Latest News

30th January;

Well, I’m a little late with my Happy New Year Wishes, but they are still heartfelt. I hope all customers old and new have a great year of riding wherever you should choose as your 2012 destination. Febuary is going to be the month of updating the website, so hopefully you’ll get to read up on pony updates and I’ve already posted up some new ride descriptions – there will be more!

Christmas didn’t hold the usual excitement at West Steart Farm this year. Work seemed to get on top of us a little and Jim and myself (Zana) were a little drained. Caitlin visited to try and lift the spirits though and it was lovely to spend some time with her without sharing the time with other guests too as of course she normally visits during the busiest periods. We’ve also been worried about Beachy as of course we were expecting a better run from him. After lots of investigating we have found a slight problem with his wind which looks to have been the cause of him “suddenly stopping mid stride”, poor chap was just struggling for breath. This also resulted in him pulling some muscles, which have all had physio attention. We are just starting to work him hard again on the gallops and so far we seem to have our old Beachy back. He pricks his ears and wants to attack that hill as much as ever. We are going to try him once more over a similar trip (to run him under Jim’s name who is only a permit holder, he has to run under National Hunt rules) and if that distance is just proving too hard we have to determine whether an operation will help or whether we put him with a trainer who can run him over shorter flat race distances. Jim is applying for a full licence and if sucessful then we could run him under our name in flat races – very confusing, as everything in life!

Anyway, onto the bread earners! All the Dales ponies and Ulbe the Friesian are doing very well. They are enjoying the quieter season munching on the woodland area of the farm. Spirit and Oscar are well on their way to becoming wonderful rides, their training is going very smoothly as they are starting to get out to meet what traffic we can find on the quiet Devon roads and learning to balance with a rider on board as they travel along the woodland tracks. They both naturally give a lovely safe feel and are quite brave about exploring the wider world.

New years resolution? Guess what, try to keep up to date with Latest News!!

9th December;

Well Beachy disappointed us yesterday. He set off with a good front position on the rails and was looking fine, but something happened on the back straight which upset him as he suddenly dropped right off the pace and started to drift out wide, and he’s the easiest boy to steer normally so quite frankly we’re baffled. He has a bruise that’s come up on his leg today so he obviously got struck by another horse on his way round – thank goodness we had his boots on him, or that could have been worse. It is just a bruise though and he is still sound. Would that have been enough to throw our chap off the pace?? Well we just don’t know. We’ll be monitoring him very closely over the next few days and watching re runs of the race. We didn’t think our chap could win, but we were expecting him to be a bit more up with the pace from the workouts he’s had with the two jockeys who’ve ridden him as well as the work we’ve done ourselves. But it’s a funny old business this racing and I suppose we should be pleased that he’s come home sound, eaten up his grub and behaved with impeccable manners during the whole race day. Hopefully there’s more to come from Beach Rhythm! Oh, and a big thank you to all Beachy’s well wishers! It was lovely to receive so many “good lucks!” I don’t know who was out there backing him as though he was straight out of one of the big yards. I think that must have been a lot to do with how many people know Jim in the racing world and wanted to back a horse they’d suffered hearing so much about, they just forgot about all the hitches we’ve had along the way with him….hey ho, maybe some of that optimism will work its magic one day.

8th December;

It’s all about Beachy! Well it’s been quite a build up but the lorry is packed and we’re ready to take Beachy to his first race meeting today. He’s entered in the 3.20 at Taunton which is a National Hunt Flat race for first time runners. It looks like a hot race with some well bred horses and some big yards reckoning they’ve got good chances. We feel we’ve done all we can to prep the boy and can’t wait to see if he’s a race horse. It feels like he is, but we’ve only really got the Dales ponies to compare him with so to see how he performs against some good horses will be really exciting!

November;

Firstly apologies for no latest news for a while!! We’ve had plenty, just no time to share it! Hopefully with New Years resolutions just around the corner we can remedy that for 2012. The summer has been long and hectic, but very exciting and rewarding. We have met so many lovely people and had so many fantastic rides. There have been more You Tube moments, and don’t worry, if yours isn’t up there, it will be soon, just as soon as I’ve worked out some editing techniques!

Caitlin was with us again this summer, with her lovely pony, Flash. We all appreciated her help and she was very involved with the start of Beach Rhythm’s racing campaign by leading and pairing up the gallops with him at Dales pony speed in his early training. She even got a little sit on him herself up the gallops before she left.

