We do so many events and activities we like to post our news below for all to see.

June 2010

Some sad news I’m afraid. Star was put down. She had a painful condition of the spine and the vertebrae were fusing together. She was deteriorating very rapidly and treatment from the vet was having no effect on her condition. It was decided on discussion with Steve, our vet, that it was best to put her out of her pain. Iris has had the same condition, but the treatment luckily seems to have worked for her. She is being lunged at the moment and is looking good, so we hope to have her back in work soon. Samson is doing fine and is happy to be back in work.  I am arranging to loan him to a client, where he will  lead a less demanding role than a riding school horse. He is in his teens now and a big lad, so concussion takes its toll.

Barrister, Charlie and Zak have been off with injury, but will start walking out this week. It will be a few weeks before they can work in the school as they will need to be got fit gradually.

We are busy into the exam season now, so this left a big gap in our equine team.  Mum and I went on a search and I tried four horses on Monday and we bought a coloured 4 year old Irish marel. Her name is Twinkle (yes, that is what is on her papers!!) and she has so far passed every test we have put to her! Within minutes of arriving she had had her feet picked up and her shoes banged with a hammer by the farrier,  the dentist rasped her teeth with an electric drill and an hour later she was out on the downs escorting a hack. The water sprinklers on the racecourse did not phase her or the traffic in Walton High Street and her introduction to the cross-country course went well. I don’t think she had seen solid fences before, but she gave it a try! I think she’ll do! We've abrbreiviated her name to Twinks.!
We also tried a lovely dapple grey pony, but unfortunately the vet did not think that it would stand up to riding school work. I wasn’t really looking for one, but having Zak and Charlie off has made mounting the children rather tricky. My policy is that if something comes along that is suitable for the school it is definitely worth a look!

Trojan is proving very valuable for rieders at all levels from beginner's first introduction to riding and those competing at advanced dressage level. A combination of the sensor pads and the mirror helps get the correct posture in the saddle and improve core stability. Dean and i have managed to get all the advanced movements and ride a few dressage tests, but it is not that easy as he is less forgiving than a real horse!!

A project is underway to refurbish both arenas. Despite a new surface in the arena by the stables less than trhee years ago, we were sloshing abiout last winter (when it wasn't frozen!) and are now in a dustbowl! We are completely resurfacing with flexiride and putting in additional drainage. I do hope it works as it is an expensive project and you do no expect to have to resurface after such a short time.

What with this and the escalating costs we are afraid that we have had to increase our charges, having kept them the same for three years.

Finally, we have decided not to run the ball this year, but don’t forget that we have a date for October next year.

March 2010. The arrival of Trojan !!!

The second week of February, all was ready for the eagerly awaited arrival of 'Trojan', our Racewood Dressage Simulator! The shed was ready, the electrics and heater installed and we had laid the gym mats and Persian Carpet down on the floor!! I have had an old mirror in my garage for years and had taken it to get it reglassed and it looked like something out of Phantom of the Opera!
It was quite an operation getting Trojan out of the tariler and up into his shed and everyone helped.

We couldn't resit having a go on him over the next few days, but the following week, Bill Greenwood who invented him, came to set him all up and give us an induction in how to use him. There are apparently 20 of them worldwide and the number is steadily increasing.

He has been used by many of the clients now and they can really feel the difference in their riding when they get on a live horse! The horses are happier too, with the riders sitting in balance and generally much softer and more still.

TOP SECRET , Splash's foal, is now backed! We have been working on him through the winter (when the weather and the staff attendance permitted) and he was lungeing quietly and accepting someone leaning across him. We got someone in to start him off as Anthea was still sore from being bucked off a young mare we tried for the school (which, needless to say, went back to where it came from!). He has not yet put a foot wrong and seems to take everything in his stride. He hopefully has the makings of a good school horse, although it will be some time before he is used fro clients. He will be four in June.

Go to his page to find out more!

ARNIE has been sold. He was doing a good job in the school, but was capable of much more. When I was approached by one of my clients who had ridden him since we bought him two years ago, I agreed to sell him. She has two daughters who learnt to ride with us and now have their own ponies. They have new stables and post & rail paddocks at their home in Brockham and he will enjoy life being pampered in a private home. He was hacked there from Wildwoods settled immediately with the ponies in the paddock!

