Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

Not much to report today - Tippy gets new shoes tomorrow though.

I think she's going to be having them refitted as she doesn't do much roadwork when Sally and Holly ride her. They are very lucky as they have miles of bridleways to hack out on.

Holly did some trotting poles the other night in the field. Tippy was like: "Okay, whatever!" And just got on with them. I think she probably quite enjoyed it really.

PS Laura's blogging on Monday as she's going cross country schooling this weekend. (she's off to the Foo Fighters this evening - lucky devil)

Hey all

Jennie here:

So, this week, at the ripe young age of 24 I went to the circus for the first time. It was amazing. The clowns were genuinely funny, there was a little Jack Russell who was absolutely amazing at walking over various parts of his trainer’s body, there was a lady that could hoola like 20 hoops at once AND there were the most gorgeous Palomino and Falabella horses to see too.

They bowed and reared and weaved around each other, all by voice command. It was spectacular. I spoke to their trainers Tom and Kristina Roberts afterwards and they told me that horses can learn up to 70 voice commands. (So when your pony ignores you, it’s not cos they don't understand you, they ARE actually just choosing not to listen!)

Hey all!

Laura and Thomas here:

It’s official, I am longing to join The Pony Club again – this weekend it was my sister's birthday so we went cross country schooling at our local course and then had a picnic in the sun afterwards!

It was just great fun, just like being young again.

Thomas is still out having some time off so I took Pharoah who was very naughty, to say the least! Even though I’ve ridden him since I was 11 he can still buck me off when he wants to and Sunday was one of those days. TWICE I ended up hanging round his neck with no stirrups preparing to hit the floor. Luckily I didn’t fall off but it was close.

I don't think I'll be having as much fun in the sun this weekend it’s supposed to rain ):

Bye for now!

Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

Tippy's been naughty again! Holly and Tawney were riding in the field last night doing some schooling. But, Tippy decided she wanted to spice things up a bit - well schooling can get boring - so she started bucking - at a walk!

She really tested Holly's riding skills out. But good on Holly for sticking on and not giving up. Naughty Tippy even bucked when Tawney coughed. She was well hyped up and managed to get Tawney's pony Poppy spooked out too.

Don't you just love ponies? They can really embarrass you. Especially after I've been saying how calm and well-behaved Tippy is.

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Now, before I started work at H+P I didn’t really know about John Whitaker’s ‘mega horse’ Milton. I remember seeing him on the news when I was a youngster but didn’t really understand how much he’d achieved and what an icon he was.

Over the past few years I’ve learnt a bit more about his accomplishments from Laura and Sarah and I’ve met John who explained what an amazing nag he was, what he was like at home on the yard and also what it was like to lose the gorgeous grey. Slowly I’ve come to realise he was a celeb in his own right.

Whilst talking about the great horses of all time in the office today Milton, needless-to-say, got voted into our ‘fantasy stables’. Laura recalled sitting in the stands at HOYS many years ago and crying as Milton and John cantered around the arena to Tina Turner’s Simply the Best.

I searched for it, and hooray… got to see it for myself on Youtube. Check it out. This truly is a magnificent horse - now I get it!

Hi guys

Sarah and Tippy here:

How ya doing?

Check out H+P's very own vid - it's Tippy putting the brakes on last minute. Well have a looksy and let us know what you think.

Hey all!

Laura and Thomas here:

OMW! You may not remember Mark Todd but when I was a mad H+P reader he really was one of the best eventers around. He retired in 2000 after winning, well, everything really, including Burghley five times and a pocket full of Olympic medals.

After seven years putting his feet up, he’s decided to give eventing another go – well not just eventing he’s decided that he would have a shot at the Olympics AND he’s made the team! Along with Andrew Nicholson, he’ll be going to his sixth Olympics this year on the New Zealand team.

Good luck Toddy – but don’t beat Team GB!

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

I’ve met some lovely people doing H+P photo shoots and I’ve become especially good mates with a few riders from my home town of Bedford. So, when they got involved in a Inter-School’s Cross Country Challenge in aid of Independent Age at Alconbury, Cambridgeshire I thought they deserved a big shout out.

Congratulations are in order for Hannah Edwards and Oscar who won the Novice; winners Katie Kavanagh on Teddy and Libby King on Copper both from Sawtry Community College in the Pairs Class; Rachel Dykes riding Portland Lass from Bassingbourn V.C. won the Intermediate Class and Louse Ayres on Murphy for Sawtry Community College were victorious in the Open.

Hannah Edwards and Oscar (Photo thanks to Equestrian Services Thorney).

The Schools' competition was won by Oundle (Blue Team), second was Sawtry Community College and St. John's College School came in third.

If you’d like to know how you can help support them and get involved in future events check out www.independentage.org.uk

Do you guys go and support your mates at competitions, even if you’re not riding? Let me know!

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Have you heard? Horsey charity the Mare and Foal Sanctuary has announced it has bought Coombe Park Equestrian Centre, near Totnes in Devon.

You see, charities can’t just go out and buy any old farm, they have to buy a property which already has equine facilities. It will now be able to do even more to help horses in need!

Coombe Park will be turned into a visitors' centre which rescued horses and ponies will move to after they've been rehabilitated at the charity's existing yard at Honeysuckle Farm. The extra facilities mean the charity can hold shows and demonstrations and potential ‘carers’ will be able to try out a loan pony at Coombe Park.

Check out www.mareandfoal.org for all the latest info on the new farm.

Hey all!

Laura and Thomas here:

There has been yet another baby boom at the stable yard, this time we have kittens - five to be exact. They are about three weeks old but their mum had them hidden away so well that we’ve only just found them now that they are a bit older.

Obviously, we can’t have six farm cats so we are trying to tame them so that they can find new homes when they are old enough to leave mum. We are having limited success handling them as they are angry little people and not overly keen on being tamed!

I will try to get some snaps of them and put them on here so watch this space!

Bye for now

Laura

Hi guys

Sarah and Tippy here:

Hope you are all doing fine! Tippy and Poppy have been watching the haymaking from their field this week. Unfortunately it rained so it's not going so well.

Anyway, I've got a guest blogger again. Meet Annabel! She's been on work experience in the H+P office this week... and has been finding out some cool horsey stuff.

I've found out about a really cool prize this week and one very lucky winner. I've heard nine-year-old Maisie McNab won a competition for thinking of a name for a new foal!

The new Shire foal was born at Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre - home to top Shire horses; there they normally name their new filly foals (girls) after Scottish lochs.

I reckon they thought this was getting pretty boring, as this year they had a fab idea of holding a naming competition for the public and this is how lucky Maisie won her prize.

She came up with the brill idea of calling the new filly Cotebrook Charlie's Spirit. Clever Maisie thought of this, as it is a mix of both the centre’s name and also the filly’s grandfather's name. The foal’s grandfather was called Moorfield Charlie and he was a very special horse as he was the original bloodline of the centre. What a stroke of genius by Maisie!

Not only did Maisie get to name the foal and visit her she also won a model of a small Shire horse – how cool is that?

If you want to find out more about the centre check out www.cotebrookshirehorses.co.uk or visit the centre between 10am and 5pm all year round. I’m definitely going to be popping along!

Maisie and the newly christened Cotebrook Charlie's Spirit