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The weather has thrown some real contrasts at us this past month with most places in Tasmania recording their driest month ever, while in Queensland and New South Wales, there are floods galore.

It makes me realise we, as horse owners have to cope with whatever nature throws at us.

Photo: Happy horses and handlers at the Comfort Zone group. (Photo - Leigh Steven)

This means we need to remain flexible in our horse keeping arrangements and to even change our practices to better suit the conditions at various times of the year. It helps if you can think laterally and come up with inventive solutions to the problems encountered. If you need some inspiration as to what you can change in the way you keep or feed your horse here's an interesting web page from WholeHorseTrim.

And here's another from naturalhorsemanagement.com. In fact my recent web surfing turned up a huge number of interesting web sites when I searched on 'Paddock Paradise'. Its incredibly heartening to see that horse lovers all over the world are embracing more natural ways of keeping their horses.

Photo: Holly enjoys a massage from Sonia as the start to their groundplay session. (Photo by Leigh Steven.)

One of the observations I've made with my own herd is that they love moving together and exploring new places. I have a seperate paddock they go into each morning to graze for a few hours, then in the afternoon, I take them all for a run around the track in an adjoining paddock. Fiera (the foal) loves all this new exploring and runs fast with his dad while I lead or ride mum to keep the herd at a reasonable pace.

The youngsters especially just love to race around and stretch their legs, so going into a new area is the perfect reason for some fun.

I get as much pleasure from just interacting my my horses this way as I do from riding them, and it all adds to the variety which makes the spice of life!

To spice up your horse's life, try changing things on a regular basis - nothing could be more boring for them than living in the same old place for months on end.

If they do need to be kept in the same area for whatever reason, change things within that space. Add some new obstacles, change the place for their salt lick or where you feed them. Find some new toys, get some branches of trees safe for them to chew on like willow or poplar. Make a hoof bath around the water trough, add some gravel where they stand or on a path they use, or set up a track around the paddock perimeter so you can actually grow some grass in the centre by restricitng their grazing hours. You do need a good supply of grass hay to feed on the track so source this well before winter when the prices go high

. You may even have to look outside of your local area and get a big truck load in which can be stored on pallets with tarps or heavy duty plastic over it if you don't have a barn.

There are so many ways of improving life for our horses so go for it - see what you can do, and if you have any great ideas you'd like to share, please send me an email (address at the bottom).

Photo: Bernie listens to her young mare before asking for her attention. (Photo by Leigh Steven.)

The more I get to work with horses problems, the more I learn from the horses since I've taken the time to listen and understand their point of view.

For instance, I recently had a very funny incident happen with a horse I was re-educating to trailer load. He was in a yard with the float backed up so he could go on at liberty to eat his food, and his buddy was also in there with him, waiting to be fed.

The scared boy, Spin, got on the float to investigate the feed bin and my Jack, went up to the ramp to see what was going on. When Spin started to back out, Jack nipped him gently on the butt - Spin calmly walked back in. They repeated this several times with me wishing I had my camera with me.

Jack knew he was there to help keep Spin company while he practiced loading, and so I just had to laugh when he took that help a little bit further. Eventually Spin got tired of the game and having no incentive to stay on the float (no food) he backed through the bit of pressure Jack was putting on him. My friend Jen, who was with me witnessing all this just couldn't believe her eyes!

I've also been enjoying my instructing at the Comfort Zone days as much as the horses and their owners have, who are shown in these photos. if you'd like to come along see the Events News section to find out more.

How to transition to a bitless bridle By Cynthia Cooper ©

There’s a saying – “Go shoe-less but not clue-less” so here’s another - “Go bit-less but not wit-less”. (I’m sure it's been said before)!

So you’ve decided to listen to your horse and get rid of the bit. You may have read about or heard of the negative effects a bit can have on a horse, or you may just want to try riding bitless to see if your horse would prefer not to have a lump of metal in his mouth.

Perhaps you’ve ridden for a long time in a rope halter or hackamore and decided it's time to refine things, so a bitless bridle is the next step.
Or maybe you’d like to go out in public or compete without a bit but don’t want to be frowned upon for riding in a halter.

Whatever the reason, there are some things you can do to make the transition to using a bitless bridle smooth and safe for you and your horse.

Photo: (by Leigh Steven) A happily transitioned thoroughbred, ex-racehorse, showjumper and hunter loves to relax in his bitless bridle on a casual trail ride.

