I thought I would introduce you properly to Diva’s granny! I bought Mabel back in 2004 as an unshown five-year-old, and she is my horse of a lifetime. (Diva, please note: you are a pony!).
I remember the first show I took her to; she was very green, and I chose a ridden novice class for her. She came second, I think, and I still have the lovely photo of her head taken at the show. Later that same season, she qualified for the BSPA class at the Royal International Horse Show. The ride she gave me there was great, and despite being out of the placings, it still rates as one of my best experiences with her despite several more outings at the show.
Other high notes include winning the Royal International Qualifier at the BSPA Winter Championships ahead of my friend Kirsten on her traditional mare, a stable mate to Mabel. There might have been a bit of an unprofessional squeal from me when Kirsten got pulled in second! I also won at the Royal Norfolk Show, having travelled there alone and borrowed a friend’s boyfriend to groom for me. She was also fourth in the Novice Working Cob class at Lincolnshire County Show.
We have galloped up beaches and stubble fields like kids and then put our best bib and tucker on and competed at some of the best shows in the country. My only regret is that I never took her to the Great Yorkshire Show, which was the show I went to watch as a child.
After retiring her from the show ring due to injury, I decided to put her in foal and was delighted that the 30-year-old elite graded stallion Amadeus was still covering a select few. Mabel got in foal easily, and she safely delivered a beautiful piebald filly foal,Florence, on my birthday no less, in 2013.
Keep up to date with news, and events by following our Facebook page.
Our insurance policies at a glance:
There are some fantastic horse associations to be found in the UK, all with their own unique cause, protecting and promoting the interests of horses and their owners. As someone who’s interested in horses, having an awareness of these associations is absolutely crucial, as you don’t know when you might need to lean on their support and expertise.
The weather recently has been providing perfect conditions for an increased risk of laminitis to horses and ponies, with cold frosty nights and sunny days increasing the sugars in the grass. The next week or so sees warmer overnight temperatures and some rain, so the grass will be growing rapidly. Laminitis is such a horrifically painful condition and leads to the death of many horses and ponies each year.
What do you need to know about taking care of a pregnant mare? How should you stable her, feed her, and exercise her? And how can horse insurance help you keep her healthy throughout that long gestation period? Read on for our guide.
We’ve finally had some of the wet stuff from the sky hurray! Hoping the grass will now shoot up as I was reverting to using a sprinkler on the grass seed (although as sad as I am I did find it fun especially when trying to soak my partner if he got close to it)!