Educating Caitlin - Part 2

Last month we introduced Katie Duxbury and her new Fell mare, Greenholme Caitlin, that she bought in December. Here Katie explains their progress in the last month…..

‘Caitlin is now happily walking round our country lanes on the long reins confidently. She has seen some traffic and so far nothing has phased her. In the school she walks, trots and canters on the double lunge lines very well and her fitness is really improving. She gets worked six days a week, I keep her sessions short – never more than about 20 minutes.  I feel that is plenty for a five-year-old as I don’t want to bore her and she is still immature.

I have had quiet sit on her and been led around the school which she took in her stride.  I will wait until her groundwork is a little more established before I ride her off the lead. 

She is becoming quite a little character as she grows in strength and we had a little issue when lungeing recently. When cantering on the long reins she would nap and pull me toward the exit gate. This sort of ‘testing the water’ is only to be expected and we quickly resolved the issue by keeping her on a smaller circle and moving the circle around the school.  I also had someone standing near the gate to encourage her past, rather than letting her run towards it. 

As our fields were very wet, we weren't turning the out in the early part of the month, so to let her have a play we turned her out three times a week in the arena with a friend and she really enjoyed it, as well as helped socialise her. I think it’s important to let young horses let off steam as it keeps them sweet and content. 

She's has had her feet trimmed and was a total star for the farrier, he was very gentle and patient with her which resulted in her being more than willing to stand like a complete professional! She has also had her second booster vaccine and health check from the vet who was pleased with her progress. 

Her weight and shape are changing constantly. I don’t like to put too much feed into the breakers as you never know what fireworks you may light, so Caitlin is on two high fibre feeds a day. These consist of a good coarse chop and some fibre nuts and micronised linseed. She gets ad lib good quality haylage too which she likes to dunk into her water bucket!!  

My aim for this month is to be riding her off the lead in the school and then to progress from long reining her around the lanes to hacking out under saddle with a friend.

Caitlin long reining

As for getting her to a show – I would like to get her back in the lorry as I think it helps if they make regular short journeys when young. If they associate travel with fun and not stress it helps so much throughout their career.  I would really like to take her to an in-hand show this month but you will remember I mentioned that she had lost her feathers on the Fell and I may wait a little longer for them to grow back… let's wait and see.   


As for her mane and tail - these were very matted and burred up they have come along really well. I keep her mane in large plaits – to protect it – and always cut off the elastic rather than pull them off to avoid breaking the hair. I undo the plaits every three days and spray it with Moisturise and Condition and then re-plait and we are really seeing - and feeling - the benefit of using this regularly.

Plaits in Caitlins Mane

I also adjust the position of the plaits to keep hair breakage to a minimum. I only comb her mane once it has been washed, conditioned and detangled. I do the same for her tail – which I run my fingers through – but never brush as that thins them too much. I have been using Mane and Tail Builder twice a week and now as it's growing tenfold! We had snow up here in Lancashire and the wind was really chilly so she started wearing a neck cover too. I wash her mane weekly to avoid a greasy build up on the neck cover. 

Moisturise and Condition

Mane and Tail Builder

She’s fully rugged now and moulting like mad so it’s all hands on deck with the curry combs to get the dead hair out. "

Katie

Brought to you in association with The Showing Journal.

For more information, visit www.theshowingjournal.co.uk

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If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us on info@supremeproducts.co.uk as we really enjoy hearing from you. We also love to see your pictures, so please visit our Facebook page and post them on our wall, making sure you tell us all about you and your horse or pony.

Our office number is not just for people wanting to buy products – if you have a question or would like some advice on how best to use our products or what would be the best product to use in certain situations, then please call us on 01377 229050 – we will be happy to help where we can!

Best wishes,

Sarah

Educating Caitlin.....

Katie Duxbury, based in Darwen in Lancashire, is a familiar face on the county show circuit and has qualified and ridden at HOYS. She fits in home producing her native ponies and coloureds around her work for BAE Systems as an aircraft engineer. Katie says of her showing, ‘I’m showing-mad and I love preparing, taking part, watching and learning from others.’

When Katie found her latest project in December – the young Fell mare Greenholme Caitlin –  she was almost untouched and Supreme Products and The Showing Journal decided to follow their progress in the form of this monthly diary…. The Showing Journal diary will focus on Caitlin’s training, whereas our diary will focus on how Katie has trained and prepared Caitlin for her showing career, detailing the products that Katie has been using.

