Soulstriders

Soulstriders in Robertson

02/09/2026

🐴 Murphy's feet finally got some much-needed attention. ❤️

Since Murphy arrived, we've been slowly getting to know every part of him.

His personality.

His movement.

His body.

His reactions.

And of course…

His feet.

We knew from the beginning that they needed some attention, and after giving him time to settle into his new home, it was finally time to start getting them back into a healthier, more comfortable state.

And honestly?

Just like with so many other things we've discovered about Murphy, he handled the experience remarkably well. ❤️

There is still work ahead of us.

His feet didn't get into this condition overnight, and they won't be transformed overnight either.

But that's okay.

Because Murphy is no longer in a situation where things need to be rushed.

He has time now.

Time to heal.

Time to grow.

Time for his body to adjust.

And time for us to address the things that need attention properly and patiently.

Watching his feet being done was another reminder that rescuing a horse isn't one single moment.

It's not just the day you get them out.

It's everything that comes afterwards.

The bodywork.

The hoof care.

The nutrition.

The patience.

The investigation.

The rehabilitation.

And all the small decisions that slowly add up to giving them a better life. ❤️

Murphy still has a journey ahead of him.

But step by step…

we're getting there.

And today?

Those steps just got a little more comfortable. 🥹🐴❤️

From unwanted…

to beloved.

🐴❤️

26/08/2026

🐴 Murphy's first bodywork session. ❤️

Today was a really important day in Murphy's journey.

We've spent the last week getting to know him.

We've seen the scars.

We've seen the reactions.

We've seen the little moments where he tells us that something isn't quite right.

And today, we finally got the chance to ask his bodyworker to help us understand a little more.

This was Murphy's first proper bodywork session with her.

And it wasn't exactly easy in the beginning.

He was reactive when certain areas were touched, particularly around his poll, upper neck, shoulders, thighs and stifles.

At times, his first instinct was to protect himself.

But something very important happened…

He didn't stay there.

His bodyworker patiently went back, gently and carefully, giving him the opportunity to understand that these hands weren't there to hurt him.

And slowly…

Murphy started to let go. ❤️

The reactions became smaller.

He stopped kicking out.

He began allowing her hands onto areas he'd initially been uncomfortable with.

And then came the moment that really got me…

He started to relax.

His head dropped.

His lip softened.

His eyes got sleepy.

And this horse who had started the session ready to protect himself eventually became so relaxed that he was practically dozing off. 🥹

There weren't any huge dramatic releases today.

And that's okay.

This wasn't about forcing anything out of him.

It was about listening.

Finding the places that need attention.

And showing Murphy that being touched doesn't always have to mean something bad is about to happen.

One thing his bodyworker said really stuck with me:

He's clearly got a lot of work ahead of him…

but he's a sweet boy who's protecting himself.

And that feels like such an important distinction.

Because when you have a horse with an unknown history, it's very easy to look at a reaction and think:

"He's difficult."

"He's dangerous."

"He's naughty."

But sometimes…

they're just trying to protect themselves.

Murphy wasn't shut down.

He was communicating.

And once he realised that he was safe, he started to let us in. ❤️

This is going to be a slow process.

His body needs care.

His feet need attention.

There are still questions about his history that we may never be able to answer.

But today we got another little glimpse of the horse underneath all of that.

A horse who wants to trust.

A horse who wants to understand.

And, apparently…

a horse who is VERY good at making the most ridiculous relaxed faces once he decides you're okay. 😂❤️

One session won't fix everything.

But it doesn't have to.

Today was simply one more step towards helping Murphy feel safe in his own body.

And we'll take every step we can get. 🐴❤️

From unwanted…

to beloved. 🥹

26/08/2026

Please share 💕🫶

22/08/2026

🐴 A little Murphy update ❤️

After all the excitement of his first few days, I think it's time to just take a breath and look at where Murphy is right now.

He's settling in.

He's met the herd.

He's discovered that meals arrive regularly. 😂

He's got a safe camp of his own for feeding time, for the rest he is enjoying the massive herd camps with the rest of the herd while we figure everything out…

And he's discovered that there are quite a few humans here who think he deserves attention, hugs, cuddles, kisses and treats. ❤️

He's certainly not complaining about that part. 😅

But while we're enjoying getting to know his personality, we're also paying very close attention to the things his body is telling us.