We’ve many more Exmoor rides and a few more Exe valley rides discovered and so the ride routes are kept fresh and there’s no excuses for more return visits. Number one on the agenda for this winter’s route exploring projects is to get a Dartmoor ride on the go for 2012.

The youngsters have just been started up to be ready for next season. Spirit and Oscar are just in their first few weeks of training but already showing great promise. Anyone wanting some insight into how we get such great riding ponies trained up are very welcome to come on a “working winter break” to get hands on and involved in the “babies” training. Young Apollo is also starting with some groundwork and all being well Inca and Naranja will also get some training time too.

Onto the racehorses; Gladstone is still just ticking along with the basics, but GO BEACHY GO! Beach Rhythm has progressed through the summer with gentle canter work and then upped tempo through October. He had a little trip out with Trooper to Taunton Racecourse to have a walk around the paddocks, visit the winners enclosure (essential for the champ) and a gentle lob around the middle of the course to see all the ins and outs of the racecourse and all its paraphernalia. Since then he has worked at longer gallops and greater speeds. Then just recently he went to Exeter racecourse for his first serious piece of work with jockey, James Millman. He took it all in his stride just like the pro we believe him to be. You can view a snippet of the workout on You Tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMr7e1yh91A&feature=youtube_gdata

 & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEKIu2u6OS0 

Relieved and excited, we just hope to keep him in one piece until his planned first run at Taunton on the 8th December.

 However, we hardly dare hope that our giveaway sales reject can actually do for us what he failed to do for the professionals…there’s still a few rivers to cross and I quote our Vet on first seeing what we took on, “OMG What have you bought?! Don’t fall in love with him!” Of course it’s too late for that advice now, our upright pasterned horse with bad feet has gotten well and truly under our skin and we just hope for a little miracle.

June;

Well the month has only just begun but the gallops experience keeps on moving up a notch!! The whole routine of picking music to ride up to and being filmed is becoming a bit competitive with a lot of attempts to keep out – doing each other. The latest visitors are going to be tough to beat however as Fiona brought Alan with her who happens to be a bit of a whizz on the old camera and computer! He’s managed to make Jim’s system of filming whilst playing music from the Iphone look very primitive (and flawed, but we won’t go into that!) and has put together a fully edited version of gallop preparation and the gallops along with wonderful panorama shots of the scenery. It’s quite a masterpiece so do please follow the link and take a look; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaf92C2P88M

The Tarr Steps Exmoor ride has been very popular and has been voted BEST ride ever by several guests and take it from me, these people have taken some amazing rides not just with us but many other places! It really is a great ride which has a bit of everything, riding wise, very varied, plenty of fast bits, lovely scenery and a great lunch stop at the Tarr Farm Inn. You know what, it’s also Zana’s favourite ride, especially at the moment with all the Exmoor foals looking cute and cheeky!

May;

Another busy month with lots of lovely visitors, great riding and lots of laughs. This is the month that we’ve got to grips with You Tube!! DRH finally getting with the times and embracing technology! It has given the Gallops experience a whole new edge, check out Fiona, Alma and Louise’s experience by following this link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVlDLX4rJgk

Zana also managed a rare weekend off with Donna to attend a Trec Training course with Maggie Robertson and Rob Billson at Burrows Farm, Exmoor. It was aimed to riders already competing in Trec who want to progress up the levels to 3 & 4. It was great fun to be able to run through orienteering excerises set up by someone else with time pressures similar to competition as although Zana navigates around the countryside on a horse for a living, it is very different following a course set by someone else rather than from pouring over a map and developing one’s own, particularly when the route is chosen to test all skills of map reading, pace setting and compass bearings. For any Treccie out there, do look out for any other courses run at Burrows Farm, it was very well run and just the most perfect setting for riders, both course leaders very welcoming and extremely helpful. This is a picture that Rob took of Zana with Donna during the grid test phase of the orienteering day, can’t quite make out whether Donna wants to help with plotting the grid references or thinks that trimming the area is the best way forward!

April;

Busy, busy! Licence inspection passed again, so can continue trading and there’s no easy start to the Spring season here….Easter holidays, bank holiday followed by bank holiday! Luckily summer slave returned to be Easter slave and helped out a bit. Lots of guests and lots of fun, beach rides, gallops, exmoor rides with the Tarr Steps ride perfected with the wonderful field at the Tarr Farm Inn for our lunch stop.  All the horses have been coming along really well, looking fit and in wonderful condition. Our younger members are coming on well, with SC and Archie now pretty much leading out the rides like they’ve always done it and will be ready for whoever fancies riding them this summer. On the race horse front Gladstone is settling in really well and visibly relaxing into the role of chill out horse. Beachy is starting to look very well indeed and his legs are much stronger and developing a much better angle from when he was first given away. Inca is growing well and is quite speedy when she hightails it around the paddock with her mate Naranja. The Devon grass is giving them a wonderful shine but seems to make them very sleepy. The Devon grass is also having great effect on the lambs, who are now already huge!!

