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A CAT IN THE TRAILER.

Today, I was going to see if Gwen was fit and willing to go for a ride at the nearby training facility.  Gwen is 23 and I haven’t ridden her since her huge ligament injury 5 years ago.  She seems fine and eager to go, she carries a saddle and lets me sit on her.  So, I thought we’d give it a try on a very easy, flat area.

I got up early to feed early so I could get going early.

Gwen was totally on board to participate in the familiar ‘pre-ride’ human behavior (getting the trailer ready, loading the hay bag, cleaning the shavings, assessing the items in my tack room, open the gate, bring horse out for grooming…) and she fell right into line, as if I rode her just last week.

Side Note:  Gwen is Mama Tess’ first foal.  I was there when she was born – and interestingly enough, Gwen was a ‘dummy’ foal.  I was told she wouldn’t survive.  She did (we did wrap her like a burrito, but with our arms.  We didn’t give up on her to nurse.  This was 23 years ago, before any science was done with dummy foals).   Gwen has always been a very smart but an unsocial horse.  The idea that dummy foal syndrome is a type of horse autism – fits her.  You can read about her dummy foal history here.

Anyway, Gwen is a very solidly trained horse.  I did it all myself and she is therefore perfect for me because she understand me exactly (and probably no one else since all of my quirks are part of her now).   And she is short and perfectly smooth, which I love.  Her sire was a government bred, old-style Morgan horse.  Gwen has waaaaaay more hair than Tess did and is not as fine as Mama Tess.

FAST FORWARD… I get all ready, put Gwen in the trailer and I drive to the training facility and park.

Since Gwen is already groomed, I take her out of the trailer and walk her around so she can see the place and get acquainted.  I’ve brought her here before, but that was back in the Spring, so we do a reminder loop or two.

La laaalaaa la la… I chat with the owner (CeCe) of the place and we hand walk the horses in the perfectly groomed arena where CeCe has a trail course set up (Yay!).

Laaa de dah laaa laaa, do-de-do…. We’re just having a relaxed, easy time… (I forgot my camera so I have no pics.)

Gwen is fine and settled so we walk back to the trailer to put on her saddle.  I tie her up and open the tack room door.

LIKE A BULLET my cat, Floppy, darts out of the tack room and runs off!  OMG.  She must have gotten into the trailer tack room when I was grooming Gwen – and I didn’t notice.

Holy Crap!  If she gets away, I will never find her on these 500 acres!

This is Floppy Kitty. We named her that because this is what she does when she sees a human. She flops and wants to be picked up.

You should have seen me dive after her like a kid in a sheep riding race!  I’d come up with a patch of hair but no cat… then I’d see her running towards a tree, get scared, hesitate, look back and I’d pounce on her again, only to have her dash between my arms.

Arrrgh!!!

Meanwhile, the CeCe is still chatting with me, loudly so I can hear, totally unaware, as she rides in the arena.

I’m waiting for some dog or coyote to come up and snatch Floppy right in front of my eyes…

Me:  “Floppy, ho!”

Floppy:  ????

I crouched really low when I saw her hesitate again.  I knew she was scared but I also knew that she wanted to explore.  This was a kitty in a dilemma.

She saw me on the ground and started towards me.

I bit my tongue to keep myself from flinching or jumping up too soon.

When Floppy got really close, asking for reassurance from me, I GRABBED HER.

Of course, she acted like a wild cat, which is silly for her since she has no wildcat in her – we named her “Floppy” because she is so floppy in your arms or on the ground…

I quickly thought of my options – could I still ride?  Where could I put her?  In the nanoseconds that I had to decide (as she is squirming in my arms and scratching my arms), I realized that the only safe place was my trailer tack room… however, if I put her back in my trailer tack room, I wouldn’t be able to open the trailer door again until I was home.  Hence, no saddle.  So, no ride.

I went back into the arena and told the CeCe the situation.  She thought I was kidding.  I told her that I just spent the last furious 5 minutes, cat catching.

Gwen went back into the trailer… and we drove home.

As soon as I parked in our regular trailer spot, I could hear Floppy crying in the tack room.  I opened the door and LIKE A BULLET – LIKE A FRAZZLED AND VERY UPSET BULLET – she rocketed out of the tack room and was gone into the garage.

I bet she’ll never do that again.  (And you can bet I’ll never close the trailer tack room door without checking for a Floppy.)

