Countryfile Exmoors

[ycbm]

I have my head in my hands!

Adam has just introduced a borrowed virgin stallion to his Exmoor herd. The poor little sod was kept alone in a stable he couldn't see out of for a week "so he could settle and get used to me". Then Adam led him across a field to the mares, with him desperate to have company and squealing and pulling, then let him straight into the field where the herd then ran wild bucking and rearing and the mares proceeded to kick the shit out of him.

??‍?‍
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[Red-1]

Wow.

 

[Red-1]

I thought Adam was supposed to be horse-aware?

Braver than me, taking a stallion to mares, when he has just been shut in for a week!

Wonder how many in injuries there were?

I wonder if they shut him in and chucked him straight in to the field to make it exciting TV?

 

[ycbm]

The exciting TV angle was the only way I could make sense of it, Red. I would have been furious if the stallion was mine. He was a really smart little fellow.

They were literally leaping all over each other. Rearing, bucking, lashing out.

Good on Adam for helping a very threatened species, but surely he knew that wasn't how to introduce a virgin to a herd, or any stallion for that matter?
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[Tiddlypom]

I haven't watched this yet, but although I like Adam, he is absolutely useless at horse handling .

 

[The Xmas Furry]

His father would have given him a right rollicking for doing that, lots of very cross posts on native sites already. Ponies and horses are not sheep, pigs or cattle!

 

[HBB]

It actually looked like the stallion got away from him when looking at the drone footage. It was completely reckless what he did, he created a very dangerous situation for all the ponies.

 

[[153312]]

The equine bits on countryfile are often frustrating viewing I find.

I dislike their promotion of koniks for conservation over our native breeds, as well as some of the actual handling shown. (Although I didn't see the episode specifically mentioned in the op).

 

[Gloi]

And that mare needs her feet trimming more often!

 

[ycbm]

The equine bits on countryfile are often frustrating viewing I find.

There was a bit just before it where a farrier was trimming a crack out of one of the mare's feet. No mention of the fact that it was neglect of trimming that had got it into the state it was in. Effusive praise for the skill of a farrier who did a bog standard trimming job.

I don't like the impression any of the horse stuff in Countryfile has left on the non horse public tonight.
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[ycbm]

And that mare needs her feet trimming more often!

We overlapped!
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[[153312]]

@ycbm usage of the words 'frustrating' and 'some' was an attempt to be tactful lol!

Always got time for Suffolk punch foal footage mind you

 

[ycbm]

I don't like the impression any of the horse stuff in Countryfile has left on the non horse public tonight.
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EG a herd of Exmoors on what looked like spring dairy grazing.
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[Gloi]

How are they going to phrase it in the next episode when the poor lad has been injured?

 

[[153312]]

EG a herd of Exmoors on what looked like spring dairy grazing.
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Maybe some horsey people/organisations ought to write in? Assuming it's genuine ignorance rather than just not caring.

(And by some I mean some of the hho encyclopedia of equine knowledge.)

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

This might be a bit of a dim question, but how do you introduce a virgin stallion to a herd of mares?

Despite that, even I know that what he's done is complete idiocy. Sounds like I'm better off not watching it as it will just wind me up.

 

[ycbm]

This might be a bit of a dim question, but how do you introduce a virgin stallion to a herd of mares?

Despite that, even I know that what he's done is complete idiocy. Sounds like I'm better off not watching it as it will just wind me up.

Given the setup he had available, with a stable with a high door on the edge of a big paddock, I would have let the mares come to him. When all the squealing stopped and everyone had worked out who everyone was and where they stood in the hierarchy, let him out.

ETA, Possibly reduced the height of the door, and put a grill on.
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[asmp]

The equine bits on countryfile are often frustrating viewing I find.

I dislike their promotion of koniks for conservation over our native breeds, as well as some of the actual handling shown. (Although I didn't see the episode specifically mentioned in the op).

I can see where you’re coming from but the Koniks were lovely. I had to look them up as they were a new breed to me.

 

[[153312]]

I can see where you’re coming from but the Koniks were lovely. I had to look them up as they were a new breed to me.

Oh please don't misunderstand me- I'm not disparaging the koniks at all! They are indeed a beautiful breed and excellent conservation grazers in their OWN native habitat, but in British habitats breeds like exmoors and dartmoors are better suited, Imho, because the ponies evolved with, and excel in, the landscape.(as the koniks do in Poland.)

