
The Not-So-Secret Diary of Diva the Shetland Pony - Holidays
26/05/2022With the summer fast approaching, the time comes for us humans to plan for going away on holiday. For those of us with horses. this can present a challenge.
Progress has been going well with Ben and he is really taking to life off the track!
The ground has finally dried up, and the horses are now out all day. Ben having been on a race yard for 12 years didn’t really know what to make of all the space, so he ran around, a lot!
This seemed to take a toll on his energy levels, and most days in the afternoon I will catch him having a nap, he has even spent a few nights out, but I am certainly not complaining, as it seems to be taking the ‘spring grass’ feeling out of him!
We had been doing tonnes of schooling, really mixing it up with transitions and pole work and he now feels less of a coiled spring and more like a horse, even offering some long and low work to help build up his non existence top line. Being an older horse I have noticed that carrot stretches have been a crucial part of keeping him supple, so are now part of our daily morning routine.
We went and did Intro B at the end of March and he was foot perfect, didn’t get at all hot in the warm up and wasn’t bothered by the environment, meaning we got a nice 4th, which I am super pleased with. His canter at home is gradually getting less excitable and is really balanced when he settles so hopefully a prelim will be on the cards soon.
I have also taken him out jumping a couple of times, and he is really calm and enthusiastic, even in a large open field. It’s lovely to feel that nice big open stride and being carried into fences.
We have little in the way of finesse yet, but certainly having lots of fun… when we can keep shoes on!
With the summer fast approaching, the time comes for us humans to plan for going away on holiday. For those of us with horses. this can present a challenge.
The trio have been raiding my bank account the past couple of weeks with a full hay delivery, 20kg bag of treats (lasts the a fair few months), farrier, and they were also treated to a back session each with a McTimoney practitioner as I wanted them given a good once over (think I need one too at this rate).
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it to the East Anglian Shetland Pony Group’s spring show. It was being held at the World Horse Welfare, Snetterton which is quite a drive from Rutland and I wasn’t keen on heading off for a long day on my own.
We had our first outing int the new horsebox over the bank holiday weekend, and although I was a bit nervous (despite a test run the day before without a horse) it all went well!