Flyer

Horse Profiles, Team

Kelly Acres Thyme Flies – 2007 Section A Welsh grey gelding

Flyer was born to one of the most beautiful mares we ever raised. However while beautiful, she was definitely not easy (embodying the wildness of the Mountain pony stock she descended from). Flyer decided to make her a bit frustrated and chose to hangout with my son Garret. While she was snorting and stomping her feet at her kid hanging with my kid, Flyer took it upon himself to be a protector of humans. As he started to grow up, I started to notice Flyer interacting with people in the guise of a bodyguard. Those who seemed nervous in the herd (which can be a bit overwhelming to most people), he would put himself between the herd and the human.

When he was in his third year, Garret decided we should start the training process. So we brought him in to the yard, separated him from the herd and commenced playing. Halter first, put it on and started leading him around. Seemed easy, groomed him, so far no issues (remember I was well aware of his moms aversion to humans), so we went to the roundpen. I sent Garret to the tackshed for a saddle and helmet (just in case he wanted to hop up). Apparently Flyer had some very good “fairy” trainers in the pasture, Tacking up was uneventful, and Garret climbed on and stated “Mom, I’m a horse trainer!!! Laughing I stated that it doesn’t always happen this easy son! We played a few more times, and life got in the way and Flyers training got neglected.

He did continue to enjoy being with humans (especially Garret), and I started to be aware of subtle things he would do, like touching people with is muzzle. I started to ask if they had physical issues in that area (I also practice a few different healing modalities). Most would be surprised and ask how I knew. I shared that I didn’t but Flyer did! Some I took out and didn’t ask, just allowed Flyer to point things out to me.

About this time, my life was taking some serious turns, and i would walk out to the bachelor pasture (stallions and gelding) and just chill. I received so many healing gifts from horses that many people would just as dangerous. Especially Geordie, Boo, Max and Flyer. They would stand behind me while was sitting on a blanket on the ground, gently press their knees into my back and hang their head over mine. The first time was a bit disconcerting as it broke all of the “rules” in what we should allow horses (especially stallions) to do, they were in my space with my back to them, not under any human control and I was sitting down, the safety police would have a breakdown! Strangely, that was the safest I had felt in many years, and each horse brought individual energy and healing, and sometimes they did it as a pair or a group. And I started to look for ways I could share this with others.

Dad started the pony herd with the intention that all kids should have access to ride great ponies/horses. Flyer put his spin on it, all humans could choose to have access to the healing gifts that horses are offering. So maybe his training being neglected was its own gift, it didn’t get “trained out of him” and I got to recognize that there is so much more horse will share that is much more meaningful than a trophy or ribbon. Since then Flyer has very accurately pointed out serious health issues (known and unknown by the human), shared emotional possibilities, and lived his best life as a member of a fairly substantial herd. He is a clever pony that doesn’t have “real” job using traditional descriptions!

Datsun

Horse Profiles, Team

2017 black dun grade gelding

Datsun arrived in our lives with a less than stellar reputation and has done a complete switch from a defensive, angry boy to an affectionate, respectful,willing pony. He loves grooming, and is a very quick learner! He is ready to have further education to become a lovely performance pony or he has shown incredible skills as a communicator in the EAL sessions he has taken part in.

Nissan

Horse Profiles, Team

2010 chestnut grade mare

Nissan is sweet, bold and fancy. Nissan has taught beginner lessons, however I think she would be happier with her own person as she gets slightly impatient with multiple beginners. She is trained to ride and drives single and double. She did have health issues when she arrived but has been healthy and sound since 2018. She is dam to Mazda so has produced at least one fabulous foal.

Midnight

Horse Profiles, Team

2008 grade grey gelding

Midnight came into our lives when Steve mentioned that he had seen an old friend that had a horse needing a new home. I asked what it was, Steve responded with the details he knew, “I dunno a grey?” So always up for adventures, I packed a few different sizes of bridles, girths, my saddle and a few halters and treats. We arrived and found out that it was his daughters horse, she had lost interest (which generally means boys or the horse wasn’t like a disney movie or both), and had escaped to the neighbors pasture for a couple of years. So now with the knowledge that the horse/pony, hadn’t been handled for a couple of years, we drove to the neighbors. And I did the safe/smart thing, grabbed a helmet, a few items of tack and went to meet Midnight, who was indeed grey!

He welcomed the treats, seemed a bit surprised to have a halter on, a bit shocked to be tacked up by a random stranger on a windy day! I climbed up (he is about 15.3HH) and we found out what each other knew. He tried to introduce me to a barb wire fence, I didn’t see the humor and we ventured out into the open pasture. I decided he was worth taking a chance on, so Midnight came home with us. He had obviously has some good basic training, was very obedient and a bit shut down. With a little bit of refresher training, he became a rockstar beginner lesson horse and started to show his charming personality.

