February 3, 2010 *  Our First Own-a-Horse Day was a resounding success!  It turned into a very impromptu Introduction to Natural Horsemanship Day by popular demand!!  I look forward to more of these.  It was great fun.  Next one is on February 23th.        Members of Equisharing: £60             Non-members: £80 * I would like to welcome our new sharers: Alex, Amie and Anna... the 3 -A's!!  I wish them lots of happy hours with their horses. * Next Stable Management evening is on Thursday 11th (have had to re-schedule Monday's class).  We will be addressing "Recognizing Good Health in Horses"  and "Basic Equine First Aid".  If you would like to join this evening, please do give me a call.       Members: £20               Non-members: £25  * I went to visit Max and Rioko at Sparsholt this week.  They both seem healthy - but I can't wait to bring them back - so watch this space!! * Merrist Wood has started their Wednesday evening Dressage/Clear Round Jumping evenings.  Please let me know if you would like to go to one of these. * For those of you who met Emma and Reina:  I heard from them this weekend.  They are happy and well and missing us!!  We miss you, too! *We are planning a series of 6 Lecture/Seminar evenings with Amber Batson, a Vet and Animal Behaviourist.  She is one of the most interesting people to listen to....  I am waiting for final details to confirm these events - but they are penciled in for Tuesday evenings, starting in the middle of March (most problably 3 before and 3 after the Easter break).  Will keep you posted - but if you could let me know that you are interested in the meantime, that would be great!  Have a good week everybody!

January 14, 2010

What a couple of weeks we've had...!!!! It has't been easy, has it, coping with this snow and ice...  but it is almost over now, so time to get going again.

This week we started the Stable Management course again.  Please feel free to join for just a session or two if you are interested.  Next Monday we are doing Stable Routines (i.e. mucking out!), the Monday after Tack and Equipment, then Feeding and then Recognizing a Healthy Horse and Basic First Aid for Horses.  Also, if you have been to a course in the past and missed a session you might want to make it up.

If you are making a session up there is no charge; if you are coming for just a session the cost is £20.  The 5 weeks cost £85.

After the course is finished we will be starting a "Body Mechanics for Riders" course.  This is a course that will help you discover how to make your body do what you want to to do!!  So many times on a horse we think we are doing something - but we are not!  Sound familiar?  If so, this course might be for you.  Watch this space.

Towards the end of March/Beginning of April we will have the Basic Horse Massage Course.  During this course we will learn the basic principals and movements and techniques of massaging a horse so that you can spoil your equine friend everytime you are grooming it.  You do not have to be a sharer to join this course.

And planning ahead we have a short Dressage Course coming up on Monday evenings.  We will address a specific test, ride it, video it, discuss it and video it again!  Lots of fun, too!

Before we know it it will be summer and we will be going to shows and sponsored rides - so this is the time to get ready!!

As you can see, I am full of enery, excitement and can't wait to get going again!

See you out there,
Monica

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Hello again!!!  No, I haven't dissppeared!!  I can't believe it has been two weeks since I last wrote here.

Last weekend we had our QS Group Christmas Party.  Thank you to all that came out to share, equipped with original Christmas Hats.  And a special THANK YOU to Jane for organizing the Christmas Challenges and the lovely spread. I am trying to get the photographs other people took to upload here.... so watch this space!

The Christmas Party on Saturday isn't going to happen. Thank you for getting in touch with me and letting me know you are going to be away.  I think I left it one week too late - next year we will have it earlier.  And we will have the musical ride at our Summer Party (weather might be more forgiving then, too!)

There are a couple of people that did say they could come, so instead of a party with are having a sedate Christmas Hack!!  Don't forget to Dress Up (dress warm and dress Chritsmassy!)!  Please do not just show up - I need to know if you are coming so we can organize things.

Stable Management Course was a great success (if I may say so myself!)  We will be doing another one, starting Monday, January 4th and will run for 6 weeks (more on the activities pages).

This week we said bye bye to Gemma.  Please join me in wishing her well at her new job.  She'll be popping in on Boxing Day to put the horses away that evening and then.... she's gone :(.

I would also like to give a warm welcome to Aimie and Alex.  They both joined Equisharing this week.  Here's to many happy horsey horses, girls!

Over the Christmas Days, please feel free to come at your times, regardless of the date!  If you are a Friday Sharer, I might see you Christmas Day, early in the morning when I go down to feed, and then around 5pm when I come to put the horses away.  If you want to come down and help on Christmas Day in the evening you are very welcome to come along.  On Boxing Day I will only be there for a little while in the morning again to put the horses out and Gemma will come down in the evening.  There will be nobody around during the day though on those two dates.

I think that brings me up do date....

Have a wonderful Christmas everybody!  I look forward to a fun filled 2010!!

Warm regards,
Monica

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Hi everybody!

A day late with my update - but a very good excuse I have:

I took Charlotte and Ladina and Beatrice and Blue to a Dressage Competition at Merrist Wood yesterday.... and they both came home with rosettes!!!!

Congratulations Charlotte and Beatrice.  It was Blue's first outing since he has been we us - and he was an absolute superstar!!

Here are two proud ladies:

Beatrice and Blue Placed in Prelim 14

Beatrice and Ladina Amazing 60% secured 4th Place in Prelim 14

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

 

What an emotionally exhausting week.....

• Rioko is well, happy, settled and taking good care of students of Sparsholt College now.  I miss him dearly but take comfort in the fact that he is enjoying his new job much better than the one I had for him!
• Rocky has gone to his new luxury home in Cranleigh.  He has 3 month's to prove to his new humans that he is as wonderful as I said he was!  Be a good boy Rocky.... I miss you.
• Also had to say bye-bye to Reina.  I took her down to East Sussex on Monday and have heard that she settled in nicely, too.
• Stable Management course is going ahead!  How exciting!  I have reformatted it to 5 weeks because I will have to be away one of the Mondays, so please note new dates.
• Ponies had an absolutely wonderful day at the cross country schooling day over the half term holiday.  Well done girls!!
• Please join me in congratulating Max's sharer Tracey for completing the New York Marathon!  What a brave girl....
• Also, a warm welcome to Siobhan - Ladina's new sharer on Sunday mornings.  We wish you many happy hours!

That's it for this week.  Next update next Wednesday.

Jess meets Pinky

Jess tackles hoofpicking