Rachael - Petplan Equine Ambassador

It’s a great honour, and I am very excited, to be back with Petplan Equine as an Ambassador for 2017.

Earlier in the year all the successful applicants were invited down to the Unicorn Trust Equestrian Centre, to meet and work with the team on media training and do some publicity shots. It was great to meet everyone new, and catch up with the returning sponsored riders who have also moved onto the ambassador programme.

This time of year with the horses I always seem to hit the ‘winter blues’. The weather is miserable, riding becomes minimal, and the urge to get out competing kicks in, when you know your horses just aren’t ready! Well this year was no different. After Lordie’s mystery illness and anaemia last year, he has still been coming back into work slowly, with occasional work depending mainly on the weather and ground conditions (as I have no arena). Sleet has been hit badly by the cold and wintery conditions, with his arthritis making him very stiff, therefore minimising the amount of conditioning work I can ask of him, to help his kissing spine syndrome.

So as I started to look at schedules, and work out my options, a local level open show popped up, that had in-hand classes; Tristan was up!

As I made the decision to get the little man out and about, he’s predominantly white, and loves mud! Bathing Tristan is like a military operation. I like to get him bathed as quickly as possible, and then wrap them up warm. With him, it’s a case of get him clean, move him away from any wet (as his tail and feathers drag) and then get him wrapped up! Luckily enough I managed to enlist the help of my lovely nephew Jamie!

After several kettle runs, and lots of bubbles ‘my little wingman’ was sparkling! Until he span round and dragged his tail in the wet! AGRRR! After wrapping him up as much as possible I then had to go to work, dreading what I would come back to in the morning!

On the day, myself and ‘Equestridad’ Ray, picked up another pair of hands in the form of my niece Heather this time, and went to assess the damage! The wraps, full body lycra suit, and rug hand held out! Tristan was clean! (ish!) With a couple of poo patches to his hocks it wasn’t the end of the world, and we boxed up late morning for a 12.30pm class start.

On arrival Tristan was super excited, did a few screams, and attracted a lot of attention to himself! I had a few people come over and ask how he was so white, what did I use and do I have any tips. They also commented on how lovely he looked, which is always great to hear. One remark did make me laugh though, when a lady walked past and said “A lot of effort has gone into that pony”, if only she knew the half of it!

We entered three classes, the coloured, the cob and the youngstock, and to my surprise we won them all!

As the youngstock was the last class, and the championship was immediately after, we went in. I wasn’t expecting to placed, but it’s a good experience for him and with a wide variety going forwards, including an Arab stallion, hunter, and some flashy welshies, I was shocked to be chosen as Reserve Champion!! My little wingman was a super coblet!

As the side saddle season draws closer, I’ve been struggling to get over to Amanda’s and work with Marcus. Hours at work have been unforgiving lately, and the weather hasn’t helped. But one moderately dry Sunday I had the opportunity to visit so jumped at the chance! We hi-vized up (obviously!) and took Marcus and Chaz, Amanda’s other horse, for a happy hack. It was so great to be back out on him and to see Amanda.

In the next few weeks it will be our first side saddle show, and more preparation will be done with Marcus to make sure we’re ready. Sleet will soon start work again as the weather and ground improves, and Lordie has already been boxed up and visited the local indoor to start some more serious schooling ready for his first dressage competition in a few weeks! It feels like things are finally starting to improve, and the horses should all be back fighting fit within weeks! Fingers crossed!