Carolyn’s Horses

Below is details on all the horses that Carolyn own’s or has owned in the past, simply click a horses name to be taken to their bio.

Tina | Misty | Cloud | Molly | Cleo | Ginny | Sunny | Poppet | Trenta | Florence | Toby | May | Misty | Sienna | Sway

Tina

Name:Tina Height:12hh Breed:Exmoor Cross Info:My first pony was what you may politely call character building or more accurately a mistake buy, by novice parents for a novice horse mad pestering girl!Only 3 years old barely broken she was not keen on work, very nappy, she bucked to try and get me off and when that did not work would get down and role on any soft ground.An honest instructor and some people at pony club admitted this was not a combination made in heaven and if I wanted to progress my riding it would be fairer to sell the pony on and find a pony that was much older, that had been, seen and done and got the T-shirt. So after 6 months we followed advice and never looked back.

Misty

Name:Misty (1) Height:13.1hh Breed:Believed Welsh section B X Info:Misty was my second pony but I always consider Misty my first pony as he really was a fantastic servant and gave his rider loads of confidence. 12 years old very laid back I rode this pony all over the countryside and competed (with legs flapping) in mounted games, Hunter trials, show jumping and occasionally hunted, never the fastest or the best we won lots of green rosettes!My first show involved me falling off but Misty just stood there while I got back on, and was probably jumped again and again until I finally achieved a clear round. Alas eventually I wanted to jump higher and faster so he was sold on to another keen novice rider to start his job all over again. I knew where he lived right up to the end, having gone through several riders he eventually lived out his days a few villages away.

Cloud

Name:Cloud (Myrefield Master) Height:12.2hh Breed:Unknown Info:9 year old Cloud was a very clever pony he some how always knew when the farrier was coming and would not allow us to catch him.Amongst his other strange habits he also frequently jumped fields when he decided the grass was better over there!He was quite a strong pony and I remember being run of with quite a few times until I got used to him. This pony taught me to really ride I went to Woodnook arena and for the first few months every time the jump of course was 1 – 4 ( a U turn) my lack of control meant I was eliminated as he carried on in a straight line and jumped fence number 2! Cloud had an incredible jump being able to jump 4ft spreads with no problems but needed riding properly. Often the smallest pony in the Open this pony gave me my first taste for real show jumping in addition he was also on the Rockwood PPC team.

Molly

Name:Molly Height:11.2hh Breed:Thelwell relative! Info:I had been doing mounted games on Cloud but by the end of the season Cloud’s enthusiasm for the job was waning. Molly was already on the Rockwood Mounted Games A team a ‘Star’ pony; she loved the job, but was out grown by her current rider. I did 2 seasons with Molly on the Rockwood mounted games A team competing all over the country on her.As a discipline some people look down on mounted games, but I would say these people do not know what they are talking about. The dedication to ride at A team level is serious, with constant practices, riders have to have a determined attitude, ability for good timing, and have no fear of riding at all paces without stirrups, all things that have gone on to help me in other areas of my riding.When I was eventually too old to continue mounted games Molly was once again sold to another Rockwood rider and remained always on the team at Rockwood Harriers. At over 20 years old she was retired at which point her original owner (who was also the Rockwood mounted games team Trainer) had her back home to live out her days.

Cleo

Name:Cleo (Copertino) Height:14.1hh Breed:Unknown Info:A 14 year old JA pony Cleo was purchased as a pony that required stepping down a level, ideal to transitions me on to a bigger pony. She was very experienced and never put in more effort than she had to, she would usually come out of the ring with multi coloured hooves from where she skimmed across the top of the jumping poles but always managed to leave them up.Our best achievement was being selected for the Rockwood Harriers Area SJ team we qualified for the Weston Park championships (at 12 years old I was one of the youngest riders competing) and even achieved the best result for out team when jumping a second round clear something I entirely credit to the pony!Unfortunately our partnership was cut short, when after less than a year she was kicked by another horse and broke her leg. Many tears were shed by all the family at the loss of this talented and gentle pony who deserved to be around for a lot longer.

Ginny

Name:Ginny (Denby Lady) Height:14.2hh Breed:Arab X Info:A highly distinctive stunning 9 year old pony at first my parent were pretty worried about her due to how much bucking she did! However she made JA. A typical jumping pony she hated flatwork and did everything her way.One of my best memories was riding her at Hickstead she did her own showy’passage movement’ from the stables to the arena then did her usual bucking all the way to the first fence. My parents over heard people saying ‘Oh this won’t do anything’ as usual she then proceeded to jump clear. She was later sold on and jumped by a couple of other riders who also enjoyed many wins with her, eventually living out her life just a couple of villages away.

