# Burnley - looking for the breeders of my boy



## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)

He's a 2yo colt, believed to be trotted x cob and was purchased from a man in Burnley. I believe he had a couple of homes before him.

I'd love to be able to update his passport to include his parents.

Photos to follow


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## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)




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## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)




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## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)




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## Makemineacob (29 August 2015)

Lovely chap!  I suspect you may struggle like we did trying to find our mare's parentage (trotter x also). I do hope you have success but generally the original breeders of this "type" of four legged friend don't generally keep records etc/aren't easily traced. 

I hope you have great success with your boy, it's an interesting world taking on a trotter (they are quite unlike any horses I have had in my 36yrs!) if you need any advice just let me know!


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## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)

Thanks MMAC - I suspect this might be the case (or it it would have been recorded).

So what about trotters do you find different? I am ashamed to say I bought him because he was pretty, rather than because of his breed


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## Makemineacob (29 August 2015)

You have to think about the handling they've generally had, it can be very different to what you would expect say for a youngster to have from a "standard" horse person. 

They are kept in a very different manner and different settings to what you would perhaps expect and they can find it difficult settling into a "standard" setting (patience is the key as I found with my mare over what I would expect to be the very basics) , my mare came off a motorway embankment ( at 8 years old) and is exceptionally sharp and spooky (her spookiness is amplified for the fact that she was witnessed having things thrown at her from passing idiots on the motorway!).  The trot is a very quick pace with the nose in the air and this appears to be instilled in all of them from an early age (think about the flashing lane at Appleby and this is the image), the trot is a difficult one to sit at full pace and you will see it being ridden by riders as sitting trot with their feet pushed out in front of them for balance.  So it takes work. We now have a stunning trot and a much better outline than the giraffe look!

A friend has a trotter x mare also and their are many similarities.  A balanced canter can take a long time to come (my friend has just achieved it after 18 months), I haven't quite got there with my mare yet but we will get there.  

The key is patience and both my friend and I found natural horsemanship (think warwick schiller, Jason Webb, Michael peace etc) has helped massively and under saddle it is all about slowing everything down as all paces are fast. 

It will depend on your boys background really as if he has been lucky to have been relatively unexposed to a different type of handling (which you may have a huge chance of with his age) then you may get a bigger head start than both myself and my friend who ended up with older trotters. 

Don't get me wrong, I love her to bits and everyday is rewarding with her, she tries so hard for me (and my friend's trotter is the same). 

Would love to hear progress on your boy, he is very pretty. (I too got my mare as she was so pretty!)


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## EQUIDAE (29 August 2015)

Thanks MMAC  I'm not sure what he has had done with him as he bounced very quickly to me from his last home and he has only been there a few weeks. I now know why they were so keen to be rid of him 

He's coming round slowly and today I managed to lead him calmly around the field - it's ridiculous that this is a big thing


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## Makemineacob (30 August 2015)

It will get better don't worry, the best thing I can suggest is to treat him like he know absolutely nothing and has never had anything done. My friend and I found this worked the best out for our older trotters. 

The previous home probably realised they didn't have the time to put into him.  Calm, patient and consistent handling and lots of praise when things go well, even things like getting my mare to stand at the mounting block without legging it took a lot of work, then I struck gold with her, I got someone to hold her initially and as soon as I managed to scramble on her I gave her a mint and she very quickly learnt that letting me calmly get on her = mint. It makes me laugh now as if I get on her say while I'm chatting to someone I have forgotten to give her a mint and she will not move and then I suddenly realise she's waiting for her mint. 

My friend and I both agreed that they seem to be real try-ers, a real genuine sort who will do anything for you once you get their confidence.  It's a very rewarding relationship and every breakthrough makes me grin from ear to ear. 

I can highly recommend Guy Robertson in North Yorks if you need someone to help get your boy started when he's ready, its worth the drive (I'm guessing your lancs based), I know a lot of people who have used him with youngsters and they are now much more well rounded horses.  

I'm sure you will have so much fun with your boy. The one thing I found with my mare is she is incredibly strong (she's only 15hh) and it has taken many bits but she is now in a myler kimberwick (like a kimblewick but with slots on the D ring), it has a raised port which she really likes and she is now in a much better outline with this bit, my friend has recently swopped into a Myler with a raised port too and is having a lot more success, I can't speak for all trotter x's but our two seem to have quite fleshy tongues (might save you a massive costly hunt for a suitable bit). 

xx


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## Makemineacob (30 August 2015)

Also we had an interesting time finding suitable saddles for ours and we both have thorowgoods now, the tree seems to fit their shape much better than others and very helpful to have the adjustable gullet, my friend has a T6 (fully synthetic) and I've got both the dressage and GP T8 (half leather), kent and masters are the same tree and are full leather.  My friend doesn't know what her trotter x part was but we suspect similar to mine (who's 7/8th trotter and 1/8th cob).  The trotter part is pretty much TB so if you treat them like a TB (but a hardier one!) you will know what to expect. xx


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## ChestnutHunter (9 September 2015)

Who was it you bought him off?

I live just outside Burnley!


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## K4STR (11 September 2015)

He is beautiful! I don't know anyone though unfortunately!


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## EQUIDAE (12 September 2015)

GreyHunter said:



			Who was it you bought him off?

I live just outside Burnley!
		
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He had only owned him a few weeks so don't know much about his history. There was at least one other owner between him and the breeder


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