Floppy. She’s really beautiful… I should have given her a better name.

The post A cat in the trailer. appeared first on Horse and Man.

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Trainer Phil Rowley and jockey Alex Edwards have enjoyed success between the flags over recent years and they finished last season as the champion trainer and jockey.

As the new point-to-point season kicks off, H&H visited the pair at Phil’s Shropshire base to discover the secrets to their success. Here’s a sneak peek behind the scenes at their training set-up.

One to watch…

Levasseur is tacked up ahead of the morning lot, while Champagne Lilly (left) looks on. Phil names five-year-old Champagne Lilly as a horse to follow this season: “She is a pretty, talented filly, who took time to mature but is unbeaten to date,” he said.

In the office…

Phil takes a look at the diary and does paperwork in the on-site office once all the horses have been worked.

New shoes…

The farrier visits the horses at Rowley Racing at Poplar Cottage Farm near Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

Home sweet home…

Happy horses relax in the spacious and airy American-style barns at the yard, which used to be  a sheep farm with only one shed. Phil has transformed it into a thriving training set-up, now boasting four barns with stabling for up to 65 horses.

Time for a bath…

Horses are washed down after morning exercise on the gallops.

A morning dip…

Champion point-to-point rider and the stable jockey at Rowley Racing, Alex Edwards, walks Now Ben through Mor Brook, a stream with a gentle current that runs through the farm: “We walk the horses up the brook and it cools their legs down, esprcially after cantering. It also helps the older horses to chill out,” said Phil.

Daily dressage

All of the Rowley horses start their morning lots in the 20x60m sand school, which also has mirrors, doing some flatwork. Phil believes it is vital to build the horses’ core strength through flatwork — an influence of his dressage rider wife, Mel, who schools the horses weekly.

Catch up with the boss

Phil chats to his team of work riders during the morning, before heading out to the gallops.

Chilling in the field

The horses benefit from being turned out in the paddocks on the 75-acre farm following their work in the morning, allowing them some downtime.

On the gallops

Phil watches his string work up the five-furlong all-weather gallop set amid the stunning Shropshire countryside.

Don’t miss our ‘Point-to-point special’ in the 22 November issue of Horse & Hound, we visit Phil Rowley and Alex Edwards at home and more — on sale now.

Surviving Christmas with a horsey partner isn’t easy, but forewarned is forearmed so bears these tips in mind and your festive period with your horsey partner will go swimmingly

1. Never complain

Whether you like horses or not, they are number one in your partner’s life and always will be. You signed an unwritten agreement the moment you embarked on the relationship and complaining about your partner doing the horses on Christmas Day will only lose you brownie points (and potentially presents). So don’t even bother.

2. Man up and put up

Regardless of whether you want to stay snuggled up on the sofa in front of the fire watching festive films and eating an abundance of chocolate on Christmas day, your partner will at some point have to visit the horse to turn out/muck out/put him to bed, and let’s face facts — you will be dragged out in the cold to help. Trying to avoid it will only ruin the day for everyone.

3. Your partner WILL spend more on their horse than you

It’s a fact. It doesn’t mean they love you less, but their horse NEEDS things, and they usually cost a small fortune.

4. Get a horsey present

Want to earn major Christmas brownie points? Buy your horsey partner a great horse-related gift. Equestrians love nothing more than a photo of themselves with their beloved equine. What about an oil painting or coffee cup sporting a photo of your partner and their horse? Brownie points galore.

5. Boxing Day hunting

It’s a thing and there’s a good chance it could feature in your Christmas plans. If you’re expected to attend (which you probably are to help unload/tack up/for moral support), our advice is to invest in a hipflask and fill it with something boozy and warming. It’s going to be cold.

6. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

Learn to ride and get yourself a horse for Christmas. That way you’ll never feel left out, and you will see your partner way more. Win win.

7. Appearance isn’t everything

While it’s Christmas Day, it’s still a normal day when it comes to doing the horse, so don’t expect too much in the way of fancy clothes, clean fingernails and tidy hair. A Christmas jumper adorning the odd bit of straw and whiffing of horse is about as much as you can expect.

Article continues below…

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8. Gift expectations

Don’t be surprised if you end up with a pair of wellies and a waterproof coat for Christmas. Practicality is everything and you need to be appropriately dressed if you’re to help out at the impending horsey events (which of course, you will be).