One thing we've noticed is that he seems a tiny little bit foot sore, particularly on the harder ground.

That doesn't necessarily tell us exactly why yet.

His feet aren't in the condition we'd like them to be, and we don't know what he's been used to working on, how his feet have been managed, or how long they've been this way.

So for now, we're taking things slowly.

Our farrier will be coming to assess him, and once we've made sure his feet are comfortable and that he's moving happily, we'll continue on with his testing, education and training.

Because rescuing a horse isn't just about getting them somewhere safe.

It's about figuring out what they need once they're there.

Sometimes that's training.

Sometimes it's patience.

Sometimes it's veterinary care.

Sometimes it's a good farrier.

And sometimes…

it's simply a quiet camp, a pile of hay and the opportunity to stand around looking at the vineyards, hills and beautiful dam while you realise that life has just changed completely. ❤️

Murphy has already shown us that he's willing, compliant, soft and friendly.

Now we're going to give him the time and care he needs to settle properly, get comfortable and start feeling his best.

And once he's ready…

we'll keep working towards that dream of seeing him become the safe, reliable and beloved school pony we believe he can be.

But for now?

He's safe.

He's fed.

He's surrounded by people who already adore him.

And he's got some pretty beautiful views to enjoy each day. 🥹❤️

From unwanted…

to beloved.

We're just getting started. 🐴❤️

21/08/2026

🐴 Murphy's First Ride — Day 3 of his new life. ❤️ | Part 3

Okay… now that we know Murphy will happily carry a rider…

Let's see what else he knows. 👀

At this point, I wasn't trying to teach him a whole riding lesson.

I was trying to read the horse underneath me.

How does he respond to the rider's aids?

Does he understand changes of direction?

Can he stop?

Can he go forward when asked?

And then we discovered something rather interesting…

Murphy has a VERY interesting trot. 😂

It's short.

It's a little strange.

And it feels completely different from what I expected.

So now I'm wondering…

Is he possibly gaited?

Is he simply unsure of himself and maybe isn't well balanced at the moment, or something else entirely?

Or is this just Murphy being Murphy? 🤔

I honestly don't know yet.

And that's the fun part.

We're not going to put a label on him after one ride.

We're going to keep watching.

Keep feeling.

Keep testing.

And give him time to show us what he actually knows.

Because remember…

This is Day 3.

Three days ago, we didn't even know if we could safely get him into a horsebox.

Today, we're sitting on his back, walking around the arena and beginning to discover the horse hiding underneath all those unanswered questions. ❤️

And I have to say…

The more we learn about Murphy, the more I like him.

He's not polished.

He's not perfect.

He's definitely got some things to figure out.

But he's willing.

He's curious.

He's trying.

And he seems genuinely interested in working with us.

That's worth an awful lot.

So for now, we're going to leave the questions about his gait unanswered…

Because Murphy has plenty more to show us. 👀🐴

And this journey is only just beginning.

From unwanted…

to beloved. 🥹❤️

20/08/2026

🐴 Murphy's First Ride — Day 3 of his new life. ❤️ | Part 2

Well… we did it. 🥹❤️

After everything Murphy has shown us over the past two days, it was time to find out what happens when we actually put a rider on his back.

And honestly?

I wasn't expecting it to feel quite like this.

There was no dramatic moment.

No big reaction.

No fighting.

No panic.

Just…

Murphy.

His walk is surprisingly comfortable, although it feels quite small and short underneath the rider.

He wasn't rushing.

He wasn't trying to get away from the rider.

He wasn't showing us that he was overwhelmed.

He was simply processing.

Listening.

Learning.

And carrying on.

For a horse who arrived only three days ago, with an unknown history and scars that tell us he hasn't always had the easiest life…

I think that's pretty incredible.

This wasn't about teaching him a whole lesson.

It wasn't about proving what he can do.

It was about answering one very important question:

Can Murphy accept a rider?

And today, he gave us a very clear answer.

Yes. ❤️

Of course, this is only the beginning.

There are still so many things we need to learn about him, but I dont think he was ever a show pony.

We need to understand his movement.

We need to investigate the things that aren't quite right.

We need to find out what he already knows, what he doesn't know, and what he needs help with.

And most importantly, we need to keep building that trust.

But somewhere between being the horse nobody wanted…

and becoming the horse who may one day carry a child around a riding school…

there has to be a first ride.

