‘Appleby’ horses

[canteron]

In Hertfordshire I saw a poor pretty frightened horse being trotted down a busy dual carriage way in a cart by a gentleman with no top, just wearing shorts and sandles …. and not surprisingly no hard hat - wow!

I felt very sorry for the pony, but I also felt that my horse would not cope with that an had a little bit of admiration for them for having the balls to do that and I guess in a competent manner.

So ultimately maybe that pony will become bombproof and therefore suited to modern life?

Anyone had a pony who started life like that and was it a saint - or completely broken?

 

[SEL]

Not mine but I worked at a RS where they got a cob from that background to pull a cart - he could go through heavy traffic without flinching.

Didn't know how to lead or pick his feet up but traffic - wise no issue

 

[greasedweasel]

Treacle mule (@rabatsa) came from Appleby as a four year old. She did not give a damn but she didn’t give a damn about much

 

[Snowfilly]

I’ve had a couple of gypsy horses. They’re mannerly on the ground, 100% in traffic and have no spit and polish put on them at all.

If you get one that’s not had its legs knackered, they tend to be pretty decent, go anywhere do anything sorts that you could ride down an A road but you do need to put a lot of schooling in.

 

[paddi22]

I retrain trotters that would often come in in very rough condition. they are usually the soundest animals I've ever dealt with, it seems to be that if they survive that treatment for years then they are naturally hardy and sound. All turned out to be totally bombproof, a bomb could literally go off beside them and they wouldn't care, they made great competition horses as absolutely nothing phased them. Banners could blow off arena walls, people could open umbrellas etc and they wouldn't care. One was jumping a course with a kid when a barrel blew across the arena, the pony just jumped it as it went past and kept on course.

A few arrived very shut down and then would totally transform into very feisty opinionated animals who would take advantage of new owners once they knew they had the upper hand.

A few were tricky to retrain and the behaviourist we worked with at the time explained it as 'they have been shouted at since they were born, so they can't hear you whisper'. so with some there was a process of finding the right energy level to communicate with them and then bringing it down to normal.

 

[Jambarissa]

I've found this type are generally bombproof but strong in the mouth. They've also all been terrified of men which made farrier particularly difficult.

All very trainable and transitioned to barefoot easily. The only lasting issue was the man thing, particularly ones who smell of oil/smoke. My farrier has to do us first thing in the day while he smells fresh.

 

[meleeka]

My Shetland spent his first 3 years tethered up the road and tormented by a traveller kid. I didn’t buy him from them, but when the person who did wanted to sell him, I just couldn’t let him be sold to any old person so I bought him. He’s still wary of men and hates kids a decade later.

I’ve also owned two dogs that came from travellers. I’d never be able to train their level of obedience, it’s just a shame they have to have it so brutally instilled.

 

[Dave's Mam]

I had an Appleby pony many, many years ago. She was an absolute star, went better in a headcollar with two ropes as I think her mouth hurt, but she was brave in traffic, we rode in the suburbs and was an absolute sweetheart.

 

[I'm Dun]

In Hertfordshire I saw a poor pretty frightened horse being trotted down a busy dual carriage way in a cart by a gentleman with no top, just wearing shorts and sandles …. and not surprisingly no hard hat - wow!

I felt very sorry for the pony, but I also felt that my horse would not cope with that an had a little bit of admiration for them for having the balls to do that and I guess in a competent manner.

So ultimately maybe that pony will become bombproof and therefore suited to modern life?

Anyone had a pony who started life like that and was it a saint - or completely broken?

Yup, mine. He pulled the big bow top caravans and was a covering stallion. We then arent completely certain what happened, but he got hurt, and we assume started being violent and difficult and was dumped in an appalling state. He eventually came to me gelded and in a better state but still not great. I sroted the pain and got him right and he turned into the most amazing driving pony for me. Never had a relationship with a horse like that before. He knew what I was thinking. I could gallop him flat out round the field, razzing him up, pull up and hand him straight over to novice kids to drive and he would plod around. I drove him completely blind in one eye and half blind in the other. I just sat there and he negotiated cars and junctions etc.

He is the most bombproof horse I have EVER met and he would happily go down the M1, in a headcollar and leadrope, with a complete novice riding him bareback, on his own. On the ground he's quirky as hell, although has settled massively with time. I have no issues with him, but he gives anyone new a hell of a hard time till they learn how to manage him,and I don't blame him at all considering the life he's had and how awful people have been to him. He wont ever leave my ownership, although he's in a loan home and has been for the last few years.