9. Deck the halls

While our horse’s stable will be fastidiously tidy, adorning the most festive of Christmas decorations, probably hand made from foraged items while out hacking, and their feed lovingly prepared using a variety of ridiculously priced mixes and supplements (that the horse probably doesn’t need), don’t expect the same at home. You’ll be lucky if there’s a Christmas tree up and didn’t you say you were cooking Christmas lunch this year?

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine out every Thursday

Matt Sampson’s magnificent joint puissance win with star Irish teenager Michael Pender raised the roof at the finale to an action-packed day at Liverpool, which featured superheroes, a British one-two in the CSI4* speed class, plus the continuation of a cracking week for Polly Shaw in the amateur classes

Britain and Ireland shared the top honours in a gripping five-round puissance class on the third day of the Theraplate UK Liverpool International Horse Show (30 December).

Matt Sampson, 28, and catch ride Top Dollar VI shared the spoils with Irish teenager Michael Pender and Hearton Du Bois Halleux after both cleared 2.20m (7ft 2.6in) in the class, sponsored by Equitop GLME.

Top Dollar’s owner/rider Laura Renwick asked Matt if he would jump the horse less than an hour before the start of the class.

“Laura rang me about an hour before and asked me what I was doing, I said ‘nothing’ and she said ‘would you like to ride [Top Dollar] in the puissance?’,” said Matt, who also won the 2017 British Speed Derby on a catch ride.

“It was a bit different as I hadn’t jumped the horse before – I didn’t really know him, which was maybe wasn’t such a bad thing.

“I just tried to ride forward and give him a little bit of room as he is such a big horse and keep him confident.

“It was easier as time went on as I figured out how to ride him and trusted him a bit more.”

Matt hailed a cab as he went over the wall for a final time, before landing to huge cheers from the packed arena.

Michael, 19, finished second at Bolesworth and shared the puissance victory at Dublin earlier this year on the same horse.

Michael Pender riding Hearton Du Bois Halleux

The pair produced five magnificent jumps over the wall, despite needing the farrier between the final two rounds, to be crown joint winners tonight.

“The first round he was a little bit sticky, then from the second round he started to feel more confident,” said Michael.

“The last round was his best and it felt like he could even jump bigger, so I’m delighted.”

Ireland’s Shane Breen (Acorad 3), Nano Healy (KMS Clintland) and Michael Whyte (Amaretto) finished joint third after clearing 2.10m (6ft 11in), but knocking the final wall.

Need for speed

Young riders shone in the Hope Valley Saddlery CSI4* 1.45m speed class with two rising British stars filling the top spots.

Harry Charles and his own Doulita took the win, while 20-year-old Graham Babes and Boucheron claimed the runner-up spot. Both riders were on the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 European Championships for young riders this summer.

Turkey’s Derin Demirsoy and Dadjak Ter Puttenen were drawn first to go and led for most of the class, making the course look easy.

But confident and quick clears from both Harry and Graham pushed Derin down the leaderboard into third.

Harry, 19, finished third aboard Doulita in yesterday’s world ranking class and said the result was a confidence boost.

“She’s my horse — the only horse I’ve ever owned myself — so I’ve put a lot of work into her behind the scenes at home,” he explained, adding he bought her last year from Australia’s Rowan Willis.

“She felt really good and really confident, so I said I would let her have another go today — I let her off from the very start and she was even better again today.”

He added she is “not the easiest” and has found the hackamore/gag combination suits her.

“She has a very funny mouth, but the way I set her up I let her poke her nose and do her own thing — it suits her and she jumps fantastically,” he said.

“She’s naturally very quick, actually she is deceptively fast as she sometimes doesn’t look as quick as the other horses, but she has a very nice step on her and a big jump, I don’t think we have seen the best of her yet, which is exciting.”

Superheroes to the rescue…

Speed demons Harriet Nuttall and Sula von Bulow could not be caught in the Archco Developments mini major relay.

Sula, aged eight-and-a-half, and her pony Bellfield Benjamin took some breathtaking turns to jump clear. Harriet, dressed as Superwoman, and her 2016 Hickstead Speed Derby winner Silver Lift produced a speedy round to take them into the lead in a time of 48.87 seconds — even with a three-second penalty for demolishing a fence.

“He is the best pony in the world,” said Sula, adding the 17-year-old is partial to grapes as a treat.

“He can go from sleeping to galloping round in less than a second. I love him with my whole heart.”