The first consideration should be the type of bridle you choose – will it suit your horse and the disciplines you’d like to ride in?
Depending on the country you live in, there are various choices, but with the internet and web shops these days, you can pretty much choose from a world wide source.
A Google search on bitless bridles will yield thousands of results.

When it comes down to basics though, there are mostly two types of bitless bridle – the cross-under style that works on whole head pressure, and the side-pull style that works mostly on nose pressure.
Your horse may respond better to one style over another so its worth getting one of each type to try out. Most companies selling them allow you to return the bridle within a certain time if it doesn’t suit your horse.

As with any new piece of equipment though, you probably need to give your horse enough time to adapt and learn how to respond before deciding which bridle to keep.

So where do you start?
It really depends on whether your horse has been ridden bitless in a rope halter or natural hackamore previously. If they have, and you have educated them using natural or good horsemanship principles, their transition will be quicker because you will already have some good habits (I hope!) in place.

What we do as riders ultimately affects how our horse responds to a bitless bridle. You could put the bridle on the horse and turn it loose (without reins and under constant observation in a safe yard) and the horse would most likely go about its business with no problems.
In fact, that’s a good way to introduce the bridle and take note of how the horse feels about it before any pressure is applied. The cross-under style bridles will generally require the noseband to be fitted firm for safe riding as well as correct and efficient function of the design but for this exercise, keep it reasonably loose so the horse can eat, drink and be comfortable.
Be sure there’s nothing the horse can catch the bridle on if it rubs on a post etc.

Fitting the bridle:
Wearing the bridle for a while will also reveal if your fit is correct. Most commonly, the noseband can slip down as the headpiece settles in behind the ears. The crossover style bridles such as the Dr Cook or No-Bit require a slightly lower noseband position than the side-pull styles such as the Light Rider – generally 3 finger widths below the prominent cheek bones is a good starting point. Dr Cook’s comes with full fitting instructions, and these should followed carefully. Adjusted properly, the noseband sits on the bone between the false nostrils and does not cause pain. Fitted no lower this, it is anatomically impossible for it to obstruct breathing – they’re not called ‘false’ nostrils for nothing! Fitted higher or looser like the noseband on bitted bridles, the noseband on the cross-under design can ride up and down, which can cause discomfort/pain and may also prevent the pressure from being displaced gently across the whole head.

Photo: A well fitted Dr Cook Bitles Bridle.
A well fitting brow band will also help the comfort of the bridle – if it’s too small it will pull the headpiece in tight against the ears and a too large brow band may slip down over the TMJ joint (bony piece above the eye) again causing discomfort.
The rope bitless bridles should also have the cheek pieces come in behind the large jaw bones – almost where the throatlatch would normally sit.
If this causes the noseband to be positioned too high near the prominent cheek bones, then the bridle is too small for your horse.
Something else to check is that the chinstrap (if it has one) fits snugly without being overly tight or loose, and that the reins are the right length for your horse’s neck.
Ideally they should allow you to hold them at ‘the buckle’ without having to stretch forward while your horse grazes.

Starting with Groundwork:
The best way to check that your horse responds to the bitless bridle is where you are safe – on the ground.
Start by asking your horse to yield to pressure on one rein, first to the left while you are standing at the girth, then do the same on the right side.
If your horse has been taught to yield to a rope halter, this should be a familiar exercise, but remember you are using a new piece of equipment which may put pressure on a different part of the head so accept a small response first.
You will find your horse responds better to a rhythmic ‘asking with on-off pressure’ rein than a steady pull. Close and open your fingers gently, in a rhythm a bit like covering each hole of a recorder or flute in sequence.
Any steady pull on the horse’s head usually sets up a brace or ‘opposition’ response because this is innate behaviour – your horse is programmed by nature to oppose pressure automatically, until they are educated to understand that certain types of pressure mean certain things.

The cross-under bitless bridle uses this principle; for turning left or right the design applies gentle pressure to the opposite side of the head, so that the horse is moving away, rather than into, the pressure.
When your horse can ‘give’ his head and hold lateral flexion for a few seconds while you give his head a rub or even release the rein totally by dropping it over the neck, it is safe to get on.
But before you do, it is also worth checking that your horse understands turning while in motion so walk your horse and use a directing rein to make turns to the left and right as you are moving.
This also gives you the opportunity to check out stopping. Rather than pulling on both reins together though, ask with a gentle lift and feel on one rein then the other – again in a rhythmic way to get the stop.