 

[Gloi]

Oh please don't misunderstand me- I'm not disparaging the koniks at all! They are indeed a beautiful breed and excellent conservation grazers in their OWN native habitat, but in British habitats breeds like exmoors and dartmoors are better suited, Imho, because the ponies evolved with, and excel in, the landscape.(as the koniks do in Poland.)

And the way the societies using the koniks talk as if they are the only suitable ones for the task when they are not.

 

[Berpisc]

I am glad I dont watch Countryfile.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

There was a bit just before it where a farrier was trimming a crack out of one of the mare's feet. No mention of the fact that it was neglect of trimming that had got it into the state it was in. Effusive praise for the skill of a farrier who did a bog standard trimming job.

I don't like the impression any of the horse stuff in Countryfile has left on the non horse public tonight.
.

I also found the lack of trimming quite alarming as well as the way the horses were 'introduced'. Not great viewing.

 

[[153312]]

And the way the societies using the koniks talk as if they are the only suitable ones for the task when they are not.

Exactly!!!!
Really, in general terms, ANY feral native pony, from anywhere in the world, would work. But really the closer the breed's historic home is to the land needed to be grazed the better. You'd think countryfile ought to acknowledge these things, they are common sense not specialist knowledge really.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Given the setup he had available, with a stable with a high door on the edge of a big paddock, I would have let the mares come to him. When all the squealing stopped and everyone had worked out who everyone was and where they stood in the hierarchy, let him out.

ETA, Possibly reduced the height of the door, and put a grill on.
.

Better to have selected a sensible mare who wasnt a maiden, then turned him out with her.
Then introduced the lead mare of the band, later the rest of them......
Bonkers having him shut in like a prize bull ?

 

[Dave's Mam]

I haven't seen it & seems that's a good thing!

 

[Esmae]

I winced at this whole piece. From how not to handle stallions to the downright neglect of feet. Honestly disgraceful.

 

[stangs]

And the way the societies using the koniks talk as if they are the only suitable ones for the task when they are not.

"Societies"?

The Konik has been a common choice for rewilding since it was originally involved in work to recreate the tarpan and hence has been selectively bred to be semi-wild. RewildingEurope recommends it for lowland Northern / Central Europe, and they’re somewhat common in lowland parts of Eastern Europe as well. But they are really only in areas without suitable replacements. E.g. in Eastern European countries that don’t have a formal feral-pony type breed being bred in the necessary conditions, and in the Netherlands. Can you name a single Dutch feral-type pony breed? Hell, can you name a single Dutch pony breed?

I didn’t watch this Countryfile episode, but in general I’ve seen a major trend towards the Exmoor pony in rewilding in the UK and some parts of Western Europe. Again, the Exmoor is the breed that RewildingEurope recommends for this part of Europe. They also recommend the Welsh, the Eriskay in harsher climates, and the Dartmoor. Though I don’t think anyone can be surprised that the Dartmoor is currently not involved in rewilding, given that the original breed isn’t being bred to be feral, and the Dartmoor Hill certainly needs work as regards its management. Neither are suitable like the Exmoor.

Regardless, when you say “societies”, what societies? Because excluding a few wetland National Trust parts of the UK, Koniks really aren’t common here or in Western Europe and no one is saying they are the only ones suitable for the job.

Really, in general terms, ANY feral native pony, from anywhere in the world, would work.

Yes, put a Camarague in Northern Finland, see how that works out.

 

[stangs]

Bonkers having him shut in like a prize bull ?

Bulls don't deserve that treatment either.

 

[laura_nash]

I thought Adam was supposed to be horse-aware?

Nothing I've seen of him has given me that impression.

Some of the farmers around here are similar, they have horses but they certainly don't have horse knowledge. One was explaining to me last year that horses don't need worming like cattle do, they can graze around ragwort fine as they won't eat it, and they need their hooves doing every 6 months. He also asked me if my daughters 6 year old pony was last years foal out of my elderly gelding. Not all are like that, but having ponies definitely doesn't automatically mean they know anything about them.

 

[pistolpete]

It was horrible seeing him being double barrelled poor lad.