I am not going to lie, a good part of me by November last year and after the second locking was wishing the year away, I think we were all mumbling "roll on 2021!" yet here we are, and who thought for one minute we would be in lockdown number 3, with the strictest restrictions for equestrians this time, with no permitted travel and no permitted arena hire, I have had no choice but to turn the boys way - Again! I have ridden Travis once since the last weekend in October, and annoyingly he was awesome, and I rode Ben after November lockdown, spent a whole month hacking, jumping and really getting him back in shape, just for January lockdown to hit and be forced to turn him away again. Just to add to the irritation we got completely flooded, to the point the side of the house was entirely underwater (thankfully not inside!) and the fields fit for a boat, literally! The water is now down to a sensible level, but not fully recovered, meaning no lunging and limited turnout. I have definitely had enough rope burn to last me all year and we aren't even out of January yet, there must be light at the end of the tunnel soon, or just an option to get some energy out of these poor horses!
On the plus side, it has given me the opportunity to finish matting the stables, and change them over to straw pellets from straw. With them being in so much, this product has been an absolute game changer, taking minutes to muck out with no waste or smell! With 3 horses to muck out twice a day moral was getting pretty low, and this is a product I wish I knew about 20 years ago!
The boys are still looking good, when I decide to have a peak under all the rugs (which are essential as I ridiculously clipped them in December, thinking we were over lockdowns) and with the recent frosts hardening the ground the have been able to enjoy a few days of frolicking!
I am still holding onto some plans which is to qualify for the BD Draught Champs on Travis and enter a BE late in the year on Ben. I am not holding my breath, but clutching onto old dreams meant for 2021!
It has begun!!!! The arena build started yesterday and I am soooooooooooo excited (and relieved)! I did squeal when the machines turned up on the Friday ready for the Monday start! The top soil and further layer have been taken off and the fencing is ready to be started!
Owning a horse is a big financial and emotional commitment, so choosing the best livery yard is vital. So how do you go about selecting the right livery yard which suits the needs of both you and your horse? Reading this ‘how to’ guide is a great place to start.
Here we are in the midst of another lockdown. Christmas is a distant memory and as yet there is little to plan for, with more shows being cancelled than being planned. However, it is not all doom and gloom, as the Shetland Breed Show and the Shetland Performance Show are held later in the year and may well go ahead. These were two of my aims for last season, so fingers crossed.
A high point of any big race day is catching up with friends and other like-minded horse lovers over some light refreshments. But as you sip and nibble your way through a happy hour have you ever wondered what our champions of the turf are nourished on?