- Member Since: Aug 22, 2012
- http://connemarapony.co.uk
Description
Owner Operator of Bridge Farm in Ongar Essex; with over 30 years experience of breeding & training horses , dogs and competing in various equestrian disciplines.
About Belinda
Ballymullan Prince – Chester A 4 yr old Grey Connemara Gelding
Connemara Geldings, Connemara Young Stock 
A wonderful sweet natured 4 year old Connemara Gelding who is very well grown. Chester – Ballymullan Prince should make 15 to 15.2hh. Sire: Crusheen […]
Black Dahlia of Inis Sle – Black Connemara Filly 4yr old
Connemara Mares, Connemara Young Stock
Dahlia is a black 4 year old Connemara filly and her full name is Black Dahlia of Inis Sle. Sire: Streams Town Mickey Dam: Lissoughter […]
Connemara Filly – Darcy (Boyne Valley Darcy) 6yr Old Grey Connemara
Connemara Mares, Connemara Young Stock
Darcy, full name Boyne Valley Darcy is a very pretty 6 year old grey Connemara filly Sire: Drumlane Warrior Dam: Trim Lassy GrandSire: Moy Hazy […]
Saffron 15hh CHAPS Reg Traditional Coloured Mare
Other Horses
Saffron is a very sweet Cob mare who is a CHAPS reg traditional coloured mare. Broken late last year and very easy to do. This […]
Castle Madden Sparrow (Jack) – Bay Connemara Gelding with Great Poten...
Connemara Geldings, Connemara Young Stock
Full name Castle Madden Sparrow but Jack Sparrow to his friends. This lovely Bay Connemara Gelding has a wonderful temperament and lovely straight movement. He […]
Bay Gelding Patric – Potential Showing or Quality Pony Club Eventer
Other Horses
Patric is a good looking 4 Year Old Bay Gelding to make 14.2hh. A good prospect for showing or a quality Pony Club eventer. Sire: […]
Connemara Gelding Esker Prince Bobby a 15.2 Grey 4yr old
Connemara Geldings
Esker Prince Bobby is a very nice full Connemara Gelding. Bobby is currently 4 Years old, Sire: Monaghanstown Prince Dam: Esker Dun Lady Grandsire: Glencarrig Prince Bridge […]
Bobby – A Dun Connemara 2yr With Great Potential
Connemara Young Stock
Killaneen Bobby or just Bobby to his friends, is a very well bred Connemara Yearling. Sire: Western Boy Dam: Black Cherry GrandSire: West Tided Village […]
Connemara x Gelding Midnight – A Brown 15hh 4 yr old Connemara x
Connemara Geldings
Midnight is a lovely 4 year old Connemara Gelding cross, Brown in colour. Dam: Goldie (Anglo Arab) Sire: Unknown Connemara I bought Midnights dam, a […]
TURBO – A 7yr Old Dark Grey Connemara Gelding (Dressage Star)
Connemara Geldings
Turbo or Classie Baun Silver Jack to give him his full name, is a quite special Connemara Gelding. He is 7 years old, a very […]
Why a Golden Retriever Could be the ideal Dog for your Family
Selecting the right dog for you and your family is something you should never take lightly.
There are over a hundred dog breeds from different countries around the world and the pet dog you choose for your family is very important.
At Bridge Farm we breed top quality Golden Retrievers and we’d like to tell you why we believe they make excellent family dogs.
The Kennel Club categorises dog breeds into groups and each breed group has similar distinguishing characteristics.
The Golden Retriever is in the Gun Dog Group and the Gun Dog Group contains some of the oldest and most popular dog breeds.
Many of the dogs in this category were traditionally bred for hunting, but today most people who own gun dogs simply keep them as family pets.
Those hunting & retrieving traits, can though, contribute to some of the most enjoyable aspects of owning a gun dog type.
Goldens are natural retrievers, they enjoy fetching a tennis ball as much as a pheasant.
But don’t let that happy silly face fool you, the Golden Retriever is bred to be tough and strong.
They have happy outgoing personalities, a personality trait that makes the Golden an enthusiastic and responsive pet.
They will play the retrieving game for what seems like forever, and will enjoy every minute of the time spent with you.
And; while any Golden will enjoy simply laying around the house or wrestling on the floor with your family, a well trained retriever will be highly proficient in the field.
As puppies, little fluffy bundles of gold, Goldens are full of energy and can be a little mouthy.
So, you have to make sure you control and direct your Golden’s need to chew by providing appropriate chew toys.
Remember, puppies aren’t fussy and they never discriminate. A slipper, shoe or chair leg works just as well for them as a squeeky rubber bone.
However, Goldens are very trainable athletic and very good natured
- They have a keen desire to please.
- You will find them performing, with tails wagging and eyes shining, in the obedience and agility arenas
- And most important of all, they are excellent with children
The Golden Retriever is generally a light yellow to a deep golden honey in color.
Some can be tend towards the reddish hues, which is becoming a popular colour today.
