0:00:30 > 0:00:33Hello and welcome to another episode of Home Ground,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36a programme giving you a slice of country life.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39On tonight's programme, we're here enjoying the Balmoral Show.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Here's what's coming up on tonight's programme.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47With the humble spud under threat,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I speak with farmers trying to reverse the trend.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I'm in South Down, but it feels more like South Dakota, as I meet
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Northern Ireland's very own horse whisperer.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Sorry, girl, I hope this goes all right. OK.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04CLIPPERS WHIR
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And Ruth tries her hand at sheep shearing, with mixed results.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- I'll do it.- I think you'd better finish it!
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Later in the programme, we'll have a full weather forecast for you,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23but first, there can be few greater prizes in the agricultural world
0:01:23 > 0:01:26than winning a rosette here at Balmoral.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29But what does it take to spot that prize-winning bull?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Well, I'm here to find out.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39For many, the Balmoral Show is a chance to relax
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and enjoy the events and exhibitions.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46But for these guys, this is serious. It's competition time.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And these cattle are getting the star treatment -
0:01:50 > 0:01:52last-minute touchups and even a blow-dry.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It's good for the hair, gives the better shine
0:01:57 > 0:01:58and sort of a finishing touch
0:01:58 > 0:02:03- to hopefully make the animal look its best in the ring.- Yeah.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Hopefully impress the judge, is what we're really trying to do.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So he's had the hair mist, now he's getting the hairspray.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Yes, pretty much, yes.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14- What age are you?- I'm 12.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16And what are you doing here?
0:02:16 > 0:02:20I'm just preparing the cow for it to go into the ring to get judged.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Right, good.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I'm spraying black foam
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and just brushing it up to give it a bit of shine
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and make the coat stand up.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- Yeah, well, you're doing a fine job. - Thank you.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Are you hoping for a winner? - Hopefully.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40And judging the Angus today is this man...called Angus.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Yes, Angus Stovold is a beef farmer from Surrey
0:02:43 > 0:02:46who's judged Angus all over the world.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I like to wait until they all walk in
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and then I really start looking at them. Looking at them from the side,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55the side profile is very important, and then you're looking at walking,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58so walking and standing, how they stand -
0:02:58 > 0:03:01it's really little intricate things
0:03:01 > 0:03:02which actually make a difference.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And then things like bone structure and the structure of the meat
0:03:06 > 0:03:10on the animal, and its head and just lots of things.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13But this is no easy job.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16The standard in this senior heifer class is particularly high.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22I don't envy his job at all, they all look very similar to me.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24A lot of tummy tickling going on.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Is that how you get a good result? Keep them happy.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39So this is crunch time. Just getting them all to line up.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43You couldn't accuse him of making a rush decision, that's for sure.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49'And today's winner of this class is Alan Morrison from Maguiresbridge.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Well, that was a difficult job.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- They didn't make it easy for you, very high standard.- They never do.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59The first four when they walked in, they all looked really good cattle.
0:03:59 > 0:04:05Size wise, this is a great feminine animal and deserved to win.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13- Well, to win today means a lot to these guys, doesn't it?- Huge.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17It's a royal show, you know, this is one of the big ones,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19so to win here is...
0:04:19 > 0:04:23You know, that's something that they carry for the rest of their lives.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27'And now it's time to judge the main event - the overall champion.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'And the prize goes to James Porter from Lisburn.'
0:04:32 > 0:04:37- What an animal, eh?- As soon as I saw him...- He was the standout?- Yeah.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Why?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Balance is everything.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44And also for a big bull he's got really good legs,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46he walks really well.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49You know, he's got no fat on him, he's just, you know...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52everything about him. There's very few faults about him,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55he's got a great head, he's got a lovely eye.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59He's got top line all the way through, really good backside.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02You know, he's a breeding bull through and through.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03You can't fault him.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06In fact, it's very rare that you find such a good quality bull,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08so he's really good.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's so nice to come here
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and see something that's going to win anywhere in the country,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19so, yeah, the Northern Irish breeder must be really proud
0:05:19 > 0:05:23of what they produced today, cos all these cattle are just superb,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26so I'd take them all home if I could.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Many regard the potato as the national crop,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37but an ever-increasing number of us are ditching the spud
0:05:37 > 0:05:41for the more convenient carbs like pasta and rice,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and as I've been finding out that isn't good news for producers.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59The humble spud - a mainstay of our diet for generations.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Boiled, roasted, chipped or mashed, surely we all love eating spuds?
