Rhaglen 2 Ceffylau Cymru

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-In this series, we look at

-the world of horses in Wales.

-From hooves to cobs,

-from racing to shows.

-We feature the unique world

-of horses and owners.

-We're used to seeing horses

-race, jump and do dressage.

-We can forget that horses work too,

-as they've done for centuries.

-They're big, strong and capable.

-In this programme...

-..we see them at work

-in three different situations.

-Welcome to Ceffylau Cymru.

-I, Brychan Llyr,

-and the champion, David Oliver...

-..will lead you through

-an exciting equine adventure.

-David is well known for his success

-at The Royal Welsh...

-..winning the 2014 Cuddy

-Supreme In-hand Championship.

-Horses play a huge part

-in Brychan's life.

-He enjoys racing in the saddle but

-we'll take it steady in this series.

-The horses don't stand still

-in this programme.

-They pull, protect

-and help us on our final journey.

-David trains

-with South Wales Police horses...

-..and I tread carefully

-with carriage master, Mark Evans.

-Our journey begins

-in the Nantlle Valley...

-..with a workhorse called Bill.

-Kevin Taylor and Gaynor Lewis...

-..live in the idyllic Hafod Las.

-They have a close bond

-with their horses, especially Bill.

-Gaynor, this is the 21st century

-and we have big tractors.

-What place does the workhorse have

-in this world?

-Personally, I feel that

-the workhorse is magical.

-The two of you work as a team.

-That bond you have

-is very, very special.

-What sort of work

-do you do with horses?

-Bill is a full-time workhorse.

-Bill drags out timber from forests.

-He works with Kev, my partner.

-We don't have a tractor here...

-..so we use horses on the land

-as much as possible.

-It's totally different from riding!

-How do I hold the reins?

-Between finger and thumb, Brychan.

-You only need a light contact.

-You can feel the horse.

-Keep it really light.

-Yes, and remember to use your voice.

-Again, keep it light

-with your voice.

-Ask him rather than give him orders

-and he'll do it.

-Walk on. Walk on.

-He's doing it.

-He's doing it.

-

-Yes.

-He's a powerhouse in front of you,

-isn't he?

-Never mind horsepower in cars -

-this is the real thing.

-Go left. Go left.

-Go left. Walk on.

-Go left.

-When you sit on a horse,

-you feel all his nerves.

-Yes, you do.

-I feel a bit too far from him

-when I'm like this...

-..but, of course, all that comes

-with the bond you build with him...

-..and the patience you show him.

-Yes. When you work with him,

-that bond does form.

-The two of you

-know what the other one wants.

-Do you remember how to stop him?

-Do you remember how to stop him?

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-Oh, yes.

-Whoa.

-I really didn't use the reins.

-No - the voice does it.

-Kevin, why not a tractor?

-On a smallholding, you see with

-the slopes we've got up there...

-..even if it was wet,

-the tractor would start slipping...

-..and we'd end up with ruts going

-through the middle of the field.

-The horse can get up there

-and get down.

-It's the cost of buying a tractor...

-..when you've already

-got horses to work.

-It makes sense

-to use them around here as well.

-Your work in the forest.

-You enjoy it, obviously.

-To work an animal and

-get that bond you build with them...

-..during the work day, it's great.

-Not all days are great

-but you get magical days in-between.

-It's a true partnership.

-He works with me so well.

-He's a really nice horse

-to be around.

-On a different day...

-..I joined Kevin and Bill

-at Coed Craig Ruperra, near Newport.

-Ruperra Conservation Trust,

-which owns this land...

-..wants to minimize

-damage to the woodland floor...

-..as the felled trees are cleared.

-You can't bring machines up here.

-The only machine which can work here

-is one with four-hoof drive.

-A horse.

-It's steep,

-it's slippery and it's dangerous.

-Kevin is taking

-a three-year apprenticeship...

-..run by the British Horse Loggers

-Charitable Trust.

-As part of that apprenticeship,

-he receives help and training.

-His mentor today

-is Kate Mobbs-Morgan.

-It's really boggy here.

-It's hard to stand.

-I wish I had four legs.

-These boys are keeping it going

-and working well.

-Walk on.

-Walk on.