Sunny

Name:Sunny (Rockwood Red Sunset) Height:14.2hh Breed:Unknown Info:Purchased as a 4 year old I competed him at the same time as Ginny therefore having the best of both worlds an older jumper and a novice to bring on.Sunny did a bit of everything including Pony club Dressage and the odd Hunter trials but mainly show jumped. With a huge jump in my last season we narrowly missed qualifying HOYS drawn last to go we only needed to jump clear I rolled the pole on the last fence (yes I was upset).At Just 5 years old he was nearly JA being my last year in juniors how we all wished we had another year. His talent had not gone unnoticed he was quickly snapped up and sold to go show jumping in Sweden.

Poppet

Name:Poppet (Pop the Cork) Height:15.1hh Breed:Breed Unknown Info:Poppet was my first horse purchased to transition me off ponies. 9 years old when she arrived she was rather underweight and looked to have a huge head she was poorly schooled but had a willing careful jump. A few people were probably expecting me to go on to a more flashy jumping horse and were rather derogatory about her. She had won £50 BSJA as a youngster then had mainly been jumped locally.My first 6 months were a learning curve with a few stops along the way, but after I learned to ride her we never looked back. Very quiet to handle, stood still with her head hanging and eyes half shut (even at shows) it was hard to imagine this little horse had so much capability! She won over £500 BSJA including placings in HOYS qualifiers and wins and places at Foxhunter and Grade C level (not bad for a 15.1hh).As well as giving me her all in the show jumping arena she was also a useful all-rounder being on the Rockwood Area team in SJ, Horse Trials and Dressage.After she was sold on we always kept track of where she was. When her owner was no longer able to keep her she was given back to me along with her 2 year old daughter. Poppet had earned her retirement and lived happily at Myrefield until 2006 when age 28 she was put down due to failing health.

Trenta

Name:Trenta (Westland Trenta) Height:15.2hh Breed:Connermara X Info:I have included Trenta on my significant horses list not because of great successes but because I learned some difficult lessons. Trenta was purchased with great expectations of hopefully making the grade as a Young Riders SJ horse, however for all he had the jump he was short striding and over careful – eventually stopping at Foxhunter level onwards. I spent 3 years longer than I should of trying to make him into the horse he was meant to be, which during the process was eroding away my confidence. Eventually I changed trainer to Yogi Briesner (who has since gone on to be the British Eventing team trainer/chef d quipe) who honestly told us he was good, but not good enough. He was ridden by another rider who had been on the British team who also concluded he was not good enough.I later tried some affiliated Working Hunter with him, he found the tracks easy and was finally able to enjoy himself. I felt great guilt for pushing him beyond his chosen level when he should have been a successful working hunter enjoying tracks of up to 4ft. I since then have vowed I will always learn to do what ever the horse is good at rather than pushing them down my chosen route.

Florence

Name:Florence (Westland Bay) Height:16hh Breed: Unknown Info: Purchased as a 4 year old I expected she would jump at least to BSJA Newcomer level or as a fall back had the stamp of a nice pony club eventer (she went on to make a Grade A show jumper). As a youngster she lacked stamina but had a text book jumping technique and elastic paces. Super consistent at jumping double clears within 6 months she jumped out of British novice and Discovery so, not wanting to push her due to her lack of maturity she spent sometime doing Dressage with equal success. (I have know doubt with her paces and ride-ability she would of gone equally far in the discipline of Dressage).Florence’s main achievements included 4th in her Newcomer HOYS qualifier, 3rd in BSJA Winter League division 2 and qualifying for the RIHS Grade C finals where the fences reached 1m 55, she won over £2000 in prize money.Florence’s life has been upset by quite a few health problems. As an 8 year old she damaged the retina in her eye this caused years of problems with painful bouts of Uveitus and eye Ulcers, several times we thought she would loose an eye. Due to constant flare ups with her eye we were unable to continue regularly jumping her meaning at 8 years old just as she was reaching her potential I chose to step her down a level as she had started to over jump the fences. We eventually in 2004 decided to put her in foal, all was going smoothly but then she had to be rushed to Liverpool requiring colic surgery. The out look was not good, a substantial amount of intestine was taken out from an area of the gut where the recovery rate was lower than normal on top of this she was also carrying a foal. Lucky for us, Florence and her unborn foal (named Sienna) pulled through. In 2008 she required 2 further surgeries again pulling through but leaving her with a hernia.  She was retired at the beginning of 2011 as she started to be slightly unsound in her back legs when ridden.   All those that know her, know she is a super character and a very special generous talented horse. Florence is now aged 21 (in 2011). It would be fair to say she is the ‘Queen’ of Myrefield it has been a privilege to ride and own her, and a hard act to follow for other horses, she will live out the rest of her days here, as long as that may be.

