Happy February! Here we are looking out over a sunny snowstorm and it feels good to be inside I tell ya!

These are days of much work but today will be relax to set up new full on work week. 

I've been reading up on some viking stories and I wanted to share a little with you as it has a direct connection to Vikinga PRE. So here's some swedish history for you - have a great weekend everyone!

The Vikinga PRE brand

Female Vikings

Many believe that the Viking era was a male-dominated time. That the armed men in warships ruled, created kingdoms and plundered monasteries, while the women sat at home on the farm and houses. Archaeology and the written sources shows a different picture. The Viking-age graves says that men and women had different symbols and roles, and that there were rich and powerful persons of both sexes.

Above the mistress At Köpingsvik on Öland. She was found in a mighty grave fire from the end of the 900's. On the pyre a woman was burnt in a stunning piece of jewelry outfit, including various bronze clasps and beads in quantity. Probably she was in a ship. Thre were many animals and perhaps even a sacrificed man on the funeral pyre. The tomb has been excavated archaeologically and traces of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, dog, cat, bear and chicken was also found. The grave also contained a bronze dish from Western Europe. This shows that the buried woman was a typical aristocrat, most likely the leader of a powerful Öland family with an estate at Köpingsvik. The most exciting item in the grave was a ceremonial rod of iron. This is a symbol of rule, a scepter.

The viking woman was the evident boss of the household. Her most evident symbol was the Key that are found in most female viking tombs. For a the modern person this can seem like a mundane limiation and a indication that she had no oficial power. This is however a incorrect view as the farm was not only the center of the viking household but also the center of the worldview of the people of this era, which gives the female key holder a different perspective.

The viking women could also pay for the erection of rune stones that was an outgoing and public act of great importance. 

Been out and about with lovely people last week, my own kind actually and I enjoyed very much their company. These are ambitious PRE breeders looking to improve the PRE race through breeding and competing the top class PRE, i.e the professional way. We saw a few carefully selected classy mares in foal with the best of the best and some of Spains most merited PRE stallions. Exciting to see how their plan evolves. Then working my horses, working email and getting the flu, puh. For one day I was totally out got to the state when you can't even think, just lie in bed and wait for it to pass. But today I'm back again.

Donoso got two new bookings one EU and another non-EU. Most Donoso's offspring are born in Sweden and so far only two are registered in studbook but he has 6 PRE offspring and 2 PRE/partbreed. There should have been more but last year two stallions died accidentially at birth. I promised to announce if there was any Donoso offspring for sale and now I have one so if you are interested you are most welcome to contact me on email for more information. 

Our black beauty Halagador is decorating Ecuestre this month, they talk about they way a horse look and what the horses's eyes tells us. Personally I think Halagador definitely Has Got The Look, he's a classy horse, sharp, confident and playful. His head and neck has a unique beauty and very rare to find so if you feel like having one of these I can definitely recommend breeding one yourself!  

Halagador Cen

A satisfactory day, all horses had been out in the sun and worked out and finished at 16.00 - yay! So happy to be able to work out at these hours, normally I don't get going until late afternoon and that's when sun is going down, not the same warmth and can't give the horses their sun-showers. But today yes! So all aloevera shampooed and sundried like tomatoes. Now this weather is NOT normal, but who cares!? 

Now I can announce Moli's future, he will be going home to his real mummy in France! He is not going to be cured here, something in the environment is not doing him well and its time for a constructive change. I will be missing him alot, he is such a beautiful and talented horse, so elegant and exciting mover. We are hoping a natural enviroment with many hours outdoor will be his cure so he can shine and show his true talent.

Here he is in the shower after today's work, uff I will miss him! But I am very pleased he has such a professional mummy that will give him nothing but the best possibilities and I am certain Moli will give her a great satisfaction in return!

