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! 🙈

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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~