I spent the first part of this morning shopping and writing. The days are pretty full on with Willy. He starts work at 8am in the morning and doesn't finish until 7pm in the evening and that is 7 days a week! Not bad for a 70 year old! Here he is with me on a grey mare in the background....
The weather was sunny so Willy said he and I would go out for a hack.....me on Eric and he on the grey mare I had ridden the previous day. It was the first time the mare had been out for a hack in her years on this earth. We passed through a farm with pigs everywhere including lots of piglets running around on the track. We waded through a stream and we had two full on gallops (not a fast canter, a proper gallop!) It was the first time I had galloped Eric like that out on a track....but I had little choice as Willy made the decisions on the speed and I just followed.......until we were trotting at a pretty smart pace down the road....then I shouted to Willy to stop...and I told him I didn't trot like that on roads as I wanted to save Eric's legs from concussion. I explained that Eric is getting on now (18 years old) and that he has clean legs and that I wanted them to remain that way! Willy walked on the roads for the rest of the ride.
It is the fastest ride I have ever done! For the most part a very brisk (at times extended) trot with bouts of canter and gallop.
Afterwards Gertrude told me that Willy has found that the problems horses get with their legs are more likely to be as a result of working on soft,deep surfaces rather than hard flat surfaces such as a road. What do you think?
Willy does not want to be the master whose word we all follow. What he wants is that we discuss and share our experiences and learning for the benefit of our horses. There has to be dialogue. I hope that you will contribute your experiences here so that we are all able to benefit. Let's work, learn and share together!
In the afternoon we visited some dutch people who have known Willy since 1982 when he was based in Holland. They shared their experiences of managing a pony with navicular disease. They have followed Willy's feeding and preventative care regime with all their horses and their problems are few and far between as a result.
Willy explained that the problem is that there are too many competing feeding regimes and too many products on the market. It is confusing when it needs to be simple. Willy needed to make it simple as he had 500 horses in Holland to take care of! I asked him how he acquired all those horses and he said he had helped a lot of people to get their mare in foal when they had failed. Many could not afford to pay his fee and instead gave him either the mare or the foal afterwards. Gradually his herd grew in this way. And when you have that many horses you have to find simpler ways of managing them and keeping them in good health.
Willy told me that he first came across the products he prefers at Equitana in Dusseldorf. They are all produced by a german enterprise called "Dr Schaette". Here's what it says on their home page-
"It all started in 1919. With a great idea.
We wanted the best that nature had to offer for your animals: Like Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos, we also believe that animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.That’s why we perceive of animals holistically according to their being; we act upon it accordingly and develop the appropriate feed, care, and veterinary medicines for them.
With selected medicinal plants, traditional herbs, natural minerals, and additional natural raw materials, Dr. Schaette Health Products support and promote the energy, health and well-being of your animals sustainably and naturally. And it’s been like that for 90 years.
And nothing has changed since! We still only offer you nature’s best for your animals for prevention and healing, balanced diet and care."
Willy has tried all their products and regularly uses 5 of them:
(1) Ursonne Horse Premium: Food supplement with herbs, vitamins, trace elements and mineral nutrients;
(2) Wound Ointment;
(3) Wound disinfectant;
(4) Colosan: A tonic to treat gastro-intestinal disorders (Tamtam will be receiving this);
(5) Joint Fluid: To activate circulation, care for and promote health of joints, muscles and tendons.
He told me that he has experimented with the way he uses the products too......not simply following the labels. He has tried to have a dialogue with the company to talk about the products and the uses he has discovered and also to research his discoveries scientifically but they are not interested.
You can buy these products in France directly from Schaette's online shop: http://www.schaette.de/shop/pferde.html. In the UK you can buy these products directly from Samsara Equitation: http://www.samsara-equitation.co.uk/index.php/products. You can also obtain a wealth of advice on how to use these products and keep your horse on tip top form from Stephen and Julie Goodridge, joint owners of Samsara Equitation. Stephen returned to the UK 2 years ago after completing an intensive 3 year, 7 day a week, 12 hours a day apprenticeship with Willy.
Willy is looking for another apprentice now. If you know someone who may be interested in this amazing opportunity do get in touch.
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