-We're going up

-to fetch another piece of timber.

-If I can stay upright!

-Walk on.

-We're dragging

-a pretty big piece of timber...

-..down the hill.

-When you work behind a horse,

-like this...

-..especially

-on such a muddy slope...

-..you've got to be careful

-about what you're dragging.

-You see?

-It isn't a small piece of wood.

-Whoa!

-This isn't easy work.

-It's becoming increasingly common...

-..for horses

-to be used to do this work.

-Horses can reach places

-which are inaccessible to machines.

-Also, horses

-cause less damage to the ground...

-..and they're generally

-better for the environment.

-There's a strong, emotional bond

-between horses and people.

-Yes.

-It's difficult to put it into words.

-You can work

-with such a big, powerful animal...

-..and yet, the two of you

-are as one.

-It's very special.

-It slows everything down,

-doesn't it?

-It seems to me the people of today

-rush here and rush there...

-..but working with these horses

-outside, in the fresh air...

-..means you slow the pace

-right down.

-Nice and slow.

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-South Wales Police's Mounted Section

-is based here, in Bridgend.

-Several horses are kept here

-and you may have seen some of them.

-These are the horses

-used to patrol Cardiff's streets...

-..during football and rugby matches.

-South Wales Police is the only Welsh

-force to have a mounted section.

-Officer Sian Smith is an experienced

-member of the mounted team.

-She trains horses

-and takes them out on patrol...

-..and she'll look after me when

-I join a training session later.

-Sian, how long have you been

-a member of the mounted team?

-I joined the police 17 years ago and

-the mounted section ten years ago.

-Why did you want to work

-for the mounted section?

-I've always

-been interested in horses.

-I liked the idea of taking on

-different roles in one department.

-This is Reuben and I've been

-helping to get him ready.

-Hopefully, in about five minutes...

-..I'll have a chance to receive

-some training whilst I ride Reuben.

-I haven't been on a horse for

-a while, so we'll see how it goes.

-There's work to be done first,

-so I'll keep brushing.

-The saddle goes on next.

-First, the numnah.

-Do you use

-any specialist equipment...

-..or do you just use

-a saddle and a bridle?

-We wear bags

-on the side of the saddle.

-What do you keep in them?

-What do you keep in them?

-

-Documents and police tickets.

-We have a baton on the other side.

-Right.

-The horse also wears a breastplate.

-Shall I put it on now?

-Shall I put it on now?

-

-Yes.

-Exercising horses and training

-police officers is part of the job.

-It's thought that mounted patrols...

-..are an effective

-community policing tool.

-It seems people are less reluctant

-to talk to the police...

-..when they're on horseback.

-That's what makes it so effective.

-Mounted officers are so prominent,

-they're also an excellent deterrent.

-The time has come for me to receive

-some training on Reuben's back.

-I really hope

-my horse is used to these balls.

-I don't want to end up...

-..on the ground.

-How do you prepare horses

-for the work?

-First of all, we prepare them

-at our riding school...

-..and get them

-used to flags being waved...

-..and lots of noise.

-It must take a special horse

-to do this.

-Not every horse

-is suited to this job.

-No, and it takes anything

-from six months to two years...

-..to train a police horse...

-..and not every horse succeeds.

-We must walk through the balls.

-Well done, David.

-So far so good, Reuben.

-We'll speed up.

-The horses often work

-in noisy, hostile situations.

-It's important to train regularly.

-This prepares the horses

-to cope with difficult situations.

-Things like rugby games.

-These horses are used to flags

-being waved around their heads.

-You couldn't do this

-with most horses...

-..but police horses

-are accustomed to it.

-They understand what's happening.

-Officer Kim Reynolds,

-who's in the middle of training...

-..shares her experiences with me.

-How often do you do this, Kim?

-Training takes place once a month

-in the mounted section.

-It's important that the training

-takes place on a regular basis...

-..because horses

-forget what they see.

-Get back! Get back!

-Get back!

-As hard as I can?

-Get back! Get back!

-Get back!

-I really, really enjoyed that.

-I haven't been on a horse for years,

-I must admit...

-..but Reuben looked after me.

-I had a chance to see

-the training the police do here...

-..but I'll be stiff in the morning.