Toby

Name:Toby (Westland Diamond) Height:16.1hh Breed:¾ Irish Draught. (Silver Hunter) Info: I jumped Toby at the same time as Florence both purchased as 4 year olds, Florence and Toby were like chalk and cheese. Florence read all the text books and Toby was a bit of a wild child! I always believed if he had been born a Thoroughbred he would have probably had the qualities of a great Grand National horse, sadly his chunky legs, body and pedigree let him down! Overall he probably had a bigger jump than Florence but lacked her ride-ability and calm brain. I consider that Toby contributed to a lot of my successes on Florence because he gave me a lot of confidence, something I needed after the difficulties I had had with Trenta. No fence was too big and he did not know how to spook or stop with the motto if he could not go over it he would go through it!He won about £600 and won the Winter League Division 3 championship finals at Stoneleigh. Over the big tracks he would have 4 fault-itus! So being a good looking horse I tried to re-invent him as a Working Hunter. Able to jump worker HOYS courses with no problem his Achilles heel was his excitability giving me and the ride judges some interesting rides on the flat especially if he saw a jump!After 18 months hoping he would settle on the flat and make it as a top Working Hunter I decided this leopard was not going to change his spots and sold him on as a jumping schoolmaster his new owner also introduced him to XC for which he has gone on to be a star winning all over for his delighted new owner.

May

Name:May (Westland May Day) Height:15.2hh Breed:Sandros Whisker (Oldenburg) x Pop the Cork Info:Bred out of Pop the Cork (Poppet) my old showjumper, I took on this horse as a youngster due to my sentimental connection with the mother. It was due to this mare’s cautious temperament that I started to look into natural horsemanship to try and work with her, in the best manner possible.Although bred to jump it took 12 months to get her happy going over poles and fillers so in the mean time due to her super confirmation and movement we tried showing with great success. Shown as a small ridden horse her best results included 4th place in RIHS Small Ridden horse classes and 4th place in the HOYS search for a star ridden horse qualifier in a short time she has won numerous ridden horse classes at affiliated and agricultural level. As a 6 year old when we then asked her to go jumping again this time she took to it like a duck to water!  12 months after having my son Ben, May was sold on, she is now mainly competing in Dressage (teaching her new rider the ropes) and competes in unaffiliated jumping.

Misty

Name:Misty (Malnor Misty May) Height:14.2hh Breed:Welsh D (Tireinon Triple Crown x Dearnevalley Annwenn Info:I came across Misty while teaching clients at a local yard. She had lived out 24 hours a day for the last 3 years, a few riders had tried riding her but the riders had not been capable enough therefore like many horses she was put back in the field and earned herself a bit of an unjust reputation. Misty was initially unhappy about the feeling of the girth on her sides and then my legs touching her sides It took 2 months to gain her trust and confidence but after that she never looked back. I would describe her as a thoroughbred’s brain in a cobs body.Within 12 months she had won an incredible string of classes starting with winning 4 out of her 5 Dressage tests. We then tried showing her as a ridden Welsh Cob, in her first season she went onto win 14 classes including the Ponies UK Home Produced Welsh C/D champion, Ponies UK Home Produced all native breeds Reserve Champion, 4th in the Kingsford Novice Large M&M PUK championships, 3rd at her first attempt at an Olympia qualifier and 6th in Her HOYS qualifier. Not bad for a horse that 12 months earlier was leading a very different life. In October 2009 Misty was competed in her first affiliated dressage competition and in 6 months of competing was rarely out of the top 4.  In 2011 I decided it was time to try and get Misty in Foal it was a case of third time lucky when she scanned as being in foal to Welsh Section D stallion Wexland Glyndwr, all being well we now await a foal in early May 2012.

Sienna

Name: Sienna Height:15.2hh Breed:Polling (by Pilot Bavarian Warmblood) x Westland Bay Info:Bred out of Florence (Westland Bay) having survived a colic operation (Florence was 8 months in foal at the time of the operation) Sienna was lucky to have been born at all.Sienna has proven to be a testing youngster at just a few weeks old she proved to have a very sharp temperament and showed her self as fearful of next to nothing, a bit of a fire cracker she earned her self the nickname Satun’s Daughter, leading her just short distances could prove challenging. As a yearling she some how took a metal gate of its hinges slicing her fetlock to the bone, 7 months box rest followed while it repaired, amazingly she was never lame but the stable confinement did nothing to improve her temperament to handle and be around. As soon as possible she was then turned out and left to grow up.  She is now rising 6 (in 2011) Although easy to initially break in Sienna has since lived up to her nickname under saddle aswell!  One minute you can be facing one direction and next another!  She has been a test of my resilience and reminds you not to take anything for granted.  At the moment she is being progressed slowly as I suspect with her text book jumping technique she could make an affiliated standard show jumper but due to her difficult temperament and super careful attitude I can not afford to make mistakes with her.

Sway

Name:Sway Height: 16.2hh    Breed: Padinus(by Heartbreaker) x Mare by Burgraffe (Dutch Warmblood) Info: the latest addition to the gang Sway has had a slow start to life, with her excellent breeding she was used for breeding in Holland.  Imported to the UK and broken in 2010.    I purchased her in July 2011 with the aim of getting back into affiliated showjumping.  When I went to try her I was some what out of control but she felt amazing over her jumps, being very careful and feeling powerful.  I have now had her for 4 months and have been so pleased with her, she is going very well, I hope to be ready to affiliate her next month.  I would like to target a handful of the regional and national championship qualifiers in 2012.