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Well, apparently not.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09With stiff competition from pasta and rice,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13figures show that we are eating and growing fewer potatoes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Just outside Comber I've come to meet Richard Orr,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22whose family have been producing spuds for generations,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25to see if the trend can be reversed.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28This is the headquarters, this is where the magic happens?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Yes, this is where we do all the processing of the potatoes.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33They come to the yard here
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and then that's where they're inspected
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and worked with and made ready for sale.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40And the boys are doing some really important work here,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42cos they're looking for problems, aren't they?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Yes, obviously, as I said earlier, whenever they're graded for size,
0:06:46 > 0:06:47obviously they're still dirty,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50so you can see these small, little problems here on them,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53whenever they're dirty, like this greening.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54That's just sunlight in the field,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58it's penetrated through the drills and has greened the potato.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01And if they make the final cut, down into...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Down into here and, yes, then...
0:07:04 > 0:07:06And who wouldn't want to eat that?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08It's perfect. But people aren't eating spuds.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10What's happening, Richard?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Oh, definitely now the consumption of potatoes
0:07:12 > 0:07:14locally here has been going down.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Is it not fashionable any more?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Well, that's the question, isn't it?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I suppose, traditionally here,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22there's always been a history of eating potatoes and plenty of them,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26and maybe over the generations that has started to die a bit.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Certainly they're not perceived as convenient as some other products.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36And with consumption down, it continues to be a difficult market.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Potatoes this year are a better price
0:07:39 > 0:07:41than they've been in the two years previously.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42However, these past two years
0:07:42 > 0:07:45they were about 20%, 30% below the cost of production.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46So people are saying,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49"Yes, the potato farmer is getting more for his produce."
0:07:49 > 0:07:51But genuinely,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54he's only getting roughly speaking what pays for his crop.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56So...
0:07:56 > 0:07:58it is a very competitive environment
0:07:58 > 0:08:02and it's all down to growing good quality and good yield.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Because the costs of production are so high.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It's about informing the consumers about the produce,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11selling produce which is of good quality and has great flavour,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and that will make people want to come back and eat more.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18And being sensible and smart, even, about your marketing.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27These potatoes are Comber Earlies,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29just waiting to be planted as soon as the ground heats up.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35In 2012, they were awarded the PGI status by the European Union.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Local farmers hoped it would increase consumption and revenue.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44These Earlies have PGI status. Tell us what that is.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Yes, PGI status is Protected Geographical Indication.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And that's pretty exclusive. You're talking champagne, Parma ham...
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Yes, yes. And various other products, yeah.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Well, there are three PGIs in Northern Ireland.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Comber Earlies, Lough Neagh eels and Armagh Bramley apples.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03So, yes, there are only three PGI products in northern Ireland.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Something we received in 2012.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09So we formed a co-operative of the growers within the area
0:09:09 > 0:09:12to market the Comber Earlies.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14And I just thought I'd show you this.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16This is the new branding
0:09:16 > 0:09:20which all the growers are marketing their produce in.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22This is a tool and a platform for us
0:09:22 > 0:09:25to use to market the Comber Earlies.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And over time, you think this is going to reverse
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the trend for the potato, eh?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Well, certainly initiatives like this can only help.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Certainly this last couple of seasons,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37since we've come together to market them
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and have had the PGI on the front of the bag,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44there has been a slow growth in their consumption.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50But for some, it's come too late.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Robin McKee runs the Comber Potato Company.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58His potatoes sell for £1 a kilo in the shops.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But he only gets 14 pence.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04And at those prices, he can no longer continue.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- Robin, this is a beautiful part of the world. This is your land.- Yeah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11You've chosen to sell up. Why?
0:10:11 > 0:10:17Well, I've been lucky farming here since I left school, basically.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22And it's been very heartbreaking to come to this stage, but...
0:10:23 > 0:10:27..the financial situation of farming and the way the market is...
0:10:29 > 0:10:30..we can't see any future in it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Have you noticed prices just being forced down and down over the years?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Yeah, these last ten, 15 years,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40sort of since the start of the 2000s,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43an awful pressure on prices downward.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And our costs have been escalating at the same time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Last year prices were abominable.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54You know, we were way down to selling at £80 a tonne for potatoes
0:10:54 > 0:10:57that cost £148 a tonne to produce.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Now, certainly this year they've been a bit better.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04But you're still only up to production costs,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06you're not making any money still.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And people not eating as many potatoes, as well.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11People are not eating potatoes.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14There's a potato promotion going on at the minute,
0:11:14 > 0:11:19and farmers paid in to do a bit of promotion work.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22But...the same thing, it's a bit like a PGI.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It's hard to work a miracle and get people to eat potatoes again.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Is it hard almost to admit defeat
0:11:28 > 0:11:32against the torrent of everything coming your way
0:11:32 > 0:11:33and you've been working so hard for years?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Very difficult. You feel...
