Hi everyone!
Laura here

New arrivals everybody! My two pet piggies, Jennifer and Clarissa (named after the 2 fat ladies!) have had little piglets! OMG they are SOOOOOOOO cute, there are 21 in total, running around the barn and causing trouble it’s really funny!

The horses (in their stables next door) think that aliens have landed and keep staring over the wall at the new arrivals. War Horse hates it when they squeal - it disturbs him whilst he’s munching away on his hay!

I guess that you’ve all been out and about enjoying the spring feeling in the air but watch out a it’s supposed to get chilly again:(

See ya peeps!

Laura

P.S. Pharaoh’s well on his way to recovery and just needs another week in the stables before he’s allowed to go out in the day, which will cheer him up no end. He hates being in!

Hey there everyone!

Laura here

It’s been a bit of a busy week for me. BOTH! Sisters are on their hols this week, Sarah’s in France, learning to speak French, (or so she says) and Louise is in Austria skiing, or trying to, anyway (from what I’ve heard she’s not getting to too well!) so poor old me has been left with three horses to keep fit instead of just the one!

STRESS, it’s all about the riding and leading at the moment which Thomas is not happy about as he likes to be special and go out on his own rather than with the others! So he’s a grumpy old man at the moment :(

Thomas has also developed a real taste for licks of late! He found Pharaoh’s in his stable the other day and went nuts. I didn’t realise he had such a long tongue! He’s trotting around the field now with the lick plastered half way up his face. The messy boy!

We’ve got a team chase coming next week, on April Fool’s day. Is it just me or do you think that it is a bad omen?! Hey ho never mind, it will be a laugh. I’m sure the ground is really soft anyway because off all the rain we’ve been having - so I should bounce well!

Hey again,

Laura here

Not much has happened in the last week really. I’ve been doing some last minute prep for the team chase on Sunday, plenty of steady canter work uphill and downhill ready for bombing about when the weekend comes.

The little ponies that we rescued are now all being worked again after having the winter to grow on some more. My sis Sarah sat on Merry at the weekend, although I think Merry was a bit shocked at the extra weight she had to carry around! Pippin came in last night, I tacked her up and led her round with her tack on, she’s still nervous of the saddle on her back so we’re really having to take our time with her, letting her get used to how it feels to be tacked up and walked around with it on before we get on her and Willow - well I think he’s a last cause! Doing any real work is obviously not in his life plan, any attempt so far to get him into the stable and away from his bestest buddy, George have been a complete disaster! Oh well we’ll keep trying!

Laura

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

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!?

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.

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!

Hey, Laura here

FINALLY, after weeks and weeks of the softly-softly approach to handling Willow, the mad New Forest, we managed to get a headcollar on him. Once the headcollar was on, he tried to run back, rear up and generally cause me and mum some pain but managed to keep a hold of him!

Once he realised that I was just not going to let go he started to stand and with a few pony nuts to keep him sweet, we got him standing really nicely. After he was settled and coming to terms with us being around him, mum gave him a good brush over and groomed all down his legs!

We were both so pleased, as it’s been a really long learning process with him, trying to get him to accept us - but now he has it’s great! I went up again this morning and although it took a couple of attempts we managed to get the leadrope on his headcollar and lead him around the stable. It tok him a while to get used to the fact that he had to walk with me rather than run away from me but we got there in the end. I’m going back up again tonight after I finish work so I will let you know how I get on.

Bye

Laura

Greetings peeps

Laura here:

I hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did. I went to Badminton at the weekend to watch all the eventers do their cross country! It was great, I have been to Burghley before but not Badminton so going to a ‘new’ event was really exciting.

The ground was really hard as it hadn’t rained for ages, although typically it did on Bank Holiday Monday, so a lot of the top names including Zara Phillips, Mary King and Ruth Edge pulled out before the cross country as the European championships are coming up in July, so they are all saving their horses for that. But it didn’t matter to me as all the horses there were still top as they had qualified to compete.

Headley Britannia and Lucinda Fredericks won in the end, they were a good few points ahead after a just perfect dressage and no one ever caught up with them after that. Brit (Headley Britannia) is a mare, which is quite rare for a top class eventer so it was even better to see her beating all the geldings. She won Burghley in September 06 so she’s having a perfect season.

I also saw Janette Brakewell and Over to You, probably my favourite horse EVER! He’s 19 now and has completed Badminton a wicked seven times which is almost unheard of, the only other horse to ever do that was Ballycotton, so that’s some record!