Once you have stopped, use the same kind of rhythm on each rein in turn to get a back up. If your horse doesn’t understand, take the reins in one hand and use a light rhythmic press on the horse’s chest to help.
It’s a good idea to repeat these exercises from each side of the horse so they are learned from both eyes and directions.
One more exercise I like to check on the ground is that my horse can yield the hindquarters to a gentle touch from my stirrup, about where my leg would give the aid.
First, ask your horse to yield their head a little towards you, then while holding this position, press the stirrup rhythmically against the horse’s side. If there is no response to a gentle pressure (no more than the skin being moved – if you indent muscle then you are pushing too hard), rather than give up or get firmer, add a rhythmic upwards lift to the rein. Keep this going with your own energy up and focus on the hindquarters until you get a result. This generally doesn’t take long if you keep up the rhythm on both stirrup and rein.
If you can do this exercise at the standstill, then also try it from the walk and trot to be sure your horse will listen to your leg – this is your brake!
Yielding the head in lateral flexion is like putting on the handbrake, so yielding the hindquarters takes the energy out of the horse’s powerhouse, therefore slowing it down (unless you are doing this in collection to supple the horse through lateral leg yields like half pass, shoulder in etc.).

Starting in the saddle:
This is best done in an enclosed arena or round yard, even a small paddock to be safe.
Start by going through the same exercises you did on the ground; lateral flexion, yielding the hindquarters, back up, then walking, turning, stopping and checking your lateral flexion again.
If your horse responds well at the walk, check out the trot and then the canter if you are up to that stage in your riding. You don’t have to do this all in the first ride either!
Check that you can stop by letting your energy down and gently squeezing each rein alternately, and also by yielding the hindquarters.
A nice exercise that helps the horse understand this, is to ride along the fence, yield the hindquarters away from the fence and turn the head towards it, to come to a stop facing the fence.

Overcoming Issues:
Understandably, some riders may be nervous or anxious about riding their
horse the first time without a bit and, unknowingly, use a lot of contact.
Strong contact is not usually necessary with a bitless bridle as communication is
clearer and unobscured by pain. If your horse is reacting to the bridle with head tossing, pulling, getting anxious or over excited, pawing, grinding their teeth or throwing their head up, it can help to ride with less contact than you have previously been using.

If a rider has been using rein pressure on a bitted bridle to achieve a semblance of what they think of as collection, they will initially be disappointed with the bitless bridle and may even decide that 'it doesn't work.' Bit-induced poll flexion, however, is not the same as true collection ... it is false collection.
With patience and proper training, a bitless bridle will provide all the collection that a rider desires. This process cannot and should not be hurried.
An educated horse that easily yields to pressure may even ‘over flex’ (as seen in this photo) in response to the bitless bridle, so use a longer rein and light, rhythmic feel on the reins to offer some ‘give’ in the pressure. Over flexing is a sign the horse is trying to get comfort from the constant pressure.

When you feel confident that your can control your horse easily and your horse seems happy in the bitless bridle, its time to venture out of the arena or pasture.
Rather than throw your horse in the ‘deep end’ by joining a group of friends for a long trail ride, just go on your own for a short ride, or with one other sympathetic friend.

Stick to places you know both you and your horse can be relaxed and enjoy the ride. This isn’t the time to test out a new trail, go faster than usual or negotiate obstacles you haven’t tried before.
Once your horse is going comfortably in the bitless bridle, you can then tackle new things, adding pressure in small increments for success.

Many riders will find their horse is more relaxed without the worry of a bit in their mouth. Even if they unbalance their rider a little, with a shy or an awkward jump, the grab at the reins for balance will only give a bump on the cheek or nose, rather than a jab in the mouth.

If your horse doesn’t seem happy in the bitless bridle, remember that you have eliminated discomfort in the mouth by removing the bit, but your horse
may still be feeling discomfort elsewhere which was previously masked by the
over-riding pain in the mouth. The two most common sites are the back from poor saddle fit and the hooves from poor shoeing or trimming practices.
For example, bucking may be in response to pain from the saddle or even the girth, not just from pure exhilaration or getting out of control.
Always eliminate all sources of physical pain before embarking on a re-education program. Remember the horse is only ‘misbehaving’ because that is the only way they can tell us something is not right or is hurting them.

