Corstan Stud

Springhill Colorado
Collie was the pony that I learnt to ride on and taught me everything.
I was only 5 when mum and dad bought him for me and we grew up together. He was an unregistered Section B that had come off the Welsh Hills and gone through Southall Market as a wild colt.
Bought by a man in Gidea Park for his daughters, he was gelded and was their jumping and fun pony. He was bought not as a school master but safe for me to learn on...and what a learning curve it was. Bought at 12years, he was already set in his ways and mum had to go about re schooling him and teaching him right from wrong leg but Collie always knew best. He took me from wrong young handlers, to beginners ride and onto affiliated local workers, jumping courses that the horses wouldn't go round. He would never stop but would roll a pole or just run straight past if rider wasn't concentrating or got over confident-he knew how to keep the young jockey in check.
Collie won just about everything there was to win on the local circuit over a period of 5 years, his name is still on a lot of the perpetual trophies.
He broke his shoulder in his teens after an accident in the field, trying to buck as he got up from rolling and didn't put his leg down so crashed to the floor. Vets advised he should be put to down but a lot of love  and attention brought him round right and after 9 months box rest he was sound again and back in the show ring.
He was shown as a veteran and won every time out, never acting his age and loving the attention.
Never a sick day in his life, Collie started to have bouts of Colic in his latter years which stressed him badly. Vets advised that a heart attack would be what ended his life through the sheer pain so i made the heart rending decision to call time.
HE had always been on a strict diet with us and was only ever allowed on bald paddock so in his 33rd year back in 1997 I let him have the summer out at grass with his good old friend Hollywest Golden Mace, who was looking every bit her 25years after developing cushings disease. In the October of that year, both were put to sleep together....

Collie you were my best friend and I will never forget the years you gave me....rest in peace.


Rylstone Black Knight
Black Fell Stallion
Tim was my first venture into 'Hairies' and now I have got the bug!
Given to me in August 2003 when he was 9years old by Jenny and Martyn Crane. Known for being a bit 'difficult', Tim was a complex character, He was outwardly defensive and aggressive but inwardly loving and kind and treated everyone badly unless he knew and trusted you and when he did, he was your best friend.
He had been the stud stallion at the famous Lunesdale Stud for a number of years siring stock that were sent all over the world.
He was already broken when he came but had not been ridden fr a great number of years. Tim didn't take to it again very well but after a lot of blood, sweat and tears (all mine)over the winter he finally decided that I was worthy of his attention and that he did quite enjoy working again and started to win under saddle over the winter.
However this was to be cute short by an accident in the field March 2004 when he went through two fences and got in with another stallion. He subsequently took a kick to the jaw which broke it into pieces. Vets advised that owing to his personality he would be better Put to sleep as the process would be a long drawn out one to repair it-wiring it wasn't an option due to the severity of the damage.
I felt that I owed him every chance to pull through so he was admitted to surgery to have an external fixator attached. This is not commonly used on horses in the UK and the fixator was borrowed from a hospital as they were commonly used for motorbike crash victims.
Tim cam through the operation and was an absolute star patient, I think he understood that I was trying to help him during the post op period. This I believe was the turning point for him and his temperament and after only 2 months he was fit and well and back in the show ring-amazing really.
A wonderful season followed where he fulfilled my dream and won the Royal Welsh HOYS qualifier and stood reserve champion, amongst other wins in hand and under saddle.
But it wasn't meant to be...Tim came out of the stable lame at HOYS in October and never really came sound again, he had periods of what appeared to be soundess but he was never 100%. Lack of work and constant box rest made him grumpy so he was gelded to try and give him a better life. I planned on having him as a companion for the rest of his time but he had odd days when he was very lame .MRI scans revealed that what originally was diagnosed as a super ficial flexor tendon rupture was secondary and actually was damage to the collateral ligament in the foot-prognosis was guarded.
I had to face facts that Tim was only ever going to be paddock sound and the lack of work and intermittent box rest just gave him no quality of life so i made the decision in April 2006 to have Tim put to sleep. He was sound that morning so I took him for a short ride around the paddocks for one last time before saying good bye to a very special friend and for a lot of his life, misunderstood pony.

He will have a special place in my heart forever.......