs to knows who they are and how much I appreciate their support ###

19/08/2024

Can’t wait to be there! This is such an amazing festival, a show like no other