A common cause of a ‘bad’ reaction to a bitless bridle may be sharp teeth – especially upper molars. The noseband may be causing pain which cannot be eliminated until the teeth have been floated. Also be careful with the cross-under biltess bridle that you have not trapped any whiskers or long chin hairs under the noseband buckle or cross-under straps.

Sometimes after the first few rides, your horse may be resistant to turning left or right. Most horses, like humans, have their 'good sides' and are better in one direction than another, but if this doesn't improve within half a dozen rides or so, look for another explanation. There may be a problem that, until now, has been masked by the pain of the bit. A horse that is stiff to turn in a bitless bridle may need some bodywork or may be reacting to a stiff or crooked rider. Maybe the horse seemed easier to turn in the bit because discomfort in the mouth outweighed everything else.

Use of the Bitless Bridle should not be considered a substitute for education. Although many horses do adapt instantly, or almost instantly, sometimes you do see a few new resistances (or the re-emergence of "old" ones that you thought you had cured when bitted), such as head tossing or rushing. These are typically seen on the first ride only, for obvious reasons. But sometimes they emerge quite suddenly on about the second or third ride.
It may be that the rider has become more confident about the new head gear, and starts to ask for a little more. Then it becomes a matter of fine-tuning and adjustment for the next few rides to give your horse confidence again.

As with any new exercise or piece of equipment you introduce, don’t expect it to be a ‘quick fix’ for a particular problem. Mind you, sometimes it can be with a bitless bridle because removing the bit instantly gives the horse comfort and confidence that it won’t have it’s mouth jabbed or constantly pulled on.

Expect an adjustment period and alter your expectations accordingly, and the transition to riding in a bitless bridle will be painless for both you and your horse.

If your transition isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, rather than give up, seek the assistance of an instructor or approved fitter of bitless bridles experienced in riding with one to help you. Sometimes all it takes is another pair of eyes to pick up something you’ve missed.

There is a growing number of people and horses having a happier time riding now that they have changed to a bitless bridle.

For more info and testimonials go to the Bitless Bridle page.

A Bitless Bridle is perfect for kids and ponies.

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO GUNNAR SCHILLIG for becoming the first fully qualified Cert. 3 Hoof Care Practitioner in Australia.

And how's this for personal service - Laurie Miller from TAFE Tas.
happened to be in New Zealand for a family function this month and
was able to personally present Gunnar with his certificate,
surrounded by fifty horses on the farm he is working on.

Well done Gunnar for finishing all those assignments, case studies
and mentorships in record time!
I wish you well on the journey that Hoof Care takes you on in the future.

There are a further 34 TAFE Hoof Care students studying the course and several more very close to completing before the full 12 months. Just goes to show how keen some of these trimmers are.

Here is a super web site for hoof care enthusiasts with loads of product info, great case studies (you can easily upload your own) and a place to list your services for free. Check out superhoof.org here.

Readers may recall from prior newsletters, the pony, Carla, who I picked up and took ownership of at the end of September, 2007.

For about the first two months, Carla’s condition, as could be expected, was labile. Whilst on two occasions she managed to move relatively quickly away from a person trying to catch her, her normal gait was a stiff, sluggish, shuffling walk.

In November, Carla suffered a terrible physical setback, and I began arrangements for her euthanasia. However, before this could be carried out, she showed (very minimal) signs of improvement, so I put these plans on hold, and then cancelled them altogether. At this point, however, I defined the conditions that I accepted as humane for her to live with. There were two very definite symptoms, one physical and one behavioural, that if demonstrated, would indicate it was time for euthanasia.

Carla has gained weight, and has particularly filled out on her rump, neck and over her ribs. Her prominent backbone will most likely become covered with further weight gain and muscle build up. Her exercise regime has progressed from leading at a painstakingly slow walk in the paddock, to leading in the paddock from another horse to going for walks up the road. Most other people walk their dogs – I walk my high need ponies twice a day!

Outings off the property have only been possible in the past week, since her last trim. Her front hooves now fit in 000 Easyboots and so she accompanies another Shetland recovering from laminitis and the kids on their bikes for walks up the road. See this web site for a few recently added videos.

In December Carla received an Equine Touch treatment from Liz. To keep her hooves heading in the right direction, Carla is trimmed regularly by Jeremy Ford. Her back feet appear reasonable well shaped and healthy, but there is still a long way to go with her front feet. From time to time I experiment with removing her pads and boots, but she seems to move far better and be more comfortable with them on.

