A little while ago I was contacted by Horsely to see if I would be interested in trying and testing out some of their products and I'm so glad I did as they are really beautiful items`! The delivery was very quick and I couldn't wait to try out the goodies I had been sent.

Sterling Silver Blue Dressage Horse Necklace
This necklace really is so beautiful, made out of quality sterling silver with gorgeous sparkling fire blue gemstones. IT looks lovely with your riding clothing as well as being smart enough to wear both at work and whilst out socialising :) Being top quality sterling silver it hasn't changed colour at all and I wear it all the time, even in the shower! Click on the following link to check out this necklace and other amazing jewellery items that they have available, all at brilliant prices:
​https://horsely.com.au/collections/equestrian-jewellery 

Tote Bag - Forget Glass Slippers, This Princess Wears Boots
​What a useful bag, I absolutely love it! It is a very durable bag with the design printed on both sides. It has strong handles on it to making it very easy to use. Great for work  as fits my laptop and notebook in easily or would be great for school too. Being machine washable you can use it for so many things including horsey gear such as tack and boots, picking up groceries from your local shop or supermarket or work / social outings due to it looking so smart! To look at this bag as well as some of the other Tote Bags that Horsely have available , please click on this link:
https://horsely.com.au/collections/equestrian-totes

Braided Belt - Diamond Pink, Blue, White and Red
If your looking for a new belt then this is the belt for you! It looks lovely with your riding breeches as well as being top quality and smart enough to wear with your casual or work trousers! They are available in a variety of colours too :)  With the braiding design the belt can be adjusted to fit a huge range of people! Another bonus to the great materials used to make this belt is that they don't stretch either so you get an awful lot of use out of them without them looking tatty! To view the wide range of belts Horsely have available please click on the following link: ​https://horsely.com.au/collections/belts/Multi-Color

I highly recommend the products available with Horsely, they are all top quality and the customer service is second to none! Plus the websites so easy to navigate around - what more could we want?! I very proud to also be a brand ambassador for Horsely alongside other brand ambassadors from all over the world, including USA, Dubai and Portugal! To check out their full range of clothing, jewellery, home & living equipment, bags, belts and lots lots more please click on the following link to their website: https://horsely.com.au/

Despite the weather taking a turn and getting slightly colder with the odd snow shower yesterday, Roxie and Milli had their physiotherapy session from the fantastic Sofia Graham and after treating the girls, Sofia treated me as she is starting to train in Human Bowen treatments!

​Roxie and Milli always love their sessions with  Sofia and they work so well with her which ensures they get the very most out of each treatment. Roxie loves a lot of the stretching exercises and Milli is a big fan of the exercises which involve her getting a good scratch! 

As you can see from the pictures above, they do thoroughly enjoy their sessions from Sofia. Roxie relaxes so much and has a little snooze whilst Sofia is doing work on her back. There is one exercise that Sofia does where she places her hands in front of Roxie's hip and the way her back reacts is amazing.....from her whither along under where the saddle would go turns to what looks like jelly being wobbled on a plate which shows how well she reacts to the form of treatment being given. Milli being grumpy Milli can be a little moody at times and just wants to be scratched aalllllll the time but Sofia works around this to ensure that Milli benefits as much as possible from her treatment

After Roxie and Milli had had their treatments and we'd warmed up slightly! Next it was my turn :) Sofia has started Human Bowen Therapy training and with all my aches and pains I was more than happy to be a case study for her. Before we started Sofia asked me to bend forward and reach as far down as I could.....I just about managed to touch the tips of my fingers on the floor in front of me! As expected I was very tight pretty much all over so Sofia did exercises on me to provide me with a general body balance and will do more on my follow up treatment. Some of it hurt a bit but is was not unbearable and I'm completely aware that after my injuries following a car accident almost 8 years ago and what I put my poor body through during the training for and running the marathon last year that quite a bit of works needs to be done due to me being a tad wonky and skew-wiff! During the treatment I noticed my breathing became more relaxed and I wanted to take bigger longer breathes and after some exercise I could feel my body processing what had just been done.....it is very hard to explain! Once Sofia had finished I was to stand back up slowly and have a glass of water just in case I felt a bit light headed and I'm not just saying it but I did feel a bit light headed and could still feel my body working on what had just happened. We focused a bit on my hip / pelvis and lower back due to the various breaks suffered in this region and once we'd finished from my waist line down to my knee felt like it was it a light spasm but it felt good if that makes sense. Sofia then asked me to slowly bend forward to touch the floor again......I was AMAZED.....I could nearly put my hands flat on the floor in front of me! How come?! was the first thing I asked Sofia and it was due to how tight and restricting my back and legs were before hand and now they are more relaxed giving me more freedom of movement! I wished I had taken pictures to prove how much more flexible I was!

