Martin Clunes: Heavy Horse Power

I think you have to admire Martin for putting himself forward to make this programme in the first place and I prefer him to Noel Edmunds re the horse BHS etc. Good luck to him he is raising the horse profile as a useful intelligent working animal by making this programme.

The lions den of H&H forum or sorry Tack Room! I bet he is still laughing.
 
amymay said:
It may be beyond my control horseatemymoney. But my horses aren't bothered, because I'm not.
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Ok, they might not spook (like the one on TV didn't)- but what if it had been trodden on, that's an accident that could have been avoided? I just don't see why they took the risk of all manner of potential injury/accident, when they didn't need to- just seems to be making something potentially dangerous more risky.
 
indie999 said:
I think you have to admire Martin for putting himself forward to make this programme in the first place and I prefer him to Noel Edmunds re the horse BHS etc. Good luck to him he is raising the horse profile as a useful intelligent working animal by making this programme.
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He is fab- did like Noel too though- you can really see MC's love for his horses, he seems like a really nice guy.
 
Interesting insight from SpringFeather re Amish horses.

Loved most of this programme but I thought The Amish lad bridled the mare roughly, some of the feet looked odd ( wondered if the more knowledgeable folks on here would comment) and that they didn't appear over- enthusiastic about their breed and that MC himself wasn't as relaxed there as he was with the others he visited. I thought perhaps this was simply cultural differences but perhaps he wasn't taken with their approach to their horses either??
 
Some heavy breeders are importing horses from the Amish to help with the breed lines here, the Suffolk punch being one that needs help as they are so rare and have been closely bred!
 
You put this so much more politely than I would have.

AdorableAlice said:
In a nutshell... and can someone explain to me why so many of the posters are adamant that the horses were harnessed, lunged, put to and driven on the same day. Some bright spark commented that the trainer was wearing the same clothes so it must have been the same day ! I wear my yard clothes day after day until they stand up by themselves and I smell like a skunk.

The programme was edited and anyone of you that think those horses were rushed, knocked about or frightened are way off the mark. Those horses had weeks of handling before they travelled to Hampshire to prepare them for the breaking to harness. They were broken by a man with decades of experience with heavy horses and now the horses are home, they will be continuing their education in the hands of experts. Martin Clunes has the means, the want and the facilities to ensure those horses are kept and worked properly.

The programme was just a pleasant, easy to watch hour of TV that was bound to attract critical comments from some horse lovers, just the same as parelli/natural horsemanship/clinton anderson programmes attract critical reviews.

It is wonderful there are still horsemen breeding, breaking and working our native heavy horses. No doubt some people on here think they could do it better, maybe they could, and everyone is entitled to a view, but I do wonder how many of you have actually had anything to do with a pure or half breed heavy horse. I can assure you if you frighten or mis-handle one it will not go round you on as it leaves your company, they are not 'my little pony'.
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I love the fact that MC, despite not being short of a bob or two drives an 02 reg lorry.
I was worried about his hands, I was taught NEVER hold the reins like that, the horse can easily pull them through, either drive "coachman" or if you can't master that, hold them as though riding, any thoughts?
I watched those Suffolks at an indoor driving trial, they didn't leave many cones intact but incredible driving.
 
Millikins said:
I was worried about his hands, I was taught NEVER hold the reins like that, the horse can easily pull them through, either drive "coachman" or if you can't master that, hold them as though riding, any thoughts?
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I haven't driven for many many years but I must have been taught at least 4 different ways of holding the reins depending on which horses I was driving, how many of them I had in hand and what type of driving I was doing.
 
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I enjoyed the programme immensely! I thought it was edited well to the point my non-horsey OH also enjoyed it too

Dont really get the critisim against the trainer, as unless you worked on the show you have no idea how it was edited, anyone consider the trainer may have worked with the 2 horses before the show?
 
Don't yopu love HHO. The horses were there was it 6 or 8 weeks, I can't remember which. We must have seen 10-15 mins of that time on screen & that's including the trip there! But still some can know fully what the guy is like.
As for worrying about them only being 2. I know someone who is the habit of buying shire weanlings. By the time they are 2 she & her OH can't handle them so they get sold to someone who can. They get put to work almost straight away after some initial ground manners work & are happy as larry with something to occupy their brains. If they were left until 4 they would probably end up in a ready meal. She's done this 4 times now & still doesn't learn.
 
OMG!!!! Ragwort!!!!

Quick call WHW!

Or is it the council?

Or is it defra?

Or wait, it's ok, calm down... It's been posted on HHO. Someone will surely drive over and pull the offending weed to save the UK.

Phew.
 
Did anyone else notice that in one of the scenes at Anheuser-Busch, the picture was back to front ? My OH noticed that the writing on the side of the wagon was reversed and the dalmation dog was sitting on Martin Clunes' right (whereas in the final shot he's on his left ? :confused:
 
I haven't seen the programme yet (rubbish internet!) but I do have a reasonable idea of how the Sampsons train their horses, and I have to say I think some of the criticism on this thread is absurd. I would trust RS with one of my horses and am fully aware of the quality horses he produces - these aren't little riding horses, they're seriously big, strong animals and I wouldn't want to leave one till it was fully mature and strong to start it. Mind you, I also think getting horses used to loose dogs is very important, and am more to have them nipping around my youngsters feet!
 