The soles of Carla’s feet have greatly recovered. There used to be many fissures in the sole of her off fore and when I held the spay bottle directly on one and sprayed the disinfectant, it would seep out of several other places. From

time to time I soak Carla’s feet in salt water and I use felt pads in the Easyboots so that I can soak them with water to re-hydrate her feet.

I would like to unreservedly thank the following people for their generous support:

Tassie rider, Kylie Hutcheon, has put together a great resource for endurance riders taking the barefoot and boots journey. There's lots of info about equipment, booting tips, lists that help with packing for the ride and much more. Click here to have a look.

Please read the info following from the Victorian Brumby Association, and should you wish to help, print off the petition (link below) and get signing! Please ensure you send all signed petitions back to the address shown on the petition BEFORE THE END OF FEBRUARY, as in before the end of this month. Most important.

Some of you may not know it, but Sheila Greenwell, the tireless vet who heads up most of the OHHAWA rescues, owns a heritage horse mare who was caught using similar methods – that is, this mare was tied to a tree for several days when first caught. The mare (then only an older filly) did not give up and fought the whole time, resulting in a cracked tooth which later infected her jaw because it went undetected. By the time she was passed to Sheila, the horse was nearly dead. The resultant surgery caused a large hole in the mare’s upper jaw/face which remained open for nearly ONE WHOLE YEAR.

Every day, Sheila packed the wound and treated the mare. Food would be pushed out of the hole when she ate. When, at the end of that year, even Sheila was about ready to give up, the mare, who never did, began to heal and the wound closed over.

Now about 15 years old, only white hair on the mare’s cheek and behind her ears (where the rope cut in to her flesh) bears witness to her ordeal. The mare, registered as Kimberley Lady Forest but appropriately named “Fester”, only trusts a few people in this world to ride her these days, and one of those is of course Sheila.

Help prevent this happening to other horses and let’s get lots of signatures on the attached petition. Traditional brumby running is an unfortunate practice that – along with aerial culling – should bebanned throughout Australia.

In Victoria, Brumbies are caught by ‘running’ them. That is; they are chased up into the snowline and run until they are exhausted, then roped from another horse, haltered and lead back to camp where they are tied on a long rope to a tree for up to three days whilst the catchers go and get more Brumbies.

This process is exhausting, painful and stressful for the Brumbies. We have several instances of Brumbies who have been permanently injured during the process. Not only this, but the ABMA (Alpine Brumby Management Association) is a large group, open to public membership.

The majority of these members are great horsepeople who do the right things, but the fact stands from the Brumbies who have arrived here this year that there are some who DON’T do the right thing by the Brumbies they have caught. Due to the large amount of members, Parks Vic cannot adequately police the welfare of the Brumbies caught or the knowledge of the riders involved.

In NSW, Brumbies are lured into yards using salt licks and the gates are closed once they enter. The mob is immediately checked and any mares who are close to foaling or have young foals at foot are released. Any that are too poor in condition to travel are also released (euthanasia is a last resort). Capture of any wild animal is an inherently stressful experience. Passive trapping removes the panic stricken fleeing, the running until they are exhausted and sore, the handling by all sorts of people and then being tied to trees for up to three days whilst their captors go out to catch more Brumbies.

Click here to get the petition which request that Parks Vic. cease all Brumby running immediately pending an investigation into the humaneness of running and various other factors.

We would welcome your support and action with this petition. Tell your friends, take one into a local feedstore or grain merchant, get as many signatures as possible. The more people that KNOW about what goes on and that there ARE other options, the more success we will have in our efforts to make the capture and rehoming of our Brumbies as stressless as possible!

If petitions could be returned to us by the end of February, we can submit them to Parks with our proposal for passive

Thanks for your support, Colleen O'Brien, Victorian Brumby Association Inc. Ph. 03 5345 1362

Carlos Clinics Pictorial Report

The two January Clinics with Carlos Tabernaberri were well supported with a full list of riders at both. The southern clinic was held at the Tas. Equestrian Centre at Lauderdale and the northern clinic at the Violet Banks indoor arena, near Westbury.

A good number of fence sitters enjoyed the day as well, many experiencing Carlos' entertaining style of teaching for the first time.

Carlos was also in demand for private lessons over three days and will be returning to Tassie for more lessons in the near future.

