Hi H+P fans

Sarah (and Tippy) here

Think it might be just me blogging today. Jen and Laura went on a photoshoot this morning and have yet to come back! Think they are making the most of the sunny weather today and having a laze about in the sunshine with the ponies - can't blame them.

It's been a busy week at the stables. Gizmo's had new shoes (still looking after him) and farrier was very happy with his hooves and says there's no sign of laminitis. Which is good. Stella (his owner) came to turn him out after the farrier had been and he was very naughty!

He rolled as soon as she let him loose in the field and got his grazing muzzle off. She tried to catch him to put it back on and he legged it! Naughty boy! Stella says Tippy didn't help as she charged about on her side of the hedge winding Gizmo up even more.

But best of all... I paid a visit to my local horse trials - Belton horse trials. It was a mega event this year with loads of people (and their dogs) turning out for a brill weekend. Like everyone was there competing and giving their horses a ride out before Badminton next month.

There were some amazing horses and I've saved my faves to show you in the next issue of the mag... but in the meantime to keep you going I've dropped a few on here!

Mary King and Apache Sauce
(Mary took all her top horses to the comp - she was very busy jumping from one to the other!)

Lucy Weigersma and Beckli
(Lucy just did the dressage with Shaabrak as she's keeping him in cotton wool before Badminton)

Cheeky chappy eventer Matthew Wright and Cermont

Ruth and the awesome Two Thyme
(Check out this month's issue of H+P - out now - for some shots of Two Thyme at home)

Andrew Nicholson
(I was very pleased to see Andrew riding while wearing glasses. I now have to wear glasses all the time and it was cool to see someone else riding in them! I suppose it helps if you can see what you're jumping.)

Happy Easter

Sarah

Ron's been out and about. His owner has just emailed to say he went to a show last weekend. It was his first time without mum Bethan and he was very well behaved. We hear Ron was very good in the trailer (even though the show was quite a long way), wore a rug (without ripping it), was tied up in the trailer (he travelled loose as a foal) and stood beautifully on his own in the trailer while his cousin was in the showring!

But best of all, the judge thought Ron was pretty special too as he won a second place!

Well done Ron

Hiya

Sarah (and Tippy) here

I hope you’re all having a cool holiday!

Natalie’s gonna kill me for telling you but you will never guess what happened on Saturday! If you ever needed a reminder as to why it’s sooo not cool to reach behind a horse’s legs – read this.

Natalie was grooming Joe and instead of going around the other side to groom his other back leg she reached across. No, she didn’t get squashed, trampled or kicked (but this could have been a problem), she got poo-ed on! As she reached around, Joe thought he’d do a crafty pile and it went all down Natalie’s back!

Linda and I, who were also grooming shouted out to warn her but it was too late. It was so funny. Tippy had a big grin on her face and I thought she might try the same!

Bye for now
Sarah

H+P's madcap mare is 20 today! It's officially Tippy's birthday today and guess what she's doing? ...

It's not difficult really...

She's eating!

Tippy is spending today chilling out in her field. Although she did find time first thing this morning to:

KISS THE BOYS!

Saracen came over to say 'hi'

Tippy has a smooch!

Before going for a roll.

Hey all,

Jennie here

Well my lesson this week was long but very successful. I got to the yard early and had Shylock all tacked up in record time so I led him out to the school and got on board - little did I know Jane had a lesson booked in before me.

I figured there was no point getting off and waiting around so I got to work on warming up. I didn't do anything but walk, but I practiced my turns and got him going round in 20m circles accurately.

I also listened to what Jane was telling the other pupil closely. Even though she wasn't speaking to me her constant reminders of 'legs' and 'sit up' helped me get my position correct.

This saved a lot of time at the beginning of my lesson. We worked on getting Shylock to move from small circles into bigger 20m circles without me having to pull my rein out and lose the bend. It was actually really easy because we were both warmed up.

We did a bit of cantering but he was a bit excitable afterwards! I feel like we're really coming along together. I am missing hacking though so I've asked Laura if I can go and have a hack out with her on Thomas at some point now the weather's getting nicer.