This was Murphy's. 🥹🐴❤️

And I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a very special journey.

From unwanted…

to beloved. ❤️

20/08/2026

🐴 Murphy's First Ride — Day 3 of his new life. ❤️ | Part 1

Okay…

This is the moment everyone has been waiting for. 👀

It's Day 3.

Only three days ago, Murphy was a horse we knew almost nothing about.

We knew he had scars.

We knew he had an unknown history.

We knew there were gaps in his education.

But over the last two days, he had already shown us something really important:

He was willing.

He accepted being handled.

He accepted grooming.

He accepted the saddle.

He accepted the bridle.

He worked on the lunge.

He responded to our requests.

And most importantly, he continued to show us that he was willing to communicate and learn.

So today we had to ask ourselves…

Is Murphy ready for a rider? 🤔

Now, before anyone panics… 😂

No, we didn't just throw a saddle on him and climb aboard.

There was a whole process before this point.

We checked his responses.

We tested his reactions.

We introduced movement.

We watched his body language.

We gave him opportunities to tell us when something was too much.

And then…

We got to the scary part.

The mounting block came out. 👀

Would he stand next to it?

Would he accept weight in the stirrup?

Would he stand while I climbed up?

And eventually…

Would he accept someone getting on his back?

This is where having an unknown history makes things interesting.

We don't know whether Murphy has been ridden recently.

We don't know how much experience he has.

We don't know what kind of rider he has carried before.

So we aren't making assumptions.

We're listening to him.

And Murphy?

Well…

He had a few things to say. 😅

Watch carefully.

Because sometimes the smallest reactions tell you the most about a horse.

And then came the moment…

Do we actually get on? 👀🐴

Murphy's first ride deserves its own story.

And trust me…

Part 2 is one you don't want to miss. ❤️

From unwanted…

to beloved. 🥹

19/08/2026

🐴 A closer look at Murphy. ❤️

Sometimes, when a horse arrives with an unknown history, you don't just need to watch what they do…

You need to look closely.

And the closer we look at Murphy, the more questions we seem to have.

He's got a noticeable "dent" in his nose.

Scars around his body that tell us he's been through some things.

Some interesting things going on with his feet that we'll be keeping an eye on.

And a mark along his back that has us wondering whether we're looking at an old saddle sore, a roach, or something else entirely.

We're not going to jump to conclusions.

Right now, we're simply documenting what we see, getting to know his body, and figuring out what needs attention.

But then there's the other side of Murphy…

The side that comes walking over to greet us after only three days here. ❤️

The side that happily stands beside you.

The side that enjoys a scratch and a cuddle…

Although we've also discovered that Murphy has strong opinions about someone getting between him and his food. 😂

And honestly?

That combination is fascinating.

A horse with visible evidence of a difficult past, but a personality that seems remarkably trusting, affectionate and eager to interact with people.

What happened to you, Murphy?

We may never know the whole story.

But we can make sure that whatever happened before…

doesn't define what happens next. ❤️

For now, we're just going to keep looking, keep learning, and keep giving him reasons to trust.

And if you've got an idea about any of the things you spot in this video, we'd love to hear it. 👀🐴

Because we're learning about Murphy too.

One day at a time.

From unwanted…

to beloved. 🥹❤️

25/05/2026

Please excuse my riding 😅🙈 I haven't ridden English in years, had a baby 11 months ago and was recently diagnosed severely anemic so I'm just trying my best to get back into what I love!

This poor pony was entrusted into the wrong hands, tied up super low and super tight with grass reins and forced to learn to jump in that set up with beginner jumpers on him 😢. His owner and his rider have been working very hard to get him back on track but last week his rider fell ill just before a show and I was asked to step in last minute.

Needless to say it didn't go well but I cut the session short thinking at least he isn't fresh, I'm sure him and his rider who knows him will be fine at the show... Little did I know the next day I'd be asked to fill in for her at the show as well!! If I'd known, I might have tried a few more jumps with him... Can you guess how the show went? Stay tuned for part 2: Show Day!

P.S this boy is son of the GORGEOUS Kiewiet so he has some big shoes to fill! And don't let his current confusion and clumsiness fool you, this one totally has huge potential!

Address

Robertson

Telephone

+27662482205

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Soulstriders posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Soulstriders:

Shortcuts

Share

Category