"Well, here we are again at the beginning of the year; we are as ready as the weather has allowed us, which is quite ready considering.  After two-and-a-half weeks in Thailand, elephant riding, white water rafting, staying up late, eating and drinking, it is a little difficult to come back down to earth and it has taken a little longer than usual to get back into things.

A horse for all seasons 

As you can see by the photograph, we have a new leader by the name of Vivaldi (the horse for all seasons).  He is a half-brother to Striker and both are by the incredible Warmblood sire Mano, so he has no trouble with movement or showmanship.

We have had our first outing and lecture demonstration for the British Driving Society in Cornwall and, other than the toothpaste freezing in the lorry, we all got along pretty well. It is always exciting taking the horses out when they are freshly clipped and with the addition of an indoor school and a friend blowing the coaching horn, we were certainly showing our paces.

Horses and staff coming along nicely

The horses looked fantastic, thanks to Baileys and my girls, who are all new this year.  Both Katie and Amy have really stepped up to the plate, pulled their fingers out and become very competent girls.

They have yet to cope with me in showing mode, but I'm sure they will; at least I hope they will.

The rest of the yard is coming along nicely with another Dutch Warmblood, by the name of Synbad, our resident Hackney stallion Monty (who's ego is nearly too big to get him back into the stable), Pip, a novice Welsh Section C pony, and Ruster the original miserable old man, but then again he is from Belgium!

March will be full of lecture demonstrations, and inside events and come April when the weather is better and warm (said with tongue firmly in cheek) we hit the great outdoors - I only hope everybody else is ready!"