Eventing - through the eyes of a groom

March 2016

With January and February flying past. We are well on our way to the 2016 season starting. With the weather not quite deciding what it wants to do I am hoping that Spring is slowly on it way and everything dries up so we can get our horses out in the field again.

We have been very busy with lots of training sessions taking between 7 and 10 horses out show jumping which is pretty manic at times but works really well and it saves us coming back the following day and doing a second trip.

I have a great team of staff who are looking forward the season as much as I am. It's great to have that support and hype from everyone involved. They too are beginning to realise that sometimes their are just not quite enough hours in the day and that time goes very quickly! We are also now beginning to have no concept of days/dates and time! Everything is now all rolling into one! Which must mean our season is starting soon!

We have taken the young horses out XC schooling and the more advanced horses have gone to Rosamund Green Farm to do their XC. It's brilliant there and really beneficial for them with lots of variety and levels of fences ranging from the lower levels right up to the advanced levels. Along with that we have had regular lessons from Yogi which has been great.

We also Headed to Addington Manor the other week where we took a lorry load to get some show jumping practise in. That was a good experience land again just good to get them out and somewhere different and in a different environment. They all behaved and it was well worth the trip.

I think it is safe to say though that I don't think I could ever become a show jumping groom. The classes were so full and we found ourselves still waiting to jump at 7pm having been there all day having had a very early start. I don't think I'm quite patient enough for that the whole time! So hats off to the dedicated show jumping grooms. I don't know how they do it! I much prefer to be tacking up etc for three different phases with 5 horses all in one day!

It all kicks off on Monday where we head to Aston Le Walls unaffiliated. We have 7 going there, so Sunday will be a full on day with lots of plaiting, bathing and stud holes to clean out and of course the lorry to pack. I much prefer to do all of this the day before as most of the time we have early starts so the less I have to do the day of an event the better!

In amongst all this I was invited to attend the British Grooms Day in January held by the BEF and World Class Programme which I very much enjoyed . It's always a good chance to catch up with my Friends on the circuit not just from the event world but from other disciplines within the industry and also to meet new people. I've been to a few of these over the years and it's always a great fun and an informative day and I think it's great that they run these days for us. On the plus side it was actually nice to be sat in warm lecture rooms rather than outside in the cold and rain for a day!

The horses all seem on great form and have come out of their winter holidays very well and raring to go and all feel great so I can't wait for the start of the season. We have got a lovely string of horses both young and slightly older all competing at different levels. It always feels like a fresh start and I can't wait for what lies ahead. I think our pre season preparation has all gone to plan and fingers crossed they continue working well and come up with the goods when they need too!

So we head to Aston Le Walls with 7 and then have two days of Tweseldown on Thursday and Friday all within a week so it's all go. There is nothing like easing ourselves gently back into it!

Until next time,

Jess

Photo credit to Hannah Freeland Photography