Thursday, April 7, 2011

Horses4Homes - new internet business helping find unwanted horses new homes!

HAuctions: Horses4Homes to Launch on 1 May
Link to HAuctions

Horses4Homes to Launch on 1 May

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 10:33 PM PDT

Hauctions will be providing an additional service to match unwanted horses with caring homes.

In a bid to address a growing global surplus of unwanted horses and ponies, Horses4Homes is being launched online on 1 May as part of the Hauctions® project.

Hauctions Ltd. Managing Director, Tarma Rowles, explains: “The feedback on Hauctions has been remarkably positive, particularly from the USA. However, one concern voiced by many owners is how a site like this can work in such times of crisis when many people literally cannot give their horses away.

“We are also aware of many owners in unfortunate financial straits. We want such horses to find a good home before they are malnourished, pick up bad traits, end up at already overburdened rescue centres or, worse still, the abattoir.

“Hauctions is working with breeders across the world to promote and sell the very best of their horses across all disciplines but we must respond to the market and what people are telling us and where horses simply need a good home, we want to use our site and software investment to find them exactly that.”

Like Hauctioned® horses, Horses4Homes horses are posted with detailed information free of charge. However, horses traded under the ‘Horses4Homes’ module are committed to a seven day cycle and is an auction of promises, where those interested in adopting a horse must fill out a thorough online application and answer any further questions by the donor. The donor then chooses the most suitable home at the end of the seven days, or repeats the cycle. The adopter pays the site a nominal fee 95$ (circa £50 / 60 euros) fee of which a proportion is donated to their nominated equine welfare / rescue charity.

Hauctions® will be working with the world’s leading equine welfare charities and rescue centres. In the meantime, anyone who might be interested in this free service to find a home for unwanted stock is requested to register at www.hauctions.net.

Notes
Approximately 9 million horses and donkeys are slaughtered each year. According to a field study, 70% of all horses at the slaughter plant are in good, fat, or obese condition; 72% are considered to be “sound” of limb; 84% are of average age; and 96% have no behavioral issues. This highlights the worrying fact that it is not the older, unhealthy horses ending up at slaughter houses as a ‘last resort’, but the healthy ones that could have gone on to make a perfect pet.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tarmas' Blog - Ladies Day!

So, Spring is in the air and the ladies are on my mind! It seems that our clients are thinking the same thing, with more females moving this week than in the rest of the year put together! My beautiful black Macarena has found her new mummy along with others - I will miss her so much!



With several mares going off to stud in the next few weeks and two mares staying at home to foal shortly, we decided that it was time to start getting them spruced up after a very long winter!



After nearly being mobbed in the field (as always!), we decided our first victim would be the lovely Magdalena and brought her up to the stables for some tlc and a bit of a trim and tidy!

Lynette, who has been working with us for just a few months now was astounded at how this two year old filly, who has hardly been handled and never been on her own in her life, let us take her away from all of her friends (who were not at all happy that she was going to the salon before anyone else!!) without a sound. She then walked about half a mile down the road, past cars, cyclists, joggers and did not put a foot out of place until a very scarey little Welsh stallion who was hiding in the hedge until she was right next to him ran off like a lunatic bucking and kicking (I hope he didnt think she was for him!!!).

However, even at this, she merely showed us half a dozen very impressive passage steps and then proceeded to walk the rest of the way home and into her stable (where, I have to add, she looked like she had been all of her life!).

Today, she looked very happy with herself, munching contendly on her hay and looking enviously at her neighbours' lovely stable rug! She will be bathed, trimmed and tidied tomorrow ready to return in her glory to her field companions from whom we will select the next "victim". However, I am concerned that she wont want to go back!!

All this talk is making me think of a lovely Spa weekend for myself, I really need some pampering and beautifying!

I feel this is hihgly unlikely however - so maybe I'll just have to get Sharron to get the hose and the clippers out.........

Friday, February 11, 2011

Tarma's Blog - Friday! A glorious day in the Sunshine!!!

I am sat here with a well-deserved glass of wine and a scrummy milk chocolate Lindt bunny (courtesy of Sharron!!) recalling the days events.

What better way to start the day than with a class on the fabulous advanced schoolmaster Rossi, practising our pirhouettes and tempi changes amongst other things.

The highlight of the lesson however had to be when ever-generous and glorious "Ross Man" saw fit to give me pretty much as many one-time changes as he could fit in along the diagonal and even stepped in when I got it wrong - how humble do I feel!!!



Then I rode the new boy in who has not been sat until since August of last year and arrived with me a couple of days ago. Even though he has a super morpholgical CV and has been trained to an advanced level, his owners time requirements have not allowed her to work him for a very long time so he has come to us to be sold.

Again, a humbling experience. After approximately two and a half minutes on the lunge, I mounted and he was as good as gold, as if he had not had a day off, let alone several months - what a star!! Please keep an eye on the website for details of this chap - we think he will make someone a very happy person!