March;

Bumper crop of lambs this month! Are you ready for the total; Pepsi & Pepper, Pickle, Parsley & Paprika, Popcorn & Parsnip, Picollo & Peanut, Proclamation & Pumpkin, Pedro, Pecan & Peaches and finally Paco Boy! All healthy bouncy and very very cute! 

March also saw the return of American Meg, this time bringing golf mad hubby with her which brought about the creation of the very first West Steart Farm Ryder cup as Tom and Brian (Zana’s dad) battled it out at Saunton links golf course for a prized trophy. Needless to say, America won (this time!) and the cup has flown the Atlantic and is pride of place on the mantle piece. The trouble we go to, to make sure our riders have a great time, even drafting in golf players to entertain non riding visitors so that the riders can have guilt free fun!! It’s hard to know who is entertaining who sometimes, we’re very lucky to have such wonderful guests and great company. I think debating who would be winning the golf match gave the gallops across the moor on Winsford Hill an extra element of mystery.

Lovely dry month which has made stoning the yard possible – no more mud, hurrah! and now we have electric to the main barn too.

28th February, 2011

Well the theme of the month has been mud! We have had such a lot of rain, the only saving grace is that it has been incredibly mild and so the snowdrops, daffodils and grass has been shooting up to make the place look a lot more green and has brought the promise of Spring being just around the corner. In fact, Lime our coloured Ryeland ewe has reminded us of the coming Spring, because on the 26th Feb in the early hours she produced Pepsi and Pepper for us. 2 black boy lambs with a splash of white around their lips which make them look to have a wacky smile. They are extremely cute and their legs are almost as chunky as a Dales ponies! We’re just waiting for their friends to arrive, there are 8 more Ryeland ewes to lamb and we hope it all goes smoothly. Orders are already coming in for both breeding ewe lambs and also for lambs destined for people’s freezers. But all lambs here at West Steart Farm get a wonderful start in life however long it may be and are fussed and petted by all visitors and basically made to feel very special really. I have a feeling that both Pepsi and Pepper may just well get an extended life compared to most boy lambs produced on the farm, because their wool is such an amazing colour and Mum Jackson is really enjoying her spinning. The first wool products are now available for sale on the farm and “Lime” and “Leanna” wool hats have already been purchased by two visitors who felt they’d be just the job for their Swedish Holiday! I hope they kept their heads all toastie in those cold temps!

All the new horses on the farm have settled in really well and seem to be enjoying their new home. We’ve been promised a couple of dryish weeks and so hope that things do feel a little less muddy and that we can get on with stoning around the main barn to make it really smart for the coming riding season. Apollo has been allowed a bit of main herd time so that he can learn the manners expected by the mares and can watch the interaction between all the mature horses. Blossom has taken him under her wing and they seem to be quite fond of each other……a Christmas foal??? Watch this space, but wouldn’t that be lovely!

 January 2011

Happy New Year to all!

News of our holidays is travelling the world. We have just been included on an American website after a visitor from the US stayed with us this Autumn. Meg enjoyed her holiday with us so much that she has written all about it for others to read and you can read all about it following these links; http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/riding_in_devon_england-_part_1/ and in this month’s newsletter http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=5386029783f4dd7685fab9fcb&id=647148d16d and then the follow up part 2 on http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/riding_in_devon_england-_part_2/ I think there’s a wee video of the ponies running out to their grazing on there too! What Meg doesn’t realise is that we enjoyed her company just as much as she enjoyed her holiday, so we are double winners!! I hope you enjoy reading all about her experiences.

Jim couldn’t be left out of the “new pony” club! He is still getting over the excitement of his “Christmas pony” who couldn’t be here at Christmas due to snow, but arrived on New Years Eve, just in time to celebrate the changing of the year and his Birthday! Gladstone is lovely, and he’s going to be quite a favourite at the farm, I’m just sure of it! He seems a little taken aback about “life on the farm” but we’re sure he’ll settle in quickly. Beachy, just loves his new pal and as it happens they are second cousins! Small world. We’ll keep you posted on Gladstone, but there’s more about him on the “ponies page.”

December 2010

Its been a very exciting month. I don’t know quite where to start?