I took it easy for the rest of the day and didn't sit still for any longer than 30 minutes at a time. When I went to bed that night I was looking forward to seeing how I slept as I've not been sleeping that well recently.....I had the best nights sleep in a long time! Plus now two days later I still feel much looser and more relaxed over my neck, back and legs which is making sitting in an office chair from 9am until 5pm much more bearable! I can't wait for my follow up treatment.....check back here to find out how we get on and I will try and remember to take some before and after pictures next times :)

​To treat your four legged friend (either equine or canine) to a well deserved treatment with Sofia please click on the below link to check out her website for any further information and to arrange a session:
www.sofiagrahamvetphysio.co.uk

SG Equestrian
​xXx 

Things have been a little quieter than normal for us throughout January for a number of reasons, with the horrible weather being the main reason! We started off 2018 as we meant to go on with a nice hack out new years day, except there wasn't much nice about the weather that day at all.....we got soaked!!! We have tried our best to dodge the showers and have been doing some hacking to help keep both Roxie and Milli ticking over whilst I have been busy with other things!

As well as the horrible weather putting a 'dampener' (excuse the pun!!) on my enthusiasm to ride, there has also been a lot going on away from the yard already this year. At home, we have been without a kitchen since boxing day as we have decided to do a bit of 'make over' of downstairs at home! To start with it was feeling like it was never going to be done as everything seemed to be against us.....we took the ceiling down and it became apparent that whoever built the extension on our house had done such a horrendous job that the whole roof had to be taken down and rebuilt! As you can see from the picture.....the weather wasn't on our side that day either and new years eve was spent busy getting the roof kitchen / dining room as watertight as possible! Thankfully things are now going to plan and it is really starting to come together and look more like a house than a building site! There's still a few weeks to go until our new kitchen goes in as there's still quite a bit to with new floors, carpets and painting but there is light at the end of the tunnel now and we can't wait for it to be done!!

As we get ready for the start of our 2018 competition season, we are very excited that we have been asked to be a brand ambassador for a fantastic online company that sells some beautiful items, including equestrian jewelry, belts, socks, clothing as well as hand and tote bags. We are being sent some of their amazing goodies so keep an eye on our social media sites to see pictures and reviews of each item. More information to follow on this fantastic company but for the mean time please check out their website too..... www.horsely.com.au
Horsely - It's not a hobby, it's a lifestyle.

I hope you are all well and have had an enjoyable Christmas! As we head towards the end of 2017 although it doesn't feel like that long ago I was typing my "Review of 2016"  it's that time of the year again and although it hasn't been a great year for me with the horses for s number of reasons there are still things that have been completed which I am very proud of!

Back to January 2017 where Roxie and Milli were going from strength to strength with their showjumping and picking up placings nearly every time out towards the end of 2016 and after a few quiet weeks over Christmas and the New Year we were back out jumping at Blue Barn. Roxie jumped a speedy double clear to finish 2nd in the Discovery and Milli jumped a confident double clear to finish 3rd in the Newcomers :) 

Throughout January I also began training for an event which I knew wasn't going to be easy that was for sue but I had no idea how tough it would actually be! I was training to run the Brighton Marathon. I have always wanted to run a marathon since I was a young child and when I got confirmation that my entry had been successful the training began! Due to the amount of training required for such a long distance run the horses were kept ticking over for the first few months of the year as, due to working 9am to 5pm, my long run each week was at the weekend and this ruled out any competitions until after the marathon. As April approached my training reached it's peak and after being very strict with my eating whilst I was training I was looking forward to eating lots of carbs in the week leading up to the marathon, I loved pasta! Although I have to say after eating as many carbs as possible every day, some days starting with pasta for breakfast I was no longer that keen on pasta or potatoes!!

9th April 2017 - RACE DAY!!
Despite the blood, sweat and tears I had put myself through during my training I had made it and race day was upon us! I was incredibly excited and couldn't wait to start, I felt as ready as I needed to be.....little did I know what I was going to have to go through between the start and finish line! During my training I never got to the point of 'hitting the wall' so I was a bit worried as to when I would during the run as I knew I would as the longest I ran in training was just under 20 miles. I started well, a little too well as I found out what 'hitting the wall' feels like and I was only at the start of mile 9!!! I genuinely didn't think I would be able to complete the rest of it, turns out I had started way way too fast and set new PB's for both 5km, 10km and 15km.....which would explain why I felt like I did shortly after!

