Month: October 2015

A 19 year old grey mare was presented to me with a history of on-going laminitis. She had been treated previously by a vet for a respiratory infection with steroids and had developed laminitis shortly after. On presentation the mare was very lame, reluctant to move and stood in the classic “saw horse” stance (taking […]

Leaving aside the ability of the horse and the skill of the rider, the success of a jumping round largely comes down to the quality of the horse’s canter. In this post, our Showjumping expert Liam Buckley gives us a simple exercise with canter poles to assess and improve your jumping canter. Firstly, warm your […]

This isn’t a horsey story, but it’s so cute we had to share it! A very young squirrel fell from a tree and this marked the start of a most unusual relationship. A woman found the squirrel and its sister lying on the ground. They had fallen about 40 feet out of their nest. The sister was […]

Socks is a 17hh 6yr old Chestnut Gelding. We purchased him at the end of 2014 from a show jumping yard. What we liked about Socks was his positive attitude, his three good paces and his flashy good looks. Over the past year he has been competing at Preliminary and Novice Level and has achieved […]

“The years teach much which the days never knew.” This is one of my favourite quotes and it reminds us to look back on where we have come from and what we have achieved. Ten years ago I was an ambitious young person, very driven and with huge ambition. I was in a rush and […]

It’s easy to tell if your horse isn’t sound..right? He’s going to be hopping on 3 legs and if he isn’t doing that, then that means he’s ok? Well no, I’m afraid not.  It can be surprisingly difficult to tell if your horse is “off” or not. Not only do horses often use different signals […]

If there’s one thing I can say about 2015, it’s that it has had its ups and downs. On the national front the team have enjoyed great successes with our string and for the third year running I am Eventing Ireland’s leading rider, which is an achievement I’m very proud of. However, horses the best […]

Winter is always a difficult time for horses and their carers. With the drastic turn in the weather we’ve had over the last few weeks, it looks like we’re facing into months of struggling with cold, wet weather, muddy fields and short days, while keeping hunters fit and sound, or trying to get horses ready […]

My riding instructor said to me during my lesson, “Your horse is suffering from Equine Thrombosis”. I was puzzled so I asked, “What causes that?” He replied very dryly, “It’s caused by a clot in the saddle!” A man has a racehorse who never won a race. In disgust the man says, ” Horse, you […]

How to get on your pony You can’t not smile at this Running free, what a site! Buckets of fun! Le Prestige de Hus watch out, Luna the cow is hot on your heels! What a cheeky little sod! The sweetest thing… Hilarious animal antics The funniest talking animals Hilarious talking animals