Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

It's the Royal Windsor Horse Show next week and I'm going to be taking a cheeky visit. One of the things I'll be heading to see is the BHS lecture demonstration. Each day there'll be a different talk but I'm going to try to go and see the one by Yogi Breisner. He's the British Eventing World Class Performance manger and trainer of the Olympic Eventing team.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show is on from the May 8-11. Tickets are available in advance online at www.rwhs.co.uk or by calling 08701432208. Tickets purchased on the gate cost £16 for adults, £12 for concessions, £6 for children (age 5-16) and £35 for a family ticket.

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Laura is sooo excited cos she's got a new ride to try (although Thomas is on his holidays now so she's going to have to borrow a horse). I'm really jealous as I haven't got anything to ride.

But if you live in the Melton Mowbray and Oakham areas of Leicestershire - like Laura - you and your pony can now explore more than 15 miles of off road riding on the Stapleford Estate thanks to TROT (the Toll Rides Off-Road Trust).

To celebrate the opening of the land, there’s a pleasure ride being held on Tuesday May 13 from 4pm. To ride, just pay £5 and non-members are welcome.

If you like it why not join TROT which will allow you to ride over any of 100 Toll Rides throughout the UK. Membership costs £2.50 per week for a full adult members. Concessions apply. For more info log onto www.tollrides.org.uk

Now then... I've just gotta find me a horse to ride!

Hey there!

Sarah and Tippy here:

You will all be pleased to know that Tippy was quite well behaved when I rode her a couple of weekends ago. She didn't spook once!

Poppy was on a mission though and we had a job keeping up with her little legs! I think she knew it was going to rain cos it absolutely tipped it down. We'd just turned for home though - when it stopped! (Doesn't it always just do that when you're out hacking!)

Anyway on the way back, Tippy's nose was put right out as Tawney and I swapped over; so she rode Tippy and I rode Poppy. I didn't realise until I dismounted quite how close to the ground me feet actually were as Poppy is only just over 11hh.

Hey there!

Sarah and Tippy here:

I love it when ponies do well! And ponies had to be the stars of the show at the TopSpec NPS Dressage Champs. Riding pony Hindleap Choir Boy and Beckie Edwards were champs and Welsh Section B Wortley Grenadier and Sam Roberts were reserve champs.

Beckie has had Hindleap Choir Boy, or Timmy as she calls him, for three years now. Photo courtesy of www.equinational.co.uk

Sam Roberts and Wortley Grenadier. Photo courtesy of www.equinational.co.uk

Hey everyone
Sarah and Tippy here:

Have you heard? The GB Eventing team for the Beijing Olympics has been announced. The equestrian events will be in Hong Kong though.

First up on the list are:

William Fox-Pitt with Ballincoola

or

Tamarillo

or

Parkmore Ed

Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town

Mary King and Call Again Cavalier

or

Imperial Cavalier

Zara Phillips and Toytown

Lucy Wiegersma and Shaabrak

There's also a reserve list of other horses and riders just in case any horses on the first list get ill or injured in the build up to the Olympics in August.

Hey guys,

Laura and Thomas here:

Anyone out there after a new pet this summer?

The RSPCA is running their Pet Adoption Week from June 7-15 this year. The RSPCA take in thousands of animals every year and after getting them back to good health many of them are suitable to be re-homed with new families (like us). If you and your family are looking to get a pet then this could be your chance!

During the week there will be open days at some of the RSPCA centres so even you you’re not looking to adopt a new pet then you can go along to one of the days to just support the charity.

If you’d like to know more about the week and all the good work that the RSPCA do visit the website www.rspca.org.uk/

Bye for now!

Laura

PS Thomas is getting very fat on his holiday!

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

I was searching about on the net today and found out that there have been dogs of all shapes and sizes taking tea at the Oxo Tower on London’s South Bank this afternoon. How random?!

They hadn’t just wandered in off the streets and asked for a table though! They were there with some of The Blue Cross team to launch the UK’s biggest tea party in aid of needy pets.

This is the second year the charity has combined two of the UK’s fave things – cups of tea and cute pets. Last year's big bash raised £30,000, and this year things are looking even better. Over 1,000 animal lovers have signed up at www.bluecrossteaparty.org.uk to hold their own parties in homes, offices and schools across the country – there are even parties taking place in Italy and Japan!

Apparently, the money made from just seven cups of tea will pay for a life-saving drip for a poorly pet at one of The Blue Cross hospitals.

If you want to help, it’s not too late to hold your own Tea Party. Log onto www.bluecrossteaparty.org.uk and register for your Party Pack and get brewing!

It’s a dog’s life – taking tea at the Oxo Tower in London.

The Blue Cross’s equine and small animal adoption centres in Northiam even held their own tea party - for humans and animals alike!

Hey guys

I made the most of the sunshine last weekend and took a trip up to the Chatsworth Nissan Horse Trials in Derbyshire. We went up on Sunday which was perfect as the World Cup Qualifier was on.