Hope you all had a good bank hol, and enjoyed the extra day off school

Bye for now

Laura

Ps Thomas is fine, still on his holidays and completely uncatchable but lovin it and Willow is being a good boy, we can hold him in the stable and groom him which is ace!

My pics

There was Shettie grand national racing the morning, Carrie from radio one gave out the prizes, she’s in the grey jumper

Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Britannia cruise to victory, I just love her pink cross country colours !

Over To You, the old boy, just stormed round the course!

Matt Ryan from Australia with Bonza Katoomba, just flying

Hey there

Laura here

Are you all suitably bored of the rain and bad weather yet? I know I am. I’ve even put my flip flops away for the moment.

All the rain has made the grass in the field shoot up, so the ponies are in the starvation paddaocks at the moment - which they are not happy about I can tell you. We are just turning them out for a couple of hours a day at the moment until I can get the electric fencing up this weekend. I am so worried they are going to end up with laminitis and as they are only young I don’t want them to get it now and be stuck with problems for the rest of their days.

Pharoah are George are loving all the good grass though. Pharoah lost so much weight when his leg was injured in March that he’s got a lot to put on so is out relaxing, getting better and getting fat at the mo.

Thomas, Maddy, Jester and Cobby are still over at my uncles on their summer hols. Thomas is now completely wild and we haven’t been able to catch him for a week now! Bad Thomas.

Laura here

How exciting! Mum’s just bought a new little sheep dog pup. We’ve only just got her so she hasn’t even got a name but I will keep you all informed and hopefully have some piccys after the weekend!

I hope everyone is looking forward to half term, you’ll all be having a nice relaxing week but for all of us at H+P you lot being off school makes our job even more busy as we’ll be out and about doing photoshoots at some of the stables around us, so we’ll be really busy. But it's not all hard work, we’ll have Bank Holiday Monday off to chill out and relax - think I’m going to take Pippin and the new puppy for a walk - if it doesn’t rain although to be fair knowing my luck it probably will!

Keep us informed on what you do with your week off. Send us an email or write us a letter, we love to know what you’re up to!

See ya

Laura

Laura here

We’ve named the puppy! And guess what we’ve called her? Lexie, well actually it was an accident to call her that really. I got home from work on Friday and mum had almost decided but when I told her it was the name of H+P's cartoon helper, well, it was even better! So now our gorge little pup is kind of a mascot to the magazine too!

Hope you all had a top week off for half term and got to spend as much time as you could down at the stables!

See ya

Laura

Hey all,

Laura here

I just want to say a big thank you to Tina, Hannah and Saucey who have been sending in some great polls to put on the website. If anyone else has any they’d like to put up then send them in and they may end up on the site. Email them to me - laura@horseandpony.com

I hope everyone has finished doing exams and SATs. Now you can look forward to the summer and lots of great riding!

Bye

Laura

PS Lexie (the puppy) is in trouble. She ate my trainers last night!

Hi all

Laura here

Oh my gosh you will never guess what happened?! Someone broke the fence to the ponies field and they escaped. The naughty things tore across five allotments and caused all sorts of damage. Tut tut.

We eventually caught them and told them what for but it wasn’t really their fault some stupid person had dismantled the fencing. Hmmmm.

Ah well, I’m off to a wet and rainy Ireland for a break with my boyfriend now. Yay!
Speak to you in a week or so.

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!

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 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 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!

Hey peeps

Laura here

Finished Harry Potter. Wow what an ending! I would go into details but as there are prob loads of you who haven’t finished yet it wouldn't be fair.

Thomas is back in work now after his summer holiday out in the field and he is really not happy. Every year when he gets turned out for his hol he's sure he’s been retired to chill out for good and then there's always the shock that in fact he hasn’t and he's got to do some work again, poor old boy. Never mind he will get his head around being an active horse again soon I'm sure!

Hope you all enjoying your hols - at least it’s actually sunny now!

Laura

Hey there peeps!

Laura here

Long time no speak! I’ve been at the Pony Club champs and Ponies UK running the
H+P stand so it has been a hectic old time for us! All done now though so back to normal-ish!

Thomas is officially on my bad list, this is the third day in a row I have crawled out of bed, dragged on my jodhpur boots and headed out to the yard to ride - only to return 30 minutes later, having achieved only in exercising myself by running up and down the field trying to catch Thomas with no success! Any tips to catch a naughty, wise old horse would be greatly received!

Hey everyone

Laura here

Wow! Has anyone been on the Howrse website yet, the web address is www.howrse.com and it’s sooooo cool. You have an online stud and try to breed the best horses.

