Paddy Muir

All Ready and Nowhere to go

After one of the longest, hardest winters we somehow managed to get three horses fit and ready for Witton horse trials which was cancelled the day before it was due to run. So we now have a three week wait until our next event.

The bad weather and lack of work can bring out some interesting behaviour in horses and it has been a battle to keep on top of them. Lack of turn out is the biggest factor for us as our horses are used to half a day in the field daily, and when this is not possible they have done miles on the horsewalker – which they hate!!

Diet and routine are a huge factor in keeping the young horses sane and during the frozen weather they have been on a strict Hi-Fi and Alfa beet diet with very little else and the really naughty ones have had the NAF ‘Magic’ Supplement added daily which I find has an unbelievable effect of calming them down and making them less spooky.

I seemed to spend two months over Xmas and New Year shovelling snow and gritting a lunge ring and the horse walker. This meant I could at least lunge each horse for half an hour in the morning and then they would walk for an hour in the afternoon. This kept them surprisingly fit and when we came to do our first canter I was amazed at the level of fitness of the horses.

The ground has been good for the past month and we have really got some work into them. Stanley has been going very well and will aim for Blenheim. My little mare Peggy Brown will do the JRN circuit with Charlotte Rodgers who keeps her here with me, Olania, my chestnut mare will aim for Burgie CCI* in June.

I have a young black Dressage horse who is very naughty, very sharp but very lovely who is developing well and will start affiliated Dressage when I can keep his feet on the ground long enough to do a test!! He has amazing balance and the ability to sit on his hocks – this is probably why he finds it so easy to do 5 bucks, a rear, a spin round, and land four square in the same position as when he started! I know his ambition is to get me off which he hasn’t yet achieved – but he is gorgeous and fun and bright and I have very high hopes for him.

We have purchased a new pony for Lucy who is now 13 – a dreamy 14.2hh, Connemara called Rebel, from two lovely sisters in Northumberland who have had lots of success with him. Rebel will hopefully bring her into BE Eventing. He is a wonderful jumper and has done loads of Hunting but hasn’t done much flat work so he will spend a month doing dressage and lunging.

Paddy