0:11:36 > 0:11:40It makes you feel inadequate that you haven't been able to master it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Farming has been in the doldrums lots of times in my working life,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49but you'd always come out of it again and you seem to get going.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53But this time, it doesn't seem to be going to do that
0:11:53 > 0:11:55for a long, long time.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07The sheep shearing event here at Balmoral is always popular.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10But the skills aren't just required for the competition.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Ruth's been to meet one champion
0:12:12 > 0:12:16who's sheared his way through 45,000 sheep in a single year.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Deep in the heart of the Sperrins lives a champion.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32This is Jack Robinson, the Northern Irish Sheep Shearing Champion.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36And he's getting ready to defend his title at the Balmoral Show.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I went to meet him just outside Claudy,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43on the sheep farm he looks after with his family.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50That was fairly well done.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So one down, how many to go, then, Jack?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- Too many.- Too many!
0:12:55 > 0:12:58How quickly can you shear a sheep in competition?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Well, it mostly depends on the sheep.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Sheep vary in size and breeds.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05But if you're doing them in 45 seconds
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and keeping them reasonably clean, you've a good chance of winning.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12But you have been the Northern Irish winner twice in a row.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Yes, I won it last year and the year before.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- So no pressure for this year. - No, no pressure.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21'Jack has travelled the world sheep shearing,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'which means he's had some serious practice.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Whenever I was travelling all year round,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31I would say I was doing roughly 45,000 sheep a year.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- No way!- Whenever I was shearing in New Zealand and Estonia,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Latvia, Finland and then here.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Will you talk me through sort of how you do it, to see...?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- How hard can it be?- Simple.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Well, you always start off on the belly.- Uh-huh.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And you have your two knees wrapped around the sheep,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50because it opens up that brisket. So you have to start high.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52You have four blows down the belly.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- So that's four strips. - We call them blows.- Blows, right.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And you step forward onto their undermount.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And the first blow comes to here.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04And then your second blow comes right to here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And every time you do a blow, you're turning the sheep.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09And then, after you have that done, you're stepping up the neck.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11And this is the trickiest part of the sheep.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13You come straight up and finish underneath the chin,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15clean off the cheek.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The more you can rock the sheep, the less it'll kick.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19And then, whenever you drop it down,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21you've gone on to your three short blows.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The longest blow on the sheep starts from the bottom,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26it comes right up behind the head.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29This is your home straight down - they call it the money side.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- The money side?- This is what they call the money side.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34And you clean out, and then you're keeping your legs dead straight
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and the head high.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Hopefully, by the time you get to here,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40you've all the fleece off in one piece.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42So what does the sheep make of it all?
0:14:42 > 0:14:43- I mean, this one's been very calm. - Well...
0:14:43 > 0:14:46But you're holding her right. You're holding her properly.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48It's all about the way you hold a sheep, so it is.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50If you can hold a sheep without it being agitated,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52that's half the battle.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56'So - could Jack make a champion shearer out of ME?'
0:14:56 > 0:14:57We'll get another sheep to start with.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59A sheep is a handy thing to have.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04See, Jack, this one seems very unkeen.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06She must know I'm going to have a go.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I'll take off the belly and all first.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- I'll give you the easy part of the sheep.- I think that's wise.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15You go ahead.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Hold your hand piece with your thumb here to control it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Yes. Like this.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- I want you to go straight down. - Straight down. Just straight.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- Just straight down.- I'm sorry, girl, I hope this goes all right. OK.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37- Keep it on the skin.- Yes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46- Like, I don't think I'm very good at it.- I'll tidy it up.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50You're keeping it is as flat on the skin as possible
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- So you're taking it off clean. - So you go with the curve?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54You go with the curve.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00OK. Right. Here we go again. Sorry, sheep.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Ooh, it's very...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Like that?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Right, I think you'd better take over.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I don't think I'm going to make a shearer.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18That is tough.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Unbelievable. You make it look so easy.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30That's your first attempt. A few more and we'll get there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34That was rubbish! I am not going to be a sheep shearer.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Do you know what? I thought it would be like doing your legs.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- But that is tricky. - It's a different ball game.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40You are right, it is!