-Mark Evans is a carriage master.

-If you want to go out in style,

-he's the man to call.

-Assisted by

-his faithful Friesian stallions...

-..he organizes horse-drawn funerals.

-This serious, respectable job

-demands some detailed preparation.

-In most funerals we do,

-there's no link to horses.

-It's just an image.

-But it's important to me if

-the people do understand horses...

-..they know I understand them too.

-I went to his stable near Llangadog

-to help Mark and chat to him.

-In a situation like a funeral...

-..what impact does

-the horses' presence have on people?

-Seeing their effect on people...

-..is one of the things

-which makes this job enjoyable.

-For example,

-we did a funeral in Rhyl...

-..in a church which was on a corner.

-We came to the junction...

-..and, as we turned,

-I could see the mourners.

-Everyone was subdued and quiet...

-..as you are when

-you're about to attend a funeral.

-People were stood in small groups

-whispering to each other.

-As soon as they saw the horses,

-they started to chat and point.

-It brought life to it straightaway.

-If the coffin arrives by car,

-nobody goes up to look at the car.

-People want to see the horses.

-I remember

-two sisters burying their mother.

-I can see them now.

-I was looking down at them

-as they went up to the horses...

-..with tears

-streaming down their faces.

-But they smiled

-and started talking to the horses.

-I've no idea what they said,

-but my horses just stood there...

-..as they poured their hearts out to

-them and smiled through their tears.

-On the day I was with Mark,

-he had a funeral the next morning.

-He follows a detailed daily routine

-and he likes to be thorough.

-The horses know the drill

-and they seem very happy.

-They're big, strong creatures.

-If they didn't want to work with us,

-they'd give us a whack...

-..but the fact is

-they want to work with man.

-Yes.

-Man has handled horses

-down the centuries...

-..because horses

-are willing learners.

-This horse wants to work.

-He enjoys being washed like this.

-I'm certain he'd much rather

-be in here being pampered...

-..than be in a field,

-exposed to the cold and the rain...

-..living just for the sake

-of living.

-Eating just to exist.

-Something about a horse is totally

-different from every other creature.

-I can't imagine my life

-without a horse.

-Mark, we've been hard at it

-for an hour and a half.

-Yes, it takes

-an hour and a half per horse.

-That means three hours per pair

-or six hours for all four horses.

-The way they look is very important.

-The work we do

-is all about image.

-If they just wanted to transport

-a coffin to a cemetery...

-..they'd take a car.

-People who choose

-a horse-drawn funeral...

-..have an image

-of how it should look.

-It's important

-that we deliver that image.

-Mark prepares carefully

-and thoroughly for every funeral.

-The horses are washed

-and their mane is plaited.

-The aim of plaiting and unplaiting

-is to give the mane a shape.

-On the day,

-the horses wear black blankets...

-..and their heads

-are adorned with black feathers.

-Both horses

-are ready for the morning.

-They're shining like a new penny.

-Mark, this is beautiful

-but I'd rather go on it than in it.

-How old is it?

-It was built in 1914...

-..so it's just over 100 years old.

-We acquired it around 11 years ago.

-Seeing this must have

-a strong effect on people.

-When people see it,

-they react in one of two ways.

-Some people see it

-and have to turn away.

-They find it eerie and morbid.

-Other people see it and they

-can't help pointing and staring.

-Those are the two reactions.

-What do we have inside here?

-Inside, it has a mahogany deck...

-..and pegs

-to hold everything in position.

-I'll show you what we do

-when we need to clean it.

-We enter through this hatch.

-It's caught on something.

-It's really handy when we want to

-go inside and clean it all out.

-My father passed away in March

-and he had a horse-drawn funeral.

-He always joked and said

-I had to keep my horses fit...

-..and get them polished for him.

-It was bound to happen one day.

-He was 90 years old.

-That day did come...

-..and it was an honour

-to take care of his funeral.

-That day was a bit different for me.

-It's a complicated question...

-..but can you describe

-your relationship with your horses?

-The answer's complicated too.

-There's something about horses.

-I can go in there any time

-with my horses and talk to them.

-I rub their noses

-and they're so soft.

-My horses give me heart every day.

-Come on.

-Good boy. Come on.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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