999 EMERGENCY!!!!
I took a break for a couple of weeks when I was invited to stay with a friend of my parents who is now living in the Cayman Islands. I haven't been diving since I had a small op to close a hole in my heart which was diagnosed after a problem diving at depth in the Red Sea three years ago. The surgery was successful and I had been cleared to dive again. It was great to be back in the water! We also went to Little Cayman, where I dived in the mornings and had a Carribean beach to myself in the afternoons! This is one of the top diving destinations in the world. I also cycled round the island - something I haven't done for years!
The day before I returned, Mum was awakened by a neighbour to tell her that a pony was trapped between two trees in the field! Mum went to have a look and immediately called the emergency services!! Whizz had pushed between a tree and a sapling, which had sprung back, trapping her hindquarters. She is due to foal in June and was well and truly stuck! The fire brigade cut a notch in the sapling and used a winch to pize it away to release her. Luckily my sisiter, who works at the Princess Alice Hospice and is often on night duty, was there to hold her still whilst they freed her. She was very stressed and had probably been trapped for most of the night, but was otherwise unhurt. Steve, our vet, was due to visit that morning and checked her out and she seemed nomne the worse for her experience.
We are most grateful to Epsom Fire Brigade for their prompt action! We called in a tree surgeon who has trimmed back all the trees on the boundary fence and opened up the gaps!.

 

Review 2009

It has been an amazing year for me. After running the business for over 30 years I am gettting some time to travel and explore the world on horseback!

I was excited to be accepted to ride on the Blue Cross Challenge in February, riding over the high Andes in Ecuador around Cotapaxi, the highest active volcano in the world

My mount was a tough looking Criollo dun approx 15.2 called Vayo (pronounced Bi-yo, which means dun). He reminded me very much of the horse ridden by the Man from Snowy River, one of my favourite movies! .

Most of the horses were working horses, used to cutting and roping cattle, gaited with a quick, ground -covering walk and a superb slow hand-canter.

 

 

 

 

We had been told that we would have a good chance of sighting condor and suddenly there it was soaring around the mountains!! An amazing sight! It soared in the air currents for a while and was gone and I realised I had been holding my breath!

We did the 2nd highest canter in the world at 3,989 metres!! The horses pulled up blowing hard because of the altitude, but were very fit and recovered quickly. We rode approx 120 miles in five days and raised over £18,000 for the Blue Cross and had had an unforgettable experience. Despite snow flurries and altitude sickness, I enjoyed myself immmensely. Thank you to all who sponsored me and made this trip possible.

I was back in the UK for just a few weeks, then off to Borana, Kenya with Jean who is part owner of Ranger. She celebrated her 74 birthday out there. We spent the day driving round Lewa Wildlife Conservancy where we saw both black and white rhino, grevys zebra and watched entranced as a newly born elephant was greeted by his family.

His mum and her entourage tried to help him stand on wobbly legs and there was a terrific hoo-ha and trumpeting to celebrate the event, with everyone jostling to touch him with their trunks.

Jean was told we were going out on a night drive to spot lion that evening and was treated to a surprise  bush supper (silver service, of course!) The cake,  lit with candles, was brought to the table by the African staff in starched white coats, singing a haunting African melody in perfect harmony . It was very “Out of Africa”! Jean never thought that when she started riding fourteen years ago that she would be cantering amongst the game in Africa. She also had a hip replacement a few years ago. It shows what can be achieved! Riding is such a fantastic way to see those faraway places. Here we are pictured below. The picture of Jean on the right was taken with a stunning backdrop of Mount Kenya

In September I returned to Botswana, Africa to ride with PJ & Barney at Okavango Horse Safaris. I took with me two sisters who rode with me a couple of years ago from Pushkar Fair to Korta Escape in Rajasthan, India, my friend and former Yard Manager Sid’s family business.
They brought along a friend who was phobic about snakes. Luckily there were no sightings on this trip. This was not the case when I returned with Ella in October (a treat for her 16th birthday). Barney shot a huge black mamba, one of Africa’s most feared deadly snakes!!!
I am so lucky to be able to return for a free safari whenever I want and they welcome me as part of the family. I worked out there with them for a few months in 2000 helping with the horses and driving around the Delta - an unforgettable expereience!

If you want to read more about my adventures out there then go to the Winter 09 page, or emeil me and I will send you my Okavango Diaries.
Horse & Hound once listed riding in the Okavango Delta as one of the "things to do before you die!"

A few new horses joined us this year, including Quest, Mr, Chips and Mr. Tom. I update the website on a regular basis and they now all have a thumbnail picture on the “our horses” page. Thanks to Ian’s tuition I am almost computer literate now! I have even been working on a new brochure which we hope to have out soon.

We have had quite a busy year despite the recesssion, but funds have been hit hard by the prolonged cold spell with over 30 horses to feed and care for. I am still trying to remain positive, but it will be a while before we can build the funds back up.

 Thank you for riding with us in 2009 and we hope to see you again in 2010.

Anthea