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Margaret Shaw pays the Welsh pony producers a visit at their Lacy Stud in North Wales to find out the secret to their success
H&H visits Lacy Stud to find out their secrets to success breeding Welsh ponies
TOWARDS the end of another successful summer season, Colin and Sarah Tibbey of the Lacy
Stud can look back with justifiable pride on their enviable list of wins and championships.
Among the ponies helping the Welsh pony producers towards another impressive tally of accolades are the recent Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) Cuddy in-hand supreme finalists, Paddock Rio, Fouroaks Coco Chanel and Manorlea Maisie May — with Manorlea Maisie May being placed seventh and Paddock Rio finishing ninth. The current home of the Lacy Stud, the name originating from the village of Holme Lacy, where Colin first started to breed Welsh mountain ponies on his grandfather’s farm (see box, p34), is in Cwm in the Penllyn District of North Wales.
The Tibbey residence, dated 1640, is a typical Welsh longhouse made of slate and stone, and full of Welsh character and charm.
The original outbuildings have been cleverly converted into a maze of stables, feedroom and wash room. An old cowshed has also been converted into stables, giving the Tibbeys 30 in all.
The hill road from Bethel to Corwen runs right through the Tibbey yard and across from the stables; a small turn-out sand paddock and 20 acres of undulating grazing are set against a lovely hill backdrop.
The Tibbeys also rent an additional 50 acres of grass, predominantly for their own broodmares and foals.
Colin and Sarah currently have 50 ponies around them, including 20 of their own and 30 liveries in work for show production and sale preparation.
“We are very lucky to have a great nucleus of owners and breeders, and because we are so
busy with clients’ ponies, we rarely show our own,” says Colin.
One notable exception though is Sarah’s section A broodmare and 2017 Cuddy finalist Fouroaks Coco Chanel.
Colin, Sarah and Sarah’s daughter Jess (Hansford), who works full-time as an equine specialist with Wynstay Agricultural Supplies, make a great team at the Lacy Stud. Colin works the ponies, Sarah keeps them and their beds clean and Jess is hands-on in the ring besides being the resident IT expert.
When H&H visits, all ponies are happily tuned in to Radio 2 and look very content and well bedded-down on the Tibbeys’ preferred choice of oat straw.
“I think straw beds are much more comfortable and easier to keep clean and dry,” says Sarah.
Colin’s feed room boasts a five-star à la carte restaurant, as it takes Colin around two hours a day to mix his own feeds from a base of oats, beet-pulp, conditioning cubes and a full range of Dengie fibres. “Ponies are all individuals and are fed as such,” says Colin.
With no flat area to work the ponies on at home, Colin does most of his training on the road.
“There is no better way of muscling up ponies and allowing them to see everyday life and hazards than working them on tarmac,” he explains.
His au naturel ethos finds no need for modern tack or balancing reins.
“I remember the advice I was given by the old stud grooms like Gordon Jones and Dill Powell — that natural balance is everything and you cannot manufacture that with gadgets,” says Colin, who hand-walks or long-reins his ponies for hours on end.
“At the end of the day in showing, we have to make the best of what we have. We work on standing a pony correctly and how to show its action off to the best of our ability in the ring. It is a combination of pony and handler, and not all ponies will always stand up in a good place.
“It all comes down to training, homework
and attention to detail,” he adds.
Colin’s preferred trot-up method is to stay at the pony’s head.
“I always aim to start steady to get the balance right before I flow on,” he explains. “Some ponies are hard work and others are keener, but by being at the head you can quickly sense if they are going to break and correct that. You cannot alter pressure from the end of a long lead.”
The Tibbeys are passionate about responsible breeding and now breed 50% fewer foals than a few years ago.
“Every pony should have a job, because if you can’t breed from ponies, ride or drive them, what on earth do you do with them. Everyone wants to breed a Royal Welsh winner and champion, but that’s not always the outcome,” says Colin, who has taken the male championship at Builth Wells nine times, including twice with his own home-bred ponies Lacy Justin and Lacy Simon.
The Tibbey yard is a year-round hive of activity. As soon as the summer showing season is done, attention turns to handling new foals and youngsters, sales preparation and winter shows.
“We are lucky to be making a living out of doing what originally started as a hobby and the ponies have again done us proud this season,” says Colin.