Harriet, who won Saturday’s feature CSI4* class, was full of praise for her “mini”.

“That was so much fun, Sula is amazing,” she said.

“Those classes are great for the kids, great for the crowd and we all try really hard — we don’t want to let these guys down as they are so competitive.”

In second were “Ironman” Paul Barker and Isabella Saunders-Cook in a time of 50.14 seconds, with “The Incredible Hulk” Emily Ward and Persia Calderbank close behind in third in 50.16 seconds.

Noora von Bulow, Lilly Aspell and a lightening-fast Eve McCoy were among the many other exceptional rounds in the talented class.

Full house

A top quality list of starters came forward for the Horseware Ireland 1.50m jump-off class, won by Luxembourg’s Charlotte Bettendorf on Hope Street.

Britain’s Holly Smith and the talented Claddagh Iroko produced two superb rounds, but were pipped to the win by 0.4 seconds. Ireland’s Billy Twomey completed the international podium in third with Chat Botte E.D.

Charlotte said the atmosphere was “amazing”.

“Today was a full house and you come into the ring and the crowd are all really into it, it is incredible,” she said.

“My mare is very sensitive, when I rode her this morning she could hear them opening Champagne bottles and was getting excited, but when I went into the ring she was focused on the fences.”

Charlotte, who won the CSI2* grand prix with the mare two weeks ago in Prague, added she is hoping for a “bit of luck” for tomorrow’s grand prix.

“I haven’t had her very long, she came over from the States and I’ve been riding her for two-and-a-half months — she gets better and better.”

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Second win for Shaw

Polly Shaw won her second class of the week with a victory in the Gatehouse amateur speed class on Golden Grove Alt A.

Polly, who won a two-phase yesterday, took top honours in this class in 2017 on the same horse.

Liverpool-based Joanne Mcglory won today’s other amateur class, riding borrowed horse Triomphe Kervec.

For more from Liverpool International, don’t miss the 10 January issue of Horse & Hound

Which one of these 9 working hunter horses and ponies would you most like to take home?

1. Red Why Salute

Danny Carroll rode his own 2017 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) winner to pick up the first ticket of 2018 at Sports Horse Breeding (GB) in April. The pair were also victorious around a testing track at the Great Yorkshire Show.

2. Cashel Bay JJ

The 16-year-old Connemara needs no introduction, having won both HOYS and the Royal International (RIHS) with the Eddis family. The multi-garlanded 153cm competes in both native and plaited worker ranks and was crowned supreme working hunter pony at Hickstead in July and was also a winner at the BSPS winter championships.

3. Birchmoor Drover

Pam Brown rode Elaine Tomlinson’s plucky Shetland to win the 122cm RIHS qualifier and stand section reserve at the NPS Spring Festival held at Vale View.

4. Allandy Gold Spark

This gorgeous coloured topped the 143cm section of the Desert Orchid Blue Riband final at the BSPS summer championships with Madeline Plumb. The duo also won their section of the Burghley Gold Cup final and qualified for HOYS.

5. Kenlis Carrera

Barbie, as she is known at home, was crowned working hunter champion at the 2018 Royal Windsor Horse Show with Rory Gilsenan at the helm. Owned by Christian Kwek, the lightweight was also Blue Chip supreme ridden champion at the Irish Draught breed show, proving her versatility.

6. Killaughey Golden Cascade

This scopey 13 hander is pictured landing the HOYS working hunter pony championship at Kent with Izzy Stanley, who also rode the mare to be eighth in the final despite only being a novice.

7. Lislan Defi

Eleanor Hirst qualified this then 10-year-old liver chestnut gelding to pick up a Hickstead ticket at BSPS Area 15A, scoring a near perfect 19/20 for their round.

8. Corries Jack In A Box

A trip over from Dublin for the BSPS Gold Cup final paid off for the connections of this nine-year-old grey 13 hander, who claimed his section with Allegra Hancock.

9. Nobel Peppermint

Ruby Ward and night-year-old sports pony finished off their incredible 2018 season with the working hunter pony of the year title at the NEC.

Every May, Windsor undergoes a horsey transformation to host the wonderful Royal Windsor Horse Show (8-12 May). Whether you are horse-mad, want to shop ’til you drop, or just want to enjoy a spectacular performance, it has something for everyone and now is the time to get your Royal Windsor Horse Show tickets.

A variety of tickets are available prior to the show, details of which can be found below.