I watched it and really enjoyed it, was lovely to see the heavy horses for a change, and actually nice to see a horse program on 'normal' tv..

The stallion and the mare, reminded me of mine, he often goes to the fence and has a squeal/screech (was just the same noise) often the mares strike out with a front leg, and I only have to yell, and they all go back to doing what they were doing before (eating normally) and I didnt see the problem hitching Martins horses up with him either, he knew his job and got on with it..

thought the JR was a pain, but my dog stands and barks at mine, and has been known to nip the heels (typical sheltie) but she does get sent out the paddock, daughter was riding her horse the other day, and a dog came shooting over snapping at his heels, horse stood good as gold, and I would rather that happen, rather than the horse bolt and my daughter get hurt

wished we got more programs like it, fingers crossed they make some more...
 
amymay said:
And for those banging on about feet, H&S, etc. Come on. Some people's lives are far removed from ours. Most of us know how to 'play' horses - but that's about it. These people 'do' horses for a living, and I just love the arm chair critics on here thinking they know better. ........
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ribbons said:
Well said amymay. There is a world of difference between horse people and people who keep horses.
There are so many good horses ruined these days. Not by people like Robert Samson but by the fluffy brigade that insist on treating a horse like a big dog, then wonder why it walks all over them and ends up putting itself and people around it in danger. If it has no confident leadership it starts to make it's own decisions, and boy when that happens you really are in trouble.
I've read some rubbish on this forum but this thread really takes the prize for idiots talking tosh.
No wonder there are so many confused, difficult horses with behaviour problems ending up with the meatman. Anything trained by people like Robert will always have a useful life and be in demand.
I don't know whether to laugh at this nonsense being spouted or cry at the fate of the poor horses in the hands of those who are so sure that fluffing and fussing is the right way and 20 minutes pottering round the school is work.
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I can't be doing with MC and his inane giggling but did enjoy the programme but then I appreciate 'proper horsepeople' those whose livlihoods depend on horses, who respect horses for what they are, rather than expecting them to be similar to fluffy bicycles, and expect every horse they meet to respect them. Over the years, I've learned a great deal from such nagsmen (and women).


jinglejoys said:
Wasn't concerned about the horse more concerned about the safety of the dog
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We had a couple of JRT pups which got into the field with our Clydie mare, who was broken to ride and drive, and from her age at the time, I expect was broken by an old nagsman, long before the modern era of the hobby-horse. The pups rushed up to the mare round her feet, she lifted one leg and gently brushed them both with it. From the yelping, you'd have thought she'd half-killed them, although were actually fine. Those pups never went anywhere near a horse's legs again, in all the many years we hd them. What a good job the mare had learned that dogs were unlikely to harm her.
 
Good programme. Would have liked to see some Shires though, maybe a couple more Suffolks (bit biased, used to own a cross and would love a pure-bred), maybe a dray or two? That is what most people see with regard to heavy horses, especially in urban areas. The Budweiser Clydes were magnificent, shame about the tails though. Think my favourite from the programme was the Comtois.

As for the breaking in? How do you show six weeks work in about ten minutes?
 
amymay said:
But the point is, horseatemymoney, that dogs aren't always on a lead. Nor do they need to be. That dog wasn't going to get kicked, let alone killed. ..
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How can you tell whether one dog definitely isn't going to get killed or injured while another might? I was taking a pony stallion for a walk in the estate of the vet school one day and a dog (that should have been on a lead, because there are signs up saying that) came racing towards him from behind. In the blink of an eye, the pony double-barrelled and the dog went flying through the air, yelping. Fortunately, the dog wasn't seriously injured, but it could have been.
 
Does make me laugh! Horses of that size and build will be incredibly dangerous and impossible to work with if they're left until 4/5 years old! They need to have manners and know what is expected of them when they are that size and need to be 100% safe even if that means they have to get used to a JR chasing them.

Say if mc's clysdale had never come across a dog before and mc was driving it along a road and a dog jumped out and started chasing the horse, the horse might bolt and seriously injure or even kill itself, mc and possibly other people too.

You can't take chances with any horse that size especially if they are driven!!!!
 
Montyforever said:
Say if mc's clysdale had never come across a dog before and mc was driving it along a road and a dog jumped out and started chasing the horse, the horse might bolt and seriously injure or even kill itself, mc and possibly other people too.
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I think that's a good point. I wonder if the dog was allowed to snap at the horses' heels when they weren't wearing blinkers.

You can't take chances with any horse that size especially if they are driven!!!!
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Absolutely not. I remember one hair-raising incident where I was in a pony trap going up the lane next to a field with mares and he decided he wanted to go and 'talk' to them and was nearly climbing the dry stone wall. Fortunately, the skill and strength of the person driving allowed a potentially horrendous accident to be averted.
 
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