December

I am beggining to think our chickens are ducks given the amount of time they spend out in what seems to be continuous rain. The cat is wisely staying in. Other wise Dylan is progressing nicely and I am really looking forward to our first ride of next year. Nibbler has had a few more outings.

November

I can not believe the lovely weather we are still having half way through November! So far it has remained pretty dry and not too cold. I have now sat on Nibbler for the first time, this was a good experience for both of us and has also shown me how far Dylan has come since I first sat on him. Our outings have been contained to walking up and down the drive so far, but I hope to get him out of the property by the end of the month. Dougal's shoes cam off at the begining of the month.

October

Well the season is over and I am off on holiday for two weeks while Dougal is allowed to get all hairy and muddy till January. Dylan continues his general fitness work and education. Nibbler has now settled in and is being taken for some walks on the road to asses his behaviour in traffic followed by some long reigning. Dee continues to eat and be merry.

September

September so far seems to be bringing us some very nice summery weather without the humidity. Well there is new arrival, Warrens Hill Destiny, Nibbler, he is Dylan's father and will be standing at open stud here next year.

Dougal's FEI pasport is all sorted out now and his entry has been accepted to Red Dragon

August

Thankfully the weather has cooled of a bit and some much needed rain has arrived. The horses are obviously starting to get ready for winter as they are all now moulting. Dougals preperation for the Northern Champs has not quite gone to plan. I was made an offer to purchase him three weeks before the ride and in a pranoid mode did not ride him for a week so he would be sound for the vetting which he was. This however means that I am not 100% happy with his fitness levels and so have withdrawn. Oh well maybe next year, in the mean time I have applied for his FEI passport so we can enter the ***FEI 120km ER at Red Dragon.

Alula after a year here has moved on to pastures afresh, just up the road in Derbyshire where she will be producing a foal for somebody else.

July

Its now half way through the year and boy what a hot month this one is turning out to be. Dougal has started back into work now after his mid season break and is progressing well. Duiker had her third and final outing in the 100km ER at the 4 day Lindum ride held at Market Rasen.

June

Bit of a weird month so far with the weather not seeming to make its mind up about what to do Dougal has had a couple of easy weeks as a mid seaon break as his next outing is not till the August bank holiday weekend. This means I have been able to concentate more attention on Dylan. Duiker had her second outing since joining us in the 80km ER at the Summer Solstice ride @ Cirencester Park.

May

May is upon us already and spring has finally decide to arrive, we have had some lovely days and the horses are back out full time now without rugs. So far it has been quite on the competition front with only Dougal planned for an outing at the end of the month in the 120km ER at Dukeries. This does not mean we have not been busy, both of the competition horses have been thoroughly checked out by there physio and we have been given some stretches to do after exercise. All the horses have had worm counts taken and appropriate action taken. field maintenance has kicked in with avengeance now that the ground has dried out sufficiently. Oh and we have a new arrival in the form of a baby chick, just hope it is a female, or it is destined for the pot.

April

April started with Haywood Oaks and Dougal pulling a muscle in his neck.  He was sound within two days but has still been given three weeks off to enable him to recover fully.  Duiker took part in her first ER with me in the 64km ER at Berkshire Downs.  With the late emergence of spring this year I have yet to see how Dylan has taken to the the Sweet itch injections. Otherwise things around the yard have been changing with our first harvest of Rhubarb and lots of general gardening. Though I do wish spring proper would arrive.

March

 February is over and was celebrated as such with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and avoiding getting involved in the street football in Ashbourne. The winter seems to be hanging on in there, with snow almost a weekly occurrence. On a couple of occasions the ground has stayed frozen for days. To get work into the horses I have had to box to a local forest and put some work in round the sandy tracks there. Dylan has been seeing rather a lot of the vet recently as I have signed him up for the sweat itch vaccination trials, no adverse reactions as yet to the jabs. This involves a course of three subcutaneous injections over six weeks, before midge season starts. So just as well the winter is hanging on in there.

February

January has whipped by and February is upon us already.  For Dougal and Duiker this means vaccinations, as if I want to compete either of them in FEI rides they have to have flu vaccinations every 6 months.  Duiker will also be micro chipped at this time and all of them will have their teeth rasped.  As I now keep my horses on my own property I can exercise the worming program I have always wanted to. So my next job is to collect a fresh pooh sample from each horse, carefully package it and send it off to be worm counted so I can implement the most appropriate worming program.

 On the 24th two new arrivals joined the animal family, when Paula sheep gave birth to twins, one boy and one girl.  Of course she chose a cold snow filled day to do this.  I am pleased to say they are all doing well.  Duiker has been treated to a snazzy new saddle, another Podium, but this time with a red cordura seat so I should be easy to spot.  I have also treated myself to a new riding hat in a funky red green and white colour scheme.  Hopefully this will make it even easier for Steve to spot us out competing.

January

The festive season is well and truly over so it's time to start bringing the horses and myself back into work.  This winter I did things slightly differently.  I still had Dougal's shoes removed at the end of October and Duiker's within her first week of arriving, but I kept both horses ticking over by riding once or twice a week.  So they should take less work to bring back up to full fitness. 

So with this in mind I have stepped up Dougal to doing three days of work a week gradually introducing canter work.  Duiker has also stepped up to doing three days of work a week gradually introducing some canter work after the first three weeks of this program.

Work and the small number of light hours available means this requires some careful juggling and only leaves one day a week to fit in riding Sprite or Dylan.  On the morning of the 13th I noticed Duiker's right fore leg was enlarged, there was no heat or pain and a small cut on the fetlock.  I cleaned this up, covered it and applied my N.E.W magnetic boots.  This cleared up within three days but just to play it safe I have decided to give her two weeks rest and then bring her back into work with no cantering for a week or two.  At the same time Dylan managed to fall overnight and cut his knee.  On the same off fore he also had an enlarged leg from the knee down, again with no heat, so I cleaned his wound and applied my magnetic boots overnight.  Within two days his leg was back to normal.  At no point were either of them lame.  

Sprite meanwhile has decided she would prefer to be a brown horse rather than a grey one.