Forge And Fleece

02/09/2024

The boys get a day off so I can get some fence work done while the weather is so nice

30/08/2024

Easy is ready for the weekend,
I didn't do much with him today other than some touch ups on his tail and cleaning his hooves. Demo on the other hand got a nice and hard workout to take some nerve off while I'm away

29/08/2024

Easy loves his salt blocks!

28/08/2024

A for a quick ride on Demo today before the rain.
He's been very fresh and antsy lately but after a bit of a run he was able to get some nerves off and mellowed out.

26/08/2024

Working on Easys tail.
I've trimmed up and washed Easys tail to get some if the old bleached hair out and to tidy it up a bit. He was an absolute champ and stood to let me mess around for an hour cutting and brushing his hair, he was a bit confused about having a wet tail and it touching his legs but all together he was awesome.

23/08/2024

We are getting ready for summer and all the flies. Demo wasn't a fan of trying on a fly mask for the first time and was very confused but as always will deal with all of the weird and annoying things I do.

22/08/2024

Me and Demo enjoying a short ride before the vet visit tomorrow, he was a bit fresh with being out of work since having shoes put on but wasn't too bad.

19/08/2024

Nice to see Easy is losing his worm weight

13/08/2024

A big day for the old boy,
Demo now has front shoes on and will be having a vet visit to sort out and wrap the back hooves. We are making progress!

09/08/2024

A big day for Easy!
Yes I know, the bridle is loose but this is likely his first time ever having a bit in his mouth and it was only on for 5 minutes tops.
He stood perfectly for both lessons and didn't care too much about either.

08/08/2024

A little grooming day for Easy,
He took everything in and we achieved a lot today.
He stood tied up and let me brush him down, spending over half an hour messing with his hair but most importantly he let me cut his forlock, as you see in the first few photos he had let me cut off his mane but never his front dreads. We even got the tail done.
Now he definitely looks like a polo pony! 🐎

06/08/2024

Some more info on Easy

05/08/2024

A look at Easys hooves before I start working on them

02/08/2024

Another day, another way to make Demo question why he deals with me

01/08/2024

I think breaking Easy in will be, well, easy!
After bringing him in and having him hang out while I work on Demo he was pretty interested in this whole 'job' thing.

31/07/2024

30/07/2024

Hoof to shoe comparison
I fiddle with Demos hooves either once a week or atleast every two weeks so he is always in good condition with his fronts.
We have issues with the back hooves but are making massive progress and while we are fixing those, keeping his fronts maintained will help the process and make fixing all four hooves easier.

29/07/2024

Progress!
Finally getting a good trim of that back left hoof

25/07/2024

Little Cheese is ready for the weekend

25/07/2024

Two peas in a pod

22/07/2024

After months of being neighbors the two boys finally get to be paddocked together and they both seem fairly smitten about it

22/07/2024

Pikowais handsome rig/stallion
This handome dude is Easy Vittesey or Easy for short
When I started work with Demo he had to be separated from his two boys and paddocked next to Easy as company.
His story is that he was brought from a Breeder in Cambridge as a yearling c**t and left to mature in the paddock. Now as a 7 year old turns out he may be a rig, which just means he appears to be a gelding but has hidden testicles in his abdomen or the canal they normally go down but he could still get a mare pregnant.
Unfortunately because he was left alone he lacks almost all normal horse behavior as well as being an unpredictable 'stallion' so being next to Demo has helped the both of them. Once Demo moves to his new home in December it will be Easys turn to learn the ropes of being a handled and possibly ridden horse.

18/07/2024

Foal Friday
Introducing Moldy Cheese, he has no official name yet but mum has decided his paddock name be 'Moldy Cheese' and his racename, if he is to ever race be 'Ryen Stone Cowboy' given he is a brown going gray c**t and will look a bit moldy till his real grey comes out.

18/07/2024

Tarp day today
We had a very hard trust exercise today. Demo did awesome and is so very trusting, it was hard for him to stop and think so I would step away and let him have a breath then he'd do more than I asked and I couldn't believe how well he managed it. He is known to be a bit spooky but he is really trying which is why we are making so much progress.

16/07/2024

One awesome comparison, we still have a way to go but I was able to trim down Demos back left hoof which has been a struggle to get him just to rest it to be cleaned out let alone held and trimmed.

12/07/2024

Someone is happy it's Friday
Today wasn't easy for Demo as I had planned to do some new, totally scary things. It was hard for him to not freak out but he is one hell of a trier, he will try as hard as he can to do what I'm asking even when it's hard because he has an amazing level of trust with me.
With every new thing there's a bunch of licking and chewing to let the tension out but he also gets a lot of pets and praise because he is such a good boy!

11/07/2024

Demo being his handsome self while I'm confused by how long the lead is

10/07/2024

Demos daily strolls
As part of our routine me and demo go for 30 minute walks before we move into anything else.
This helps him warm up and he enjoys his walk, I try not to go the same way every day so we have found a few new trails on the farm to walk and stop for a lunge.
Our walks help demo stay calm but are also helping with his muscle development.

09/07/2024

Where it all started
After starting at the RDA in kihikihi working with the horses and kids as a volunteer I soon met Gary Hackett.
At first I spent the first few months just watching and asking questions till one day he then started to teach me how to trim on the horses and his own.
Two years later and I'm now out trimming horses by myself and working on helping people with handling horses.
I remember Gary always saying how he was happy to teach me and have the patience because he knew I'd end up being able to help others when he no longer needs to teach me and I'm happy to say he couldn't be more right, I still send him photos of what I'm doing and discus my horses with him but I think I'll always do that.

05/07/2024

A little surprise before the weekend
Given demos awesome mounting and waiting skills I decided to work on the a little more today and was eventually confident enough in him I hopped on ba****ck in the halter and we went for a little 5 minute walk. Although we bolted once he realized I was on he soon settled down and we cruised around.
I'm so proud of this boy!