‘I bought my new project, Caitlin, from John Potter of the Greenholme Stud in December. She is a five-year-old 13.1hh Fell pony by the fantastic stallion Greenholme Look At Me.

‘When I first saw her out on the fell at the stud she stood out a mile to me.  I think she’s an extremely good example of the breed, with a lovely action – she just had to come home with us! She had spent her life thus far running on the fell, having only been kept indoors as a weaned foal, but she has the sweetest temperament. Naturally, she was a little wary of us at first!

‘When she arrived, we let her settle in and then spent a week or two getting her used to being handled – simple things like grooming, leading and practising picking her feet up ready for the farrier. We also wormed, vaccinated and had her teeth checked.

Her mane and tail were quite dry and untended when she first arrived and understandably she was very woolly, so in the first weeks we are focusing on getting her settled and improving the condition of the coat, mane and tail and improving her overall appearance.

‘In week three, once she had settled in, we pampered her with a nice hot bath where we used High Shine Shampoo to break down the dust and dirt in the coat. We found that this gave her a really deep clean and left a smooth, shiny and conditioned coat. We also got her rugged up so we could start to bring her coat on.

One of the areas that needed attention was her mane as it was matted in places. We used a couple of different products and her mane has already shown great improvement.

We started with Detangle and Shine and just sprayed this on to the mane and tail and left it on. Where possible we ran fingers through and started to de-mat as well as remove the tangles. We did this daily over 3 or 4 days and on day 4 we were able to really loosen  some of the tangles and start brushing her mane and tail through.

Caitlin does have a few thinner patches on her mane. She has good length in her mane and luckily there are no bald or rubbed patches but we would like to see some thickening in places, so we are using Mane and Tail Builder on a daily basis. We massage it in and leave it on.

The third product used to focus on the hair is Moisturise and Condition. Caitlin has always been out on the fell and her mane was a little dry and brittle in places. Once again, this is a ‘spray and leave on’ product and so we have applied this daily to improve the overall condition. We’ve started to see and feel the beneficial effects of this product very quickly and the mane is already less brittle and flows much better, much more in tune with her breed type.

After all her pampering, Caitlin was then bitted and we started lungeing her in the school. She has taken to it all very well, with her sweet temperament showing through.

‘It’s now week four and we have just started long-reining Caitlin down the quiet lanes and so far she has taken everything in her stride! The benefits of long-reining her at this stage are to develop straightness and obedience; helping to create and keep a soft topline and develop her confidence as well as the bond between us and get her working through from behind.

I hope to have her out to some shows in-hand once she has grown her mane and feather back as she was bog-burnt from the rain and mud on the fell. Ultimately, my aim for her is to qualify her for the Picton final at the NPS Summer Champs and hopefully gain a place there!

‘I will tell you more next month when, hopefully, I’ve been able to sit on board and begin the next chapter of her career.’

For more information, visit :

www.supremeproducts.co.uk

www.theshowingjournal.co.uk

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us on info@supremeproducts.co.uk as we really enjoy hearing from you. We also love to see your pictures, so please visit our Facebook page and post them on our wall, making sure you tell us all about you and your horse or pony.

Our office number is not just for people wanting to buy products – if you have a question or would like some advice on how best to use our products or what would be the best product to use in certain situations, then please call us on 01377 229050 – we will be happy to help where we can!

Best wishes,

Sarah

Supreme Products Support Moore-Williams Show Team

SUPREME Products, the leaders in show preparation products, are sponsoring Devon-based home producers the Moore-Williams show team.

Young riders Zoe (17) and sister Lauren (14), together with their mum Beverley, have seven horses and ponies to show for the 2013 season and are delighted to be joining Team Supreme Products.

Zoe works as a Marketing Assistant at Missina Horseboxes and combines this with producing the horses and ponies and preparing them for shows.

Lauren is currently studying for her GCSE’s and helps on the yard in the evenings and weekends.

Said Zoe: “This year looks to be very busy and exciting for us and to have the support from Supreme Products is just brilliant.

“The Supreme Products Professional Collection really does allow us to turn the horses and ponies out to the highest standard. 

“It is the very best quality which means it lasts a long time and gives you the confidence the horses and ponies are produced to the ultimate level.”

Their team of seven for 2013 include Mathemadam High Spirit, a Large Intermediate Show Riding Type.

Last year with Zoe she won eight championships, took fourth at the RIHS, and finished sixth at HOYS.