I took it easy for the next mile and at mile 10 I began to run again and didn't stop until I finished! For April it was a scorching hot day so i'm sure for all of the spectators the 20°C+ and sunshine was much appreciated but it made the run so much harder, plus there was hardly any breeze. I was expecting there to be a nice breeze as you ran along the sea front - nope and don't even get me started on the hills! I had heard the terrain was hilly for the first 10-12 miles but I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.....if only running downhill was as easy as cycling downhill! Needless to say it was much tougher than I had ever expected it to be but I did enjoy every minute of the entire day, especially the massage in the KSSAAT finish tent at the end! Plus I only lost 1 toe nail during the run, not that there were many more for me to loose after losing so many during my training! I fund raised for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSSAAT) and was very pleased to have raised just under £1,000 for them as without them and their fantastic life saving services the chances of my being here today would be very slim. Huge thank you to everyone of you who sponsored me!

The following Wednesday, after a few days of walking slightly lopsided and very slow I packed everything needed for a long weekend away.....just what I needed right?! Except I wasn't going alone, I was taking Roxie and Milli with me to jump at the Easter Extravaganza show at Weston Lawns. I thought it would be a nice weekend away having fun with the horses, the only thing I hadn't really thought of was how long it would actually take me to recover completely after running 26.2 miles and yes the 0.2 extra miles does make all the difference!

Easter Extravaganza, not that I was feeling too extravagant! A long drive up there, a quick wander and ride around the showground on Roxie and then Milli and I was ready for bed, especially with 5 days worth of jumping ahead of me I needed the sleep! Over the next few days Roxie picked up top 10 placings in quite a few of the classes that she jumped and despite the odd cheeky moment Milli picked up some placings in Discovery and 1.05m classes too so although I was far from feeling or riding at my best I was pleased with how they both jumped.

​After giving myself a few quiet weeks to recover a bit more I was back out with Milli at the beginning of May where we picked up a placing out jumping at Felbridge but Milli wasn't feeling her normal self and with her being a home bred horse I know her and something wasn't 100%. After a few investigations and with nothing showing up I decided to take her to the vets. After an assessment and some scans it became clear that she had tweaked one of her front legs and had a summer of box rest ahead of her!

​After a few months off at the end of 2016 with injury and then a few extra months off whilst I was training for the marathon it was time for Diaz to come back into work and she was feeling on great form. Once fit enough we went out to a pole work clinic which she thoroughly enjoyed and was feeling great. 

Through May and June I took Roxie out to a few affiliated jumping competitions and we picked up top 3 placings every time out but without Milli being out competing too I decided to have a bit of quiet time as I was still struggling with the after effects, aches and pains from running the marathon.

Towards the end of the summer Diaz moved on to her new home and although I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to her, she couldn't have gone to a better home and I have already heard that she is back out competing and doing what she loves most!

September 2017, with Autumn fast approaching and after a few weeks focusing on our flatwork Roxie was back out competing and we were having a go at something a bit different.....showing at the Retraining of Racehorses South East Championship Show! I hadn't done any showing for 10+ years and none with Roxie so I was looking forward to doing something a bit different. We were competing in the National Amateur Showing Qualifier and although it was an amateur class, everybody seemed to know what they had to do and certainly looked the part. Roxie was wearing her sparkly velvet browband which she loved but that was about as far as it went with us looking the part!

There was 23 in the class, well I say 23 started the class and only 19 were still in the ring at the end of the class.....that's thoroughbreds for you I guess, some certainly found it very exciting all cantering around together! Despite not having any showing experience Roxie certainly knew who the judge was and who she needed to twinkle her toes in front off. We finished in 4th place which I was absolutely chuffed with, not going to lie I was a little frustrated when I found out that it was the first 3 that qualified for the National Championships but considering it was our first attempt I was still pleased and will certainly be having a go at a few more next year!

As well as the showing class at the RoR South East Championship Show we also did an Elementary dressage test and we scored 60+% which was quite good for Roxie considering that the dressage arena was in the same arena as the showjumps!

To finish off the competition season of 2017 Roxie and I went to Blue Barn for an affiliated dressage competition and despite only doing one dressage test in the last year or so Roxie behaved very well and did two lovely elementary tests, scoring 60+% in both to finish 2nd in Elementary 42 and then we won Elementary 59.

