Hack diary
Working through lockdown and braving the elements
LOCKDOWN MEANS LITTLE change for me and my husband Matt. As a nurse and a baker, we work as normal. With the typical British weather and dark nights threatening to limit our riding, we dig out the waterproofs and brave the elements.
Our ponies live out all year. Shoop doesn’t wear a rug, so we have to factor that in before riding. We find drying off with a microfiber towel and using lambswool saddlecloths prevent problems.
The ponies are barefoot so we have a hardstanding where we hay them during the day to help support hoof health. We try to avoid haynets, instead feeding in well-spaced out wooden crates — we have three older mares, one 25-year-old and two aged 29, and they eat better this way.
We’ve had a few days of snow already this year. Nothing too disruptive and being barefoot means hooves compacted with snow isn’t a problem. But the snow stops us riding, until it thaws. A week of sub-zero temperatures follow and, as our gate leads straight on to a country lane which ices over with thick and black ice, we still can’t ride. At least the frosty weather gives us some respite from the mud.
Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic our usual rides and bridlepaths have become heavily populated with walkers from nearby towns. It’s lovely to see people out enjoying nature and the countryside, as long as you don’t come across too many in your favourite canter spots! We enjoy saying hello, especially to children, who delight in seeing our horses.
Thor’s in the wars
Shoop and Thor get up to all sorts of mischief when they think no one is watching, from making secret hideaways in the woods to charging round the field having a good buck and a play. Unfortunately, this causes Thor to go lame just before Christmas — the evidence is 4ft skid marks in the field. We hope it’s an abscess, but it’s not.
After a few weeks off Thor is sound and starting to build back up to fitness.
In the meantime, Matt rides Rafiki, a friend’s horse, to join me and Shoop. Shoop isn’t a big fan of Rafiki, so we spend time encouraging her to accept his company and teach her that crabbing sideways while stamping your feet and swishing your tail is not considered sociable behaviour.
I’m really looking forward to planning some long summer adventures. Until then, I’ll be building Shoop’s fitness back up. Living on the edge of the Peak
District means access to plenty of long hills, perfect for increasing stamina.