These glorious animals never cease to amaze me and I am happy to say that, even after all these years, I am still ever so slightly in awe of them. Horses like this should never be taken for granted!

Which brings me to my next point. A big congratulations to Sue Harcombe and her super boy Faisan who she purchased from us last year. This stunning couple have just won their first rosette in their maiden outing - we are sure it will be the first of many!!!

Also to Sarah and Kate Newell who own the gorgeous mare Deseada. We received a lovely email from them yesterday saying that she is giving them both so much fun and pleasure and is really coming on. She is either ridden, schooled or lunged everyday and they are amazed how much time they spend at the yard and their social life and housework are really suffering, but know what they would rather be doing anyday!

Sarah is taking part in dressage etc and Kate has joined Offas Dyke Endurance UK Group. Yesterday they completed their first endurance ride of 26K and Deseada was brilliant! Sarah has also taken her hunting and she looked as if she had been doing it all her life!



Do keep us updated everyone - it is so lovely to get feedback!

Please do keep reading to see how our new boy gets on and to hear about the arrival of Botinero next week as he is rather stunning aswell! Also, we will be bringing Chilena in to be backed very soon so that should make for some light entertainment!!!

Now, I shall leave you all and get back to my bunny, who is in danger of melting.

Take care everyone, one of us will be back to you soon!!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Tarmas' blog - two days away!

Just back from two days of teaching in Surrey where my girls were all flying! Verity is producing her young Spanish man beautifully, preparing him for the pirhouettes and getting some fabulous trot work and Emily is teaching her lovely boy Toby, (who had pretty much been a riding school plod up until two years ago!) to passage at the grand old age of 19!!

Last night I met up with a breeder friend of mine for dinner who I havent seen for ages and it was so lovely to catch up with her and meet all of her boys and girls! She has the most adorable little dun filly for sale and some lovely part breds aswell, a dun colt and two fillies , in my opinion there are some real bargains to be had there so please do check out the site!





I also saw her dun stallion who is such a striking colour and will be standing at stud next year!

I am looking forward to tomorrow though when I get to "practice what I preach" - am having a session with MY trainer on Rossi and the little Armas boy and then I get to be the boss again, as Caroline will be having a session on her Centuri before she goes off next week.

Not long now until the new boys come home either, we are all keen to meet them......

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Sharrons Blog - Wednesday

Taking advantage of yesterdays sunshine the horses all enjoyed lovely, long hacks.
All i can say is roll on spring, though it usually flatters to decieve, i am ever the
optimist!

As Tarma (poor Tarma who it appears i work too hard, boo hoo) is away teaching,
i am lucky enough to be spending time with her two young ladies!
Horses and children have got to be a sure fix for getting a good nights sleep!

I think it is safe to say that Centuri's new mum enjoyed the time she spent with him
today very much, she was beaming when i left the yard and can not wait to get him
home!

A tired Sharron is signing off now, night all!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Cold Monday Mornings.....Tarma's Post

Well, if I am to be honest, today hasn't been one of the most productive days at the yard at all. Starting off with temperatures of -9 this morning meant that the arena was frozen and was pretty much impossible to work on and, as the horses had a pretty tough weekend, it was a unanimous decision to give them a well earned day off today.

All of them that is except, of course, Centuri, whose new mummy just cant seem to keep her hands off him - no matter how cold those hands are!! Those two seem to be falling in love and it is actually quite amazing watching how quickly the bond forms when these boys get their very special someone - we are not always lucky enough to see what happens after they have found their new mummies and daddies!

So, I was thinking that I would have a lovely day, playing at home, maybe a little siesta and a quiet afternoon.......

Take note everyone and NEVER employ a Sharron if you want these dreams realised! Yes, I can dream, but it would appear that I can do no more than that. The slave driver Sharron has decided that, if the horses can't work, it doesn't mean that I cant! I have been sat in front of my computer with not even a packet of biscuits and told to update the website!

To be fair, there are a lot of new and very interesting horses to be uploaded so it is overdue, although my mind wanders back to the time when I saw each and every one - where we were, who was with me, what was said etc etc. I thought I would share a couple of links with you of some of the boys while I am having a break from Photoshop!





If anyone has any helpful comments to add for the descriptions on the website, please feel free to email them over - my brain is slightly mushy these days!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Sharrons Blog - Friday!

Arriving at the yard wearing more layers than an onion (nothing new there!), I was greeted by the site of a rather guilty (but equally very pleased with himself!) Rossi!

Definately NOT in his stable and most definately trying to steal hay from a fellow four-legged pal on the yards' haynet (a Irish type who loves his grub I hasten to add!).

It would appear that our lovely Rossi mastered kicking his door until the kickbolt became dislodged and proceeded to open his door, taking himself for a nice little stroll!!

It serves me right for leaving his clip off and trusting him to be a good boy - they never stop teaching us and I hope we never stop learning!

Congratulations to Sarah who I know will have a sleepless night in anticipation of collecting her new man in the morning - our gorgeous Petrel!

Good night all and speak to you soon!