Recent content by sportsmansB

Anything bully - including staffy and frenchie Fat headed labradors (worse again if body also fat but thats a human rather than a breeding issue) - sporty ones are fine Corgis - just can't warm to them Basically all the small yappy hairy ones Dachshunds

I suppose you need to think a bit about how it would feel if the shoe was on the other foot as it were... what if your daughter had got into golf- a similarly expensive and time consuming hobby - and he was the one taking her there every day and leaving you at home? I stayed single for a long...

I was also going to recommend Brahams as above. We are in Northern Ireland and travel to English events and still need a lot of paperwork that we didn't before, including vets certs within a short time frame of the travel etc. Brahams can also advise you on what your lorry needs in terms of...

Thank you so much everyone. She really leaves a big hole in our lives, I just so admired her spunky little personality right to the end. We buried her yesterday (no judgement please, I know it isn't allowed...) in our 'fairy ring' on the hilltop beside her little grassy paddock that my OH made...

By the time the vet was away last night it was dark and the others were still out so I didn't bring them back in, I would have needed to bring them in to see her one by one I think, and thats a bit complex I did feel from him when I was sitting with her and he just stopped panicking and was...

Came down last night to pop mine in the field cos we have two nice days coming up, to find my littlest ancient (34ish) pony down in the straw in the barn. She had gobbled up her mash at lunch time and seemed fine, but had obviously been down for a while and couldn't get up. I shouted for OH to...

Yes its super tidy and the electric wire on the top of the rail or inside of it means they can't nibble on it. Luckily the one annoying thing that my horses don't do is nibbling on wood but it does mean it lasts really well if they are predisposed to that.

I have tornado wire on mine with one wooden rail across the top (for looks really, I didn't bother with that on the hedgerow sides) - and it really is excellent, zero maintenance apart from the posts and I got pre treated octoposts which are fab. You can put a strand of electric wire across he...

I'd definitely look at requesting a private load for them especially if you want to provide your own forage. Then they will go straight from point a to b without dropping others off etc. It is more expensive but if you're concerned it is well worth it. Coopers have a good reputation. Also...

I get small wrapped bales which are the size of a large hay bale (so substantially bigger than the bagged stuff- they are still £8 each but I'd say have more than double the amount in a bag) - for next year, if you have a local farmer who makes for the yard you could ask them to make a quantity...

I'd say it was a mixture. The Abi Lyle case had got some publicity at the time, but that was a long time before, and he had spun a story (as far as I remember) that it was her father who had pushed for it due to not wanting the relationship, and it was a load of nonsense. Lots of people...

Katie's Trust are really pushing now for better safeguarding in the industry, where predatory men can have so much influence over young people- controlling their livelihood, their home, their passion for horses, when they are often physically separated from their families. We are bringing them...

I'm also an accountant - though I now have a broader COO role which covers pretty much everything Depends a bit on what you consider 'well paid' I chose to prioritise my career and now earn a very good salary - but I put the hours in to get it. Our industry is not really a WFH type (private...

I keep my horses on a big competition yard where we do use the walker - they go on in the morning while being mucked out and to warm up / dry off after riding if needs be. I know some people hate them but sometimes it is unavoidable, with many horses to ride and less time to turn out / bring in...

Our eventing yard offers BHS qualifications alongside CAFRE (we are in NI) it is a block day release type thing so it works OK for us - as long as the block isn't the week of a home international, we had to get them to change it one time and now they check! To be honest having seen many many...