|| Stud News

Well – we’re finally up and running barefoot in competition again. Zapateado completed his first 80km barefoot at Silver Creek in Nov 2005 over rocky going, with no problems. Bella Scott (11) and her 12.3hh pony Solo, in their first 80km event, came first equal juniors - barefoot of course.

Bright Barefoot Equine is ticking along with a new client or two most weeks. It’s now a part-time business. My ‘patch’ which started with my horses, then jumped the fences to include my neighbours’ horses, now encompasses about a 125 km radius in North East Victoria. Some days I’m doing eight or nine horses. My local vet – a semi-retired equine specialist - is referring founder ponies to me for trimming, and says he is “amazed’ at our rehabilitative success to date.

The barefoot trimmers who formed a loose network centred on Equethy (www.equethy.com) have recently formed the Australian Hoof Care Association, to promote the aims and ideals of barefooting horses for performance, health and wellbeing.

I’ve also completed the 2nd unit of my Equine Science Certificate through Canada’s University of Guelph ( www.equinesciencecertificate.com). To date I’ve passed the Equine Exercise Physiology and Equine Functional Anatomy subjects – both with distinction passes. It’s been a great way to leverage up my knowledge – first for endurance training, and secondly for understanding the workings of the hoof.

Two new foals this season. Both fillies. Smoko Creek Pzzazz (pending) is by Zap out of an lovely big unregistered Anglo mare who has a double cross to Shafreyn. So this filly has four crosses to Shafreyn and three to Royal Domino.

The other foal, purebred, Smoko Creek Honey (pending) is from Shirley (a qualifed endurance horse and half sister to Zap) and by Arundel House Zermat.

We’ve put Karumba Brolga (TB mare x Ralvon Traveller) to Zap for a 2006 foal.

Saraji Ecstasy, three quarter sister to Kelkette Park Fyre and mother of six foals to date, has gone into endurance training at age 14. And what a little pocket rocket she is turning out to be……