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Hillydale Ponies

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23.01.2022 For sale- bold and friendly palomino pony filly Hillydale Nellita 12.3hh, 2YO. Unreg Australian pony... Nellie has a big future ahead of her as a show and pony club mount. Very well handled since birth she is good to catch (in fact won't leave you alone in the paddock), have her feet trimmed, wash, groom and handle on the ground. Measured at 12.3hh she is likely to mature at 13 hands. Very friendly and inquisitive temperament. Will make a top child's pony once broken in. Ready to start now or get her out in the show ring over the summer. Located near Goulburn NSW $1500 Call 02 4844 4354 or email [email protected] for more information.

16.01.2022 Have you ever had to deal with a stressed horse? Would you like to know more about how stress affects your horse's ability to learn and remember? We are cond...ucting a research project investigating these questions. We're also looking at whether exercise improves learning- something that hasn't been studied in horses before. Our study could help owners better identify stress in their horses, leading to training and handling methods that are low stress, which is better for horse welfare as well as keeping us safer. We're looking to borrow suitable horses to take part in this study. Our study will take place between August and October and will take four days. The first two days will involve getting to know the horses and letting them get to know the research staff. The second two days will involve the study proper. Our study has been fully approved by the Charles Sturt University Animal Ethics Committee. We're looking for horses that have a basic education under saddle (walk, trot and canter) and are sound and healthy. We can assist with transporting horses to and from their home base and they will be given expert feeding and health care while they are with us. We will be conducting the study in two locations, near Goulburn NSW and Wagga Wagga, NSW. If you'd like to contribute to this important research by loaning us a horse or find out more about the study, please get in contact via PM, call 02 4844 4354 or email [email protected]

16.01.2022 Respectful offers invited for our four creamy babies. All ASH x pony (Australian pony or riding pony). By Springs Celebration (ASH). All well handled from bi...rth and good to catch, lead, tie up and load onto the float. Will mature between 13.2 and 14hh. 2 x rising 2YOs, 2 x weanlings. Details from right to left Hillydale Hilary Foaled Nov 2017. Cremello. Full sister to Lincoln. Should mature 13.3hh. Friendly girl who loves a cuddle and scratch. Loads of potential as a kids' pony when she is mature. Hillydale Clinton SOLD Rising 2YO ASH x Riding pony gelding. Buckskin Currently 13.2hh (approx). Extremely friendly, curious and laid back boy, will make fabulous kids' pony when started. Hillydale Lincoln- SOLD Rising 2YO, ASH x Australian pony gelding. Light Palomino. Currently 13.2hh (approx). More timid type who gains confidence when he knows you and then is friendly and happy to smooch. Good to catch, handle. Will make confident kids' or small adult pony when started. Hillydale Eleanor SOLD Foaled Nov 2017. Palomino, full sister to Clinton. Should mature 13.3hh. Like her brother she is very friendly and smoochy and has the looks and temperament to make an excellent pony for kids or a small adult. These youngsters have been purpose bred as mounts for kids and small adults. They have been carefully handled from birth using equitation science principles including leading, grooming, having their feet trimmed, leading off the quad bike etc. We will consider respectful offers from $300 depending on the specific horse, its age, conformation and temperament in this difficult time of drought. Video not available, additional pix to come. Located near Goulburn NSW. Please call 02 4844 4354 for more details or email: [email protected]

16.01.2022 Ground your horse! Rescheduled clinic. New date: 26 November ... For all those times you need your horse to stand on a tarp and touch a giant soccer ball on a windy day! Seriously though, we took these shots today after about five minutes of work with this horse. Although she had never stood on a tarp or seen the horse ball, she'd had a lot of ground work training in the past. All we needed her to was go from lead pressure, park on command and touch on command. Despite having done nothing much with her for nearly a year, those responses allowed us to get her to calmly walk across the tarp, stand on the tarp and then touch the ball. On a more practical note, these basic responses and the calmness that they induce means we can confidently expose her to new challenges with a minimum of fuss. If you'd like to learn how to train your horse to be calm, soft and safer to handle including leading, parking, approaching scary things and loading/unloading onto your float this clinic is for you. Using the evidence from science combined with tried and tested techniques to give a calm and controllable horse. If you'd like to know more or book a spot please contact us.

16.01.2022 Phoebe wearing a rider. So far nothing has fazed this young lady. Feeling very excited about where she's heading. Will put the saddle on tomorrow and then start to put it all together on the weekend.

