Hey all!
Back off my holidays now from sunny Ireland and a week of surfing, chilling out in the sun. Back at work and it’s not so sunny or relaxed and there’s deffo no surfing :(. Never mind at least I can see Lexie and all the ponies! I have put some pics of Lexie up for you too see, she’s so cute she has grown lots while I was away she’s quite big now. As you can see she has nicked one of the numnahs as her bed while she’s asleep against the AGA!

Hey H+P bloggers
Well I had a lovely little trip to Spain with my family. The weather wasn’t as hot in the north of Spain as it is in the south (go figure!).

We did a lot of sight seeing. The landscape of the Basque region is pretty mountainous and on one sightseeing trip on a very windy road, next to a sheer drop off a cliff into the sea, I spotted a herd of wild horses.

“Stop the car,” I shouted to my Dad! I hopped out and took some snaps so you guys could see them too. There were several foals. Even though they were wild they didn’t seem too phased by me papping away.

They did get a bit rattled when my baby cousin started screaming from the car that he wanted to get out and see the caballos (horses) too, and off they trotted!

Back at the office it’s been none stop. Lots of photoshoots to go on and heaps of articles to write. I’m very much ready for the weekend to start. Here’s to a good one. Speak soon. x

Hi all

Sarah (and Tippy) here:

As the weather was sooo super and warm last weekend, I gave Tippy a bit of a wash and brush up. She's always pretty clean, but as the sun was shining (about time too!) I spent some time washing her mane and tail.

Tippy loves having a shampoo - so she can go straight back out in her field and roll!

When I was grooming her though, I realised she's actually moulting and starting to get her winter coat. The weather has been so cold and dull this summer, Tippy's giving up hope of there ever being any sun and is getting ready for winter!

Hey all
Jennie here:

Well, what’s happened this week? … err, not a great deal really! We’ve been , busy getting your next instalment of H+P ready for the printers so it’s been a touch stressful at times.

We had a night off on Wednesday and went to ‘the dogs’ with the rest of our company, that's greyhound racing. I’d never been before and I was very excited at the idea of winning lots of money. However, my lack of betting experience showed and rather than backing a winner I seemed, without fail, to ‘back a loser’ in every race.
By race three I decided I’d have as good a chance as any if I picked the best looking horse, I mean dog!

So… whilst watching them parade I pointed to a cream colour greyhound and announced to Laura that I would be “voting for the bay coloured one”. (Can you tell I was out of my depth?!)

Laura looked at me in disgust. “Jennie,” she said, “for starters it’s not a horse but even if it was, it’s a palomino, not a bay! And you don't 'vote' you bet!”

Oh the shame. I’m off to study my dog (and horse) colours. Have a good weekend. x

Hi all

Laura here

Well what a performance! The horses got out the other night (someone left the gate open) and they escaped into the field where we had some caravans parked for the night. Once they were out they thought they’d have a bit of a rave and in the midst of horsey break dancing knocked the wing mirror off a car and scratched a caravan! Oops. The owner wasn’t best pleased I just wonder how they got through? Think someone must have gone for a walk that way and not latched the gate.

Hey all

Sarah (and Tippy) here:

Tippy and I spent a very lazy evening yesterday picking cherries. There are some great fruit trees around the bridlepaths we ride on and Tippy decided we weren't moving until we'd picked some cherries, last night when we were hacking out!

She gets right under the trees so I can reach up and pick the ripe fruit for her. I have to take the stones out and then she can eat them.

You have to be careful though, to make sure you know what you're picking i.e. that it's edible fruit and that she doesn't move and knock you off under a branch. I always tie a knot in my reins and take my feet out my stirrups. Then if she does move a bit quick I'll just fall off and not get caught hanging out a tree!

Hello again

Jennie here:

Well, it’s been a long time coming but I have finally booked myself another riding lesson. I’m going to get back in the saddle as of next Tuesday.

I’ve started going to the gym again to try and strengthen my muscles so I can actually steer Desmond (or whoever I end up riding this time).

In spite of my efforts I’ll probably have many an amusing story to report on next week so watch this space.

I’m having a cheeky day’s holiday on Friday which means Laura is going to be left in the office all on her own. She’s not happy and therefore is being especially annoying and unhelpful this afternoon. Cheeky so and so!

I think you guys are all due to break up from school around now so enjoy the start to your holidays! x

Hey there you guys!
Laura here

I bet everyone has almost broken up for the summer now, if not, there isn’t long to wait. That’s the one thing I miss about school - summer hols. It was ace lots of riding, messing about with the ponies and going to Pony Club camp. So think of the Horse + Pony team when you're out and about this summer, we’re all stuck inside working!

Very excited, the last Harry Potter is out on Sat I may have to get up mega early before I go to the stables and get a copy! I love Harry Potter, went to see the film last night and it was ace!

P.S don’t listen to Jennie’s blog I was not being awkward she just asks too much of little old me, she treats me like a house elf sometimes!

Hey guys,

I have just been out to see the foal and she’s nearly lost all her baby fluff! She has also grown amazingly fast, and her legs are now taller than her mum's! We hope that she will be about 15hh once she is fully grown. We are currently getting her used to having her feet picked up. This is so that when the farrier comes, it won’t be a problem for him to trim her feet.

As the weather has been sooo horrible, Chilli and I have been unable to attend all the events we had planned to. Last Sunday however, we were able to compete in a one day event. Chilli was very good and we jumped a very spooky fence on the x-country course that consisted of a trough filled with fresh fruit and veg!

I am currently practicing a dressage test on Chilli. It is very confusing so it is taking a long time for me to get it right! Although dressage isn’t mine and Chilli’s favourite event, (we prefer showjumping!) we have to do it, if we want to compete in one day events!