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I think it's fair to say I won't be a threat to the international
0:16:45 > 0:16:48sheep-shearing community.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50But it isn't just about competition,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53wool is one of the oldest traded commodities in the world.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59And it all ends up here, at the wool depot in Muckamore,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02around 1.5 million kilos per season.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07From here, it gets graded, auctioned and shipped all over the world.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11So, Ian, where is this wool going to end up?
0:17:11 > 0:17:15This wool could end up in so many places, all over the world.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It could go to China, it could just go to Bradford and then come
0:17:19 > 0:17:22back to Northern Ireland and the carpet manufacturing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25So Bradford is the big wool hub in the UK, isn't it?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Bradford is the only location within the UK that has
0:17:28 > 0:17:32a scouring facility, and scouring is washing the wool
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and putting it into a shape
0:17:34 > 0:17:39that can be used for weaving and spun yarn.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Currently, the price of this type of wool here would be
0:17:43 > 0:17:44£2-£3 per fleece.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Is that all?- That is all.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52£2-£3 per fleece. The big thing that does affect it is global currency.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Last year, the New Zealand dollar weakened so much
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and as sterling strengthened, it left an 18% difference
0:17:58 > 0:18:00compared to the year before,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03so that's how you can go down 18% very easily in the price of wool.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07That's why farmers don't breed for the wool as much,
0:18:07 > 0:18:08they breed for the number of lambs.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10But historically farmers did breed for the wool,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15- it was the main enterprise. - No doubt about it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18People used to cherish wool and wear wool.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So it's all about the money at the end result.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24It's about making a decision as a consumer, really.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26It's encouraging people to do that.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29But often people don't want to spend more money.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31People want wooden floors.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Don't spend any more money, just spend it properly.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- And wear more wool. - And wear more wool, of course.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42And after shearing his way through quite a few sheep
0:18:42 > 0:18:45at Balmoral, Jack was crowned the champion and will now captain
0:18:45 > 0:18:49team NI at the World Championships in New Zealand next year.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Now, the weather has been lovely over the last few days,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56let's see if it's set to continue.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Here's a full weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Well, the effort and expertise
0:20:07 > 0:20:10involved in training these horses is intense.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11But what do you do
0:20:11 > 0:20:14if you can't even get your hand on the horse in the first place?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Well, you call the horse whisperer of course.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Meet Patch, he's a four-year-old cob
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and he's had a difficult start in life.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Abandoned by a roadside in Belfast,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40he was rescued by the folks at Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46He looks quite traumatised there, he's pretty wild, isn't he?
0:20:46 > 0:20:51He has never been handled, he's actually a pleasant pony in that he
0:20:51 > 0:20:54wants to be friends, but he just doesn't understand anything at all.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And what's happening here at the moment is he's out
0:20:57 > 0:21:00in the paddock having a look around to see if there's any friends about
0:21:00 > 0:21:02because horses are a herd animal.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04He's a beautiful looking horse,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07it's hard to imagine anyone would abandon him.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Is he quite nervous, is this typical behaviour of a nervous horse?
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Yes, he's anxious, he would like to be friends with you,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16but, so far, nobody has ever handled him.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19He has never had a head collar on him,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21we've never actually had a hand on him.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Why do people abandon them?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It's this crazy notion that people run mares
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and stallions together and the next thing they have foals.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Then they can't cope with the number.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35This is happening all around Northern Ireland.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40In recent years, Lyn and her colleagues have noticed
0:21:40 > 0:21:44a steep increase in the number of abandoned horses as the cost
0:21:44 > 0:21:47of looking after them becomes too much for many to bear.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Re-homing them is difficult,
0:21:49 > 0:21:54especially for horses like Patch who need a lot of work.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57But today, things are looking brighter for Patch as he'll begin
0:21:57 > 0:22:03a different sort of training in the hope of finding him a new home.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05He seems a little bit reluctant.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09This is John trying to bring Patch up to get him into the horsebox.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Rather him than me. I think I'm going to get out of the way.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18After a bit of careful persuasion,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Patch is loaded onto the horsebox and we're ready to go.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33We're on our way to meet this man -
0:22:33 > 0:22:35John McAleavey,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Northern Ireland's very own horse whisperer.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41John's been working and training horses all of his life,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43but for the past 16 years
0:22:43 > 0:22:47he's been specialising in natural horsemanship,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49or horse whispering -
0:22:49 > 0:22:52the idea of developing a rapport with the horses,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56rather than using force to train or break a horse.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01And it doesn't take long for John to begin his first assessment of Patch.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Just checking out...
