Petplan Equine
Sponsored Rider - Charlotte

May and June Update

Well it is safe to say that 2015 really hasn't been my year at all, as May and June have been two turbulent months yet again here at Edwards Equestrian!

May started off with a new sales livery coming in, a mare I have known for years, April. She is very sweet, and we just needed to find her the best home possible, which we did!

I have bought another new horse as a project. Her name is Nina of Newhaggart (Nina), she is a beautiful seven year old, Irish, coloured mare. She has the most loving and sweet temperament, so much so, that my non-horsey sister is trying to steal her off me.

Drama seems to follow me around at the moment with my jumping horses. So after the saga of the beginning of the year with Buenos Aires (Troy) and his ulcers, we were just starting to prepare him to go to his first show. On the Friday, I took him training at Andy Austin's where he was very happy and keen to be out and about. I also took Charmeur (Stan) training as well, where he jumped unbelievably. On the way home, the M4 was shut, and it took me over five hours to do an hour journey, on bank holiday Friday in May, we ended getting home at midnight. On the way home, Troy started to colic, so we had the emergency vet to meet us when we got home. As soon as he was off the lorry, he was right as rain again. But when it comes to colic, there is no point taking chances, as they can go downhill very quickly. The vet checked him over, and after an hour of being at home, everything was fine and back to normal. So that was the first scare he gave me over that weekend.

On the Saturday, everything was fine, and Troy went out into the field to have a stretch of his legs and some fresh air after the long journey the night before. I got him in from the field, and did my normal routine of checking all of his legs over for any cuts or lumps or bruises, which I do every day, to familiarise myself with each horse, and their anatomy, and he was absolutely fine. The next morning, one of his front legs had a massive swelling on it, and it looked like he had struck into himself and done a tendon. So with much panic, we had to call the vet out again. Chiltern Equine must love Troy with all their call outs over weekends and bank holidays! He trotted up lame, so they scanned his leg, we were hopeful he had just got away with soft tissue damage. They came out another three times that week to check on his progress. Eventually, three weeks down the line, there was no progress and he was still lame so he was referred to Newmarket Equine Hospital for an MRI scan. I trundled up there with him. When he came off the lorry you wouldn't have thought he was injured as he leapt around snorting his head off. We got the results back within days, and he has injured a small ligament in his foot. He is on box rest and then another review, but we are told that he will make a full recovery. It just proves, you can try and protect them as much as possible, but he managed to injure himself in his stable overnight. Once again, I cannot thank the team at Petplan Equine enough as they have already paid Newmarket Equine Hospital directly for his MRI scan.

We managed to actually get to a show on the 26th May. I travelled two and a half hours to Summerhouse EC for a BS Show Jumping show, with Nina, Stan and Buddy. We started off the day with Nina at only her second ever show jumping show, and straight into a British Novice. It was built up to height and very technical. She jumped the first half brilliantly, and then had a few poles down towards the end due to mental fatigue, so I pulled her up and retired her deciding to save her for another day.

Then it was Stan's turn. He had been acting strangely to tack up and was very bad to get on, which isn't normal. I walked him down to the collecting ring, and did my girth up, at which point he reared up and nearly flipped over backwards, which again, was very strange behaviour. I thought I would give him a trot and canter round the collecting ring to see how he was, and he kept shooting off. I realised that something was wrong, got off him and took him back to the lorry. It turned out, he had been stung right underneath where his girth went, poor guy! This must have just happened before I tacked him up, as then he started to go colicy, which was a reaction to the sting. We walked him for ages, and he eventually got better. That could only happen to me at the moment, what are the chances! Then it was Buddy's turn. He jumped a beautiful double clear in the 1.05, and then just had a pole in the 1.10. Yet again, another eventful day! Stan was due to have a holiday after this show anyway until we have moved, so he is happily getting fat in the field at the moment.

In June, we decided to take Buddy to Addington. He was very keen to get out and jump after not being out for a few weeks. He had a pole in the 1.05 due to being too over enthusiastic. Then as we were warming up for the 1.10, I was walking him round to give him a little breather before going in the ring, and a horse spooked and spun into him, resulting in Buddy smacking his legs on the side of the collecting ring with a huge thud. He walked off very lame, and it wouldn't walk off, so we took him back to the lorry, hosed his legs down, and bought him home. It turned out he had dislodged a back shoe, had very deep bruising, and had taken a massive chunk of front foot out as well. He has been box rested for three weeks, and has only just come back into work. It never rains but it pours with horses. You have just got to keep thinking positive and hope things can only get better.

On a brighter note, my two foals are growing up and maturing into the most beautiful things on earth. I have now got them passported and decided on 'proper' names for them. Belle's show name is CC's Baby Belle and Millie's show name is CC's Grand Gesture. They have the most amazing temperaments, and once they have been weaned, they will be coming home, along with their mum's Carly and Lilly, who I am so proud of for producing me the most perfect foals.

It isn't long now until we move house and yards to our new base in Hampshire. We have already been moving things over, and now I am counting down the days until I can move over with the horses. So although I haven't had the best of luck this year, it is something to look forward to!

I am just hoping my luck will change and all the horses come right and we can get back out competing together. I want to thank Petplan Equine for their continued support through these tough times, and for being the best insurance company there is! The amount of claims we have made over the years and never once having a problem or to chase or to hassle them, is a real testament to a company.

Charlotte’s top tip

When competing this summer in the heat, make sure your horses stay well hydrated by offering them water regularly. Also, when you're not warming up or competing, get off them, loosen their girths and make sure you keep them in the shade. It's very easy for horses to get heat stroke, which can very easily be prevented.