Carly Millbank

All Quiet Whilst Horses on Rest

With the outdoor season over I decided that all of the horses deserved a well earned rest.  Luca and Whinny have been turned away to turn into woolly ponies for a month with the aim of getting them back in ready for the International Show at Towerlands - the Unex Masters in November.  They have all had their backs and teeth done before their holidays so that they can now reset uninterrupted until its time to restart their fitness work.

We have had two new arrivals this week, two very nice 4 year olds, one mare and one gelding.  I have just started their early education with some lunging and long reining and will start to ride them next week.  These pair should keep me occupied whilst the others are off.  They are both superbly bred with the mare being related to Wanted (the horse I won the 4 year olds on) and also on the Mother's line is the daughter of Baloubet De Rouet - who is one of the best showjumpers in the world!  The gelding is by Capitol and also has some fabulous blood on his mother's side so hopefully they both will be talented jumpers.

Dino is back to full soundess and has started to be hacked out which is great news.  All being well he will also go to the Unex Masters to compete in the 5 year old classes.  He has missed out on quite a lot of work this year so will probably be one of the greener horses in the class.

Neal, my partner, has started riding again with the hope of doing some competing next year.  He is having weekly lessons with an outside instructor - I was teaching him but the arguments were unbearable!!!

We had a great last outdoor show at Arena UK.  Whinny jumped one of the very few double clears in the 5 year championship qualifier and added more money to her BSJA record which she has been topping up on a regular basis.  I was delighted with her and even more so as she was not on top form due to a sore back which is now fully healed.

Our house is still in pieces following the summer flood.  Everything is ripped out and but nothing has gone back in.  We are currently drawing up our plans for the new stable yard which is very exciting.  We are hoping to put an American barn back in the place of the existing outside block.  This should make things a lot easier for all concerned.

Wanted is back with his owner at the moment competing in affiliated dressage - we are hoping to watch him in action this weekend.  Fingers crossed he comes home with another red rosette!

So all in all, pretty quiet here until next month....until next time!

Carly