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'The first thing I wanted to do was to see
0:23:10 > 0:23:12'where did he fit into this little miniature herd that we had -
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'we had a gelding and a mare that I use in the riding school.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19'And I just wanted to see, was he was an alpha type?'
0:23:19 > 0:23:23And the good news from my point of view is he's not a strong alpha,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25because ultimately I want to be his alpha.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28So what does that mean, will it make it easier to train him?
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Slightly easier for him to respect me.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36My first job is to get his respect, and THEN I can get his trust.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38So I'm going to work on moving his feet,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41because I'm a great believer in moving the feet -
0:23:41 > 0:23:44the brains are actually in the feet of the horse.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Then I control the feet,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I control the body and then I control the mind of the horse.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Cynics would say - load of nonsense, brute force, go for it,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54get the horse trained that way.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Yes, but I'm kind of getting a bit old now
0:23:56 > 0:23:57to get bucked off too many times.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01And this is more tuning into the horse,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03learning the language of the horse.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05I'm always learning about the behaviour of the horse.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And it makes a better life for the horse.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19I'm fascinated by his techniques,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and I'm even starting to see progress already -
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I can't wait to see how he gets on with that.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Something tells me it's not going to be straightforward.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46'Just a few weeks later, I've come back to see
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'if there's been any change in Patch's behaviour.'
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Oh, my goodness! Patch!
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- You're riding him. - Oh, yes.- That is incredible, John!
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's hard to believe it's the same horse.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- Now, don't get to like him, because I like him a lot.- Oh, come on!
0:25:01 > 0:25:04What have you done with him? That's amazing.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Well, we start by teaching him to respect me
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- because I'm the one who can... I control his feet basically.- Yeah...
0:25:10 > 0:25:14And gradually after about four hours he started to trust me.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16And then we start the training.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19We start with desensitising...
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I was a bit surprised with this horse, Jo,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25because your traditional cob would be a bit slow-legged, but he's not.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26He's very...
0:25:26 > 0:25:29He's very forward-going, you just have to cluck,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31and he's a lovely little stop on him
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and that's only after about two hours' training.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36While, my goodness. When you think back to the wild horse that
0:25:36 > 0:25:39that was skidding around that field. Patch, you're something else.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Och, he just wants love.- Yeah, he does, he does like that.- Doesn't he?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- And he's started to drop his head, he's releasing tension.- Oh, Pat.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You're just like all of us, you just need a bit of a cuddle.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- Yeah, he does like that.- Isn't that just incredible?- I can show you...
0:25:52 > 0:25:53Yeah, show us some stuff...
0:25:53 > 0:25:57'John's keen to show me just how well-behaved Patch has become.'
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Now, for a lot of young horses this can be just too much to handle.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06But with Patch, he's handled this pretty well for a good while now.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09We can even do the helicopter exercise...
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Now, most horses just couldn't handle this.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I'm talking about a lot of riding horses around the countryside.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18But I like my horses to be able to think inside of their brain,
0:26:18 > 0:26:19chill out...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21And look, his head's coming down.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24He's actually quite bored with this right now...
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Quite incredible, isn't it?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32And Lyn, whose colleagues rescued Patch from the side of the road,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35is also back today, to see the progress.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It's amazing, John has done a wonderful job with him
0:26:38 > 0:26:41in the space of a few weeks, from a pony that has never been handled
0:26:41 > 0:26:45to a pony that he's riding round, trotting, cantering...
0:26:45 > 0:26:47What we call that is getting him to go forwards.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- Yeah.- And that's difficult enough in that short period of time,
0:26:50 > 0:26:51and he's done a really good job with it.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54To see it is to believe it,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and we are thrilled.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00It's been an incredible turnaround in Patch's behaviour,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and that means the Crosskennan Animal Sanctuary
0:27:03 > 0:27:06will be able to find Patch a new home.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13That guy was incredible,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16but I was a wee bit disappointed we didn't get to see you in the saddle.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18No, I'll leave that to the experts.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20We've had a great time here at Balmoral, haven't we?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23It's been brilliant. And another excellent event.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- We'll see you next week at 7.30. - Bye-bye.