Moli today

Yes today I am actually angry, very very angry. When a 'normal' person has a day of rest, they jump out of bed the following day, rise and shine, feel refreshed and happy, etc. Well be VERY happy if that's how it works for you, me on the other hand has a day of rest and wake up WORSE than ever with a surprising new pain in left side of hip for no reason at all, and I DID not do ANYTHING yesterday.. It REALLY makes me mad, and I know I should be accepting and all that stuff but if I just sat down and accepted I would go sad and I refuse. SO, from the deep depths of my willful will I drag myself up, out, on - go go go. So after having drugged myself out of bed - LONG LIVE IBUPROFEN - I had to do 30 min of soft yoga, to be able to move around the house, well, not a good start but A start. Now, the ONLY thing that makes me happy and in a better mood these days is to go riding. And the one horse I need is DONOSO. He is velvet for my body soul and spririt. So if I can only drag myself to the stables, I'll start with him, get rocking and then normally I keep going on with the others. It's always gonna be a day of physical struggle but hey, life's hard and I'm not going to whine, just get on with it! So I got there and I got on with it. Javier came to make some pictures because it WAS a glorious sunny day, not that I cared, to me it might as well hell rain horizontally, it wouldn't make a difference. ONLY Donoso makes a difference. So there you go, a day of my life. And LOOK at my beautiful horse carrying me making my crappy day so well worth living. I am so proud of him and actually (if you don't mind saying so) of myself too, because WE created this together, he does it for me and I do it for him. 

Thank you Donoso and thank you Javier.

'Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny'

Back from intense period of working, clients, riding and setting up this years breeding season, contracts for the stallions, many things to prepare. Donoso VII and Festivo MR will be available for breeding for all countries in Europe and Halagador in Spain, very welcome to contact me for more info and booking conditions. I have now bookings on all three stallions for 2012 so all worth it and I'm very excited to see the new babies!

We have had mexican breeders visiting and been out showing them our selected stallions and mares. These guys doesn't buy just one horse so hopefully it will be worth all the travelling and hours, we'll see. I have been riding and training rare hours, when schedule has allowed. Today resting with some gardening, it doesn't rain here so lawn needs watering, so weired to put sprinklers on in January, in Sweden at this time of year we are all up to our ear with humidity. But I'm not complaining!

Here's some of D's new photos we' ve made now in January, he's such a diva!

Donoso VII

1800 km is a serious distance when made in two days and only to be made for a seriously good horse - and this was one that totally lived up to his merits and reputation - we present one of Spains best ranked dressage PRE stallions!

I had the pleasure to testride and I can assure you it was great fun. Mr Black (of course not his real name) is a very quiet horse with a serious mind. He is 9 years old and does not just do all all GP movements, he does them relaxed and effortless. He was totally equal in both reins which proves his correct and in my opinion excellent training. He had very big register of transitions which also proves the training is not hurried, he could perform all GP movements slowly without tension. Mr Black had very strong pirouettes. 100% clean tempi ones always, only a little open in form as he is still getting that excerize perfected. Good zigzags, balanced although not finished. Halfpass totally equal to left and right. Second gear trot that surprises you because he is so relaxed you don't imagine he will be able to produce all that movement. Super quality piaffe/ passage, real talent, perfect mecanics! Firm contact, light, comfortable to ride, carries you well and gives rider good posture which proves strong topline. This horse for someone that really can appreciate all these qualities and enjoy one or all to the fullest - its a unique a black PRE for GP dressage and breeding!!

Ladies and gentlemen - Mr Black!

Back from that my boys were waiting eagerly, Moli is now on antibiotics so he has rested and today only light work. I rode my king Donoso that wanted to go for a walk to check out the ladies first and then practice his passage. Starti also got a workout in snaffle like always and no matter how much you ride that horse he doesn't give you one drop of sweat.. He gives me though so after that I had no more energy for Hagge but it was time for horse dinner so he didn't look disappointed. Tomorrow is another day, glorious for everyone I hope, cheerio and love to everyone, don't hold your horses, enjoy them! 

We are off for some serious kilometres to view, ride and vetcheck one of Spains most interesting dressage PRE, our friend C needs her next iberian now. We have had a nice and sunny weather and today was playtime for the boys, first out my pride and joy:
Donoso VII

Photos: Javier Villard

Hi everyone, I'm not having the best time of my life healthwise, thinking twice about going downstairs because upstairs is sometimes like climbing Mount Everest. But with love and a great deal of will I still manage to ride my darlings, riding is no problem for me, has never been. What tires me is all the other stuff that needs doing with two feet on the ground, four is better - centaur next life perhaps? Here is Hagge training this weekend, he is so up for it and cool to work with now, my beautiful black spanish artist, very proud of him!