Whiteleaze Diplomat is a 138cms Show Pony.   Mickey as he is known at home is only a five-year-old however he achieved much last year when unbeaten in Novice classes before going on to be crowned Supreme Novice Champion at Equifest as well as winning three classes at the BSPS Summer Championships.

Van Goofy is a Novice 153cms Show Hunter Pony, and a very exciting novice prospect for this season.

He is joined by the well established Pessall Fanfare, a 148cms Show Pony, Beckside First Impression, a 138cms Show Pony, Hayne Valley Serenade, a Novice 148cms Show Pony and Baylew St. Maybe, a three-year-old homebred Riding Pony. 

For further information please contact Supreme Products on (01377) 229050 or visit www.supremeproducts.co.uk

For further information please contact Tim Smith at TSM on (01724) 784600.

Learn From Expert M&M Producer Sarah Challinor - with Supreme Products and Wynnstay Group

TEAM Supreme Products rider and producer Sarah Parker (nee Challinor) will be demonstrating her top class turnout skills at the Wynnstay store in Oswestry on Saturday, April 14.

The demonstrations will focus on preparing Mountain and Moorland ponies for the show ring but Sarah will also provide advice on the wider aspects of show preparation.

Sarah will be taking the multiple award-winning Dartmoor, Pumphill Buckthorn for the demonstrations, explaining how she turns him into a show ring superstar.

The Shropshire-based producer is a huge fan of the Supreme Products Heritage Collection which has been specially developed for Natives and Traditionals and includes High Shine Serum, Mane & Tail Builder, Coat Shine, Ultra-Condition and Citronella Shampoo.

The demonstrations will take place at 10am and 12noon – don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn from one of the country’s leading names in the world of M&Ms.

FOLLOWING the CHAPS Spring Grading, Team Supreme Products rider, Sue-Helen Shuttleworth has a great team of horses and ponies to produce this season.

Sue & Del Boy V

The two-year-old colt Hermits Pride will compete in youngstock in hand classes and is owned by Sue-Helen’s husband, Andrew.

The novice team will include Beau Diddley, a four-year-old Traditional Stallion owned by Michelle Cuerden.  Sue-Helen will ride him this season for the Cuerden family.

Too Smart is a five-year-old Traditional Stallion owned by Jennifer Taylor, and Sue-Helen will compete him in novice pony classes.

Boston is another five-year-old Traditional Stallion belonging to Sue-Helen and Andrew, who will begin novice classes this year.

Doylan Yves St Laurent, a 15hh Non-Native Pony will contest Novice classes before moving on to Royal International Horse Show and HOYS qualifiers with her owner Lorna Waite with help from Sue.

The open ponies include The Freak, an eight-year-old stallion who will compete in RIHS and HOYS qualifiers this year as well as stud duties as he has several mares to serve this spring.

Heartbreaker, the six-year-old stallion (Sue-Helen’s famous stallion with the black foot!) has had a long holiday after HOYS last year and will contend RIHS, HOYS & TGCA classes.

In your Dreams, the five-year-old Traditional Stallion owned by the Kimico Stud is also aimed at HOYS qualifiers this year.

The multi-award winning Del Boy is now being spoilt rotten in his new home with the Cuerden family and will be out competing at all major shows.

The team’s first show of the season was a great success, with Sue-Helen busy grooming for her owners!

At the BSPA Northern Spring Show at Northallerton - Del Boy ridden by Mrs M Cuerden, Not a Patch, owned by the Cuerden family and ridden by Lizzie Barton, and Doylan Yves Saint Laurent ridden by Lorna Waite - all qualified for this year’s RIHS, while Del Boy went on to be Champion Ridden.

New Ponies and Horses for Team Hollings

WITH new ponies and horses, new owners and clients, Supreme Products sponsored Team Holllings are looking forward to an exciting season ahead.

Rides for Alex Hollings include Pendle Mattina, a 148cm Show Pony bred by Team Hollings and leased to June Horsfall for this season, Pendle First Light, a 153cm Show Hunter Pony owned and bred by Team Hollings and Loggs Master Amigo, 143cm Show Hunter pony owned by Team Hollings.  Alex was fourth at the Royal International Horse Show and tenth at HOYS on him last year.

Phoebe Plumbridge has a new Coloured Non-Native pony called Lightening

McQueen owned by her mother, Annie.  Alex will also be doing Part-bred Arab classes on June Horsfall's Ninfield Fable while Phoebe will compete in 138cm Show Ponies.

