Pony likes the long summer days a bit too much
Pony won’t catch !
Life does seem easier with the recent summer spell of great weather. It’s so much easier to turn out the horses and ponies 24 hours a day. But what about the mechanics of running a livery. Surely it must be so much easier, I hear you all say. Well, not necessarily.
This year has seen abundant growth. This seasons hay and haylage making has gone well. A lovely big crop with cloudless blue skies has certainly made the whole process less stressful than usual. Often we are dodging the showers and praying for the weather to hold. But with abundant growth, the docen leaves have been growing fast. We have had the topper out doing a couple of rounds over the paddocks. It certainly tidies things up and the fields look great. Horses aren’t the best grazers. Our sheep are brilliant at keeping fields clean and in good condition. Lots of poo picking has been carried out to make sure paddocks are as clean as possible.
Ofcourse ragwort has flourished and we have done several sweeps to clear the fields. I think we have racked up a big stash with its feverent growth this year but atleast it’s all cleared away. Updating a couple of ragwort forks definitely helps to get the whole plant out with its long roots attatched.
Fencing is always under review as we have to ensure it is safe and sturdy. We have lots of fence posts and electric rope as we find it is by far the best method to utelise for having safe and secure fencing. We like to check the posts regularly before winter comes. We are lucky to have really good hedge rows for shelter. Our loppers are well used during summer to ensure branches are not resting on the fence as this can Impact on electric power efficiency.
Small paddocks have been created to accommodate horses needs for one thing and another. This means we have to manage a system and create small paddocks. Owners have to be vigilant to ensure their horses aren’t overloading with the freshly growing grass. Hay and haylage is stored for winter and we are hoping to sort a few gateways before the inclemment weather begins.
We have enjoyed a terrific spell of weather and our lovely liveries have put on some inhouse training clinics, which has been fantastic. We have had a practical road saftey demonstration, where riders were taught about safe riding practices. Lots of offroad Sunday leisure rides rides to Sterling Mills for a Greiggs or Costa. We have dubbed them the Sunday Coffee Club Riders. A bunch or riders also hacked along the Devon Way and enjoyed a pizza from The Bridge fish and chip shop. As well as the various summer season competitions we have within easy access,we have a lot of riders who like to switch it up and enjoy the fabulous hacking and the occasional snack.
We enjoy having a mix of young and more mature riders and feel a nice balance has been created. Our young riders are always accompanied by an adult tas saftey is paramount. And as always, some of the horses and ponies like being out a little too much and like our pony in the image, can end up being tricky to catch !