The show is action-packed and visitors will be have the option to to watch leading international dressage riders competing in the CDI4* Al Shira’aa dressage class, as well as CSI5* showjumping classes, top level showing, driving and endurance competition and so much more. You can also watch the DAKS Pony Club mounted games, the Shetland Pony Grand National and The Pageant, a 90-minute show celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, will run on the evenings of 9—11 May too, for which separate tickets are available.

Prices of Royal Windsor Horse Show tickets

Ticket prices depend on the day you wish to attend and whereabouts you would like to sit and access.

The Windsor Enclosure features a purpose-built structure designed to be light and airy, offering a bar and bistro for meals and snacks. Outside there is a lawn with casual seating where you can enjoy the atmosphere before taking up your reserved, covered seat for your selected performance in The Queen’s Stand, where you can enjoy first class views of all the sporting action in the Castle Arena. Seats are only available during the daytime performances as Pageant tickets will be required during the evenings. Daytime prices range from £25 up to £56 as the week goes on.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show Club

This club was formed in the show’s earliest years and its members are a valued part of the organising committee. During the show, members and their guests enjoy the very best views of all the sporting action and entertainment in the Castle Arena. Club members will also be invited to attend a drinks party at the show and will receive invitations to other equestrian sporting fixtures. Becoming a member of the club provides free entry to the show for you and a guest each day, exclusive access to the Club Enclosure with its restaurant, bar and arena-side lawn, premium seating alongside the Royal Box, forward car parking for the duration of the show and complimentary tickets to other equestrian events. Club members can purchase additional guest badges for individual days of the show.

A limited number of new memberships are available and can be purchased for £350. Guest tickets range from £35 to £70.

The Pageant

All pageant ticket holders will be able to access the show from 3pm onwards and enjoy the international action and extensive shopping village. There are two ticket types for The Pageant; general seating and the Windsor Enclosure.

General seating includes a reserved seat in the west or south grandstands for The Pageant, as well as access to Royal Windsor Horse Show from 3pm.

The majority of seating is covered, apart from the front two rows, which have a discounted price.

Top-priced tickets range between £22.50-49 per adult, second-priced tickets range between £17.50-39 per adult, while third-priced tickets range between £15-34.

Book tickets here

View Royal Windsor Horse Show timetable

You can keep up to date with all the latest news from the show on the Horse & Hound website and by following @horseandhound on Twitter and Facebook

There are plenty of ways to get your horsey kicks (pun absolutely intended) while enduring a horseless patch, says Jane Hutchison

Spring looks like it has finally arrived, the clocks are about to go forward and the competition season is kicking into gear.

It’s a great time of year for horsey people after the drudgery of a long winter. But for those of us who are firmly in the horsey camp but for any number of reasons currently find ourselves without a horse, it’s a strange challenging and frustrating time of year.

Here are nine ways to get you through a horseless patch:

1. Offer to help friends. If they are the kind of friends who have more horses in the family than riders, so much the better. Riders who are students might be busy with exams at this time of year whilst trying to get horses fit for the season. Let them know that you are happy to help with chores as well as riding. Poo picking is much more fun when you haven’t done it for six months. Ditto hacking out on the road in walk at the beginning of a post-winter fitness campaign.

2. Be creative with your spectating. If dressage is normally your discipline, go to a point-to-point, if you are a showjumper, go to a horse trials. You will still have the pleasure of watching horses perform and compete but won’t be putting yourself through watching the people you were competing against this time last year in the classes you would be in, if you still had your horse.

3. Or, if you are going to go to an event you would have been competing at, offer to go with a friend as a groom. Pick up numbers, hold the horse while your friend goes for their fourth nervous pee, bring the correct rug to the collecting ring. Bring cake. Oh, and pick up poo in the trailer.

4. If you have several extra hours in your day that would previously have been spent at the yard, you are likely to have more time to be tempted to have a peek at social media. Peek in moderation. Looking at pictures of what your friends are up to with their horses can be a great way to still feel in the loop and they will appreciate your positive comments and likes but spending whole evenings looking at people doing what you are currently missing out on can be soul-destroying. Unfollow anyone who moans about the early starts or going to two events in one weekend. Seriously?

5. Go for lessons in a completely new discipline on a hired horse. The Side Saddle Association has lists of approved teachers, some of whom will teach you on their own horses. Or why not try your hand at polo or barrel racing?