Anyone interested in clinics or lessons with Carlos should contact him directly through the website here.

Tarryn from KwaZulu Natal in South Africa sent some lovely pics of her horses playing and sleeping at home - looks like a grand life for this herd and just how it should be.

Wallbrook Stud's Aristo - purebred Friesian colt, modelling the Friesian flag.

DID YOU KNOW?
Dr Madalyn Ward has a new book available called Horse Harmony. Dr Ward is author of Holistic Horsekeeping and has written many other useful papers and E Books on various topics including Lamintis and Cushings Disease.

In Horse Harmony, the preview written by Wendy Murdoch is summed up with the following:

"Horse Harmony puts words and case histories behind each personality type to help riders understand why a relationship is not working, ease the emotional stress when acknowledging incompatible personalities, and give guidance as to what to look for in order to have a good relationship with their horse. Horse Harmony helps you understand why you and your horse are not getting along and what to what to look for so that you can make wiser decisions based on compatibility with your next horse."

Unless it's come from a property in the red, purple or amber zones of NSW or Qld in the past 14 days, it'll no longer be necessary to have the horse inspected by a vet before bringing it into Tasmania. The horse will need to be accompanied by a declaration outlining where it's come from and going to (for tracing purposes if there were any new cases of EI) and, if it's coming from the white zone of NSW, ACT or QLD via Victoria, a Victorian Horse Entry Declaration. The green zones of NSW and Qld became white zones on 1 Feb - which means they now have the same disease-free status as the non-infecetd states.

Until the middle of next week, importers will still have to apply for a permit but this will not include the Veterinary Certificate or Transport Declaration. The application form presently on the web should be used. From the middle of next week, a permit won't be necessary, just the travel declaration (available from our website or by contacting us) and, assuming the horse is coming from the white zone of NSW, Qld or the ACT via Victoria, a Victorian Horse Entry Declaration.

If the horse is from a red, purple or amber zone, it'll need a permit to enter Tasmania as well as various documentation to enter Victoria first. Basically, assuming it comes through Victoria, it will have to comply with the Victorian government's conditions (in particular the required quarantine period on arrival in Victoria) - once it has done that, you should be able to get a permit to bring it to Tasmania.

If you're thinking about bringing a horse into Tasmania from a red, purple or amber zone in NSW or Qld without going through Victoria, contact us first so that we can discuss what needs to happen.

A permit is no longer required. Instead you need to sign a declaration that the gear/semen has not been on a property known or suspected to have EI within the last 7 days. The declaration form is available on our website.

FEBRUARY
16th - THRRO Car Boot Sale at Lauderdale, Foreshore Tavern Carpark. Ph. 0417304313
16th & 17th - David Stuart Intermediate Course
16th & 17th - Gordon McKinlay Clinic 1, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.
20th - 21st - Gordon McKinlay Clinic 2, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.
20-24th - Mel Fleming & Tony Robinson Course at Pontville. Ph. Nicole on 62660315.
25th - 26th Gordon McKinlay Clinic 3, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.

6th - The Natural Horse Adult Ed. evening course (see details below in Events news).
16th - Young Horse Day with Cynthia at Turnara Lodge, Yorktown. Ph. Alyssia 63 834825.

16th - Natural Hoof Care Course with Wild About Hooves (see details below in Events news)

DAVE STUART COURSES in February
February 16th & 17th - Intermediate Course
Early Bird Special. For those that get your course application in and a $50.00 deposit by the 18th of December, you will secure the Beginners Course for $250.00 for the two days!!! That’s is a saving of $50.00 off the normal rate. (That is cheaper than last year!)

Normally for the 4 full days of instruction it would cost $600.00 ($300.00 per 2 day course)

If you sign up for both courses you will receive a 10% discount. Giving you $60.00 off. Get 4 full days of instruction for only $540.00.

NOTE: If you sign up for both courses and get your rego forms and deposit in by the Early bird date then you can secure both courses for only $500.00.
Contact Jacqui Smythe on 0409 928 393 or email jacquismythe@ozemail.com.au

The Ultimate Horsemanship Experience with Mel Fleming & Tony Robinson comes to Tasmania in February. Check Mel's web site for more information - click here.

Covering: Connecting with horses, Universal Energetic Bodywork, Riding with Syncronicity.
Immerse yourself in a horsemanship experience you will never ever forget. You will learn how to deal with any behaviour or performance problems from both perspectives of soundness in the body, training and riding techniques.

