Month: December 2015

Although not all of us have time off work during the holiday period, the Christmas and New Year break is a great period to get OCD with your kit and have a good tidy up before the season begins.

Here are the top jobs that I will be doing over the next few days…

Trimming and Pulling
Although not every horse appreciates mane or tail pulling, now is a great time to get long manes in check before the competition season begins. Weather you pull or trim I’d always recommend doing this after exercise when horses are more inclined to stand still. Who wants to end up with a wonky mane or tail? At this time of year all my horses get a good tail trim. It keeps them tidy, out of the mud and by the start of the event season their tails will be at the perfect length. When the weather is particularly dire I coat tails in baby oil then plait and fold up, securing around the tail (not the dock) with a long elastic band. This way I minimise tail washing and wasting water.

Wash your grooming kit
I am really OCD about this but what’s the point in brushing your horse with a filthy brush? I’m lucky enough to have an old, second hand washing machine and I put all my brushes in this apart from the leather strapped ones. All the bags and boxes get cleaned out and washed too. I also stock up on plaiting kit and decant any sprays that no longer spray or damaged bottles. If you don’t have a specific horse washing machine then check out the padded washing bag by Moorland Rider. A brilliant piece of kit which means you can wash virtually anything In a domestic washing machine without the noise or the damage! If you want to wash by hand just use very warm water and soap with a scrubbing brush and leave the brushes to dry naturally once you have shaken off the excess water.

Throw out broken lead ropes 
Lead ropes with broken fastenings, knots in the wrong places or that are frayed beyond repair need to be thrown away. They are just a safety risk. Treat your horse to a new one and if the clip still functions cut it off and use it to fasten a haynet or as a handy hook. I also wash all my ropes and oil the clips. They look smart and last longer. My kids lead ropes have a big knot put in the non-clip end so they can hold tight to naughty ponies – I also do this for ride and lead ponies.

Repair your Haynets
Bailing twine works well to do this and haynets are really easy to mend and make do. I tend to replace the fastening string with sturdier rope which is easier to tie and undo. I buy mine for outdoor or camping shops.

Replace and clean your Velcro
Easy to do if you have a sewing machine or a relative that can use one. I replace any worn Velcro on saddle cloths, rugs and leg wraps as it extends their use and saves money. I replace competition boots when the Velcro is beyond repair as in my opinion they need to fit well and be as sturdy as possible – if the Velcro has perished it’s likely the boot has too. I also use a Velcro cleaning brush on my competition and turnout boots to make sure they are as clean as possible before full on training and the season begins.

Re Stock your First Aid Kit
Like your grooming kit, its time to have a clear out! I tend to throw away anything like poltices that have been have half used and start afresh. Same goes for used medicines. I stock up on all the usual kit – hibiscrub, Vetwrap, poultice, tape, cotton wool roll, wound spray and also make sure that suitable scissors, plastic (for poulticing) and a thermometer are in the kit. I also check through the lorry kit and make sure that I have a suitable human one as well including painkillers, antihistamine and cool packs – all of which were used last year. For the start of the season I keep a torch and a head torch on the lorry for dark mornings and evenings.

Wash your hat liners!
A few of my hats have removable hat liners so I have been giving them a good clean and a wipe over. It’s a good time of year to check for damage and that your hat conforms to the new labelling rules if you intend to compete in 2016. I also wash all my hat covers and ear warmers, make any repairs and clean my hat bags – replacing hairnets and hairbands where I need to. Spur Straps get a good oil if they need it and the keepers are replaced if they are worn. My jackets also get a clean and repair now… instead of the week before the first event and I check over my boots, especially the zips as these can’t be prepared in a hurry.

Write a blog!
Writing about your riding, whether you publish publicly or not is a great way to reflect, plan, celebrate, share stories and communicate with other riders. All you need is an internet connection and there are many blog apps available so you can even write one from your phone. I’ve found blogging a great way to meet other people and tell stories about my life and owning horses. So stay tuned in 2016 for more equine fashion and trend reports, eventing tales and photos of what we are up to.

Have a brilliant New Year and thanks for all your support in 2016!