Carly Millbank

Winter has arrived and the Indoor Season is underway

The indoor season is now underway and our calendar has been packed full of winter shows and qualifiers which we are really looking forward to.

We have had a slight set back in that I did not get in at the Unex Masters at Towerlands - my local venue.  I was one of 50 riders on the waiting list and never made it to the top of the list!  Never mind it is not the end of the world and there will be plenty more shows to participate in - the next one being the BSJA Area 40 show, which Wanted and Whinny will go to.

The two 4-year olds that I wrote about last time have been sold to super homes.  Ferdi has gone to an amateur rider to compete in all disciplines and Connie has gone to a show jumper in Suffolk.  I wish them both luck in their new homes and we await news of their progress and hopefully their success stories!

The builders have still not arrived to fix our house (which was flooded in the summer).  The house is still in its "gutter" condition that it was in June and no work has commenced on the stable yard either - also in need of repair!  We are all feeling very down trodden about the whole situation and the prospect of the nights only getting colder for the foreseeable future is not a good thought when we are living in an unheated and uninsulated mobile home...!  We have been given a start date for early December for the works to commence so I am crossing everything it happens - otherwise I will be joining the horses on their Alfa-A and Hi-Fi diet to help keep me warm too!

I have several new horses arriving next week.  Two 4-year olds, two 6-year olds and maybe a 3 year old that we hope to get ready in the spring for the 4-year old style and performance classes that Wanted won this year.

Whinny is back to full fitness now and we have been seen out on the gallops with her several times with the racing thoughbreds to try to get her muscled and keep the weight off her (she is a very good do-er!).  She really does think she is the fastest horse in the world for the first 200 meters, but after that she is ready for retirement!  Her stamina and weight are improving all the time though.

Luca has been doing plenty of hacking and he will start to jump again in December.  And finally, I have found a new home for Dino who will be leaving us next week.  We will all be very sad to see him go as he really has become part of the family!

Until next time....

Carly