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Monty Roberts Equus Online University
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To Make the World a Better Place for Horses

Some news!

By:
vicci - UK (North Wales)
Date:
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Hi all
:
As some of you know, I rent 5.5 acres with stables from a lovely friend who has been kind enough to rent it to me. Today, we have agreed that I will buy it! So, after many years of searching, and trying to bring all the threads of my life into one place I can now go ahead. I can't live on site as there is no house so will stay in my house for now, but I will try for planning permission as soon as I get it to turn it into an equestrian holding.
:
There's a long long way to go yet (deal with all the legal bits and raise the funds but that's how it goes!) but I just wanted to share it with you all :-) Vicci

Kicki -- Sweden
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed

Wonderful news vicci!!! Fingers crossed it will be everything you hope for!

Widgymaphlip
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed

Fantastic news!!! x

JoHewittVINTA
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

I'm so happy for you. It's great to have that certain knowledge that your ponies are safe. I'm lucky in having Hopetoun Estate behind me, 22,000 acres so we will always have a corner we can use. But to own land is even better. Sleep well! Cheers, Jo.

Miriam (Holland&Germany)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

Congratulations Vicci!
Great news and wonderful perspective for you and your horses!
Will you keep us informed about your progress, it'll be good to follow how you fulfill your dream...
Good luck,
Miriam

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Thanks all, will keep you posted :-)

Rahni (Sydney, Australia)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed

That's so exciting Vicci! I hope it all comes together for you beautifully. Looking forward to hearing about your progress xx

Debbie Roberts Loucks, USA
Hello! 2014 Cyberhunt winner 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

Happy to hear Vicci!

katselasdan
Please upload your photo

Fabulous! So happy for you!

Mel - Ramsgate UK
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed

Fantastic Vicci, I'm so jealous!!!
Just a little thought for you once the papers are signed and sealed.
If you can prove that the horses need to have human presence day and night, especially night, ie you have stables set up and horses are locked up at night. Then planning permission for a property can be much easier, work on having the stables built first then the house.
Been doing a lot of research on this lately for when I finally get my own bit of land. ;)
x

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Thank you Mel, great tip :-) I will let you know when it's in my hands!!

Widgymaphlip
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed

oooh I am going to bank this info too mel! Good luck Vicci!

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Well, at last it's happened. I have finally exchanged contracts so am now the happy owner of 5.5 acres and some stables. It's been a mammoth journey getting there and I am going to be poor for a long time haha but it's a good feeling :-)
:
As well as training horses I am hoping to plant a woodland, produce hay, keep bees, tidy up the river bank, grow/sell fruit and veg, open a coffee shop....dreams dreams.... :-) First of all, I need to find a way to get planning permission to live on site. One step at a time......:-)

Lucie (france)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed

Congrats !!

Kicki -- Sweden
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed

Wonderful, vicci!!!! Congratulations, I hope you get that permission ASAP!!!

Miriam (Holland&Germany)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

Great acchievement Vicci!
Keep on dreaming and making those dreams come true....
Best of luck,
Miriam

dionne4210 - Denmark.
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed

Wow that's really fantastic Vicci many heartfelt congratulations from Shilo and me. We rent a big farm too, I don't ever think I will get the money to buy such a place, but who knows. Dreams cost nothing.
CONGRATULATIONS...

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Thank you all for your kind words, much appreciated :-)

Australizee
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed

That's awesome I'm really happy for you! We can have a big party at your place haha!

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Well at last, yesterday I had the round pen built!! I can't believe I have finally got one! The gate is in the welders shop being made taller and I haven't quite decided on the base yet but it's up! To move on the the next stage I would like some help from you please :-)
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1. The round pen is on grass and while the ground is well draining with good grass hold I am considering putting some sort of surface down - I can't excavate (so sub base/stone is not possible) because that technically becomes a manege and has all sorts of planning implications in the UK. Does anyone have any ideas? I've thought of extra strong weed blanket type material with fine crushed bark/leaf mulch on top.....carpet...field mats with sand on top.... I'd be grateful for any experiences any of you have in this area!
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(2) I'm also going to assemble an 'obstacle/agility' course - so far I'm thinking of narrow walkway, bridge, oil drums for 'slalom', and a tall gateway with fringes to walk through..any other ideas?
(3) For a long time I've been trying to think up a name for the enterprise - I call my little business (an it is very little at the moment!) "The Horse Trainer" - it was supposed to be temporary while I thought of something better! After running through hundreds of ideas I have narrowed it down to "Horse Power" with the strapline being "Training and Development for you and your horse" What do you think?
:
Please be brutally honest as necessary, I genuinely value your input I have tons of ideas - not all of them horse related - this project is multi faceted but I'll just throw in a few at a time! Thanks