I think that's rather brave of me since he ran off with me last time I rode him!

I'm off to the Birmingham NEC today to have a nosey around the British Open. I've got my camera all charged up so hopefully I'll get plenty of behind the scenes snaps for you to see . Hope I don't annoy any of our showjumping mates too much though! Maybe I'll see some of you there too? Say 'hi' if you see me...
x

Laura here

Hey there, I’ve had a top week - Bank Holiday off and I got to spend the day in the sun up at the yard doing all those little jobs you keep putting off until it’s a nice day and then you’re in the mood to be out and about. Me and mum took Pippin (one of the youngsters) to our local nature reserve for a look around at all the people who were out walking their dogs, she was brill! Didn’t bat an eyelid, not even at people flying kites!

Then I took a trip to Aintree to watch the racing which was ace. We walked the Grand National course and I tell you what, I wouldn’t fancy being one of the jockeys! Beecher’s Brook was over 5ft high, that’s taller than Jen! Crazy! I’ve had a bit of a flutter on the race; a whole £1 to win on Hedgehunter - the last of the big spenders that’s me. He won the race a couple of years ago so he might be in with a chance.

See ya later peeps!

Laura

Hi

Sarah (and Tippy) here

Tippy is in for a very ‘lucky’ summer! The first two swallows arrived back a week last Saturday. I was in Tippy’s stable and I thought, I recognise that sound and looked up and there they were – none the worse for their long journey home.

Over the last week more birds have arrived back, at guess there are about 20 now, all very noisy and determined to get the best nesting spot. Unfortunately for Tippy, one pair has decided to build their des-res, chick-rearing home on the middle of the beam slap bang above her head. They’ve already covered her rug in droppings and I’ve started wearing a cap while I muck out. It looks like we’re both gonna get covered in swallow muck over the next few months while they’re nesting and raising their family (they might even get two families in). So, by my reckoning Tippy and I are going to be very lucky indeed this summer!

I always look forward to the swallows arriving each spring – they do a great job fly-catching over Tippy’s field – but I’ve got a feeling I will be very pleased to see them leave again this autumn!

Bye

Jennie's cheeky snaps taken at the British Open Showjumping Champs last weekend!

Ellen Whitaker was happy to pose outside her stables.

Current eventing Young Riders Euro Champ Amy Young and Highville. Amy won both individual and team gold medals last year. She was at the British Open competing in the indoor eventing comp and was second and the highest placed Brit!

Amy's just signed a sponsorship deal with Airowear and Troxel as she's always worn their body protectors and hats.

Mega-star eventer Jeanette Brakewell was also competing at the comp.

Tim Stockdale was busy competing in several classes.

Laura here

Oh what an exciting day I had! Last Saturday I was treated to a great day out in London for my birthday to see the Lion King. It was brill!

We went to the show and all the cool animals came past me. I was very excited, the Lion King is one of my fave film! After we went for a walk around London and saw all the big sites, the London Eye, the Great Tower of London, Regent's Park, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the lot!

On our way back through Horse Guard's Parade, I began to wonder….. where do the King's Troop horses live? I had a look around and could see no sign of equine life, so we walked on through the arch, me stopping at every gate in search of a nag until I emerged on the other sign and there it was! One big old pile of horse poo and the mystery solved was, I found the entrance to where the horses are stabled. I looked in to see if I could see any horses but no such luck!

Anyways I took a piccy of the horse poo in London to prove it was there and so was I. Don’t they poo-pick in London!?

Hi

Sarah (and Tippy) here

Titch, the Shetland and Tiggy's bezzer mate, has the thickest coat ever! She is sooo woolly and her coat is coming out by the handful. She's been caught out by the very warm weather and is moulting non-stop to try and catch up. Linda decided to help her out the other night by giving her a thorough groom in the field. She ran out of time and didn't have time to clear up all the hair, so had to leave it.

I was still at the stables after Linda had gone and within a few minutes there were jackdaws pecking up Titch's hair to take to line their nests with. I was even more impressed by a genius rabbit who was stuffing its mouth with hair to carry back to make its burrow snug and cosy. I think there might be baby bunnies shortly!

