Equimins specialises in producing natural horse supplies, products and supplements for the major areas associated with caring for a horse. All products are proudly made in the UK and excellent specification quality products are of paramount importance. Using this blog we want to share some of the knowledge we have gained through nearly 30 years of experience. 
SO Equine’s May update…
Sophie Ostler from SOEquine tells us all about her May, including pleasure riders, showers, colic and another birthday!
This month Minnie our loveable Connemara made her first public appearance in the two years we have owned her; we went along to the BHS Equine Grass Sickness Fund pleasure ride. We did the shorter route of 6 miles, which I felt would be plenty for Minnie’s (and mine) fitness level. Minnie strutted out in her usual power-walk style, with her ears pricked forward, absolutely loving it, I was so proud of her! The sun shone, and the rain that had been forecast held off, glorious!!
This ride wasn’t a circular route, we rode three miles out and then turned around at a check point to return to the start… well, I don’t know what happened to Miss Minnie, the moment we turned she proceeded to jog and got herself in quite a tizzy, it brought back childhood memories of bolting home at full speed on Storm clinging on to his mane, funnily enough he was a Connemara too!
The second time that Minnie started cantering on the spot and we ended up spinning in circles I admitted defeat and dismounted to do the walk of shame for the last two miles. She still jogged the whole way back the little madam.
When we returned to the start I think the photographer understood the look on my face which said “don’t take a picture of me WALKING across the finish line!” Luckily he had already taken a wonderful photo of us outward-bound before Minnie lost the plot.
All of Minnie’s fittening took place on our own land, and she hasn’t actually hacked out since last autumn. So all things considered I am delighted with how she went.
We shall start hacking out at home now, and I shall RIDE across the finish line in July when we take part in the Chatsworth Sponsored Ride!
Yet more shows cancelled this month, our local show ground has been taken over by ducks! One show wasn’t cancelled this month before the wet weather returned, hurrah!! So I decided to take Minnie along for some in-hand classes. Unfortunately, for the first time ever in my experience of owning and working with horses, I encountered colic. Minnie didn’t want to eat her feed, which alone is cause for concern. She pawed the ground and lay down, did an enormous trump and fifteen minutes later she started eating, so thankfully it was only a mild case from too much lush grass but it worried me enough to cancel the show.
Two shows are on the calendar in June, I wonder if we will make it to them…
Last month we celebrated Ferdy’s 2nd Birthday, and this month it was Jason’s turn, 16 years old. The old man has had an easy month whilst I concentrated on getting Minnie fit between rain showers, but he is now coming back in to work. The weather forecast is apparently brighter, roll on summer!
I’m realising I am in fact NOT superwoman and therefore have a groom starting in June to ease some of my workload; I must admit I feel like I’m cheating a little bit by having help! But this will enable me to keep both Jason and Minnie in full work finally, and work with my youngster Ferdy. I have my light-weight breaking saddle at the ready for him, so next month I will share tales of my adventures introducing my “little” boy to tack for the first time, wish me luck!
Until next time…
Sophie
