Case Studies

One of the many services we offer is the backing and re-schooling of horses and ponies. Below are just a few of the success stories we have to date. Visit our commendations page to find out what their owners had to say about the service they received.

Rufus I bought Rufus as we were setting up, at this point I had the time to work on him! I bought him from someone who aspired to the romantic idea of hunting but didn't really know how to ride. After falling off three times he decided to sell him. When I went to try Rufus I could feel he had potential. He occasionally showed an amazing trot, but schooling wise he was very inexperienced. Most of the time he had his head in the air and went around corners like a motor bike. He couldn't even canter properly, being disunited every time. Condition wise he was a sorry sight; very skinny and no muscle tone. I spent the following months slowly building him up physically and emotionally and re-schooling him. I have now completed three dressage tests on him (placed each time) and gained over 70%, with very complimentary marks from the judges. Buoyed by our success I decided to take him cross-country schooling and he behaved like an old professional. We then entered a hunter trial and came fifth! Rufus is a real gent, not only does he have stunning looks and the most amazing trot, his temperament is his real selling point. Yes, he spooks at silly things, like a blade of grass that is a slightly different colour to the one next to it, but he is so laid back in many other ways. He will go in front or behind out hacking, walk in and out of trailers and horse boxes all day. He stands still at shows and is generally a dream to handle. He also loves lots of kisses!
Minnie Minnie came to us in October 2004. Her owner had gone away to university and the parents weren't quite sure what to do with her as she had the classic temperament of a chestnut mare. In fact, all Minnie could do was go fast and sideways. Well, what a turn around! In the right hands this horse could go far. She needs a quiet, but ambitious rider to take her on. Her flatwork is a pleasure to ride and watch, she is ever so pretty and knows this. She has real showing potential. After concentrating on her flatwork it is starting to pay off. As far as jumping was concerned, Minnie liked to go fast to her fences, but is starting to come in a steady rhythm and with some more work can make a serious event prospect. I took her cross- country schooling recently and this is where this horse really excelled. She loved every minute of it! Minnie was sold to an experienced rider with an eventing stable.	before... and after!
Suzie Suzie is a 3 year old ID chestnut mare. Farrier Simon Persse recommended UPEC to the owners. Suzie came to us on our 4 week intro. package, to be backed. She was a very strong willed mare with a lot of character! The first couple of days were spent just handling her, and putting tack on her in the stable. Then I lunged her with the tack on, and with the assistance of my dad was legged up and gently putting weight on her back while still in the stable. By the end of the week I was sat on her in the stable, riding her around. Then it was time to ride her without the security of walls to stop us if everything goes wrong, and this is when I often regret putting in such a large school as 90x30m doesn't seem such an enclosed area when you are on a youngster! I like to ride all my horse's from the leg and leave the front end alone, which can be difficult on a youngster when they think that cantering is much more fun than trotting! When Suzie left us she could walk trot, and canter on each rein, she had been over poles and walked around the farm where she was introduced to my dad and his tractor. All ready to come back as a 4 year old.
Alice Alice is a 4 year old ID grey mare, and was supreme national champion as a 2 year old. She is also owned by Sue, Foalie's owner. What a pleasure this horse was to work on. Alice had been backed and came to us to see the world! The first day I lunged her with her tack on and she spent most of the time doing handstands. For a big mare she's rather athletic, I thought!. The second day she was a lot calmer, so I got on her. Obviously she was green but had this beautiful flowing trot. After a couple of days in the school I took her out on the roads. What a brave horse, she is better behaved in traffic than my 8 year old, nothing fazed this mare. (Well, apart from the time the owner came down to see her being ridden and she decided to buck every time we went into canter!) By the time she left here she was a safe horse to hack out, would go out and do a good dressage test for a 4 year old, and was jumping small fences in the school. Alice has now gone home and Sue is enjoying hacking her out around the woods. Like Foalie, she is booked to come here for two weeks while Sue is on holiday. In fact both horses have been back several times for holidays while Sue has had a break herself. The arrangement works well and means we can continue our schooling regime,resolving any bad habits either of them have developed since we saw them last!
Foalie Foalie is a 10 yrs old New Forest X Cleveland Bay. She hadn't been ridden for over a year, as she would run off with her owner if she saw a lorry or something she wasn't sure of. She was very over-weight and unfit, with a large neck and shoulders and a tiny bottom. She would use the weight of her front end against you, which meant not picking up the reins and picking a fight - as lets face it she would win - and putting my leg on to get her to use her back end. For her to using her back end meant she couldn't run on with the front end. She became a pleasure to ride in the school, and the same principles were taught to her out on a hack, we would leave the reins alone if we saw something scarey and keep the leg on. While she was here Sue the owner would come down and have lessons on her twice a week as there is no point fixing the horse and not explaining to the rider how we deal with a situation.  Foalie has now gone home and Sue is enjoying getting up early and riding her around the woods before work. Foalie is booked in to come back for 2 weeks when Sue goes on holiday.