​At the beginning of October Milli was back at the vets and the news was very good, all had healed and she was now to begin to slowly come back into work. With the positive news the following day we had our first walk around the school and she behaved surprisingly well! Her walk work to increase slowly and then before we knew it she was trotting and cantering and she was feeling great, back to her normal cheeky! At the end of October it was my brothers wedding so the girls were just kept ticking over whilst we had a few family outings as so many people came to stay and celebrate the special day with us.

With Milli's fitness now back at almost competition level it was time for her to go out for a party. Instead of going to a competition we went to a local polework clinic which she found great fun and I was incredibly pleased with how well she behaved and with how well she went! A few weeks later I took Roxie to a pole work clinic which was very entertaining as polework has never been something that Roxie likes doing, I don't think she sees the point of it, why step over them when you can jump!? We did find that she trotted over them beautifully with me leading her and running next to her!

After the polework clinics the following weekend I was up in our school and set up all of my own poles to do similar exercises to what we did at Mary's polework clinics, well with Milli anyway, there wasn't much point in doing it with Roxie! As I warmed Milli up she didn't feel 100% again, this time behind, my heart sank! Quick examination and nothing obvious so a few quiet days to see what showed up - nothing! I spoke with my vet and he suggested some quiet hacks out and she would be fine one minute and then not quite right the next. After discussions with my farrier as well we decided to put her back shoes back on as she has been barefoot behind for quite a while now but that was the only thing that I could pin point it down too.

Things have been a little stop star over the last few weeks leading up to Christmas as it's been cold and the school has been frozen both before and after work and with it not being light enough to hack out before or after work I have only been able to ride at weekends which is a little frustrating! Over the last 10 days Millis has been in 'boot camp' a bit doing plenty of work and she is feeling on top form with just the odd cheeky moment when ever she feels like it is needed to brighten the schooling session or hack up!

As you can probably guess, 2017 hasn't been a great year for me and the horses, we have achieved some of our aims but things seem to have been parred by injuries for both me and the horses although mine were or are self inflicted from running the marathon!

I have quite a few things planned and competitions to aim for next year but I'll do a seperate blog on these in the New Year! I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for following us throughout the year, a big thank you to my friends and family for all their help and support and not forgetting our fabulous sponsors who have kept the horses in tip top condition with such great feed and supplements throughout the year as well as the fantastic bedding they have had in their stables and of course the fantastic physio making sure they are feeling at their very best!

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year!!

Now the clocks have changed and the temperatures have dropped it is very clear that winter is almost here and although it is a little frustrating that things haven't quite gone to plan with the horses recently at least we aren't missing out on having fun in the sun! I do have to admit though I'm very much looking forward to getting back out competing in the not to distant future, hopefully with both Roxie and Milli back fighting fit 🐴
​
SG Equestrian
xXx

We have a bit of a quiet weekend coming up with no competitions planned for this weekend, although I’m sure there is plenty yard jobs to keep me busy!! 

SG Equestrian
xXx

Last Saturday we went to Pachesham Equestrian Centre for the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) South East Championships. Although we have taken part in RoR sections at some British Eventing competitions, this was the first official RoR show that we have been to and we will definitely be going to more as it was such a friendly and well run competition.

I hope all our followers and supporters are well and had a lovely bank holiday weekend - wasn't the weather lovely! Makes a nice change to the usual UK bank holiday weekend weather doesn't it?!

​We have had a week of mixed emotions here which started early Saturday morning when we said a very sad good bye to the lovely Diaz. I was incredibly sorry to see her go as she has been part of the team now for over 2 years 😞 We have both taught each other an awful lot and after lots of thought I had to make the decision that I just don't have time for three horses and a full time work. She is going to a lovely new home and the person buying her has said they will let me know how they get on.....you never know we may see her when we are out competing if we are ever in the area!

The rest of the bank holiday weekend was rather quiet and Roxie and I made the most of the sunshine that we had and went out on some lovely long hacks 😍. Talking of Roxie and last Tuesday we had a flatwork lesson with the fantastic Jan Breeze. Roxie did some fantastic work and we have made a few plans for some things to do with her which may even include a bit of showing.....watch this space!!

