Standing at Stud

Arawa Romeo will once again be standing at stud for the 2010 season.
AI only as we donot want to interfere with his training/competition schedule.
$800.00 plus GST. LFG. For particulars email apjhfarm@ihug.co.nz

Nadine Francois Clinic

I have just completed a 4 day clinic on Henry with Belgian dressage rider Nadine Francois. Nadine trained for a decade with the late Portuguse maestro, Nuno Oliveira, regarded by many as the best dressage rider of the 20th century. Nadine's approach can best be described as classical, and closely mirrors Oliveira's methods, including the in-hand work. Her approach is softness of the horse.
Without a doubt this was the best clinic I have ever attended. It really opened my eyes to how bad I have been riding of late. By the end of the 4 days Henry was so unbeleivably soft and forward it made me feel so bad for how badly I had been riding
Finn and Pumpkin. Now I just have to keep up the work and hope I don't ruin it until Nadine comes back again in October. In the meantime I need to change my trainer back to the one I was using 4 years ago. I had stopped using her only because another trainer was more convenient. Its something I now regret. No pics sorry.

Henrys Big Day Out at Bethells

Today Henry went for a big adventure to Bethells Beach. Thanks to Anna/Ru and Jenny/Cruise for being his babysitters. We started out up the dunes following the stream and back up the dune up to the Lake. Wow what a view. The Lake was so clear and glassy the reflection did not look like water at all. It looked like just a big canyon of grass and hill. Absolutely awesome. Back we went up the dunes and headed for the beach. A canter up the dunes and by this time Henry was breathing a bit hard. Hard work in the deep sand. And so onto the beach via the stream and a great paddle up to his belly. We walked to the end splashing in the tide and then headed back. This time going for a canter. At first he was a bit unsure and we lost our steering and brakes but when he was beside Ru he was happy to canter alongside. We finished up back at the stream on the beach where Ru and Cruise wallowed up to their bellys. This time it was i nWe had got up to our belly on the way up but of course Henrys belly was a lot lower than Ru and Cruise so we did not go back in the deep end on the way back and waited till we could be back in the lower end again.
We then went back and unsaddled, took them for a roll and then went and ordered coffee at the cafe. What a fantastic Day. Henry was such a star. I was so proud of him as for a first day to the beach and only the second day in the company of strange horses he was pretty well behaved.

Amaethon Vanquish aka Shelby goes to the Kumeu A & P Show.

Shelby had his first big show. His mother went to hold his hand but even so he yelled out alot.
He had his first washing exercise the day before and was a bit concerned about the rain that was coming out of a curly thing.

He did very well in his classes taking out.
1st place in the Partbred Welsh Section and then in the Sporthorse ring 3rd Youngstock 3 yrs and under,2nd colt suitable for breeding and 3rd for Suitability to be a show hack. Congrats to Shelby and Carolyn

Steve Brady Clinic

This week Henry and I have been at a Steve Brady clinic which we enjoyed immensely. Well I did and I am not so sure Henry enjoyed it quite so much. By the end of the clinic he was so pooped he could hardly raise a trot. Steve did 2x 3 day back to back classes and we were booked for the second one. Henry went early on the first day of the first clinic to chill out and watch what went on with all the comings and goings. He got very vocal when we arrived and got very worked up being put in a box next to a mare. He threw himself around his box and broke the waterer off the wall. Ka ching! $$$ I was not amused. Steve worked him that evening so I was very priveleged. Sadly I did not get to see it.He was worked by Phil on the Sunday and Monday nights too so by the time I arrived for the clinic on the Tuesday morning Henry was already looking subdued. For the first groundwork session we worked outside of the arena (just in case) He was very good so for the second session we joined in with the other horses. Then it was time to get on. Thank god for Anna who I asked to give me a leg on. No sooner was I on board that he yelled out and reared. Annas quick thinking and reactions averted any further action as she flew at his hindquarters like a speeding bullet and disengaged him. He came down somewhat chastised. She hung onto his lead for a while at my request (yes I wimped!) and then when he had finally settled we were all go. Once he had settled he was a doddle and we worked outside of the arena away from the other horses. Day two we went straight into the arena for ground work and he was a good boy. No trouble today under saddle.
I was very happy with him. By the second ridden session he was pooping out and I was struggling to even get more than 5 or 6 strides of canter. I was loving a tired boy.
Day 3 was all good as well but he was feeling a bit brain dead and was switching off and not paying attention. He was so knackered he could not be bothered trying too hard. I could feel him just shutting off. He did some decent ridden work but was pretty dead and listless. All in all it was a fantastic experience for him and just what we needed to get him socialised. Bring on the next clinic!