16.01.2022 SOLD to a lovely local home. Thankyou to all who enquired For sale- Fabulous all rounder ASHx mare Jessie is offered for sale on behalf of her owners as she ha...s been sadly outgrown. Standing a shade over 14 hands high and approx 12 years of age (as per dentist), Jessie is a very quiet and laid back lady who has done it all. Jessie has been to pony club, played polo cross, sported, moved cattle, gone trail riding and the odd ag show, all with child riders. She is completely unfazed in new environments-unload her from the float and hop on- straight onto a loose rein. Good on trails on her own or in company. Will stand tied to the float all day. Her current rider is a very nervous novice who has learned to canter, played some polo cross and gone on trail rides with Jessie- building her confidence along the way. Jessie will work in a frame or a loose rein.Always ridden in a snaffle. Needs spurs to get her motoring but not a plod-she will go from a light squeeze for the nervous riders but is always happy to take it slow. A great option for the anxious as she isn't worried by a bit of tension in her riders. She knows her job and does it without fuss or hassle. Happy to pop over jumps, no fizz, no stopping. Friendly to handle, good to catch, trim, float etc. Jessie will suit a wide range of riders from novices to nervous adults wanting an experienced, been there, done that all rounder for pony club, trail riding, sporting and cattle events. Recent video:https://vimeo.com/210170101 $6500 Located near Goulburn NSW Contact 02 4844 4354 [email protected]

14.01.2022 More insights from neuroscience. When we (and horses) are stressed, the "thinking" part of our brain gets sidelined by the "doing" parts. Specifically, the fr...ontal corticies or prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC is responsible for much of our cognitive processes- evaluating options, analysing data, comparing the present set of circumstances to past circumstances, drawing connections between things, learning the relationship between an action and an outcome (good or bad). The "doing" part of our brain is located in the basal ganglia- a group of nuclei (groups of neurons) that influence motor behaviour and predict rewards and punishments (plus a lot more). Of particular importance for this is the striatum- three separate nuclei including the caudate nucleus, the putamen and the neucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens is a dopamine rich area, the caudate and putamen are not. The PFC enables flexible responding that adapts to changes in the environment whereas the striatal system is much less flexible and underpins habits- where we do the same thing over and over. When habits become really "ingrained" we lose sensitivity to the outcomes of our actions. This means we keep doing the thing whether or not we get a reward or a punishment. In neurological terms control of our behaviour has moved from where rewards/punishments matter (nucelus accumbens + dopamine) to them having less importance (putamen and caudate neucleus -dopamine) The PFC is a very stress sensitive structure, and depending on our perception of the stress (can we control it, have we experienced it before, can we escape or avoid it), our PFC can be taken "off line" by stress. Through complicated neurochemical processes involving noradrenaline, cortisol, glutamate, dopamine and others, stress downregulates neural processes in the PFC. At the same time, stress enhances or at least doesn't interfere with processes governed by the striatum. This means when we are stressed, we are more likely to respond with a habit type response and less likely to engage in flexible, adaptive thinking and responses. Our striatum system takes over more responsibility for what we do when we are stressed. This means we can be efficient but less flexible. The same is very likely to be true for horses. When they are stressed, especially if the stressor is of high intensity, prolonged, unpredictably and inescapable, their brains will switch from PFC control to striatal control meaning they will revert to habits rather than be able to learn new things. In addition, they might persist with a response to a cue, in spite of the fact they are either not getting a reward or are in fact getting punished. An example of this could be at a horse show when its common to see people pulling very hard on their horses's mouths but the horse doesn't slow down. Running away from fear is a much more habitual response than slowing down from bit pressure. It has often been said that scared horses don't learn- this is partly true. Scared horses can learn and they can learn how to escape what is scaring them (eg by pulling back and getting free) very efficiently (in one try). But what scared horses can't learn is new things that rely on the frontal cortex and they may have trouble recalling learning that relies on that same area. It's another reason why we should avoid scaring our horses in training at all costs. Endless chasing in a roundpen, on the end or a rope or flapping a plastic bag on a stick in their faces will achieve the very opposite of what we want which is a horse that can "think" rather than just "do". Caveat- the processes I have described here are in reality a lot more complicated and its not a simple "either/or" in terms of those memory systems. That said many studies in other species have demonstrated that stress impairs flexible, goal directed learning in the frontal cortex and biases animals and people towards inflexible habit responding instead.

