Malapropism - New Arrival

Malapropism
2000 chesnut gelding
Compton Place – Miss Malaprop (Night Shift (USA)
154 starts 14 wins 37 places (flat).
We were asked if we could help this horse by finding him a good, safe and secure home. He had been at livery nearby and was greatly loved and looked after but his owner wanted to feel that he could have a second career. We looked up his form and were astounded. I have only ever come across one horse that could even try to measure up to his number of runs, and that was Montendre with 104. We popped over to the yard to see him and I have to say I was expecting a sharp little flat horse, and he was quite the opposite. He was standing in a stable with his head buried in his hay net, a hen was pecking around his feet and he hardly looked up when went in. This was not a case of being shut away he is clearly well balanced and well adjusted and not at at all like Monty who spent most of his time on his hind legs when we led him anywhere. Mally came in and took everything in his stride and didn’t bat an eyelid when he saw a goose fly past with Mable the Unstable (our Jack Russell) firmly attached to its tail.
We have taken in some more new horses - details to follow

All Change

Sue has come in at least once every week since she has supposedly been off on maternity leave. When she came in last week I gave her the unenviable task of deciding when we should start to turn the horses out. After some puzzlement, worry about a ridge of low pressure,and concern that the temperatures may drop, she decided upon Thursday of last week. The younger fitter (and naughtier) horses went out first. We always ask our vet to come in to sedate them a little beforehand (it saves injuries caused by over exuberance at their sudden taste of freedom after the winter). We decided that Jack (Wild Colonial Boy) and Fundamental should join the younger crowd because although it is unlikely that they can be rehomed they are a little too boisterous to go back in with our old boys. We also turned out half of the girls and it all went extremely well; Zero and Luca had their first taste of being in the herd and Zero was a bit of a scary cat and stuck to Luca like glue in case he lost him in amongst the others. We just had to turn out Deano's, he had already spotted something was up when all the rugs came off and headcollars had begun to be put on, he is funny, he knew immediately it was all change and began kicking out at his box in his anxiety to go out. Everyone is quite relieved that there isn't quite such a lot of mucking out to do although we are expecting some new horses in over the next few days.
Jenny McGregor MBE, an old friend of ours, (founder of SWHP) had been featured highlighting the plight of some 1800 horses that had been left in a pretty shocking way. I had asked her if we could help and she told me that she had a pretty little mare called Dee Cee Elle and it would be terrific if she could free up some space and would we take her in? So Ellie has come in and settled and has made friends with Poppy. We have also taken in a smart little gelding called Tritonville Lodge and I rather hope that given a little bit of time we shall be in a position to bring them into work with a view to finding good homes for them. I'll post some pictures up in due course.

Saturday the 5th March

Michael Yeadon & John McCririck
Six whole months of planning finally came to a conclusion on Saturday. We had spent most of Friday afternoon packing up the cars, so that we could arrive in good time at Newbury the following morning. It really is astonishing as to how much stuff you need to prepare and take..... tables, cloths, chairs and posters, let alone all the auction lots and silent auction boards. We had to pick up enough tartlets to serve to nearly 300 guests as well as take all wine. We arrived at Newbury just before 9 to set up what has now become our major fundraising day for the year. I have been blessed with a terrific committee and we have achieved sponsors for all the races. All sorts of people very kindly and generously offered some stupendous lots for us to auction and Jenny McCririck has been absolutely amazing in sourcing many prizes.
The pavilion at Newbury was full, and nearly 270 people sat down for lunch. Steve Styles, a great friend of Bill Simpson, ran the auction with dear Henry Hannon jumping up now and again to cajole people to bid more. Henry and Kim Bailey conducted their extremely popular and amusing version of Heads & Tails, this is something that is gaining in popularity each year and is not only great fun but also a pretty good fundraiser. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and have already started to book their tickets for next year!
Ravastree ran 6 out of 8 in the fifth race, he dropped in at the rear 3 out, he is still young and he may only run once again before being put away for next season.
The only slight downside to the day was the sad loss of two horses and our sympathy goes to all the connections.