Amaethon Vanquish @ 6 weeks

Today we went to visit Shelby (Amaethon Vanquish) He is such a stunning colt and I would have loved to have stolen him away. Unfortunately he would have been sorely missed by Carolyn. He is just too cute. As like Juno he is very people friendly and just loves to be scritched and get as much attention as possible.

Welcome to Amaethon Vanquish

Henrys first colt foal was born this morning at 4am. Mother Poppy is a TB.
He has lovely diagonal white stockings and looks like hes going to have a flaxen tail so will be a real stunner.

Our few minutes of Spring yesterday.

Henrys 2009 Full Sister 2 days old

And the big news is that Tara has been sold. The great thing is that she is staying local and will have a home for life. She could not be in better hands and will have a life of Riley so I am thrilled.

Still Laid Up

I got my left leg plaster off on Friday and its a real releif to be in a moonboot. Its not great I admit but just being able to take it off to shower and go to bed is a blessing. Its a whole lot easier to get around. I have my appointment with my Achilles Specialist this week and will then be in two moon boots. As bad as it sounds I will be even and if I get some big stirrups I think I will even be able to ride. Sssshhhh Don't tell the specialists I will be shot. Really its not that much worse than wearing top boots. Clumpy yes and no heel but hey any sort of riding would be great even if its a bit of a hack.
The horses have now really had a month off. Just the odd bit off a hack by anyone I can rope in for a ride and for the past 2 weekends Zoe has come and done a riding marathon riding all 3. Henry had already had 2 months off so it was a real airing for him. Of course he was a perfect Gentleman even after all that time off. Pics show his 12th ever ride.

And Just Because hes so photogenic.

Henry is a Big Boy Now.

Yes hes a big Boy now.
Photos show his first ride (in the arena) The second two (in the paddock) are the 4th day under saddle. Hes an absolute little star and has done nothing to disgrace himself.

Henry Has been Busy. Warning Horse Porn

Henry has been busy with his 'new' Girlfriend of late! He rather thinks shes a bit of a spunk and she gives him no trouble at all.

CTR Three

Last Wednesday was the last of the WAR CTRs. I had a great partner in Karen who with her lovely Arab/QH mare had done a 60 km the weekend before. Karen set a cracking
trot pace which Finn had quite a job to keep up with. Because he was a bit tense and excited he would not lengthen his trot to keep up with Karens mares power trot so cantered to keep up. We felt like the Massive heaving couch potatoes trying to keep up with the lithe athletic Gym bunny. Fortunately in the second half he got the idea and relaxed so we were able to JUST keep up at the trot. We came in with just two time penalties and a line heart rate of 60. After his half hour rest period his heart rate had dropped to 36BPM. And we won! Wahoo. I was gobsmaked. Tracey came in with a HR of 57 and resting rate of 36 but had more time penalties so she came in second. Karen was third. Berluddy hell. Both Karen and Tracey are professional Endurance peeps and I beat them on a hefty Irish Horse. Go the Irish. Such a versatile Boy. :)

Just a little pic here of Vanessa giving Henry a lunge.

Henry surveying His Domain.

Arawa Romeo (Henry)

2 yr old Section D Welsh Cob Colt by Tireinon Cadet out of Nesscliffe Ronda. He was bred by Jenny Davison who imported both his sire and dam from the UK.
Henry will remain entire and will as well as being a serving stallion be a competition horse. I am hoping he will have a great future as a dressage horse and is already showing that he has what it takes. He had one mare this year. A Percheron cross and we hope that the foal will be a stunner.