12.01.2022 Have been pleasantly buried in the books these past few months and have started to emerge with an exciting research plan for the next few years. Its going to b...e a busy busy time! Something I learned recently that might be of interest to others is what happens to the brain when we "habituate" or are "sensitised" to something. Unsurprisingly, opposite processes are involved. Habituation (no longer responding to something- like girth pressure, the sound of a whip crack) results in a loss of connections between the relevant neurons. You may recall from an earlier post I mentioned these things called dendritic spines- small structures that protrude from the dendrites and are the structural and neurochemical basis of memories. In a nut shell- more spines = stronger connections= stronger memories. With habituation, because we stop attending to the stimulus, the connections get weaker. We lose spines on the relevant dendrites, less neurotransmitter gets released and we forget to respond to the stimulus. We have habituated. In contrast, sensitisation results in the opposite process. Spine density increases, so more connections between neurons, more neurotransmitter release, stronger memories. And there's more, in sensitisation, stimuli that are similar to the original one that's reacted to can elicit the same strengthening of neural connections as the original one. Using a horsey example, say your horse gets a fright from a white plastic bag. That fright leads to synaptic strengthening through increasing the number of those spines. Then the next day you go to put his white rug on and instead of standing quietly, he's leapt away in terror. That's because the plastic bag fear has sensitised him to similar stimuli and he reacts accordingly. His threshold for reacting is now lower because the synaptic transmission is so much more efficient. This has significant ramifications for horse training and handling. Sensitisation can easily override habituation as spines are rapidly increased with use (within minutes and lasting for days). We need to be careful about not inadvertently sensitising our horses to every day stimuli such as us! Sensitisation can be useful for overcoming problematic habituation, such as when a horse is no longer responding to leg pressure. But we should be careful to minimise fear responding in our horses to reduce the likelihood of creating super strong synaptic connections for big reactions we don't like to deal with such as shying.

11.01.2022 The kind of surprise one wants to wake up to on a November morning. Meet Clinton, Ollie's first foal, a beautiful buckskin colt. His mum Lulu is doing her u...sual excellent job of looking after her baby. His dad was very curious and being still a teenager was a bit of a pratt in wanting to play with his new toy. Lulu had other ideas and to prevent any injuries they are now in a separate paddocks. Interestingly, Lulu's old partner Peter is in the paddock next door and is being an exemplary step dad- standing close by the fence near them and offering protective nickers at regular intervals. Peter was always paddocked with the foals and was very gentle towards them. Hopefully as Ollie matures he will take a more fatherly approach to his babies. Clinton is 50% ASH and, 12.5% Welsh B and 12.5% Riding pony and will be available for purchase at weaning. He will suit a wide variety of activities including showing, pony dressage and pony cliub. He should mature around 13.2hh and will be registered partbred APSB. May also be eligible for registration as a first cross ASH. His half/sister or brother is due soon. If its a filly we'll be calling her Hillary.

10.01.2022 It you'd like to experience a fun filled weekend with like minded horse people on a beautiful rural property going trail riding, learning about horse behaviour, conquering some fun challenges on the stockman's course or cross country course, or would like some help improving your riding this weekend is for you! The wonderful Judith Bogaart of the Southern Tablelands Riding School will be hosting this fantastic trail riding weekend and I'll be on hand to provide private and gr...oup lessons to complement the trail riding activities. Both nervous nellies and hoons catered for. Fab food, a roaring campfire and of course wonderful horsey company and conversation on offer. Not to be missed. Contact the Southern Tablelands Riding School for more info. Hope to see you there!

08.01.2022 For sale- Registered Andalusian Sporthorse mare Black Horse Manor Thumbelina Rising 5YO mare, 14.2hh. Grey. By Galero XV(Andalusian) out of a WB eventing mare... Mouse is a very sweet and friendly little mare with big Andalusian movement in a small package. More dog than horse she is happy to smooch at every opportunity. Mouse was started by Hillydale in 2014 and attended various dressage clinics including a week long intensive at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre in Victoria. She also attended a Shibumi dressage day and has been trail ridden around the property. Turned out in early to grow in early 2015, a lack of time has kept her out in the paddock. Mouse has a soft mouth and all the basics well established including leg yield, trot to canter and rein back but is still green under saddle. Has been running with a cremello Australian Stockhorse stallion for a mid November 2017 foal who should make a competitive pony dressage prospect combining Mouse's big movement our typey stockhorse boy (pictured below). Ride her over the summer and enjoy a stunning spring foal with a big future. Mouse will require an experienced rider to continue her education. Mouse is only offered for sale as we are drastically reducing numbers due to a study commitments in the coming year. Priced as a broodmare- being sold out of the paddock. Located near Goulburn NSW, please contact 02 4844 4354 or email [email protected] $2800

