LATEST NEWS:

‘Naughty Boy’ has now mastered the off piste terrain and passed his Exmoor training with flying colours. On Sunday we took him to the beach and he was “like a duck to water”. He loved the sea and galloping on the sand and if he is as good on his next visit we will be adding him to the ‘Off Piste’ list of horses available for guests to ride.

It would appear that ‘Naughty Boy’ should be called ‘Good Boy’!

Our lovely horse Leo has moved on to 'pastures new'. A friend of ours wanted a fast jumping horse for the Cotley country in Somerset. He borrowed Leo and he jumped like a stag, so he has now gone to fulfil a very important role out near Chard. We shall miss him but hope it will not be long before 'Naughty Boy' fills his hooves.

We are also pleased to report that Henry is now back from being weaned. He now stands at 13 hands and is a big strong foal. He is halter broken and has grown into a very loving and inquisitive fellow. His Mother Cassie is now back in work and very fit and well.

New addition to the stable

We have just bought a new horse to ‘ride on’ his racing name was ‘Naughty Boy’. Naughty is 5 years old and recently retired from the race track due to his ‘naughty’ attitude – he kept pulling up.

At Longham we hope to give him a new lease of life and teach him about steep terrain, opening and shutting gates and that there is another exciting life outside the race track. He is very green and Ellen has already parted company with ‘Naughty’ on a steep track where her stirrup leather slipped out and out of the saddle she came! No harm done other than a few bruises and a lot of teasing by Dave.

On a more serious note we hope to have ‘Naughty’ to Off Piste standards by August so we will keep you posted.

Off for their Winter Holiday - Update

We let three of our horses out on loan this Winter to 'Off Piste Riding' guests. The three we loaned were Tara, Moss and Jigsaw.

The three groups of people who loaned the horses have all expressed and interest in keeping them. So new and happy homes are being made for them.

We are already in the process of looking around to replace them with some new horses for the forthcoming season. It is nice to know the loan horses have been loved and appreciated.

George and Ryan - our super stars!

On Wednesday 8th August 2007 we decided to have a bit off 'Off Piste' fun with Ryan and 'baby' George at Exford Show.

We were all up at the 'crack of dawn' to prepare George to take part in the veteran class at the show. He was bathed and de-caked of ruby red Devon mud. He was plaited and tacked up in highly oiled tack ready for his big moment. His best mate Ryan was also prepared for the 'clear round' jumping classes.

For good measure we took Tango our minature pony so Rachel and Louise, who were staying with their parents in the holiday cottage could have fun at the show on the pony.

George ridden by Jemimah looked a million dollars and much to our great joy was placed 3rd in the veteran class. Ryan in the meantime called to George from the box and and his jumping ring where he performed beautifully for his rider Abbie and achieved a glorious clear round.

The sun shone, our picnic was devoured, our Pimms quenched our thirst and the stunning backdrop of Exmoor made it a halcyon day. We plan to make it an annual event so if you want to join us next year please let us know?!

Henry the foal - an update

Henry has now been weaned from his Mother - Cassie. The delicate process seems to have happened reasonably well. Cassie is getting her condition back and she has been clipped and is being exercised regularly. Fortunately, she didn't call for Henry and seems to have not been too distressed by his departure. As for Henry, he has gone to some friends at a nearby farm so he can get to 'feel his own feet'. Each day the children at the farm, Ben (who is 8 years old) and Jake (who is 10 years old) take Henry for a walk and lead him around the farm in his little halter. He has his hooves picked out and has been on the lorry several times. In fact he is proving to be a good natured pupil.

The plan is that Henry will return to Longham Farm in March and will be paired to run with another little foal or pony. As he matures and we work with him a bit more we will share his progress with you.

Helping our clients find and buy their own horse

We have been asked by a lot of our clients if we would either sell one of our horses to them or help them find a horse suitable for their needs at home. Unfortunately, we are too attached to our own horses to part with them plus it takes a lot of work and patience to get them suitable for our Off Piste Riding offering. However, we are happy to help people find their own horse.

If you provide us with a clear brief as to the sort of horse you are after and the budget you have available we will help source and buy a horse for you. We will settle it down, ride it on for you and when we feel it is ready for you to ride you can either visit the farm for the weekend and ride your horse or we will deliver it to you.

If you are interested in this service please call us on 01398 331496 or email us on offpisteriding@fsmail.net and we will discuss your requirements and how much it will cost for this service.

Our desire is to help you find a lovely horse that gives you as much fun and pleasure as we get from ours.