January 2009
Morris has been a bit of a hippee for the last six months . We had problems with the surfaces on our tracks and he ended up with a few abscesses. Sarah felt it would be good for his brain and body if he had a few months rest so he was a track potato until the start of 2009. With his hoof problems now behind him 2009 will hopefully be the start of his endurance career and ......... he thinks he is also a circus horse!
Morris and Fari on an 18km NCR
at Delamere Forest in Cheshire.
June 2009
Morris has been a busy horse for the last few months. He has completed his first fun ride, learnt to jump at Kelsall, ridden twenty two miles of the Ride Bare ride and has vetted sound after his first non-competitive 18 km Endurance GB ride. Next he will embark on a 260 mile Ride Bare trip to Devon!
July 2009
Morris had to retire from Ride Bare when a rocky path gave way beneath his feet and he bashed and cut his fetlock. A few weeks rest and bandaging and he was back out on a 10 mile fun ride enjoying the jumps and loving cantering up the hills. There has been no reoccurrence of the abscesses of last year now that Sarah has sorted out the problems with the track.
August 2009
Morris and Sarah had a fantastic eight days with Ken Faulkner in Yorkshire. He is becoming much more balanced both emotionally and physically. A week after gettting back from Yorkshire he carried Sarah to the Three Pigeons Inn for lunch. This ride was about 20 miles in length and was mostly stony tracks and roads. He was both energetic and rock crunchingly sound in his bare feet. We feel he is now ready for a 20 mile endurance ride, keep checking back for more updates!
September 2009
Morris continues to get fitter and fitter! He went to Kelsall and had fun through the water and over small jumps.
Then at the next 11 mile fun ride with Fari a week later he was quite a handful! He thought he knew best and going steady and letting horses past him was not what all this going out lark was all about. After quite some tussling, a lot of bending and serpentines for 9.5 miles, he finally admitted that it was me in charge and became a longer pony on a loose rein!
A week later Morris took part in his first ever competitive endurance ride, A 22.5 mile course run by Sport Endurance in Cheshire. He was a small handful for the first couple of miles but after this a pleasure and thoroughly enjoyed seeing what was around every corner. He went at a steady 8.5 miles per hour, which was Sarah’s intention and came in in fifth place. You will find a video of this ride on our home page.
February 2010
Morris has had a snowy winter. For five weeks we were unable to ride due to severe ice and snow, but when we did get out and about he was fantastic. Now we are in training for the 2010 endurance season and we are going to see how far we can go in 2010 as Morris is now ready to be a ‘deb’ and come out!
28th February 2010
Morris took part in a Sport Endurance 10 mile training ride. He was accompanied by Sue and Jake. Jake is a thoroughbred who went barefoot due to navicular syndrome. Jake is now sound and enjoyed his barefoot day out with Morris.
March 2010
Morris has been out to Kelsall and various fun rides each weekend. Since January we have been feeding minerals matched to the levels in our forage. Our forage is particularly deficient in copper and zinc which both play a major part in the strength of hoof strength and quality. The minerals also seem to have given him much more stamina.
The photo shows him at Adderley Funride getting to grips with jumping. A little speedy but very enthusiastic as usual!