Georgia Butterworth has Mister Socks for Intermediate Show Hunter classes and Fleetwater Xecutive for Small Intermediate Show Riding Type - owned by her father John.

Kathryn Pitt has rejoined the team after a two year break from the main

circuit and has a Novice Intermediate Show Hunter/Small Hunter called

Scattery Diamond and a Large Intermediate/Large Hack called China Rose.

Also back after a break, the Monk family have a 148cm Show Pony called

Archwood Jitterbug which daughter Lauren will hopefully do a few small shows

on to get going. Lauren is a newcomer to showing so will be taking things

slowly.

Nicola Reynolds has a Small Intermediate called Hayleys Comet owned

by her mother Lesley.  Nicola is new to the yard as an owner but has had lessons with Penny Hollings for a couple of years.

Team Hollings also have three exciting novices which they own and include the 138cm Show Pony Becca Sovereign Quest, a 148cm Show Pony called Becca Sweet William and a Novice Large Intermediate called Roxlan Eric.

Show Manager, Stacey Wiseman, has her favourites from Supreme Products and these include Mane and Tail Builder from the Heritage Collection - which helps promote hair growth where there has been rubbing or hair loss; Supreme Products Glistening Oil for Highlighting round the eyes and muzzle and Supreme Products Sparkle, the mane and tail dressing which produces body, glamour and shine.

Team Supreme Products Head for HOYS!

THE Supreme Products team of riders and producers have been in brilliant form this season and are heading to HOYS with 77 horses and ponies qualified from seven yards.

Cheshire-based Robert Walker has had a hugely successful season with 14 horses qualified as well as son Sam’s Lead Rein Show Hunter Pony, Annandale Phoenix.

Robert will be sharing the rides with his wife Sarah across Show Hunter, Riding Horse, Hack, Cob and Coloured classes.

Team Hollings head to Birmingham with 11 qualified including last year’s 148cm Show Pony winner, Crafton Touch of Gold and Alice Greenwood.

The Stanley Grange Show Team make their way to HOYS with 16 tickets of which six are through to the prestigious Cuddy In-Hand Championships.  In the Large Hack division Simon Charlesworth has Pearly King through and Michaela Wood will ride Genevieve.

Team Katy Carter have had another excellent season and will be taking nine to HOYS including the First Ridden, Megland Jaunty and 128cm Show Pony, Rotherwood Rainmaker, both very successful this year.

Sue-Helen Shuttleworth will be taking first time Traditional Coloured, Heartbreaker and the Highland stallion, Strathlaven Drum Ochter to HOYS while Sarah Challinor will be busy with nine qualified across M&M flat and Working Hunter Pony classes as well as Coloured sections.  This year the hugely successful Dartmoor, Pumphill Buckthorn will concentrate on workers.

Emmersons Show Team from Stokesley in North Yorkshire have 15 ponies through after a busy season with Jonika Whistle the Wind and Martha Jobling Purser, and Sandbank Early Bird with Freya Cade both in great form after top performances at the BSPS Championships.

Winning Streak for Stanley Grange Show Team

Supreme Products sponsored Stanley Grange Show Team have been on a winning streak securing four Cuddy tickets for the Horse of the Year Show.

The first to qualify was David Dixon and Mary Harforth’s three-year-old filly, Dance All Night at Devon County.

Dance All Night owned by Mr Dixon and Mrs Harforth

At Derbyshire Festival of showing it was the stallion, Stanley Grange Cocksure who was on form taking his ticket for HOYS. He also took the riding pony breeding championship and went champion at Newark and Notts County.

The third ticket was picked up at the Three Counties Show by Mark Reeves and Jackie Beatham’s Cuddington Alliance in the hack breeding championship.

And the final ticket was taken by Janet Cox’s homebred three-year-old filly Rhyllandell Siskin at Cheshire County Show in the part-bred Welsh Championship.

All four tickets are for the Cuddy In Hand Supreme finals, so the team will have their hands full at HOYS!

Heading for a busy Royal International.......

SUPREME Products sponsored Team Hollings are set for a busy Royal International Horse Show with 15 horses and ponies qualified in 20 classes.

Alex Hollings has Ninfield Fable (PBA & 138cm Show Pony), Loggs Master Amigo (143cm SHP), Synod Montanna (Welsh Sec A) and Snaafi Bright Spark (NN coloured pony).

Alice Greenwood has Crafton Touch of Gold (PBA & 148cm Show Pony), Greylands Stardust (143cm SHP) and Midtown Magic (153cm SHP).