Yesterday I finished work early as had an appointment at the vets with Milli, after a few months of box rest it was time to check how everything was. Milli thought all her Christmas' had come at once when I put her travel boots on a loaded her onto the lorry - much to Roxie's disgust, she was staying at home! It was good news and Milli now has the all clear to begin ridden work again. She still has a few weeks box rest ahead of her until she is fit enough to be turned out in the big field again. Milli the escape artist was back up to her tricks today and she snuck out under her chain to go and eat grass on the garden! On the positive I suppose it saves my dad a job of Milli does the mowing  😂

I can't wait to get back on her, although I'm not expecting her to be as calm and quiet as she is normally, especially after 3 months box rest! She is to have her front shoes back on before she can be ridden and after a quick phone call to my farrier when we returned to the yard from the vets, he has managed to juggle things about for us so he can come to do her tomorrow - what a great service!!
​I will be back on Milli over the weekend so, providing she walks nice and quietly, I may try and get some 'between the ears' shots whilst on board!

​Until next time,
​SG Equestrian
​X

​I hope all of our followers are having a great summer, I can't believe it is August already.....where has the last few months gone?!

Back to the last weekend of July and we were competing at the fabulous Hickstead Showground where we were taking part in the Riding Club Team Jumping Competition as part of the Royal International Horse Show. It was great fun and it's safe to say Roxie rose to the occasion and put her best hoof forward! She jumped a super clear round in quite a speedy time as well. We didn't end up with a team placing due to faults form other team members but we had a great day out and of course there was a bit of shopping done, you have to when your surrounded by shops with fantastic deals on offer don't you?! 

To view some more pictures as well as watch a video of our round please CLICK HERE to be taken to Roxie's Gallery page.

​Due to the rain the day before we were competing at Hickstead the ground in the car park was awful and everyone was being towed in and out! After a relatively long wait to be towed in and seeing the amount of lorries that were queueing to be towed out I thought I'd give it a go getting out by myself and we made it all the way across 3 fields to the very last gate way before we got stuck in the mud! Thankfully there was a tractor just about to come through the gate to tow someone else out so they pulled us out of the way and we were off on our way home, a lot earlier than had we waited to be towed from where we were parked! We still had a rather late arrival home after spending the day at Hickstead and before I knew it, it was Monday morning and time to be back to work again! 🙈

​
We were back out competing again last weekend for some British Showjumping at one of our most local venues, Cobham Manor Riding Centre. I say local, it is still just over an hour away but tucked in the south-east of Kent it seems that we have to travel a fair way to get anywhere! It is lovely at Cobham, with two nice outdoor arenas as well as an indoor arena to shelter in if there are any 'summer showers' - it is August after all!

We jumped the 95cm Open and there seemed to be quite a lot of clear rounds so we had to go for it if we wanted a placing! Go for it we did and Roxie jumped a super round, she did tap the third from last fence resulting in a costly 4 faults. We were up on the clock and after looking at the results sheet after, had we gone clear she was a ew seconds ahead of the winners time!

Next we jumped the Discovery class and after 'going for it' in the previous class, Roxie put me as designated passenger and she was going at her own speed in this round. She jumped another great round but unfortunately, we had a bit of 4-fault-itus picking up another 4 faults in this class too. It was at the same fence as well!! Mum commented and said maybe Roxie was struggling with her eyes as she getting a bit older now and couldn't read the height of the fence properly?! Haha 😂 It was made up of all white poles and it was right next to the white railed fence, so mum did have a point.

To view more pictures from our day at Cobham as well as videos of both our round please CLICK HERE to be taken to Roxie's Gallery page.

I think we will be having a weekend at home this weekend and now the farmers are out combining I may go out to find some corn fields to let Roxie have a canter (or gallop if she gets her own way!) along. Poor Milli is still in on box-rest which she isn't too pleased with, although she is allowed out for a wander on the yard when I'm mucking her out each end of the day now, which she enjoys. My farrier, Harry Morgan is doing a fantastic job with her feet as we are trying to get them to grow a bit bigger as for 16.3hh she has very small feet, they are good feet but just a bit too small for her size. She has been barefoot since she has been in on box-rest and after some super trims from Harry and the fantastic  SupaHoof supplement she is on from Global Herbs as well as the natural feed from The Pure Feed Company her feet are really looking good.....fingers crossed they continue this way. We will be back at the vets in a few weeks time for another scan and then fingers crossed we can start some walk work - neck strap at the ready!!

Below are some pictures of my very first pony, Harvey tucking into his Pure Veteran Mix for dinner. He loves it and for 27 years young he is looking absolutely fabulous on it too! They make such super feed for all shapes and sizes of equine friends 🐴

​Until next time,
SG Equestrian
​~X~