 

[cauda equina]

Years ago at Gt Witchingham BE one of the sections (Intro then, = BE90 now) was won by a coloured pony who had previously been kept tethered on a roundabout on the A12

 

[Highmileagecob]

Yep, my old boy has come from a traveller background, and has amazing patience and traffic sense. I have only come across two issues with him - men shouting will fire him up like poking a bear. His ears go flat to his head and he will head towards the shouting with intent. And we once met a pony and trap trotting along the road. Old Dobbin swung round on his hocks and set off like the devil was after him. Both scenarios were easy to avoid, and apart from having his own opinions about which direction the hack should take, he has been the horse that everyone wanted.

 

[Ratface]

I bought an allegedly broken in Fell pony from travellers. She had been broken in by being galloped up and down a busy main road until exhausted and then picketed on a grass roundabout leading to a M-way. No saddle or bridle available so I got on her in their yard with just a headcollar. She was very tense but responsive so I bought her there and then. She was five. We did everything together - showjumping, cross country, long distance hacks, hunting, Pony Club rallies. She retired at 25 and died at 30.

 

[cauda equina]

I bought an allegedly broken in Fell pony from travellers. She had been broken in by being galloped up and down a busy main road until exhausted and then picketed on a grass roundabout leading to a M-way. No saddle or bridle available so I got on her in their yard with just a headcollar. She was very tense but responsive so I bought her there and then. She was five. We did everything together - showjumping, cross country, long distance hacks, hunting, Pony Club rallies. She retired at 25 and died at 30.

That's truly the stuff of pony books - all you'd need to add would be some snobby cousins who look down on you and your gypsy pony, then you beat them soundly at the PC hunter trials

 

[Ratface]

That's funny! No snobby cousins as my mother's brother was a child sex offender. I was the victim and outed him. He denied it, of course, but rapidly disappeared from the family get-togethers. His daughter married a mouse of a man and they faded from view. My sister, four years older than me, married a man who attempted to sexually assault me, but was put off when I grabbed his hand and bit it. Little wonder that I have trust issues and prefer animals to people.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My mare was bought from Appleby as a three year old, ride and drive and then had a "surprise" foal late August. I bought her as a five yr old, she had splints on both fronts and windgalls on hinds, after a few years the windgalls had gone and the splints much smaller. She also had white pressure marks over her poll and underneath her face, scars on her girth area and when fully clipped you could also see scarring on her sides and quarters. Scared of any traffic bigger than a transit van and terrified of quads. She was generally a spooky mare to hack. Head and ear shy, terrified of men she didn't know to the point a strange man wouldn't be able to catch her in a stable, fine with short whips terrified of long and lunge whips. Was fine with male vets and farriers though.

She had an incredible trotting trot, could easily keep up with a fit eventer at a good canter. I rarely let her go into it and only on a perfect surface, springy grass, but it was amazing to be on when she went into it. She was also the kindest of ponies, gentle and forgiving who took me competing competitively up to 1.05, won or placed every class in the last five years we competed apart from the twice I made sat nav errors, I did jump her up to 1.20 but I couldn't sit on her at that height! We hacked for miles, did xc, show cross,played at dressage occasionally. She would win a horse open then after coming out ring would give my young god daughter a pony ride. I still miss her every day.

 

[canteron]

My mare was bought from Appleby as a three year old, ride and drive and then had a "surprise" foal late August. I bought her as a five yr old, she had splints on both fronts and windgalls on hinds, after a few years the windgalls had gone and the splints much smaller. She also had white pressure marks over her poll and underneath her face, scars on her girth area and when fully clipped you could also see scarring on her sides and quarters. Scared of any traffic bigger than a transit van and terrified of quads. She was generally a spooky mare to hack. Head and ear shy, terrified of men she didn't know to the point a strange man wouldn't be able to catch her in a stable, fine with short whips terrified of long and lunge whips. Was fine with male vets and farriers though.

She had an incredible trotting trot, could easily keep up with a fit eventer at a good canter. I rarely let her go into it and only on a perfect surface, springy grass, but it was amazing to be on when she went into it. She was also the kindest of ponies, gentle and forgiving who took me competing competitively up to 1.05, won or placed every class in the last five years we competed apart from the twice I made sat nav errors, I did jump her up to 1.20 but I couldn't sit on her at that height! We hacked for miles, did xc, show cross,played at dressage occasionally. She would win a horse open then after coming out ring would give my young god daughter a pony ride. I still miss her every day.

What a lovely story, so glad your mare had such a happy life with you after, clearly, a rather brutal start.