Michaela Wood has Tremarl Mister Mole (PBA & Small Intermediate), Royal Angel (Large Intermediate & Large Hack) and Login Lucky Lad (N/T coloured Pony).

Georgia Butterworth has Fleetwater Xecutive (Small Intermediate & Small Hack) and Pendle First Light (153cm SHP).

Phoebe Plumbridge has Pennymore Isadora (128cm Show Pony) and Samantha Ellis has Wispa (N/T coloured horse).

Penny Hollings will also be in the competition arena riding The Pied Piper (N/T coloured pony) for the Wood family.

In addition Team Hollings have four HOYS tickets so far with Michaela Wood qualifying Login Lucky Lad & Royal Angel while Alice Greenwood has Crafton Touch of Gold and Greylands Stardust through to the NEC.

Alex Hollings recently won at Derbyshire Festival on the homebred 148cm Show Pony, Pendle Mattina.

Alex and Pendle Mattina

Winning Trip to Scotland

TEAM Hollings had a very successful foray up to Scotland last weekend with the journey proving very fruitful for the Supreme Products sponsored team.

“We took both of Michaela Wood’s Native Pony coloureds, Login Lucky Lad and The Pied Piper, Michaela rode Lucky and I rode Pied Piper,” said Penny Hollings.

“They were having their first trip out with the new Supreme Products High Shine Serum on their manes and Pied Piper took the Championship and RIHS ticket while Lucky finished a good third. 

Supreme Products High Shine Serum from the Heritage Collection

“Alexandra Hollings then rode June Horsfall’s PBA Ninfield Fable to win the small section and take the RIHS ticket before collecting the championship.

“Alice Greenwood was having her first show out on Lorna Fitzgerald’s new acquisition, the 153cm SHP Midtown Magic and after heading a good sized mixed height SHP class, went on to take the overall pony championship!

Supreme Products Quarter Marking Spray from the Professional Collection

“We used the new Supreme Products Quarter Marking Spray on these two mares and the marks never moved!”

A fabulous team for the season

Last season was a fantastic year for the Supreme Products sponsored Emmersons Show Team which ended on the best note ever winning the HOYS Supreme Pony of the Year Award.

“After HOYS it was a couple of days rest and then straight into breaking the new ponies for 2011 and focussing our attention on some of the 16 riders we have on the team this year,” says Sarah Emmerson.

“Eleven of them have new ponies and some  are making the hard transition from lead rein to first ridden classes

“Already we have had some ponies out at the winter shows and will continue to do so for the next few weeks after which we will be campaigning the RIHS classes and then aiming to qualify for HOYS.

“Alongside these shows we will also be competing at the smaller more local events, as we feel as a team it is important to attend them and to furthermore educate the ponies and children we have on the yard ready for next year.

“Sadly we have sold the HOYS Supreme Pony, Charn Secret Legend as Abbie was finished with him after two fabulous seasons with. We wish him well in his new home and will no doubt be seeing him out and about.”

In February the yard was approved for the BHS/BSPS ACCREDITED YARD award and Sarah for the ACCREDITED TRAINER AWARD.

The team are in the process of having a new website being developed, so look out for www.emmersonsshowteam.co.uk in the next few weeks.

NEW HORSES AND PONIES

For this season Emmersons Show Team have a fabulous team of ponies and children, including some from the 2010 team but they also have 11 new combinations to look out for:

VENHAY VILLA- DARTMOOR FR OWNED BY THE WOOD FAMILY

CARRWOOD VALENTINE- SECTION B OWNED BY THE DAWSON FAMILY

ROSMARCHE RIBBONWOOD- SECTION A FR OWNED BY THE REED FAMILY

SANDBORO LOVE CHILD- 12.2 SP OWNED BY THE EADON FAMILY

CARDINES TARQUIN – LR SHP OWNED BY THE TUER FAMILY

AMESBURY MANDALAY- LR SP OWNED BY THE REYNARD/PRENDERGAST FAMILY

TWYFORD TAILOR MADE- SECTION A FR OWNED BY THE TUER FAMILY

TAMEVALLEY BLACK JACK- SECTION A LR OWNED BY THE EMMERSON FAMILY

SANDBANK EARLYBIRD- 12.2 SP  OWNED BY THE PARR FAMILY

BASFORD BALLERINA- LR SP OWNED BY THE JOBLING-PURSER FAMILY

TRELLECH MAGIC DREAM- 14.2 SP OWNED BY SMITH/BORROWDALE FAMILY