APRIL NEWSLETTER

NEWS

What can I say…… so much has changed. We enjoyed getting to a couple of events before the lockdown hit, but alas no more.

I thrive form being out and about in the lorry and I am now finding it difficult being confined to barracks - it’s a strange and difficult time for everybody in so many respects. Several of the horses have been turned out to enjoy a spring holiday but we have kept a few in work; those horses in rehab and youngsters can enjoy this time to go back and work on the basics. With the clocks changing and the ground finally drying out, we have been lucky enough to be able to turn most of the horses out at night and whilst they are still working, we have let them down a bit as they don’t need to be so fit. All this has enabled me to keep my full time staff employed and in turn has allowed me time to catch up on CPD etc as well come up with some new ideas. I’m currently working with Alison Kenward to deliver some online coaching and we are teaming up to deliver content for the BHS challenge awards. (See clinics below).

We are also trying to have a bit of a spring clean in the yard and you never know we might even end up painting some jumps!  Just before this all kicked off we teamed up with Kublox to sponsor our poles and Pilates clinics - please see below for more information on this fantastic product. This new company makes the foam blocks for raising poles here in the UK and their uses are many - take a look futher down the page!
 
Just one other thing……I’m really hoping that if nothing else comes out of this, it makes us all look at supporting British food and industry. Please when ever you can buy local and support British

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CLINICS

​For obvious reason we are not publishing any clinic dates until we have an idea of how things evolve. For the same reason Sarah is currently unable to teach privately. If however you are still keeping your horse ticking over and you would like to send some video of your riding for analysis or would like some ideas for lesson plans to keep you inspired please get in touch.

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COMBINED TRAINING
- IN THE SADDLE AND ONLINE!

Sarah Gairdner and Alison Kenward have been working together to deliver Combined Training Day Camps and now bring you an online training programme to help you get ready to enjoy your horse once lockdown is over. 
Each week Sarah and Alison will lead a workshop created with the adult amateur in mind. Whether you love jumping and hate dressage or vice versa you will enjoy these out of the saddle sessions. As an added extra Riders, can work through the BHS Challenge Awards to broaden their knowledge of horse care and riding. The online course will conclude with a special one day camp at Danesmoor Eventing once the lockdown is lifted.

Please email Sarahgairdner@icloud.com or alison.kenward@btinternet.com for more details.

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KUBLOX

A QUICK QUIZ

​(All questions have a tenuous link to horses...!)

1. Can you name the three small bone in the ear?
2. Which blue blooded mother and daughter have both competed in the Olympics?
3. Which 5* has a racket sport named after it and why?
4. What is the origin of the idiom “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” and what does it mean?
5. The pony Drizzle has served Prince Charles, Prince William and Duke of Sussex in which sport?
6. In Notting Hill, Will Thacker said he worked for which magazine during a press conference?
7. Which common household item is also known as a winterdyke?
8. Who wrote Black Beauty?
9. Which Derby winner was kidnapped in 1983 from his stable in Ireland?
10. Which Grand National winner (1967) was ridden by a jockey from Edgcote?

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HORSE PROFILES

Continuing our series of profiles for the horses on our yard with...:

Horse: Daisy May VIII
Nickname: Daisy
Age: 8 yo
Gender: mare
Breeding: Daisy is owned and bred by Jacky Owen. She is the 3rd generation that Jacky has bred and is out of a Startlight XXIX who is by Primitive Star, she  was competed for Jacky by Kitty King. Daisy’s sire is Royaldik.  
 
The good: She is very quick thinking and tries super hard to please and has a great work ethic.
 
The Bad: Cant think of anything, just wish she was a couple of inch’s taller
 
The Ugly: Daisy has always had great manners but in her debut for a modelling career for Resp clothing she was less than amused and bounced a lot. When hacking back from the gallops she finally ejected Sarah for the first time ever and all Sarah could think was ‘I cant get the clothes dirty as we still have more pictures to take!’
 
Hope for the future: Daisy arrived in the spring as a rising 6 yo and spent a lot of that year at home building the foundations. She ran on a ticket a few times in the Autumn with mostly top 10 placings and also had an introduction to hounds. Last season she progressed to running at Novice in the summer again with good placings and a 2nd resulting in a NRF qualification at Lt Downham.  This season she was going to be aiming at consolidating at 2* level.