Well I suppose we should start with the new addition bought by Peter! The most romantic gesture imaginable, Peter bought his lovely wife Heather a horse! Every woman’s dream I should think? Ulbe is a beautiful Friesian and is included now on the ponies page if you want a little more info on him. He is the most perfect gentleman with manners to die for and the most beautiful deep eyes. He is very sweet natured and Heather is just going to have the most special times with him. The first she knew about her new companion was first thing on a Saturday morning (she and Peter drove down arriving late on the Friday evening) being awoken early and rudely by Peter due to being unable to keep the excitement of the secret for very much longer! They walked down to the fields where the ponies were all grazing and she discovered a new member of the herd wearing a red ribbon around his neck. Peter read her an introductory poem about her steed and then slowly it dawned on her that she had a horse of her very own! Of course, in return for his keep at West Steart Farm, Devon Riding Holidays gets the benefit of the lovely Ulbe too, so if you’ve ever longed to ride a Friesian, now’s your chance!

We have also been to Dunster by candlelight which takes place during the first weekend of the month, which was a lovely start to the festive season. The street lights were off and their role was taken over instead by lanterns. The castle was floodlit in beautiful colours and the main square shut off to traffic and full of market stalls and street entertainment. It was a lovely evening and I can thoroughly recommend it for anyone wanting a festive holiday next year.

Finally, the last of the exciting news, for now….we have a new baby on the farm! Little Grovewood Naranja arrived on 10th Dec as weaning companion to Incantare!  She is a Spanish horse born in the UK and we’re very excited about her arrival on the farm. This little baby is all Zana’s and has settled in to the way of life here at West Steart very well. She has beautiful movement and is sure to have the WOW factor when it comes to dressage when she is an adult riding horse. Until then, Zana is up playing with her most days, grooming her in the evenings in the last of the light, if she doesn’t have any customers to rush back to after feeding the youngsters. Of course, our little princess, Incantare gets just as much fuss too, so that she doesn’t get left out (in fact more when Jim is at home!). We’re all really pleased with the new addition and are looking forward to seeing how she looks when she is all grown up!

5th September 2010

Its been a very busy first summer which is very encouraging if not a little exhausting too! But the Dales ponies still have their magic and have touched many a heart this summer and made many a friend. Alf “head of security” has also been much appreciated by the guests who have stayed on his farm and accompanied him out on his jaunts around Devon and Somerset. Inca is growing by the day and regularly gallops round her paddock practising to be a racehorse. All ponies are thriving after a summer working once again and looking good on the Devon grass.

It’s today that we had to bade farewell to the summer slave, Caitlin. It was sad to see her and her pony, Flash go as we’d gotten used to having both around. Caitlin was a great help and lovely company. Yesterday, she was given the choice of whatever she wanted to do with her last day here at West Steart. Not suprisingly she chose the beach ride (even though Flash has been twice this holiday) though I think the third and final trip was the best and here’s a photo of her and Flash at a full gallop and having fun! Here’s hoping they’ll both visit again!

Tues 20th July

Today Storm Cat, or SC as she is commonly known had her first canter with a rider. Zana rode her up the last 3 furlongs of the woodchip gallop in behind her Mum, Grace as a lead. In typical Dales pony style she took it all in her stride. The rest of the Dales clan were out in the “play field” which runs alongside the gallop between the 6 & 7 furlong markers. They were very well behaved as SC came by and then all bunched up to the fence line to whinney at her as she walked back from the end of the gallop. I think they were proud of their girl. SC is turning into a very nice ride and if she keeps progressing at this rate, 2011 visitors have another lovely choice of pony to look forward to!

Tues 6th July

Inca has met the rest of the herd for the first time today. All the Dales ponies lined up along the fence line opposite and with their ears pricked just stared at Inca with expressions of adoration. It was such a sight. Inca, well she just stared right back. Black and Grace seemed the most interested in the new member of the herd. Its such a shame that Jim will probably drag his feet about his little baby being fully initiated into the herd as I think it would only do her good! She is doing more and more galloping around and looking more and more like a racing horse, but she’s still very cute.

Mon 5th July

Vital research now complete. We have found a wonderful lady called Tiné who will come out to the farm to give our poor riding muscles some well deserved tlc. Tiné is qualified to give swedish, reflexology and aromatherapy massages and we can set up the massage table within the comfort of your own room so that you can just unwind in the bath and then enjoy a great treatment afterwards. Prices vary from £20 to £40 depending on treatment and so if you’d like this booking in for you during your holiday just let us know and we’ll organise it for you, go on you deserve it!