Merry Christmas! (+ Wellie Review part 2)

Looking back;  December 2015 was horrendous on the land, with a months rain everything was underwater and the wind had ravaged through the trees.  I remember going up to hay the horses before breakfast on Christmas day; it was howling a gale, sideways rain had driven the herd of four under the hedge for cover and the haylage that I wheelbarrowed through deep, deep mud got blown everywhere when I tried to throw it in the hay feeder.  Deep, deep, joy.

Christmas 2015 - hell on mud

This year we have been able to get on the land much more, the ground is firm, grass still growing and I have only just got a haylage order in with the horses still happy eating grass.  We have also managed to clear some of the woodstacks that are being overgrown where we left them two years ago (now we have a long burner fuel has become a hot topic!).

After spending most of this year apart Woody and I are both home for two weeks, we are so looking forwards to catching up with each other and all our plans with the house and the land.  I can't wait to take the dogs on some propper long walks, take the horses to the beach, continue little Tan's education and just be normal (whatever that is!).

Tan and I on the beach 19/12/16 yes she's a proper grown up pony now!

I forget we also bought a house this year, It's day three of Woody being home and he has already started the impromptu re-wiring of the upstairs!  Apparently its in a shocking state and was unsafe to leave it much longer.  I am so lucky to have him!  Lots to do and only two weeks to do it in!  Oh....and its Christmas!!




Wellie Review part 2 (Wellie review part 1)

I've had my hunters nearly a year now and they are the best boots I have had (sorry Chameau, but I have to be practical here).  My tractor like Chameaus were brilliant, very hard wearing but heavy and the zip complicated their construction, I'd never buy another zipped welly.  The compromise of having the flat sole for riding is that it can sometimes become slippy, but as yet I've not landed on my butt!  I wanted a universal boot that I could walk the dogs in, walk round the land in and yet still jump on and ride in, we do not have a concrete yard (yet) so needed something that would put up with the wet, mud lack of love but be versatile and lightweight enough to move and jump about and tough to walk through brambles, these tick all the boxes for me and are my go to boots for hacking out in.

**However, I would not ride an unknown horse in these.  For any situation where I needed to be fully switched on in the saddle I would wear my ariat boots and gaiters, they are a slim but tough second skin that allows me a close contact feel for what's going on with the horse.**




Oh... A random observation this year; the media report it's going to be a bad year for spouts....interesting as I have not seen as much Ragwort this winter either, last year they were popping up like giant cabbages!