And October issue H+P readers get two free passes to get them started! All you have to do it register, enter the code on your voucher (lose in the mag) and you get two free passes to start off your own horse.

My first foal has just been born and she’s a Throughbred mare called Tinkerbell! She is steel grey and only six months old and her mum is called Morale! Now I just need to start saving up some points and then I’m going to make her immortal! Seriously you should all log on and have a go it’s so ace I’m addicted already!

Hiya

Kidding, not really going to sell Thomas, but he is deffo in my bad books.

We had the first team chase on the year last Sunday. It was all goin well, we were jumping a good round and all was fine and dandy. UNTIL we got to a hedge, (of all things to have a problem at he picks probably the most straightforward fence on the course!) My sister had fallen off at the fence before, just toppled off the side so her horse Coby was running about all over the place which took Thomas' mind off the job a bit and so I had got a little left behind.

Sarah and Tom (my other team members) were just ahead so apparently that was it for Thomas, game over. He couldn’t see Warhorse, his bezza field friend so that was it he stopped and I not so gracefully sailed over his head and landed on the hedge in question.

I mean can you believe it! What a wimp no one to follow so he just gives up! Bad Thomas. To make things even worse the other one team chases we were entered into for this year have been cancelled because of the FMD outbreak so my team chasing this season could start and finish with a fall! ( :

Hi

Laura here:

EEK! I’m running the Great North run this weekend and yikes I am scared! Thirteen miles that’s a good length sponsored ride and I’m going to attempt it on foot! What was I thinking entering it? All this week I have been living off pasta and potatoes storing up my energy for the weekend and I have got to say, I am well bored of it now I have to say!

Took Thomas schooling at the weekend, he was a very good boy, think he is trying to make it up to me after the fiasco with the hedge! So all is now forgiven!

Wish me luck for the weekend peeps, I will let know when I am back in the office if I get round!

Hey guys

Laura and Thomas here:

Way hey, I got around the Great North Run - 2 hours 37mins, not bad I don’t think although my big sis did beat me. Did anyone see me on TV? I started next to a man who was dressed as a tree and can you believe he beat me! Beaten by a tree, unbelievable!

George has gone away to be broken in this week. He has gone to a yard up the road. He is doing really well. He loaded up straightaway when we took him and wasn’t bothered at all about leaving Thomas and the others, but I think the are missing him!

Bye

Laura

Hey guys,

Laura and Thomas here:

Can you help this lady she is trying to track down her old pony Parvadean Tiger, she’s sent some details about him in, if you know anything email me at laura@horseandpony.com

"My name is Beverley Burford and I am trying to fine my old pony. I had him in 1983 and he goes by the name Parvadean Tiger. He's registered in the Welsh Section A stud book and he's a gelding.

Do you know this pony?

"I sold him to a lady called Zoe Taylor, from Alvechurch, nr Birmingham, who we have spoken to recently. She then sold him on but can't remember who to. She had him in 1988. He is very pale dapple grey with three white socks, and a white teardrop on his left shoulder (when looking at him). He would be about 23yrs old now - it’s a long shot, I know but if you know anything please help me find him!"

Hi there,

Laura and Thomas here:

I’m sleepy! I’m still recovering from the long, long weekend we spent at Your Horse Live.

'Hi' to everyone who came to say 'hi' to me on the H+P stand! I was certainly kept busy by all of you wanting to buy the goody bags we had for sale. My feet were definitely tired by the end of Sunday!

I did get a chance to sneak out and get an autograph from Geoff Billington and Richard Davison though, so my H+P is now signed by both of them which is ace! We also waved at William Fox-Pitt as he queued up to get into the show.

Anyway best be getting back to work.

Me on the stand!

Hickstead Derby winner, Geoff Billington autographing

My all time favourite horse Ted Clydesdale, with his owner Sally and Bevis (from the Devil's Horsemen)

Hey there

Laura and Thomas here:

As Jen has already informed you the stork has officially landed at the yard. In two days we've had two calves and 18 piglets born! Crazy and CUTE!

Seriously, came into the office on Monday morning and by the time I got home there were babies all over the place!

Trying to get some piccys at the moment and when I do I will put them live on here for you. All we need now is some names for them all - any ideas email me (laura@horseandpony.com) - and let me know. There are only so many names a girl can come up with!

Laura

PS Thomas is all okay although getting mega fluffy again so he will have to be re-clipped soon! There will be Thomas hair all over the place.