Hi

Ron's owner has just emailed to let us know that Ron has a sister! Bethan had a beautiful, grey filly foal last night.

Pics to follow

Hey, Laura here

Not a good week for me. I have sad news to report. Kerry, one of the little ponies I learnt to ride on, had to be put down.

She was over 40 so had a good long life but it’s never nice to have to say goodbye. We have many fond memories of her and the fun we all had when we were still learning to ride.

Kerry sadly had a stroke and whilst she was comfortable and in no pain, she was unable to get over it. Bless her, it’s like the end of an era.

Hi
Jennie here

I have yet another new pony! Jane and Bev decided I would perhaps benefit from a smaller mount, rather than 16.2hh Shylock (since my legs barely came below his saddle). I was gutted cos I had really fallen in love with the big man, but could understand what they meant – he’s a big horse to collect together and I just don’t have the strength to do it.

So, this morning I was introduced to Desmond a little bay pony with a small white star and two white socks at the back. We’d met before when he used to come on hacks with me and first pony Breeze when we were in training for our sponsored ride last year but I’d never ridden him. After Jane pointed out which one he was in the field I wandered out to bring him in…and he ran off. I shouted at him that I hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come in our relationship!

Back in the stable I gave him a jolly good groom (I can now appreciate how annoying hairy ponies are; the stable was covered in clumps of hair when I’d finished going over him with a rubber curry comb!) Jane kindly leant us Harvey’s dressage saddle which she said would make things easier for me. Desmond was a very good boy taking his bit and just opened his mouth as soon as his bridle came near him.

Bad habit number one was quickly discovered though; Desmond does not like having his girth done up. He turns his head round to you and snaps his teeth together when you do it. Oh, and bad habit two is that he trumps – a lot!

Once on board we started with some square turns in walk. It was strange being back on a pony after Shylock. Desmond is a typical school pony and a bit more stubborn than Shylock but he is very responsive if you do the right thing. He highlights your faults which is useful. I have a tendency to sit to one side and getting him to turn in the other direction without readjusting my seat meant he just stopped!

Desmond is half Trakehner and when I took away my stirrups I found it hard to sit into the saddle. He has a VERY bouncy trot. I gradually started to get used to it but I did find myself gripping the saddle on occasion to balance myself.

Next week I’m going to have two lessons and as and when I can fit them in around the magazine work this will become the norm.

Hi everyone

Sarah (and Tippy) here

As you know our stable cat is a bit of a wanderer and not at all loyal! She often disappears for weeks on end. Well, we all thought she'd gone for good this time. No one had seen Kitty for eight weeks and we feared the worst had happened and she had strayed onto the road.

But when I was poo-picking one day, there she was lolling about in Tippy's field. She was looking a bit thin and some of the hair was missing off her side and one of her back legs, but apart from that she looked okay. Good old Kitty hissed at me as I went over to her, although she soon realised who it was and I managed to pick her up. I carried her straight to the barn and got some food and water for her and she did seem pleased to get a decent meal and have a drink. A few minutes later and she was off again.

She came back again the next day and I managed to snap some pics before she legged it! We've not seen her again for a week but I'm sure she's okay.

Dublin clothing want your comments! They are running an online survey to find out what you think of jodhpur boots. Fill in their survey and you could win a pair of Dublin Aristocrat boots worth £124.99.

Type in this link to take part:

http://www.dublinclothing.com/UK/CS_system/User.asp?WBD=86

Very exciting news peeps! I went for my first ever carriage driving lesson today and OMG is there a lot to remember! It’s nothing like riding. Anne, my instructor, taught me how to drive in coachman style, so I drove with the reins in my left hand and the whip in my right. It was very odd!

I drove such a cute little pony called Gypsy. An odd coincidence as my first pony EVER was called Gypsy (but she was a girl!). He was brilliant, even when I got things a bit wrong or cut the corner too much, he just steered me round the cone and took us back onto the straight and narrow!

Gypsy is 19 years old (same age as Thomas!), grey and loves polos!