Shetland pony show in Pardubice, 6 September 2026.
Judge: Richard Miller (Heniarth Stud)
Plamp Japetus (*2021)
First in class, 4 years and over
Plamp Fortune Strikes (*2023)
First in class, 3-year-olds
Standard Junior Champion
In this post I'd like to talk about a harmful reaction that may occur when Hypericum perforatum, commonly known as St. John's wort, is exposed to strong sunlight.
St. John's wort is used in modern medicine to treat depression and anxiety as well as other ailments. When rubbed on skin it may cause photosensitivity and lead to burn-like damage of the exposed skin. Individuals with lighter skin tone are more likely to experience this reaction.
Horses know not to graze this plant but don't avoid walking or rolling in it. Most vulnerable to the harmful reaction are young foals with white socks. In our stud it has happened to three, all piebalds younger than 3 months. The wounds are shallow, only skin deep, and scab over almost immediately. The scabbed spots tend to grow if left unchecked.
What to do about it?
Step one is to remove the mother and foal from the pasture and place them somewhere shady without St. John's wort. Step two is to wash the affected spots with a solution of povidone-iodine. Then use the solution to soak the scabs until soft and rub them off. Hair will fall out with the scabs! Do not be alarmed by this. Soaking and removing the scabs may take up to several days of frequent "baths" depending on the severity of the initial damage - sometimes scabs are not ready to come off yet and one must wait to avoid causing new open wounds. It is recommended to cover such sensitive areas with some healing balm (if you have any) to protect them from dirt and flies. The end result is healthy new pink skin. The hair will grow back in a couple of weeks.
The heatwave hit. Even here in the mountains, 800 metres above sea level, the temperatures reached 32°C in shade.
The ponies are surprisingly okay and are actually handling the heat better than people or goats. They can all hide from the sun in shelters or under trees.
The herd is currently split in 7 groups grazing on different pastures between the Plampalačka and Aldrovka cottages. Fresh cut grass turned to hay in mere three days, the resulting bays are safely stored in barns. We had a lot of grass this year.
You can see yearlings Plamp Joela and Plamp Pipaluk in video. Three year old Plamp Midnight Song and Plamp June. And the boos of this group is 5 year old Plamp Joy.
Our third foal of the year arrived very early this morning: a black colt, and the first foal for Plamp Julie. His sire is Equerry of Transy.
This very early morning, saw the arrival of a foal, out of Plamp Jocelyn, by Hartside Marksman.
Jocelyns first foal, a lovely piebald colt. She is doing very well, looking after her baby boy and protecting him.
Ami wanted to practice trotting with Joy. But Joy got a little too excited and was soon running around playfully and carefree. And Lara, Jocelyn, and Janine joined them. 😊
5 year old Plamp Jocelyn is first in foal (by Hartside Marksman).
We wish nicely coloured piebold foal.
Thanks a lot to Henk Bloemers, the owner of Marksman.
It was him who bought and transported Marksman to Europe.
We got a photos of our young fillies Plamp Love Song amd Plamp Juri from their new home.
We sold them last spring to the great home in Moravia where the pasture is much better than in the mountains where we live.
Plamp Fortune Skywalker runs this season with Plamp Jemima and Oxendale Jubilant.
The stallions woke up from their winter slumber and are filled with springtime energy.
Max the black lab doesn't care to run with horses anymore, but young Lara had a mighty good time.
Bella's X-rays came back looking better than expected. There's mild laminitidis in the front legs, no rotation or other changes to the hoof bone. The farrier corrected the hoofs - shortened the tips, which changed the way Bella centers her mass. She is feeling better already. She doesn't need any medication and is free to walk around with the other girls as she pleases, nipping on old grass as she goes.
Tonight, quarter past midnight, Gwyddelfynyd Evening Song gave birth to the first foal of the year. It's a healthy skewbald colt, sired by Knock Fortune Maker. Fortune is turning 24 in two months but he is still going strong! The birth was over quickly and without any complication, Song is an excellent mare and mother. The colt's name was picked by Helen Coxon: Plamp Fortune Firesong. Helen remembers I have memory issues and came up with a name that is both beautiful and also contains references to both parents, haha. Thank you, Helen!
Today, the veterinarians came to take X-rays of Bella's hoofs. We bought Bella from her owners knowing she was fighting off light laminitis. We took the X-rays so that our farrier can consult the pictures before fixing the hoofs. Bella was very patient and sweet the whole time, lifting her legs like a doll. I'm very grateful for the veterinary services of MvDr Ott, whose great team works 24/7. How many times did they arrive to help with difficult foalings in the middle of the night... Thank you!
We sold this little girl in 2022 and we bought her back last week .
Bella is very small - just 90 cm. It was the reason why we sent her to her new home four years ago. Bella is registered with mother stud book (SPSBS) .
It is quite complicated and expensive import ponies from UK after Brexit.
We are really happy getting her back home.
Thanks a lot to her previous owners.
We built a second shelter for the ponies. It's attached to the original stable where there is hay and where ponies go hide from the wind.
In the new stable there are 2 boxes with heated flooring, in case of extreme cold or sickness.
It's currently being enjoyed by our beloved granny Horninglow Jasmine and the pregnant Gwyddelfynydd Evening Song.