Being held at Pontville. February 20 - 24th. Ph. Nicole on 62660315 or 0404 893243.

Two Day Horsemanship Clinics with the legendary Gordon McKinlay
Clinic 1 Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th February 2008

All clinics are held at Batten Park, Ulverstone. Camping facilities, yards and toilets facilities available. Morning and Afternoon tea provided.

For a copy of the entry form please contact Marg Richardson marg.richardson@bigpond.com Ph. 64272255 or Jane Cutts - j.cutts@ract.com.au Ph. 64291285.

EQUINE TOUCH Level 1 Foundation Clinic/Seminar
Instructor from USA - Jock Ruddock
Sat 26 April – Mon 28 April at North Lilydale
For registration contact Elizabeth Stanfield 63951590
Cost: $450 for the 3 day clinic (includes morning tea and course manual) Deposit $100 payable on booking. For more info go to www.theequinetouch.com

Young Horse Day with Cynthia
On Sunday the 16th March Cynthia will be holding a workshop and demonstrations on educating young horses from foals to two year olds.
Alyssia and Steve Turner of Turnara Stud at Yorktown (just past Beaconsfield) are hosting the event with their beautiful shire horse youngsters being used for the demos.
Topics covered will include first handling of the foal, catching, teaching to lead, hoof handling, worming, tying up, desensitising and float loading.
For just $30 for the day which includes a BBQ lunch and drinks, you can see the gentlest way of introducing a young horse to all the things it needs to know to develop a confident, calm horse for the future. Please book with Alyssia by phoning 63 834825.

Jeremy Ford and Jen Clingly will teach three adult education courses in March and April in Launceston. The first is an evening 2.5 hour session on The Natural Horse on March 6th (NA2712) - Reflect on the nature of the horse and explore the relevance wild horses around the world have on our own domestic equines. Delve into their environment, lifestyle, diet, soundness and wellbeing to gain insights into adapting your home environment to keep some 'wild' elements to improve your domestic horse's quality of life.

Two Natural Hoof Care courses will be held on March 16th (NA2635) and April 13th (NA2541) at Brooks High School. You will learn to maintain your own horses hooves using natural hoof care techniques. A theory and practical workshop to enable you to do-it-yourself.

To make your booking contact Adult Education ON 63362666 and quote the course number listed next to the dates above. To learn more about natural hoof care - www.wildabouthooves.com.au

THE WILD HORSE ADVENTURE - MAY 29 TO JUNE 1
Lets go Way Out Back! For those of you keen to observe the brumbies in their natural habitats in outback NT now is the time to book. Cheap flights are available!
Tiger Airlines have $59.95 flights from Melbourne to Alice Springs
Don't miss this opportunity - four day tour jam packed with brumbies, hooves, aboriginal culture, spectacular desert stars, and outback wildlife. enjoy luxury 4wd vehicles with awesome, experienced tour operators and guides of 'Way Out Back tour company ' catering to our every whim and wish.
Only $700 all inclusive (food, sleeping gear, drinks, transport and camping equipment).
Tax deductible for anyone running a hoof care business!
Contact Jen Clingly on 0408 838198 for further info and to book your tour place - spaces limited. (only 6 seats left!) $100 deposit will secure your seat.

The Comfort Zone Day is on the first Saturday of each month at 'Harveydale', Westbury from 9.30am to 3.30pm. This group study session is for people interested in deepening the level of communication and relationship with their horse through studying the E-Book 'Bobby's Diaries' by Jenny Pearce. All new participants must come along without their horse first and have the book so they have a basic understanding of the techniques used.

Cynthia guides and instructs two sessions (AM & PM) starting with ground play and then riding.

Cost is $55 for the day or $30 for one session and includes the ground hire fee.

Intending participants must email Cynthia (address below) to book in as numbers are limited to 10 horses.

FOR SALE Ammo half breed Saddle 17 inch Black, fully mounted, anti gall girth, ox bow stirrups $550 ph 62686620 Bagdad.

GIVE AWAY TO CARING HOME: Purebred 2yo grey arabian gelding. Very friendly nature and handled since birth but has some conformation faults and a club foot that will need good regular trimming. Should be sound and rideable but not a performance prospect. Contact Cynthia on 0419 372279 to register your interest.