Laura and Thomas here:

Yuck! Fluff and hair everywhere, I took the day off last week to clip Thomas again as his coat had grown back no end! After an hour Thomas looked slick and dead smart and I, well - I looked like a had grown a chestnut coat! I was covered! The light wasn't very good in the stable either as when I rode him on Saturday it looked like I had clipped him with a blunt pair of scissors! Oh dear, I had to get the clippers out again and do over all the bits of coat I missed the first time! (Note to self, be more careful next time, or better still ask my mum to do it!)

Anyway, after several attempts to get all the coat off, my boy is looking dead smart again, even if he has been out in the field and covered himself in mud!

Laura

PS VERY FUNNY, the baby pigs escaped out of their pen and got into the barn with the horses. Thomas is now living in fear that he will have his stable raided when he is not looking!

Hey guys

Laura and Thomas here:

Guess what? Me, my sis and my mum are going to deliver our Christmas cards on horseback tomorrow (if the road aren’t too icy).

It should be lots of fun, we’re taking mincepies to eat on the way round. I am very excited and have bought some tinsel for Thomas’s bridle. I think he will look fab.

I hope everyone is ready for Crimbo and have bought their fave pony a nice pressie, I’m going to bake Thomas a carrot cake as they are his favourite.

Merry Christmas

Laura

Happy New Year guys

Laura and Thomas here:

I hope you all had a nice break and Santa brought you everything that you wished for! I got a great new grooming kit, all the same colour so that my sister can’t steal it – don’t you just hate it when you get the yard and all you stuff has gone missing?

I did plenty of riding over the hols to keep me fit after all those mince pies I was munching. I was went to watch the boxing day meet, there were loads of people out with their horses and they looked dead smart all plaited up. I didn’t take Thomas (didn’t get time to get all my tack clean)!

Has anyone made any New Year's resolutions yet? I did the same old one - to give up chocolates. It lasted about a day, and then I had to have a load more Quality Street. That’s got be some kind of a record. A New Year's resolution broken in about 15 hours, I think next year my New Year's resolution will be to not make and New Year's resolutions!

Thomas has lost a shoe so I won’t be out hacking out this weekend but the farrier is coming on Monday so it won’t be long until the wheels are back on.

Laura and Thomas here:

We have some fab new wheels at home! Just bought a new trailer and it is fab! It’s massive and can fit two big horses (like ours) in easily! Think we are going to take it out this weekend for a spin! Thomas is very excited, he thinks it's going to be ace.

If you read Jennie's blog last week you'll know that I went to see the Spice Girls on Sunday and it, indeed was fab! I was singing and laughing all evening. It was great and just so much fun. I was very pleased with myself for getting all the way through the London underground without getting lost, too.

I hope everyone is not too sad to be back at school!

Laura

Laura and Thomas here:

I hope Jan isn’t dragging too much for you. I am already getting excited about my hols – I’m going skiing in Feb. Yay! Thomas says hello. He is leaning to swim at the moment, his field is so wet and muddy it’s untrue. If it keeps raining we are going to have to buy him armbands!

Any of you who are regular readers of the mag will know we feature a pet page each month so any of you with pets. send us a piccy in as I am sure they would love to see themselves in the mag. You can email them to me, laura@horseandpony.com or put them in the post to, H+P Pets, 33 Broad Street, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1RB. Oh and if you get your pet pic featured you get an exclusive H+P purse too. So what are you waiting for?

Bye Laura

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

The Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre is celebrating after the arrival of a new year Shire filly born just last week. The centre has been breeding Shires for 35 years but this new arrival was still a shock! The foal came early which was especially strange as her mum gave birth on the exact same date last year. The centre reckons mum and daughter are both doing well but are now in search of a name for their latest addition.

The Shire mares at the centre are usually named after Scottish lochs but this year the centre is running a naming comp. Any suggestions must be received by the centre by Feb 4. The winner of the competition will receive a border fine arts model.

For more info on the centre and visit the website www.cotebrookshirehorses.co.uk

I’ve included a pic of the new arrival below too!

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Oh dear, Joker (commonly known as Grumpy) - one of the horses at the yard is mega sad. He cut his left leg in the trailer last weekend while trying to take his travel boots off and is now on box rest for the next few weeks while the cut heels. It's on his pastern so it’s not healing very quickly and we can't risk turning him out in the mud and it getting infected.

Thomas is being a big meany to him as well. He keeps laughing at him when he goes out to the field past Grumpy’s stable, as if to say ‘ha ha you have to stay in’. Poor Grumpy I think I will have to take him some carrots to cheer him up a bit.