07.01.2022 The findings of this study are super cool. Basically, mice learnt to coordinate the neural activity in their basal ganglia to generate a musical tone that re...sulted in electrical stimulation of dopmaine producing neurons- eg that got a good feeling every time their brains produced the right kinds of electrical waves. The mice were hooked up to a brain interface machine which turned the spiking of their neurons into a tone which automatically delivered the dopamine stimulation reward. If their brain activity was of the right frequency, the tone got produced and they got the reward. If the brain activity wasn't of the right frequency it didn't produce the reward tone and they got no reward. Over multiple sessions, the mice got better at producing the right electrical pattern to produce the rewarded freqeuncy and the reward. What this study shows is the law of effect in action- basically, the brain learning the neural activity that produces a reward and then repeating that pattern to keep getting the reward. Put very simply, this study captured what the brain does during positive reinforcement learning. In this study the mice didn't have to do anything other than change their brain activity. In more standard positive reinforcement learning like we use with horses, the animal has to do something- like touch a cone to get the reward- the food. This study gives an insight into what is happening at the neuron level during this kind of learning. It is highly likely that the relevant dopamine neurons in our horses get tuned in a similar way once the association between the behaviour and the reward gets established. https://www.technologynetworks.com//evidence-for-a-neural-

05.01.2022 We've started the search for two special galloways for a special client. We're looking for the following: 8-16 years of age... 14-15.3hh Geldings or mares Any breed, any colour More solid build with functional conformation Is sound with no signs of major arthritis, joint issues or back problems A quiet, unreactive temperament- curious about new things rather than scared of them Friendly- the kind of horse that is happy to wander up and say hello in the paddock and is happy to let you or the kids fuss around them without getting irritated Has been exposed to kids- ideally high energy kids that are a bit unpredictable and do the darnedest things around horses. A basic education that is well established- knows how to stop, slow and turn from rein cues, goes from leg cues and all in a snaffle bridle and without needing spurs or a whip. Can be ridden by beginners or novice riders or nervous riders or likely to have the temperament to be suitable for that kind of rider with a little more training. Has been there and done that- been exposed to a variety of unfamiliar environments and events such as pony club, local comps, trail riding etc Willing to offer a trial period with full legal protection in the extremely unlikely event that something goes wrong Happy to allow a vet check Ideally located somewhere in the Southern Tablelands, Southern Highlands, ACT, South West Slopes, Monaro, Northern Victoria or Sydney/Blue Mountains region. What is not a priority for us: Show or competition results Registrations Stunning looks Jumping ability One person horses Hard to catch or wary of unfamiliar people Our client will offer a life long home for the right horses in a caring environment with a small workload, the best of health care and nutrition, custom fitted tack and training methods which are evidence based and humane. Out client has a realistic budget which balances the need to find some truly special horses and a knowledge of current market conditions. We will travel further afield if needed. If you think you've got something that might fit the bill please PM us or call 02 4844 4354.

05.01.2022 Horsey gear for sale- no longer needed. Most in new or as new condition. Prices are firm. Can be posted at buyer expense or pick-up Goulburn or Canberra. Tr...ieste brand bling bridle- horse and size. English leather, Hanovarian noseband in white patent leather, Pink swarovski crystals inlaid into browband. Solid leather reins with keepers. Unused with tags. $95 each Trieste brand bling bridle- Cob size. Black patent English leather, hanovarian noseband. Solid leather reins with keepers. Diamante browband. Unused with tags $95 Riviera dressage pad with inlaid sheepskin pad. Steel grey. Unused with tags. $95 Dublin helmet- new standard compliant. Black with bling. 57cm, Unused with tags and protective bag $99 Wintec dressage girth- elasticised. 34inch. Brown and unused. $30 White dressage girth 60cm, New and unsed comfort girth with padded latex lining. $30 Wintec stock girth, brown, used in OK condition. $15 Miniature horse show bridle with lead. Brass detailing with conchos and chain throatlash on black biothane. Used a few times. $50 Miniature horse show bridle with lead. Beading on cheekpieces. Biothane. $30 Leather miniature horse training halter- black leather with lead $20 Leather miniature horse training halter- brown leather with lead $20 Miniature bridle bag- red with acrylic fleece lining. Holds four bridles/halters $20 Thomas Cook denim jodphurs. Dark Navy. Worn a couple of times. Size 14 In as new condition $60 ELT navy blue and grey breeches with grey sticky bum. High waist, size 14. Worn a couple of times. In as new condition. Paid $160. $60 Call 02 4844 4354 or email [email protected]

04.01.2022 Trevor trotting today. Getting there. Loose reins at this stage- no contact at all, simply wanting a soft go and then maintenance of the gait. He took a little while to realise that he did have to keep going but got it eventually.