Monday 8 February 2016

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today is a very important day in the life of a horse called Tamtam. I want to save his life....but to do that he has to travel....and this is a horse that isn't easy to load. And that is the understatement of the year!

Willy and Geertrude arrived 15 minutes early at 9.45am. The box is a 2 horse box, side loading and the horses travel facing backwards. Willy lined the ramp of the box with the rear exit of the barn complex at the Gammas Stud. Tam Tam has been staying there with his new friend, my other horse, Eric, for the last 2 weeks. I thought Willy would load Eric first but he said no....Tamtam first! And no treats or food to tempt him! I lead him out with some trepidation.Willy walked behind. He hesitated once. Took a good look and then walked deliberately onto the box and turned and faced the correct direction. Wonders will never cease! Or was it that he had listened to what I had told him the day before? That this was his big chance and not to blow it! Anyway first test over. He didn't blow it.

The horses arrived at Willy's ecuries (stables) in Autry Issards at lunchtime and were given some freedom to walk and roll in the indoor school while we had lunch. Over lunch Willy explained the programme over the next few weeks. He explained that it is important to consider every aspect of a horse systematically. Tomorrow the vet will be arriving to take blood and samples of Tamtam's dung for analysis. The day after he will have appointments with the farrier and the dentist. As well as working with Tamtam and Eric we will be watching and learning how the other horses Chez Willy are managed and trained. We will be travelling to Willy's clients in France and Holland to see how they work with Willy and to understand their experiences and learning. It sounds like we are going to be very busy!

After lunch we returned and the horses were lead to their new homes. Two "boxes" in a huge indoor barn. The two boxes are essentially open in that there is a roof but it is high and there are no sides to the boxes. This means they have lots of fresh air and no draughts. The horses are contained via a strong metal gating system. They have automatic drinkers. They are bedded on top quality straw. They are fed a special food mixture that Willy designed himself. He has it made by a local animal feed manufacturer. It looks like chaff but has various cereals and other additives including alfalfa, sugar beet, barley and maize. I will take a photograph of the label and share it with you.Each horse was given a bucketful of this feed. When we returned after an hour working another horse they had not finished eating!

I watched Willy work a young chestnut stallion of 6 years old. He worked him in the large indoor round pen with a sand surface in all three paces. The equipment he used consisted of: A cobra jumping saddle; a simple headstall bridle without a noseband; a leather pelham bit with curb chain (again I will take a photo as it is very interesting); reins; tendon and fetlock boots and last but not least, the pessoa (secured over the saddle). Willy encouraged me (as he always does) to watch the horse and notice his behaviour.....how he communicates with us through his body. The mouth should be calm (quiet)  and the tail should be carried and not constantly swished or carried to one side. When the horse does this it is because he has a problem. Willy explained that he looks for a good over track in all 3 paces. And that once the horse is warmed up he expects 50 circuits of the lunging ring (22 metres diameter) in canter on each rein. This is for the horse's pulmonary and cardiac fitness (heart and lungs). It is interesting to note that this equates to just under 7 kilometres in canter alone!!

Before, during and after the session Willy observes the horse. Does he want to work to work today? (Does he come to put his nose in the headcollar when we catch him?) Is he enjoying his work? What can he do to help him? He is watching and listening.....to the horse's breathing....to the beat of his hooves.....to the movement of his ears, his tail and his mouth.

When he had finished work the horse walked to cool down. He was covered in a foamy sweat but he walked well and was calm. Willy told me to watch the walk at the end of the session. Does the horse walk well or is he stiff? If he is stiff after a work session find out why. Willy told me that for a lot of horses the cause is insufficient fuel. Just as a car can't work without fuel neither can muscles. The muscles must be well fed. Willy checked the horse's temperature. He told me the horse's temperature increases with work but should fall back to normal within 30 minutes of finishing work. He then untacked the horse and gave him a shower with warm water using a pressure washer adjusted to massage the muscles. The horse was clearly content and enjoying the rush of endorphin that good exercise creates. Afterwards he covered the horse with a fleece cooler rug and put him back in his box.

WOW! Why aren't we all doing this? My mission is going to be to share everything I learn from my experience here with you all. How to breed, raise and train quality saddle horses....and what to do when things go wrong.....and how when things have gone badly wrong there is still hope......There is hope for Tamtam.

En route this morning I passed "Aire d'Esperance" and after "Aire de Veritie"......in english that translates as "Place of Hope" and "Place of Truth". I am here with hope in my heart and a desire to discover the truth.