Weekly Round Up - Saturday 27th June 2020
With things getting a bit busier here now that COVID restrictions have been replaced a bit, I thought a weekly round-up of what’s been happening here on the yard might be a good idea... I try and share as much as I can via social media day-to-day but you might miss something useful to you, and this is a solution for that!!
NEW TACK ROOM DEVELOPMENTS
So this is VERY exciting and I love that a project we’ve been planning for the last 6 months has, at last, started! Last December we made the decision to reduce the yard down to only one block of 10 stables but upgrade that space to house everything we could need and want for the horses in our care and their owners. Part of that development was the new wash bay and solarium (See it here)and the next big project is the big new tack room and owner’s lounge.
The new tack room is being built into the half of the barn that we removed the stables from, utilising some of the free space. It’s accessible direct from the existing stable block, just beside our kitchen, WC and current tack room (soon to become our new feed room and laundry).
At the end of last week, the builders came in and built a stud wall to enclose the new space, and insulated and clad the interior to create our new room. It’s great to see the space we’re now working with.
Next up, we have the joins in the plasterboard to be filled, the windows to be sealed, the electricity points to be installed then it’s panelling, lighting, painting and flooring. We’re hoping to be done before the end of July.
NEW HORSES
This week we’ve welcomed back a horse that we started under saddle almost 11 years ago! It was so nice to see the lovely Libby, and her owners Danny and Caroline again and for Libby, the next few weeks are just about providing a little reminder of the things she can do and then helping her and her new rider develop a good relationship. Libby is a great character and it’ll take no time at all to set her back on the right path.
Danny and Caroline also have another horse, Summer, who also joined us this week. Beautiful Summer is a 6 year old PBA with a very sweet temperament, who’s been backed and hacked out but hasn’t had any education beyond that. This week has been a bit overwhelming for Summer who, other than travelling from the stud at 5 months old, has never left home but these last few days I feel we’ve started to bond a little bit and hopefully she’ll trust me to show her a bit more of the world. I’m really excited to see how we get on.
We have another 2 horses joining us for long-term schooling at the end of July so, until Libby goes home, the yard is officially full!
HEATWAVE
We’ve had another period of hot weather and though thankfully we’ve not had it as hot as others down south, we’ve had to be careful with the management of the horses so that they’re protected from the heat. Working early in the morning, turning out overnight and being brought in during the day, lots of water checks and top-ups, extra salt and electrolytes in their feeds, buckets loads of fly repellent and sun-block for those pink noses are just some of the ways we’re helping keep our horses happy in the sunshine!
TIKTOK
The kids have been on and on about TikTok for ages so, alongside their KA Kids series on our YouTube channel, I’ve agreed to let them be responsible for our TikTok feed! Prepare for silly dances, ponies, ponies and more ponies! www.tiktok.com/kaequestrian
Next week is set to be as busy as the last so I’ll be sure to update you all again next week. In the meantime, follow us on the social media channel of your choice to keep up to date with what we’re up to!
Karen xx