He has a tendency to be stoic, rarely shows a lot of emotion, and reading his responses isn’t as easy as the more expressive horses. In order for horse to remain safe in the wild, they rarely express vulnerabilities. He is great as both a lesson horse and as a guru in helping people be aware of subtle communication. He is lower in the herd pecking order, and loves being allowed to shine! He often yawns to release stress the people are experiencing and has been known to roll in healing sessions to “shake off” whatever he sense as burdens within the humans. His personality reminds me of Eyore from WWinny the Poo, with an occasional glimpse of sardonic, but kind humor. He has gifted many people with the possibility of a fresh beginning and a safe space to sense joy!

Bram

Bram

For Sale, Horse Profiles, Team

Mi Kindred Spirit 2000 ½ Welsh ½ Suffield Mustang bay gelding

Bram came into being because a former student had a mustang mare that wasn’t working as a safe, polite mount for her mom. She loved my young stallion Mi Bare Essentials and wanted to try to make a magic cross. The mare, Komiya (whose name means “more than pretty”, because her spirit was beautiful, but wasn’t likely to win any halter classes), was sweet, very smart and very instinctual. I reluctantly agreed, stating if the foal looks like its mom, you can’t tell anyone who the stallion was. Bram arrived showing the best qualities of both parents! In the meantime the student had grown and progressed and wanted to progress in the showering. Would I consider both Komiya and Bram as a trade for a bigger, fancy potential showhorse? I reluctantly agreed.

As he grew up and began training, I realized he was smart, extremely talented, a bit complicated and had very strong opinions. One of his early issues was that he has a slightly shallow mouth and finding a bit he would tolerate was a challenge. And if he was to become a fancy showpony, he would have to conform to traditional tack. One of the students arrived with a new bit for her horse, a mullen Happy Mouth. The bits are soft polymer, apple flavored. My opinion was that anyone who used such frivolous tack, was very well trained by their horse. But to prove my point, I tried it on him. Thus began our relationship of training each other! And although I felt I had always listened to my horses, Bram gave me new perspectives, often times he was way more aware of everything than I was. And I the all knowing trainer/coach with a wee bit of ego, learned to listen and learn from a much wiser Spirit. In the early years, I was still preparing him to be sold to a show barn as by keeping him I was depriving a little girl somewhere of a very special pony.

One day we were moving cow/calf pairs out of the corrals to go onto cleaner pastures. Spring often creates a substance in the corrals that I will politely refer to as “mud/muck” After slogging through this knee deep slop for much too long, I decided to hop on Bram bareback, he could do a bit of slogging. One nasty mama cow decided to be overly protective of her calf, and had us cornered against a slab fence and came at us. Now I ‘m not sure if everyone has really slow, clear thoughts in moments like this, but I remember these ones (slightly modified for polite company) “Oh sh%t! I’m going to get both of us really hurt and its all my fault” “Cows are best on a plate” “Next time a helmet and a wetsuit might be a good idea” “he’s not panicking, good pony” “ holy crap you are a rockstar, thank you!”. All of these thoughts in a split second. Brams heart rate never increased, knowing we had no escape route, he calming rocked back on his hocks performing a perfect levade and “punched” the cow on her nose with his front hoof. This was not a trained skill! I decided at that moment that he would stay and that I was the little girl who deserved this great pony! He has since saved my life on numerous occasions, the ones I know about are cougar, wild boar, moose, coyotes, rogue deer flying through the bushesat us.

His skills range from jumping impressive couses both in the arena and cross country, dressage (he does find it less than inspirational), lesson pony for beginners and special needs riders (he does not love the level between beginner and advanced riders, often showing them that their skills aren’t quite up to his level. He is still (maybe more than when he was young) opinionated, and in his mind always right! And he can flush out incongruency in people, expert level! I have occasionally whispered “Alpo” under my breath when he has decided he doesn’t want to be caught, he has occasionally nipped the top of my hand during lessons he finds frustrating, and he has taught me so much about allowance! Bram is an amazing Kindred Spirit that shares so much without saying a word!

Bram welsh suffield mustang bay with with white blaze
Comet

Comet

Past Horses, Team

Brynarian Eiddwen Comet 1984-July 29 2007

On July 29, 2007, the great Welsh Cob Stallion Brynarian Eiddwen Comet (Llanarth Maldwyn AP Braint x Llanarth Malen) was laid to rest in his paddock under his trees overlooking the riding arena. It marks the end of a great era at Kelly Acres/Cherry Hill Equestrian Centre.