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

The sun cream is packed and I’m all ready. Slight problem with the suitcase, apparently all my clobber won’t fit but after at big squeeze and sitting on it for the whole of Hollyoaks last night it finally shuts! So I’m ready to go.

I have said my goodbyes to the horses and am leaving them in the capable hands of my mum while I’m away. I think Thomas is looking forward to a week off, out in the field chilling out, although I am sure he will miss me a little bit.

Joker's leg is mending well, it is still all bandaged up so that it doesn’t grow any proud flesh or get too sore but he can go out a bit more so he’s a little happier.

I hope those of you with your half term coming up next week are looking forward to your break, the weather is not supposed to be too bad so you can get some good hacking in.

I will have lots of pics to show you all when I get back!

Bye for now

Hey guys

Laura and Thomas here:

I’m back from my holidays now and it almost seems like I have never been away!

After landing in London last Sat, I skipped up to BETA (the trade fair) on Sunday to help out on the stand and then was back in the office again!

Now that the weather is finally on the turn I am doing some fencing in the paddocks this weekend to keep the ponies off the spring grass. If we are not careful they will be getting too fat - even this early on you need to be cautious. So let's hope that the weather is nice this weekend or I'll be stuck out in the field in the wet!

Wish me luck!

Laura

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

We best be getting our shoes shined! As H+P sponsors The Pony Club showjumping champs, we’re off to the Pony Club conference at Aintree next week and the Princess Royal will be there. Very exciting, I have practiced my curtsey ready in case we get an invite to shake hands. Ginger McCain, who trained Red Rum and Amberleigh House (Grand National winners) will be doing a talk along with Jen and Sarah from the H+P team so it should be a good day out.

But yet more exciting than mixing with royalty, it’s mine and Jennie's birthday next week. I become a grow-up on Tuesday - turning 21 and Jennie becomes a little wiser turning 24 on Friday, so it will be birthday card central in the H+P office!

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Thomas has some new friends - six baby lambs!

They are all orphans so are being bottle fed and live in the stable next to Thomas, much to his delight, he does love babies! He keeps sticking his head through the bars to sniff them!

They don’t all have names (but I am working on it) so if any of you have any suggestions then please do let me know! Email: laura@horseandpony.com

These lambs need naming!

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Got any plans for this weekend? No? Well now you have!

This Sunday March 30, Redwings’ Ada Cole Centre in Essex is holding a birthday party for one of their very special adoption ponies called Louie.

You don’t have to adopt him to join in the celebrations. Everyone is welcome and it’s free to get in to the party.

There will be birthday parade for the star of the show at 1pm as well as horse care demos, walking tours of the site and quiz trails going on all day. You’ll also have the chance to meet mascots Red and Wings.

The centre opens at 10am so take all the family along and meet the birthday boy plus more than 50 other rescued horses, ponies and donkeys.

For more further party plans click on www.redwings.org.uk

(PS As Laura didn't have time to write this before jetting off to Rome for the weekend - Jennie actually wrote this! Tee hee!)

Hey guys

Laura and Thomas here:

Another busy weekend for me last weekend, as a present for my birthday I went to Rome which was just great, and not liking to be away from horses for too long I managed to find some whilst I was there.

All over Rome there were people offering carriage rides to tourists, and unlike some other countries, all the working horses were in really good condition – which was great to see. There was a particularly nice horse in the Piazza Navona (a really pretty town square) who looked to be on his lunch break munching on his oats out of his nose bag! You see, wherever you go there are always horses!

A happy, healthy working horse in Rome.

Hi all

Laura and Thomas here:

Has you seen him? You can now get a Locarno 62 Breyer model – how cool!

For those of you who don’t know Locarno 62 (or Larry) is Ellen W’s gorgeous Holstein superstar showjumper. She’s won loads of things with him and now, thanks to Breyer, you can get one of your very own. Locarnos are on sale at tack shops around the country now.

Let me know if any one gets one!

Locarno and Ellen meet the model Locarno

Hi all

Laura and Thomas here:

Thomas has packed his suitcase, hoof pick, copy of H+P, his fave treats and skipped off on his holidays to my uncle's field in Northamptonshire. There is lots of grass there for him so he is having a well earned rest after a busy few months. Warhorse and George have gone with him so he won’t be lonely. He does love his trips away. He gets time to put his hooves up and really chill out. I bet when I go to see him this weekend he will have turned wild again and I won’t be able to get near him - it will be September before I can catch him again!