For lease: Snowy. App X Quarter Horse Gelding, 14yo, 14.3hh. Natural training/riding for past 3.5 years (part way through L2 parelli). Affectionate, playful, quiet: taken in christmas parades, RSPCA walks. Extremely willing with lots of try in him for virtually anything - loves to please. Rider must have some exp, and light weight rider preferred due to a bit of a marked dip in his spine. Is currently barefoot (with boots) and is ridden only in natural hackamore. Owner is moving international for approx 12 months in approx 8 weeks.
Natural home only. Snow has a very phlegmatic disposition therefore will suit a laid back rider. Any interested persons please phone Kristen on 0400 943 423 asap!!!

For sale to approved home - Kerrilea My Kapri (DOB 1.11.94)

Kapri is a lovely registered part-bred Arabian flea-bitten grey mare, approximately 13.3hh. She is offered for sale to the very best of homes only. Kapri would be suitable as a broodmare for studs looking for a quality mare or as a riding horse (preferably to a natural home) to someone with time to put into her as she is not currently in work. Kapri loves trail riding and beach rides and would be a great endurance mount, but she is sensitive and does need an experienced rider. Kapri is currently barefoot. Vet check welcome. Please telephone Natasha on 62485435 or email kelson161@bigpond.com for further information or photos. Price $1500 or $1800 with rugs ono.

WANTED TO BUY : Parelli level 1 & 2 packs - harmony (old or new level 2)
Ph: Sue on 0438829138 email : hsmaguire@bigpond.com

FOR SALE:Tico (pictured) is a 9hh Palouse cross riding pony filly. She is two years old and has a loving quiet nature. She is confident in floating, being trimmed, doing natural games and fine with a saddle on her back. Have sat on her many times. She is great to tie up. She needs time to grow and mature and will make a great kids pony/driving/companion pony. $600.00 call 0488793441

Free lease: Chev - Very very quiet TB gelding, been there done that. 15.2hh, 15yo Chev has Evented to grade 3 and has been to the royal. Dressage and show jumping.Due to an on goingback problem can no longer be evented.I ideally want him to go to a loving trail riding home, as he just loves to get out. Loves the beach as well. Very quiet has had 10yo take him on trails and complete beginners.I really don’t want to see him go but with 4 horses and him sitting around doing nothing its time for him to be back in light work.It will be only a free lease not sale but will be for however long you want. Will be with some gear and rugs.There will be some conditions to the lease regarding chiropractor to keep him fine tuned. But well worth the effort for such a quiet mount. Best of homes only need apply.PH: 62 535 486 or 0428 838 921 sarraz@bigpond.com

FOR SALE: Tilly -Absolutely stunning chestnut mare, 14hh, 10yo reg. Arabian pony, and reg. Riding pony. With papers. Tilly displays true correct movement with 3 beautiful even paces and hasexceptional ground manners. Easily jumping 65cm. Has been shown successfully. Attended PC, trail riding, roadwork, and beaches. And completed a 10klm endurance ride. She is a pleasure to prepare for outings and is a great hack/dressage mount for the intermediate rider. To the best of homes only $2500. With some gear. Ph: 0428 838 921/62 535 486 OR email sarraz@bigpond.com pics on request via email.

FOR SALE: Pinto/arab mare with exquisite pinto/arab filly at foot.
FILLY: (see photo above in subscriber news) 1 month old. By Kerrilea Maximus, multi champ. Arabian Riding pony. Amir El Shaklan/ Willocroft Wizard breeding. Filly can be dual reg. and WILL EXCEL IN THESHOWRING! She has prescence to burn and movement that has to be seen to be believed. Bold and friendly, excellent conformation - a real head-turner! Will mature approx. 14.2hh
MARE:15.2hh, 20 years young, NOT REG. Broodmare only. Sweet gentle mare, excellent mother and easy breeder. In excellent health and a fantastic doer. $2500 neg. Ph 62 604517 or email: nathairvalley@bigpond.com

FOR SALE: Linseed (Flaxseed) - clean and almost food grade in 25kg bags for just $15 a bag. Clean oats and grass seed also available. Ph. 63 973593. Delivery to Deloraine available.

If you have an add you would like included in the next newsletter please email it to me (in the body of the email written in lower case please) by the 29th of February for the March 2008 newsletter.
Advertising in the newsletter is free but exact wording must be supplied and photos must be reduced to less than 50kb as .jpg files.

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