6. Get a subscription to Horse & Hound. For the same price as a couple of bags of feed, a whole week’s worth of horsey news and gossip will be yours every week. With all the money you are saving not having a horse, you can definitely afford a few little comforting treats.

7. And while we’re on the subject of comfort shopping, get yourself the breeches, boots or body protector you have been eyeing up for years. You will look smarter when you go to ride your friend’s horse and you will be investing in your future riding.

Continued below…

9 things that anyone who learnt to ride in adulthood will know

It’s never too late to start riding — but beginning as an adult rather than as a child does give

Visit Nicky Henderson’s yard and 5 other horsey things to do this Easter

Hurrah for the Easter holidays! We’re excited about the impending chocolate fix, yes. But there are plenty other horsey reasons

8. At risk of sounding like non-horsey mothers up and down the land; think about something else. Most of us are not so one track minded that we have no other interests. Go to the theatre, read that book you always meant to read, agree to play tennis or go for a round of golf. (Let your friends and yourself know that your availability for non-equestrian sports on summer evenings is temporary).

9. Most importantly don’t give up hope. Horses are in our blood and that never changes. Trust that you will find a way to get back into the game as a horse owner again when you have a new job/move house/your children are older. The state of horselessness is temporary. It will pass.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

If you’re keen to show willing and impress on the hunting field, take a look at these useful tips from Tessa Waugh

• You have far more of a chance of being helpful if you pay attention to what is going on around you. Stop chatting (not all day — we’re allowed a bit of fun) about last night’s party or so and so’s new horse, and look and listen.

• When you come to a closed gate and you see the field master looking around, quickly volunteer to open it. If you have to get off your horse, so much the better. It’s great for your hunting-cred — everyone will file past thanking you and thinking that you’re marvellous.

• Similarly, if you see the huntsman or master and the hounds heading in the direction of a closed gate with no-one to help him, ask the field master if you can go and open it.

• If you hunt with a pack which doesn’t have nominated gate-shutters, try and close a few gates after everyone else has gone through — and not just the nice swingy ones with the latches that you can do from your horse. Get off and do the miserable one off its hinges in a bog. With any luck, someone else will be there to hold your horse.

• Look out for any stock in the fields you are going through. If you see a herd of cattle charging towards an open gate which members of the field are exiting, position your horse between the gate and the cattle to prevent them from escaping. If any stock get out, offer to help get them back in.

• Try to get to know the farmers whose land you are crossing so that when you come across them, perhaps holding a gate open, you can smile and politely pass the time of day, rather than barging through and shouting “gate please” without giving said farmer (whose land you are on) a second glance.

• If one of your fellow field members is struggling with a piece of tack or wanting to get off for any reason, volunteer to hold their horse. Likewise, if you see the master or hunt staff getting off their horse for any reason, offer to go and hold it for them.

Continued below…

A fear of blackthorns — and 24 other signs you’re addicted to hunting

If your heart sinks as the days get

12 ways hunting can help your horse

Simon Lawrance, MFH, four-star event rider and UKCC

<a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/horse-hound-subscription-offer-651358" rel="bookmark" name="*Autumn sale* Save 40% on Horse & Hound subscriptions”>*Autumn sale* Save 40% on Horse & Hound subscriptions

Take advantage of our sale on Horse &

• If you see a loose horse, try catching it and taking it back to its rider. It is a massive bore going back, particularly if hounds are running, but the shoe might be on the other foot another day.

• When you are on a road, be aware of any traffic that can’t get through, get out of the way quickly and send the message forward by shouting “car please”. Any communication that encourages better relations between hunting and non-hunting people is a good thing.

For all the latest veterinary advice, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

I had some sugar snap peas left over from Saturday’s Farmer’s Market.  Hubby had purchased them for me.  Yum!

So, I did a little research to make sure horses can eat sugar snap peas… and they can.  But, I wasn’t sure if my horses would eat them.  I figured BG would, since she has a very distinct and interesting palate, but the rest – no idea.

Just to be safe from a “I hate these, give me a good treat!” horsey outrage, I brought out some melon rinds and more of my home grown grapes, too, inside my treat bag.

Oh, I also removed the strings of the sugar snap peas. That only took a minute and I do that for myself, so why not them?  I’d hate for them to have a little pea string stuck in their teeth…

PS: I had trouble holding the bag, feeding,  and taking pics…

MY PHOTO JOURNAL

My goodie bag…

Norma was the first. She sniffs, like the very smart donkey that she is.