Miriam (Holland&Germany)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

WOW Vicci,
Next step in living your dream!
To 1. Why not leave the grass and see what happens... we have this in Italy, the horses are allowed to graze (when they're not being worked..)there, so the pen is a familiar place for them and they keep the grass short. If the pen is well drained it might work most of the time.
Otherwise there's ReiTex by Otto Sport, the least expensive material by the same firm that provides Monty's arena's and roundpens with the sand/fibre mixture. ReiTex is a fibre material that can be used outside and all year long.
To 3. "Horse Power" is quite close to June Burgess' "Inner Horse Power"...
I like the "Horse Trainer", but it's not showing your special skills, the methods you're using etc.
Try to find something that includes your ability to listen to horses and people! It'll be the people to choose you as a trainer for their horse, often it's them that (need to) learn the most!
Not easy to find...
Best wishes,
Miriam

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Thanks Miriam; all very helpful, some good stuff for me to think about there!

Mel - Ramsgate UK
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed

Composted manure for the round pen. Build a composter about 2 meters wide and a meter high, put raw manure in and wait for it to compost down fully. Once the composting process is complete it's a soft base you can use in the round pen. Just sprinkle it around the outside area where the horse will need it the most. Makes soft flaky footing in the dry and squidgy footing in the wet, can take 6 weeks - 10 weeks to decompose depending on temperature. Don't let it get too wet with the rain you get up there when decomposing ;)
It'll smell nice and soil like when ready to use.
Can you post photos anywhere Vicci, would love to see!!
Mel
x

Kicki -- Sweden
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed

That is so great, Vicci!!!
On the footing of the round pen, it's my experience that while bark, however fine crushed it is, can get quite slippery; so be careful with that!
One neighbour here has a mix of fine crushed rubber which drains the water quite well and never freeze over, but it will eventually be ground down to an annoying dust and will need re-filling at some point.
.
Suggestions for obstacles:
-fluttering flags tied to the fence,
-balloons tied to the fence, both high and/or low
-ribbons on a frame/gateway,
-a string full of balloons (on the ground) tied between two -poles (or wings for fence poles) to step over,
-two flags hanging down on each side of a gap to pass between with the option to (incrementally) make it more narrow,
-several flashing "traffic warning lights" in a line to cross over or slalom. (These are flat, round things in sturdy plastic with red, blinking or flashing LED-lights.)
-a square plate on which the horse is to be directed to put one or two hooves on.
- a rope with noisy things tied to it (mainly empty soda/beer cans) to be picked up and dragged behind with the goal to keep it as close to the horse as possible.
- flag on a long pole
- tarp to walk across or stand on
- tarp to walk beneath like a canopy. (Great training for loading! If the horse throws up its head there is nothing to bang it against.)
- labyrinths made with fence poles to walk over, across sideways or diagonally, backing up or going forward through the corners.
.
As for the name, I'm thinking like Miriam that I like "The Horse Trainer" too, but maybe it is a bit...bland?
There are so many horse trainers out there, all with their own philosophy, and your special abilities and knowledge are your selling point so they need to come across more clearly. Like Kelly's "Intelligent Horsemanship".
Unfortunately, I am not inventive enough to bring any good ideas to the table.
.
Oh, and yes, do post photos if you can!!! :)

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

Some fantastic ideas there Kicki and Mel, thank you so much. I don't do Facebook I'm afraid but I'm guessing the time is coming when I may have to! I also need to design a website - when it's all ready I'll upload film and photos but it may be a while.

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