Winter 2016

Well winter is well and truly here with cold nights, time spent breaking ice, the need for loads of rugs and very short days! Yesterday the first schedule for 2017 arrived with Royal International qualifications! Bizarre! However we can't lose track. The major problem with winter is keeping the horses up to scratch in terms of their body shape and top line so there is time for slacking!

The Baileys Team live out as it keeps them brain sane, it’s far better for their limbs and they are far happier. They are still brought in each day to be fed and have light work. I have found if you turn them away for more than a couple of weeks it creates more work to get them back and they lose valuable muscle tone, especially along the top line. If I don't have time to ride, they are lunged for about 20 mins but correct winter feeding is of prime importance as there is no value in the grass! The 4 year old cob, Great Bear, gets Baileys' new feed, No.21 Ease & Excel, as he needs to mature into his frame, and the woolly ex-racehorse gets the same. Hopefully a winter of good feed will produce some top class looking neds for March!!!
 
The new cob to watch is a 4 year old grey called Super Moon. Let’s hope he lives up to his name!!