Jett - September 08
Jett arrived at Epona's Pastures on 26th September after travelling very well to his new environment..
We know that he originally came down from Mildura in a dangerously emaciated condition. Having been given a second chance by a very generous resident of the macedon ranges, he has now come to us to continue his rehabilitation.
We know that Jett has been tried as a trotter
at an early age and believe he is still very young.
He is a rich, dark brown Standardbred gelding, small in stature (approx. 14.1hh) with a timid, but curious and very gentle nature.
We are very pleased to welcome him to our herd and look forward to working with him to give him the best shot at a bright future.
Dr. Tony Hanegraaf will meet our newest arrival in the next week to assess his physical profile, provide dental care and give us a clearer idea of his age.
We are seeing and hearing about more and more Standardbred horses in need of assistance after their career on the track has come to an end. The standardbred is a wonderful breed and we are learning so much about their needs, their nature, and their willingness to learn and please, that it is proving to be very rewarding indeed to work with them. We look forward to helping Jett achieve good health and fitness so that he may find a great home to move on to!
Below are a couple of photos of Jett the day we picked him up. He was a little timid but great to handle once he was caught. He was in need of a good worming and some extra feed with vitamin and mineral supplement to bring his coat back to a shiny health.
Jett Gets A Doctor's Visit - Sept '08
One of of the leading Equine Veterinarians in our area 'Poss' from ' Tony's Practice' came to give Jett a general health check. Poss looked at Jet's confirmation, teeth, checked his coat for lice, gave him his first vaccination and, much to our relief, gave him the ' all clear' . Once we had covered the basic health queries, we were keen to find out who Jet really is, and Pos got the clippers out to reveal his branding......
We were quick to look the brand details up on the internet and we now know that Poss's age estimate was spot on, Jett is 4 years old and he is out of an american stallion named 'Jett Star'.
Jett is a very shy horse who is sceptical about anyone touching his legs so there will be much ground work done with Jett over the next coming weeks to win his trust back.
Jett Gets A Haircut and Some TLC - Oct '08
Lynda has spent some quality time with Jett and he is blossoming into a handsome young man. Not only has Jett been receiving the 5 star groom treatment over the last couple of weeks, but Lynda took the time to give him a proper haircut to make sure he looked his best.
The dry brittle coat Jett had, is now almost completely gone and replaced by a smooth, shiny and soft coat that reflects his much improved state of health.
After the delux groom and clip treatment, Lynda finds just the right spot and gives Jett a good scratch to finish off....
Jett Has Begun His Training - 5th Feb '09
All the horses have enjoyed a relaxing break over the Christmas period, and Jett has flourished into a healthy and very affectionate boy during this time. He is now the first one to come up for a scratch as soon as he sees us out in the paddock and will follow us around like a puppy for as long as we are there. With paddocks full of grass, Jett has filled out and grown a beautiful shiny black summer coat, he has become quiet the handsome little boy.
We have started Jett's training program and he has really excelled in the last three weeks. Jett will now free lunge on voice commands and is happy to be bridled and girthed. He is very accepting of everything we have asked and is a very willing student.
Charlie put the long reins on Jett last week to see if he had been 'mouthed' and found him to be both relaxed and very responsive to all the aids. We suspect that Jett has been broken to harness but was quickly deemed too slow and turned out without any further attention. Jett is still a very young horse and combined with such an exceptional nature he is making huge progress every day. 
A Natural Under Saddle - Feb 09
Look at me, I am the most handsome galloway in all of Victoria !
Jett has undergone regular training classes over the last few weeks and he has proven to have the most lovely tempermant of any horse we have worked with to date.
Despite his young age, Jett has never shown any concern or resistance to the different things we have introduced him to.
His personality is of a horse looking for a cuddle with an open and inquisitive nature, a real heartbreaker.
Since these photos were taken, Jett has been ridden out on a couple of trail rides. He does not mind the 3 dogs that run past and between the horses, the traffic or anything new that he found himself confronted with. He continues to impress us at every turn.
Jett will be ready to start looking for a permanent home in the near future and expressions of interest can now be
e-mailed to us at: admin@eponaspastures.com . Get in early, this boy is one in a million !
Another Vet check and the full Dental Treatment - 27.03.09
Jett is progressing well under saddle and it was time for Dr. Tony Hanegraaf to come out and do a follow up check on him and give him a dental treatment.
We were fortunate to have the assistance of our Equine Touch practicioner Susan Wyatt on the day. Susan stood in as Tony's assistant and then followed up with a full E.T. body balance when he was finished.
Not only did Tony give Jett the all clear, but jett was looking very relaxed and pleased with himself after Susan had finished his body balance.
Jett Takes the Neighbourhood Kids For A Ride 25.04.09
Much to the kids delight, Jett is becoming the neighbourhood babysitter. Here he is giving some of the kids their first ride....
Jett has gone out on trial - 21.06.09
Our little boy has been out on trial for the last two weeks with a wonderful family where he is ridden by their 15yo daughter. To date we have only received positive feedback on his progress and it looks like he may already have found his permanent home. Further updates and photos to follow soon.
Jett Has Settled Into His New Home - 13.09.09
We are very excited to bring our readers an update on Jett's progress with his new owner. Jett and Grace have spent the last couple of months getting to know one another and building up a trusting partnership. Last weekend, Grace took Jett to his second Pony Club Rally and they had a fantastic day together. Below are a couple of photos from the day: 
"Hello eveyone, have you missed me?"
What a team !