- The Golden’s coat tends to get a little deeper in colour after the first year
- They grow about twenty-four inches tall at the withers (shoulders), with female dogs being slightly shorter
- The Golden’s coat should be long and can be either flat or wavy
To keep your Golden happy and healthy, the whole family should learn to enjoy grooming.
They will have to regularly brush their Retriever properly or your pet dogs coat will tend to form thick uncomfortable knots & mats
It’s great then that most Golden Retrievers love the time and attention they get while being groomed
So, if you are looking for pet dog that will be great with the kids and also help de-stress and improve the fitness of the adults in the family, you should definitely spend some time looking at Bridge Farms Golden Retriever Puppies.
A Healthy Golden Retriever
Dog owners should take these few small but essential steps to ensure their healthy Golden Retriever enjoys a long life.
Providing proper daily care is key as is being able to recognise the signs of trouble early.
Healthy Golden Retrievers aren’t just well loved family pets, they’re also extraordinary working dogs, which is why keeping them healthy should be the main goal of any responsible Golden dog owner.
And while this gun dog breed has its fair share of common doggy ailments, a healthy Golden retriever doesn’t have to succumb to them.
By following these few simple health tips, Golden Retriever owners can ensure their dog stays happy, healthy and disease free.
- Regularly Check Your Golden Retriever for Skin Problems
Checking a Golden Retrievers skin regularly is a must, as skin problems and conditions are common in Goldens. Although skin checks should be a routine part of any vet exam, owners should also be on the lookout for anything new and unusual. Lumps or bumps, sores, flaky or crusty skin, redness and scabbing can all signal trouble, large vet bills and warrant quick treatment. Skin checks are also a good time to look for fleas, ticks and other doggy parasites.
- Keep Your Dogs Ears Clean and Healthy
Like many dogs with floppy ears a Golden Retrievers ears are highly susceptible to infections. Red pussy or foul-smelling ears can be a sign of an ear infection or other ear disorder and should be treated promptly by a veterinarian to make sure you avoid any more serious problems. Ears that don’t show signs of infection but contain excess wax or other debris should be cleaned using a proprietery cleaning product or an organic alcohol and vinegar solution.
- Feed Your Retriever a Good Nutritious Diet
Just like their owners diets, what a dog eats can affect his health. Poor nutrition can result in unhealthy weight issues and dull thinning coats. That’s why it’s important to make sure your Golden Retrievers diet is balanced and full of nutrients. Choose a dog food that lists whole foods, like chicken, beef, carrots and peas as its primary ingredients, rather than fillers, such as cornmeal and soy. Also try hard to avoid offering your dog table scraps, which can lead to doggy obesity.
- Make a Point of Exercising Your Golden Retriever Every Day
Golden Retriever need daily exercise to use up all their energy and keep them trim and fit. The nice thing about Goldens is they won’t require any coaxing to go on a walk or fetch the ball. They are keen exercisers by nature and love playing with their owners. Golden retrievers also excel at dog sports, including agility and flyball, so participating in any of these activities is a fun and rewarding way to keep a Golden healthy and happy.
- Groom Your Dog for Health as well as Beauty
Brushing and bathing a Golden Retriever doesn’t just enhance the dogs good looks. Grooming can actually help nourish the skin and coat as well as eliminate bacteria that could become problematic. Goldens don’t need a bath and clip very often, maybe every couple of months, but daily brushing helps loosen dirt and stimulates circulation. Brushing is also a good time to check for fleas and ticks, clip nails if necessary, and brush the teeth.
Keeping your Golden Retriever healthy takes lot’s of time and care, but the reward is well worth it. If your dog feels fit and well he will provide you and your family with unlimited joy and companionship; well into his golden years.
Tina & Fionn – First Red Rosette & Lots More to Come
Working with horse’s can be a hard slog sometimes, particularly in the Winter months.
Cold, dark wet mornings, little daylight, a sodden arena surface, heavy rugs and mud covered coats can make for long days and sore bones.
Motivation & little rewards come when those cheeky Connemara ponies provide little insights into their potential to be more than they seem, than those mud spattered coats show.
At Bridge Farm, we rarely get to see a ponies true potential realised, they move on to new homes and new owners so quickly, and we get busy with the new Connemara characters that take their place.
So, there are very few things more enjoyable than receiving an update from a new owner.
Particularly an owner as happy as Tina, who’s been kind enough to share her photos, her feelings & their first red rosette.
For us it’s a little reminder of why we focus on Connemara ponies and why we truly believe they’re the best at what they do and let you have the most fun while you’re doing it.
Hi Belinda, hope you are all well.
Just thought I’d send you these pictures which were taken on Sunday at Fionn’s first show. I took him in the M&M Inhand class and he certainly wowed the crowd with a ‘look at me attitude‘ and performed for the judge.
Well I was choked when the judge placed us first and over the moon with my handsome boy, whom I love so much and shed a little tear or three.
Our first show and our first red rosette. The judge loved him and agreed with me that he is a handsome boy, although Fionn already knows that!
We’re still doing well, he had his teeth and back checked and is due to have the saddle checked in a couple of weeks as he’s grown to just over 15hh. He had front shoes on for the first time and behaved and is due for the full set in two weeks time as the yard is quite tough on their feet.