 

[ester]

Pretty sure rara said storm went at least a couple of times, he was a gypsy's cob sold because he wasn't fast enough to keep up with his mates trotters so he was buying one of them. He's doing his first 3* international in a couple of weeks (while also doing novice stuff with me!)
He can be a bit of a worrier but has got much better in that regard and is a complete softy and obviously has an amazing work ethic. She once showed me an old pic of the guys grandad/great grandad?! with a very similar stamp of cob so they've been breeding to that (good) type for a while

 

[TheHairyOne]

My sisters got a big coloured cob that was bought from appleby as a 2 year old, brought down south and thrown in a field for 2 years before she got him as a barely handled 4 year old.

He is a fabulous boy with a super attitide, but in the early days if anything came up behind him he would just take off and he isnt perfect for the farrier even now years later.

Shes been offered a lot of money for him over the last 6 years, but he is too good to go anywhere.

 

[Petmurf]

My boy was destined for Appleby but thanks to lockdown he was sold to me by travellers as a 5 year old. I think he’s younger.

He’s a stubborn, opinionated, bolshy cob who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body but does have a great sense of humour .

He is bombproof on the roads and when in company his trot is so fast I just hover over him as too fast to rise.

Wouldn’t be without him and am thankful

 

[Merry neddy man]

Totally off subject, in the town of Kirkby Stephen 12 miles from Appleby a regular stopping point for the travellers who stay for a week or more, all the pubs have decided to shut for the week, only the club will be open, some of the shops are closing aswell and some won't be selling alcohol, speed humps are being put on the road they do all the horse flashing on to prevent/ hinder the activity. In Appleby itself some shops have already stated they will close. Appleby is Thursday 6 June till Wednesday 12 June 2024 but it quietens down after Sunday.

 

[Bernster]

Interesting. Also in Herts I saw a very young looking horse clattering down an A road pulling one of those little metal carts (single guy, no helmet). Hammering its legs on the road, bleeding from a tack rub on its back legs. Guy ran straight through a roundabout and a red light on a busy, fast road. It really upset me. I pulled over when I could to call the police but he’d turned off and no idea if anything ever came of it. I’d worry about that horse’s long term soundness with that treatment.

 

[Auslander]

I have a mare here who came from that sort of background, and was sold to her current owner via one of the most notorious dealers on DD. She is absolutely bombproof environmentally, but she's also completely terrified of people. If you so much as look her in the eye when she's loose in the field, she runs for her life, even though she's had nothing but kindness for the last 3 years. She'll flatten other horses/people/fences to get away if you are anything but quiet and slow around her. It's heartbreaking.
She doesn't put a foot wrong when she's attached to a person, but you can tell that she's analysing every move you make, just to be sure she's not going to get a beating.
Despite her bomproofness, I'd never trust her not to hurt someone if she felt the need to get away. Poor little mare

 

[Highmileagecob]

I remember my daughter doing some jumping in the paddock on our cob. She fell off almost every time he landed. Instructor explained how he basculed (?) over the jump and tried to explain how it should be done. Daughter dismounted and said ok, show me. Instructor jumped him...and promptly fell off on landing.

 

[GoldenWillow]

There's a lot of pubs and shops in Appleby and surrounding area that close for Appleby week.

I remember my daughter doing some jumping in the paddock on our cob. She fell off almost every time he landed. Instructor explained how he basculed (?) over the jump and tried to explain how it should be done. Daughter dismounted and said ok, show me. Instructor jumped him...and promptly fell off on landing.

My mare jumped me out of the saddle so many times but she generally caught me on landing she also jumped two very experienced and actively competing instructors out the saddle.

 

[GoldenWillow]

CCTV appeal after horse worked to death at Appleby Horse Fair

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a horse was worked to death at Appleby Horse Fair.

www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk

Another one! Most years there are incidents involving horse deaths

 

[starbucker]

Much like other communities I imagine there's the good, bad and the ugly. Know a couple of nice types headed off for sale there this week, both sound and cracking ride drive type ponies

 

[holeymoley]

Not sure about my 22year old, I got him at rising 3. He’d basically has a saddle and bridle flung on him and that was him but incredibly tense and anxious. He is still wary of men he doesn’t know and he’s been with me for almost 20years. Pretty much bombproof if most situations though. But cannot stand the sound of an electric drill… He doesn’t suffer fools either!

Youngster has definitely been from that background, I was sent on videos of him pulling a buggy as a yearling. He’s exceptionally friendly with everyone though, so far incredibly bombproof. Happy for my kids to stand and groom him while I get on with things.