July 2015

I’m writing this in what is meant to be the hottest day for a decade, so sitting in the shade to do so. The horses don’t seem to mind the hot weather, and the terrier loves it, but the Collie can be found lying stretched out in various places where there is the slightest airflow. Please, whatever you do in hot weather, do not leave your dogs in a car, even with the windows down! Cars heat up to 50^oC or more (a dog’s normal body temperature is around 38^oC) and they can die an agonising death in a short space of time!!

Another thing to watch for is not leaving riding helmets in the sun in the car. The heat can be enough to damage the lining and make them less protective. There is often a warning in the labelling or instructions, but who reads those at the time?

The big news for the yard this month is that we are moving back to Wales; yes, less traffic, cleaner air, cheaper rates etc. etc. Carol has been both elated and saddened by all the comments from clients and friends, it is a big wrench but a necessary and exciting change. Patch the terrier is of course Welsh anyway, so she will be delighted to return to her home country! (Not that I think she can read the road signs in Welsh any better than she can read them in English!). The dogs are hoping for somewhere with nice doggy walks, while the horses just want grass and don’t care where it is.

We have been frantically busy preparing the yard and house for photos this last week, and many thanks to Roger from Equestrian Repairs: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Equestrian-Repairs/147427855282836?sk=timeline

Despite being really busy, he gave up his Sunday to help out and the place is looking great. Now we just need to have the open day before those pesky weeds grow again!

More excitement for this month, as Carol and I have just finished a booklet giving many helpful tips on ring-craft for Introductory dressage tests. A ‘must-have’ to get those extra few marks that make all the difference to the overall score. Carol is a dressage judge and knows just what the judges want, so for just the price of a cup of coffee you too can have the edge! We are just waiting for it to come back from the printers, so watch out for details soon. Read an excerpt from the booklet on our articles page – here.

Have fun in the sun, and don’t forget the water and sunscreen.

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