Oli Townend won the class after a perfect clear round in the showjumping on Flint Curtis. Over To You, who is my favourite horse ever (apart from Thomas obviously) was in the World Cup Qualifier too and even though he’s a veteran now he skipped around the cross country - like a walk in the park – bless him!

The British Olympic eventing team were all there too so I a got a great snap of them all together too - take a look below.

William Fox-Pitt and Parkmore Ed came 3rd overall after a great showjumping round – Parkmore Ed is one of the horses which William may be taking to the Olympics.

Olympia 2012 hopeful Laura Collett is only 18 and is already competing in the big time, Laura and her horse Rayef came 6th in the World Cup Qualifier – well done Laura!

The GB Olympic eventing team, Mary King, Zara Philips, Lucy Wiegersma, William Fox-Pitt and Sharon Hunt.

Hey everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

Hope you are all feeling fine and looking forward to a coolio half term. This week, I'm handing over to Hannah, who's been with H+P for the week on work experience - so without further ado here she is:

Hello everyone! My name’s Hannah.

I’m 14 (soon to be 15 next month!) and I’ve spent this week on work experience at H+P. I’ve had a fantastic time, learnt a lot and everyone’s really nice!

Anyway, I’m here to talk to you about the Cotswold Show 2008 (Cirencester Park, Cirencester, July 5-6). Gary Witheford, a horse whisperer, will be demonstrating how he communicates with horses in his own unique way. He prefers his talent to be called “natural horsemanship” rather than horse whispering, but I think it’s pretty great whatever he does! He has had over 25 years experience and he started off in racing but after working with the pioneers of new methods in horse training in America and Scandinavia, Gary developed unique knowledge into the way horses think.

Other things are going on at the Show too, from dog shows to monster trucks! There are also country pursuits, a dog whisperer, craft village, loads of stalls and a food village.

The Show is in Cirencester this year and takes place on July 5-6.

Click on www.cotswoldshow.co.uk to find out more.

Enjoy!
Hannah

Hey all!

Laura and Thomas here:

Yes you did read right! This week I’ve been down to London for a riding lesson - I visited Mudchute Equestrian Centre which is right in the centre of London. The lesson was part of the launch of the Petplan Equine National Riding Festival to encourage new people into riding – thanks for the invite guys!

For my lesson I rode a very nice horse called Danny who was a real gent and Jennie rode a cute chestnut pony called Pickles – by the end of the lesson me and Jen had definitely sharpened up our riding up.

Ever better still we got to watch the English vaulting team - and OMW they are some flexible peeps! The girls were twizzling around and jumping on and off their vaulting horse Geoffrey with such ease it was amazing. I used to do Prince Phillip Cup mounted games so I know how hard it is to vault on to a little pony let alone a massive horse (almost 18hh) like Geoffrey so I was well impressed.

The Petplan National Riding Festival will be holding festivals at different venues throughout the summer – click www.nationalridingfestival.co.uk to find a festival near you.

Laura

The English vaulting squad.

Acrobatics on horseback.

The girls showed us some of their group routine.

Geoffrey – the star of the show.

Hey all!

Laura and Thomas here:

Can you believe it? Half term - a whole week with no school and what does it do? rain cats and dogs and ponies! Obviously we at the H+P office don’t get half term hols but we are always out and about snapping pics of you and your ponies for the magazine. We have been all over the place and never got out of the rain once. Yuk! I bet this has kinda spoiled your hols too? Not much fun riding in the rain even if you can play in the puddles.

I’m hoping for better weather over the weekend - I was going to go for a bike ride!

Anyway I hope you had lots of fun whatever you have been doing this half term.

Bye for now

Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

I feel like I should be echoing Laura's blog! I got wet twice this week - and I mean torrential rain - serious wet trouser moments. Jennie and I have to be careful getting wet as we might shrink and get even shorter!

Anyway, I thought you all might like to know I've started running. I know, I know, Laura's the one who usually does half marathons, but would you know it I'm doing one too.

I'm going to be running the London Park's Foundation Half Marathon in October and am now in training (well I have been for a couple of months but I wanted to make sure I'd definitely got a place before I told you). I am going to be running for the NSPCC and it's really exciting.

I feel a bit like how a racehorse must do. I've been to have my running shoes (like trainers) fitted and you have to run on a treadmill and have your gait videoed to see if you tip your ankles or knees over as you run. This is what the vet and farrier do when you have to trot a horse or pony up for them. They are checking to see the horse or pony is sound and how they put their hooves down on the ground.

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Yesterday, I went to watch a Great Britain vs Ireland polo match at Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park. It was great, despite the horrific weather. The players were all really nice and introduced me to their awesome ponies – who were a lot smaller than I thought they’d be!

There will be a whole article on the trip, plus some awesome action pictures in the actual mag in a few months time so keep your eyes peeled.

The reason I mention this now though, is because, while I was enjoying my day something happened and I clearly remember saying to Angus, our photographer – ‘I’m going to write about that in my blog tomorrow’. Problem is, do you think I can remember what ‘that’ was now? Nope!

Ah well can’t have been that interesting. LOL! So this was a great blog…right?! x