Equine Transformation - Fairfield Illyasviel

This article is from the October 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

Fairfield Illyasviel and Sebastian Bellamy

Tell us about Lily. My beautiful girl Lily is a 15.3hh, 9 year old thoroughbred mare by Grey Swallow. Unfortunately due to a hip injury during racing prep Lily was never raced or named so she now competes under the name of Fairfield Illyasviel.

How and when did Lily come into your life? She was brought into my life by a client of mine who had saved her from the sale yards. My client has asked me to finish her training and proceed to find her a new home.

What did you see in her the first time you saw her? As soon as Lily came off the float I got caught in the sweetness of her eyes. She has such a kind face and an intelligent look about her.

What was her condition and temperament like on arrival? I was happy to see she was in great condition when she arrived. My client had done a great job of taking care of her weight and letting her mind rest. Unfortunately, I could tell straight away she had very tight and sore muscles and what appeared to be a rotated pelvis. To begin with, she was quite a reactive horse to very unpredictable things. She hated any pressure on her head and was very unwilling to be caught.

What initial treatment did Lily require for her hip injury? Straight away I asked my Myofunctional Therapist to come to see Lily and assess her muscles and the state of her pelvis. This is when we found out that the tilt in her rump came from tightness in one side over an old injury that had been there so long it had changed her conformation. It was determined that this injury felt most like an old fracture and due to her unknown history we didn’t know if it had ever been treated properly. But we began a programme of treatments and correctional exercises to try our best to help mend her physical issues. A chiropractor was also called to her.

What did you do with her in the first month? In her first month with me, we moved her on to a high protein diet to help her gain muscles. A lot of time was spent on her handling to help her become comfortable with being caught and with people in general. She would not let people pick up and hold her feet (most likely due to fear of pain from her hip) and when being lunged she would run to the end of the rope and canter around at high speed with her head to the outside trying to avoid me. I spent a lot of time handling her and touching her all over. Lots of time was spent on the lunge helping her calm down and be able to walk, trot and canter on the line at voice command. Once she became more relaxed and comfortable with me I could spend the time getting her to pick up her legs and hold them. This was really the turning point for her as I could now get her feet and teeth done, as well as being able to begin the stretches and movements with her hind legs to help improve the tension in her pelvis. From here I began long reining her and found her reactivity to mouth pressure as she would rear and panic when asked to halt. With lots of time and patience I was able to show Lily that this pressure didn’t hurt and she began to relax into it and accept my direction. From here she moved really well into ridden work though her gaits were choppy and rough.

You broke Lily in yourself after she recovered from her injury. How did she take to the ridden side of her training? She took really well to ridden work after I spent the time properly preparing her and making her comfortable with me and what I asked of her.

What was her first outing and how did she cope? Her first outing was to my riding club rally with another horse of mine. She was a little on edge to begin with and was a little distressed when I took my other horse away to ride. However, when I got on her, her whole attitude changed and she became focused and happy. She likes having a job and really thrives from her rider’s direction.

How did she progress over six months? Once she had begun ridden work her progress was fast and steady as I was able to work her over raised poles and encourage her to use the correct muscles. After a few weeks, her gaits changes from the choppy, rough gaits she had to beautifully light and expressive movement with great shoulder action. This is when I truly saw her potential and contacted my client asking permission to keep her - granted. After a few months I took her to her first show. She came home with Champion Ridden Hack, I couldn’t have been prouder. Her hip was now hardly noticeable and the tightness through it was greatly improved, overall she was a much happier horse. She coped really well with new environments and though still reactive, she had really settled down and begun to trust us to do things she’d never have done before.

Does she have any special needs? Apart from a high protein feed and regular Myofunctional appointments, Lily has no special needs.

What is Lily up to today? Lily is competing with me in level 2 HRCAV showing and we are fighting to hold onto our spot in the top ten awards.

What are your greatest achievements to date? Over the past year, attending Geelong Royal Show, being awarded Champion Mount Most Suitable for HRCAV at TTT showing (as well as multiple other shows) and Runner Up High Point winner at TTT. Also, competing at Victorian Agricultural Saddle Horse Championships and carrying a child rider to 6th in the Child’s Hack, and finding ourselves on the top ten leaderboard for HRCAV showing.

What advice would you give to someone who’s taken on a horse with an injury? Find yourself a good and dedicated team of professionals to assist in your horse’s recovery. It takes time and effort, it can’t be rushed.

What does the future hold for her? Lily is going to continue her show career with me, as well as students of mine.

Would you do it all again? 100%. Everyone that meets her falls in love with my beautiful girl and her personality. A special horse is always worth the effort.

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