Hopefully the rain will stop for good, and we can all get on with riding again and enjoying the summer hols!

See ya!

Sophie
xox

Hey all

Sarah (and Tippy) here:

The most disgusting thing ever happened last night. As you know it's been raining none stop recently so I thought I'd nip out to do some poo-picking in between showers. As I raced around Tippy's field with the wheelbarrow wearing rubber gloves, I somehow managed to get Tippy poo in my mouth! It sort of splashed up as I tried to scoop it up! Gross! I would not advise it.

I must give a big shout out to everyone at Minchinhampton Pony Club this week. They've been having their camp and despite the awful weather had an amazing time.

Check out this piccy of instructor Sarah and her ride:

Also, don't forget to download our Ellen W podcast. She chats about winning at HOYS last year with Henri de Here (and also Jennie makes a star of herself doing the intro!).

See ya xx

Hey there you guys!

Laura here

How are things! Getting a tan? No me neither. I swear the last time I saw the sunshine was on TV!

Things are all bobbing along nicely in the H+P office. Keeping busy making the great mag for you to all read. Jen has discovered an important bit of fashion advice which should not be ignored. Crocs are great and uber cool but they have less than limited capabilities keeping your feet dry when it's wet underfoot! What a mistaker to maker!

Hope everyone’s okay and enjoying their summer hols,

Laura

PS Don't forget to listen to our latest podcast with Ellen W!

Jennie here:

I’ve spent the day knee deep in stinging nettles, splashing through water-logged fields chasing ponies in Crocs (no, my feet do not look pretty now) all to get you guys some awesome posters. You best pin them up all over your walls.

Had a lesson at the beginning of this week. It was so nice to be back on board Desmond. He was feeling a bit slow though as he’s been working hard. Now it’s summer holidays and Breeze is still feeling temperamental (and a bit lame) he’s got loads of lessons to do. Once I got him cantering though, he felt great.

Jen and Desmond

Check me out on our latest podcast. I get to introduce Ellen Whitaker as she chats about riding at last year's HOYS.

Have a good weekend. It’s going to be a quiet one for me. x

I was recently lucky enough to get a lesson from top celeb trainer Mary-Ann Trevor-Roper as part of the National Riding Festival 2007.

A lesson in London
As part of the Petplan Equine National Riding Festival 2007 I was invited to Mudchute Equestrian Centre in central London. I was lucky enough to have a private lesson with Mary-Ann Trevor-Roper, who helped train the celeb riders in last year’s Only Fools on Horses.

I got to ride Trigger, the festival’s mechanical horse too. He travels around the UK visiting schools, riding centres and shows inspiring people to have a go at riding and encourage past riders back into the saddle. His rhythm felt a bit different to the pinging pony rhythm I’m used to cos he’s a ‘horse’!

A new instructor
Having a different instructor to normal was really helpful. Although Mary-Ann said the same things, hearing them explained in a different way made things click.

Pickles the pony
I got paired up with London boy, Pickles. He’s a 15.1hh, 20-year-old, chestnut, Hackney x Gelderlander. Pickles used to be used for driving but now he loves to jump and can clear 3’ 3”! He lives at Mudchute on a working livery basis so he’s used to having different riders on his back.

Getting a grip

Mary-Ann spotted that I sometimes loosen my grip on the reins. She told me to imagine I was holding a baby chick, which would keep my hand closed and my thumbs pressed down on the top of the reins securely.

Balancing act

Mary-Ann got me changing my diagonal by staying raised for two beats instead of sitting. It’s a great way to see if you’re balanced in your stirrups – if you’re not you’ll fall backwards.

Doing less

I rise very high in rising trot because I push away from my stirrups. Mary-Ann told me to rise from my knee joints and not lift too high off the saddle. This is a much slower action and therefore stops your horse jogging.

Let it be
When I ride my right leg has a tendency to slip back behind the girth. This imbalance then makes me lose my left stirrup. Mary-Ann said the key is to just ‘let my stirrups be’ and allow them to hang the way gravity intended …vertically.

Breathe easy

Mary-Ann told me to hum to myself while I rode, as this would take my mind off riding and in turn relax my upper body which would then make my posture better.

Love this pic! Pickles was really well behaved. He listened carefully and gave a lovely collected canter.

Don't forget you can get a half price riding lesson voucher from the Petplan Equine National Riding Festival on the main site. We've 100 up for grabs and there's just a few left... don't miss out.

Pictures: ALEX FOLKES/FISHNIK

It's been awful these past weeks. After having no room to squeeze anything extra in, we've ended up with nothing to do. The rain has cancelled almost everything and so Foxy and I haven't had a proper trip out for weeks! We finally had a proper ODE when it was the Area Horse Trials. Our Area Rep (the person in charge of the branches in my Area) had it moved so that the XC phase could go ahead! Even the big kids where excited to be out doing again!

All of my Branch did really well at the qualifiers. Two individuals qualified for the championships and one of the teams missed out by point 1 of a mark!! Everybody enjoyed themselves and every horse went well!

Foxy was overjoyed to be back out there on the XC course, so much so we went round far too fast and got 4.8 time penalties! The dressage phase wasn't terribly good as the wind was making Foxy a bit spooky but, as we always say, she didn't blow up in the canter. The show jumping course was very technical, even though it appeared otherwise. Foxy rattled a few poles but luckily they all stayed up so we got a clear. I was so pleased to get a double clear I didn't mind the time penalties!

Foxy and I have also qualified for the Riding Club's ODE champs and so we are already preparing ourselves for it. I qualified as a team so it's all efforts for the club.

Let's hope the rain holds off, I really hate combined training!!

Keep Riding,

Hilary