She took it! And wanted more!

Dodger saw Norma take hers, so he took his. He also wanted more!

Dodger starts foaming and his eyes widened. “What is this new flavor?!”

Annie ran up from the large field and flirted with me through the fence. “What do you have, my favorite person?!”

After I had put some treats inside their bucket, both Annie and Mo were thrilled and asking for more. “Will you come back with that little bag?!”

Annie ran over as I was feeding Missy Miss, who was still eating grass bits out of her bin. As you can see, Annie grabbed some melon from Missy Miss.

Then Annie got distracted by me and the ‘bag’ – so Missy Miss got the rest of the melon.

This is Finn. He ate this melon and practically fleeced me for the sugar snap peas!! He loved them!

This is BG. She grabbed the grapes, as you can see. But she was foaming when I gave her the peas. She LOVED them.

BG again.

OMG! Gwen took an entire clump of grapes inside her mouth – and then it was GONE!

I gave Wrigley the rest of the peas and he was very happy. Immediately, he banged on the gate for more.

I gave the last bit to Norma and Dodger. As I turned around, this is what I saw nextdoor. 3 pitiful faces. As an aside, I swear that Annie is still growing. She is HUGE.

The post “OMGOSH, SUGAR SNAP PEAS and GRAPES are the BOMB!”, said ALL of my horses!! appeared first on Horse and Man.

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A record price of €3.2 million (£2.82m) was paid for a yearling at Goffs Orby Sale.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds are the proud new owners of the top lot, a filly by Galileo out of Green Room, who was the highest priced filly ever sold at Goffs.

The yearling, lot 318, was consigned by Ballylinch Stud on behalf of breeders Vimal and Gillian Khosla.

“We are delighted — there’s a little amount of relief as well, but we are delighted,” Ballylinch’s John O’Connor told Goffs TV guest presenter Rishi Perisad after the auction.

“We expected her to sell well and we are delighted to get the job done. It’s a little bit like watching a play unfolding in a certain sense, but it is our job to be professional and not to get too excited.

“We are delighted for [the breeders]— they are lovely owners who really love their horses, they want everything done really well, so they deserve every success they get.”

Amer Abdulaziz of Phoenix Thoroughbreds confirmed the filly will go into training with Karl Burke in Yorkshire, who trained her half-brother Lord Shanakill.

“A filly like that… you won’t get anything like it for the next 10 to 15 years,” he said. “She’s by a top sire who is getting old, out of a broodmare who has produced a lot of winners. She’s an amazing filly, it will be nice to have her racing in Phoenix colours.

“It was definitely love at first sight, I saw her this morning for the first time. I thought ‘let’s see her walk’ and she walks so athletically, like a beautiful lady, and that’s how it should be with these top fillies.”

Phoenix Throughbreds also bought lot 165, a Galileo sister to Alice Springs presented by Glenvale Stud, for €2 million (£1.76m) as well as four others on their successful Irish shopping trip.

The turnover, average and median prices were all up on the 2017 sale.

Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby said the sale reached “unprecedented heights”.

“To set a new record for a yearling filly at an Irish sale at €3.2 million was the highlight of a sale of tremendous highs,” he said.

“We are indebted to our vendors without whom we are nothing and I would especially single out Vimal and Gillian Khosla, the breeders of the top lot.

“[They] placed their faith in the Goffs service and were rewarded with the highest yearling price in the world so far this year for their gorgeous filly, who was so well presented by Ballylinch Stud.

“In addition we would like to extend our thanks to Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud and the vendors of the ‘other’ Galileo filly whose price of €2 million was also something quite special.”

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Mr Beeby added Goffs took the “conscious decision” to tighten catalogue numbers this year to “really focus on quality”.

“Our vendors sent us a stellar selection and we were delighted to welcome so many major buyers to Kildare Paddocks over the last few days,” he said.

“That HH Sheikh Mohammed made his first visit to Goffs for 13 years was a huge vote of confidence in Irish bloodstock and he joined his brother HH Sheikh Hamdan who has been such a great supporter for so many years.

“Our leading buyers Phoenix Thoroughbreds were a revelation in the sales ring and we hope their bold bidding is rewarded with top level success on the racecourse in future years.

“They have been a pleasure to do business with and their enthusiasm is infectious.”

He added thanks to MV Magnier, Coolmore and “each vendor of every lot” for choosing Goffs.

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