Please someone tell me I am not the only one who has been 100% ready to jack horses in this year. 25 years of riding and 16 years of horse ownership and never have I ever been this fed up.
Our fields have been underwater since late November, meaning turnout has been impossible, even on the limited turnout they have had, has still lead to a battle of mud fever and thrush.
I wanted to protect the paddock as much as possible for spring, but it got so trashed that we will now have to use our hay fields for summer grazing, meaning no free hay this year.
As for mucking out, I haven’t shaken the smell of ammonia out of my clothes for 4 months and can’t remember the last time my socks weren’t covered in straw!
I remember 3 days in total where the ground started to dry and we didn’t have a puddle on the yard. The reason I remember those day so clearly is because I was nearly blown away when my tonne bag filled with air and nearly lifted me like a kite, that’s right because on the days it was nearly dry we had 2 storms!
I have absolutely no where to ride at home – Gosh my own school cannot come quick enough! So I am lucky if I ride twice a week, requiring me to box up and travel to arenas.
I have forgotten what other footwear exists than wellies and have adopted strong skiing skills from being dragged around by pent up horses on wet grass.
But it’s March, it MUST be nearly time the clocks went forward, it MUST be nearly time for the rain to stop, it MUST be nearly time for the horses to go out, it MUST be nearly spring, right?!
Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.