Comet came into our lives in the fall of 1985. We had visited with Tom Davis while on a week long wagon trek, discovered Welsh Cobs after breeding Welsh Ponies since 1966. As it was time for me to move off my Sec A gelding – Kelly Acres Twinkle, we were looking for a special large pony. We found that in Brynarian Nia. Mom and Dad travelled out to BC again in Sept, and while there decided that the gangly, unhandled yearling Comet should make the trip as a future herdsire. The first few months Comet was with us was a real challenge. He was truly afraid of people, and not ready to be civilized yet. However he finally decided that he could tolerate our presence and we soon started to ready him for training. Mom started driving Comet as a 2-year-old, and he loved working! His first career was as a combined driving star. He cleaned up all over Saskatchewan for years as a single driving horse (he was 14.3 ½ HH, so always had to compete as a horse). Mom took him to Ontario for a month in 1991, and the highlight of that trip was highest placing Canadian Single Advanced Horse at the Can Am Driving trials. After that Mom basically only drove occasionally for pleasure. Comet was also broke to ride as a 3-year-old, and was amazing – his extended trot was a work of art! He was however very picky about his riders, and an extremely sensitive horse – hated it when a new rider pushed the wrong buttons! He found dressage very easy, and since we were always up to a challenge, we tried jumping as well – at this he was a rock star! He got me out of some really bad spots that only a young rider can get a horse into. With his amazing work ethic he would always work very well on the flat but he truly came to life when there were jumps in the ring. I remember in 1992 at Spruce Meadows we were invited to do demos for the Welsh, and since we had been working on the flat I hadn’t planned on jumping during the hunter demo. The whole group of breeds was in the ring doing a hunter hack demo, and after doing the rail work, we had the option to take the single 3 foot jump in the middle. As expected, the Warmblood stallion took it with ease. I waited for others to go, but the ground was a bit slick from rain and no one else was going. Finally I thought “well, 3 feet isn’t very big, so what if we haven’t been jumping lately, lets go for it!” I kind of forgot that I had put spurs on (just for correct attire) and when he slowed down a bit on approach, I was worried about a possible refusal and sunk my heels in. Comet, always sensitive and never needing more that very subtle aids, took that as a bit of an insult and basically cleared the standards. There was no mistaking how big he really could jump. Unfortunately Mom stopped the video camera as she thought I was about to get turfed in front of the huge crowd at Spruce Meadows!

As there were very few places that we could actually show at (juniors can’t show stallions at many shows) we did a lot of demos at various venues. Comet was super polite at all public appearances, most people thinking he was a gelding. There wasn’t a better ambassador to the Welsh breed! He loved the attention. I will never forget one occasion at Agribition when a whole bunch of school kids on a tour stopped by our stall. All the kids wanted to pet the beautiful black stallion. One young man held back a bit and waited for the crowd to clear and very politely asked if he too could touch the horse. I said of course and then he told me he was blind and asked if I could guide him. I took him into the stall, and he proceeded to feel Comet all over. Now Comet was always fine with people petting him (haughtily expecting it actually!), but he was always a little careful with people he didn’t know. This time however, he stood like a statue and allowed this young man to discover what a horse looked like through his fingers. Both the boy and I had tears running down our cheeks at the end, him because he got to realize a dream, me because I had witnessed something truly special! This all went on while heavy horse hitches, crowds of people, balloons etc. where going by not 2 feet away. Time seemed to stand still.

Comet was an extremely prepotent stallion, truly stamping his 85 registered offspring with his good looks, and amazing athletic ability. In 1998, Comet, his get or grand-get placed first, second or third in EVERY class entered (sometimes all three!) At the WPCSS All Breed Pony Show. Most of the performance classes had 15-25 entries! In 2003, we were invited to join the Welsh Team for Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows. About a week prior to leaving, my husband Bill and my Mom were both in the hospital with West Nile Virus, and I had a 6 month old son to attend to. Comet stepped up to the plate and helped win a third place ribbon in precision driving (cones) with a tie for the fastest time. That was the first time I had ever driven a cones course! Comet always managed to add that extra bit when it truly counted.

His last public appearance was at Agribition in Nov 2006. Unfortunately his last Cob foal, a beautiful colt (born in 2006) was killed by a cougar at 10 days old. I have retained Mi Bare Essentials (1995 buckskin Sec C stallion) to continue Comet’s stallion duties. Comet got to live the last year of his life with my old pony – Kelly Acres Twinkle, they were best friends. Comet’s offspring are scattered all over North America, continuing to excel in their owners lives. Our family was very lucky to have such a wonderful partner and friend for 22 years! Rest in Peace old man, till we meet again. You will live forever in our hearts and memories.

Cherry Hill Equestrian Centre raising top quality Welsh and Sport Ponies since 1966