Petplan Equine
Sponsored Rider - Amy

May and June Update

May and June have been fairly quiet months on the competing front for us. Billy has been continuing his training, so we will see how he gets on and where we go from here with him. Ghost didn't start or end May in a great way, after going lame and being on box rest, I withdrew him from both Millfield Horse Trials and also Pontispool Horse Trials. That knocked our Southwest rankings right down from 3rd to 13th place.

Once Ghost was sound and back in training, I did manage to get a run with him at Treborough Horse Trials in the BE90. A super event that we always try and go to, it is truly beautiful on Exmoor and on a good day you can see Wales. However, on a bad day the visibility is so poor you cannot even see a hand in front of your face! Luckily, the weather was spot on and it was a beautiful day.

Ghost had a good run, leading after the dressage with 25.5, I had neglected his show jumping training which showed as I got two strides wrong and had two poles down. Ghost can easily get very worried after hitting a pole which affects the rest of the round so I have to keep his focus. The cross country course was challenging and it was causing carnage. Fence five was a ditch to rail; it ran downhill and was catching a lot of riders out. At one point I was told by our starter that car had ran out of accident forms. They were falling like flies! Ghost had a little look (check for those monsters) but flew over it and the rest of the course clear and in the time, and overall we managed to finish in 8th place. I was very pleased, and it's pulled us back up to 7th in the rankings. Next we have Bicton Horse Trials, Launceston Horse Trials and lots happening closer to home, along with the three Badminton Grassroots Qualifiers.

Foaling season has been extremely stressful this year. All manner of problems have arisen, one foal at 10 days old spent a week at the vets, and another couldn't get up or down unaided. Our most recent foal to be born at the end of June, to my 1* mare Zoe, was being delivered upside down. I have never been so worried and emotional in my life. It was a very traumatic experience but the vets were superb, if it wasn't for them the mare and foal would not have made it through the ordeal. Luckily, they have both been improving daily. So that's the end of her foaling career. She will come back into work in the winter and we will aim to be back to BE100 next season. We now have four healthy foals and one left to go.

Billy has gone away to a friend to carry on his education, and I have her mare down in return for covering. It's been so hectic the last few weeks it's easier for him to be worked consistently elsewhere for the moment, and then we can see what will happen.

Amy’s top tip

In this heat we are having, especially, when you have finished your cross country round and have come back to walk, I like to dismount, loosen the girth and noseband and walk the horses back to the lorry. After they have tried their heart out at cross country, there is nothing worse to see than a rider kicking their knackered and sweaty steed back to its lorry.