Fionn is wonderful, love him to bits, best thing I’ve ever done was to buy him.
I’m still schooling him and have popped a couple of small jumps in the school but if they’re too small Fionn just steps over it, so we put them a bit higher and he thinks ‘this is more like it mum’. Bit like when he decided that he shouldn’t be strip grazed because he was hungry, so I found him in the long lush grass after he’d jumped the fence in the field, with a very full belly!
Belinda, so glad I found your website and I was lucky enough to find Fionn.
Take care and I will update you again soon.
Tina and Fionn x
Tina & Ballydoolagh Fionn … Don’t they look wonderful?
And best of all, don’t they look happy! … We wish them all the luck in the world and hope to hear about lots more red rosettes in the future.
Hay Harvest at Bridge Farm
Keeping you up-to-date with what’s happening at Bridge Farm.
Well recently we’ve busy bringing in the hay. We’re quite pleased with the hay crop this year and the hay is looking good.
So, we thought we’d share some photos of the hay harvest with you.
Bridge Farm needs a good hay crop, it is essential to ensure we have winter feed for our own and our livery clients horse’s and ponies.
In its most basic form, hay is just dried grasses and plants, but there is a vast difference in the quality of hay based on how and sometimes where it’s grown. You can find good basic information on why good hay is essential for horses’ at … Selecting Quality Hay for Horses‘
If the Bridge Farm hay crop was ever to fail it would mean we’d have to purchase hay from other sources.
The added cost, shopping around to find good quality and transporting the hay would drastically affect our overheads.
You see domestic horses’ still need to forage and hay is a good substitute for the grass that doesn’t grow in the winter.
Good hay helps keep your horse’s digestion working properly by providing the roughage it needs. Good grazing is best, but hay or haylage are good substitutes.
Your horses’ digestive system is quite complex.
Horses are designed to take in food for about 22 out of every 24 hours. This keeps the digestive tract moving. Failure to keep the digestive tract going can lead to impaction and colic which can be fatal.
The risk of Colic ( see: The Symptoms of Equine Colic), can be a worry among horse owners and hay is good roughage, it also has a lower sugar content than grass. Especially in the spring as new spring grass is loaded with carbohydrates, which convert to sugars when digested.
So, as good as fresh green grass is for your horse, in some circumstances good quality hay can be even better.
That’s all at the moment but I’ll bring you more of what’s happening at Bridge Farm shortly … Richard
Connemara Pony Legends
The Connemara Pony’s temperament, it’s strong bones and general toughness make it a natural choice for hunting, show jumping and cross-country events.
The breed has produced some of the most famous show jumpers in history:
- In 1935, Nugget a twenty year old standing 15hh, cleared a 7 foot 2 inch obstacle at the International Horse Show in London.
- Dundrum, another 15hh Connemara Pony, won five major events at the Dublin Horse Show. The first horse ever to have won so many.
- Stroller, a 14.2hh Connemara cross-bred, competed in the 1968 Olympics for the British team, and won the Individual Silver Medal
- Lendon Gray, the renowned dressage rider, consistently competed her Connemara/Thoroughbred crosses, Seldom Seen and Last Seen, with great success in top-level international dressage competitions.
Two genuine Connemara Pony legends are European Champion Ballyowen Maybelle Molly and Sillogue Darkie a European Team Silver & Bronze Medallist:
Other famous Connemara Ponies include:
Marcus Aurelius, who won Gold Medals for eventing in the 1975 and 1976 Pan American games. Custusha’s Cashel Rock, who earned awards in hunter, showjumping, dressage and eventing classes, and the charismatic stallion Erin Go Bragh, who thrilled audiences in eventing competitions.
Connemara Ponies are equally successful in almost all other popular equestrian disciplines including dressage, combined driving and endurance.
They make exceptional Pony Club mounts, are a wonderful addition to therapeutic riding programs and, of course, make perfect trail riders and happy hackers.
However, while the pure-bred Connemara pony is always growing in popularity, the demand for a slightly larger version has resulted in the Connemara being crossed with other breeds, most commonly the Thoroughbred, to produce a larger more athletic horse.
Both pure-bred and cross-bred Connemaras are eligible for registration with the American Connemara Pony Society (ACPS).
New Connemara Pony Stock Now in Training
We’ve just returned from our latest buying trip to Ireland with some very nice Connemara ponies and other good quality stock.
A two week touring and buying visit took us to some excellent Connemara Pony shows and to view some wonderful Connemara Ponies.
Not all were for sale, but we did manage to find a good selection that eventually added up to fourteen purchases.
They’re all now in training and we hope to have them available for listing within the next three months.
Our Connemara Pony and Other Breed training photos currently feature:
- Turbo a stunning full Connemara pony in training who is coming along very nicely
- Clover – 13.2hh 5 year old Gelding who is the sweetest thing and getting braver and more responsive erveryday
We’ll add more photos and details of our other horse and pony stock as we bring them on.
Bridge Farm operates an open house policy, and you are welcome to come along and chat about our Golden Retrievers or view our livery facilities and Connemara ponies. Please, just call to make sure we're around to help you.