Our Raceday on Saturday

We are all working absolutely flat out trying to get everything ready for the raceday, incidentally we have almost sold out but we do have 4 tickets available on a first come, first serve basis! Do please contact us if you would like to come. Harriet arrived this morning to see the classroom full of lots of displays and pictures and expressed a certain degree of horror because she was expecting a group of children any moment. Thankfully we managed to clear it up in time for the children's arrival but the office where Melanie and I work looks like it has been hit by a small incendiary bomb and Maddy's part doesn't look much better. Nevetheless, all is going to plan and we look forward to a successful fundraising day. Sue came in last week and today, despite expecting her first baby in just a few weeks, just to help us prepare everything.
It looks like Ravastree will be running in the first race which will be really exciting.

Weekends......

Last weekend started off quite quietly but as it wore on it was apparent that it was going to be another of those times - Bank Holidays and or out of hours, when the vet would have to be called in to help.
About five years ago we were asked to take in three orphan white kids (as in goats),we called them Bill, Ted and Reg. They were in pretty good health and we bottle fed them for some weeks and they soon became very friendly and great characters. However, one called Reg, continued to be rather frail, he suffered from a skin ailment which gave him and us a level of concern. We couldn't quite get to the bottom of what exactly provoked the onset of his extremely irritating and itching coat, which would then result in the poor little chap rubbing and scratching until places became raw. We tried all sorts of things, changed the type of bedding, the food and treated him for the obvious skin complaints. Nothing really worked and the only way to keep on top of it was to administer steroids when he was particularly laid low, this although, not ideal, made him feel alot better and between bouts he gavorted around in as good health as any of the others.
In the last week, he had been quiet and generally off his food, we kept him warm and gave him as much attention as we could, Becky sat by him and tried to tempt him to eat, but sadly, on Sunday, the vet decided that we would have to say goodbye to him.
So dear old Reg passed away, in amongst his dear friends, Bill and Ted and of course everyone here. He was a great goat and will be sadly missed, and he had been very good with the children. I can only think that perhaps he didn't receive enough colostrum when he was born and consequently he didn't have sufficient anti-bodies to keep him going well into adulthood.
On Saturday, Michael and I were invited for lunch in The Royal Box at Newbury, it was a day that promised good company, and good racing, sadly all brought to a hasty conclusion by the tragic death of two horses before the first race resulting in the whole meeting being abandoned. It was horrible for both horses and people and sympathy has to be felt with the owners, trainers and lads and lasses who lost their horses on that day. A real tragedy.
On a brighter note though, Ravastree ran a good race at Exeter in pretty ghastly conditions, he kept up mid field but was slightly one paced and couldn't keep up with the two leaders....still 3rd second time out was good and we are hoping that he will run in The Novices Hurdle at Newbury on our raceday. March 5th!! don't forget we are offering cut price tickets!

First Day At School

This should read the first day in the school. We use the sand school in the winter to let the horses have a good old buck and a kick and a roll. They really love it and hurtle about at full speed and more often than not come in covered both in sweat and sand and are a nightmare to groom. Aggy and Poppy have been led out in hand every day from the moment they arrived. But Saturday was the big day when we felt that we could give them their head and let them have their turn in the school... always a bit nerve wracking!
We led Poppy round so that she could get used to it and then let her off the headcollar. She dropped straight to the floor, rolled three or four times and then got up and had a good old buck, a kick and a belt around the school. She then refused to be caught for ages. Aggy was different, she was slightly nervy but she wandered around, rolled a few times and then proceeded to frighten everybody out of their wits by trying to balance on very shaky crooked legs as she attempted to scratch her quarters. They both had a good time, and came in unscathed, although by the time Poppy had finally agreed to be caught the coffee was cold.

The Book is Well Underway

Harmony River - Poppy

Harper Collins have just been in touch to say that the book about Greatwood will be published on the 3rd March. It is a collection of stories about animals and children, and explains about our work from the inception of the charity until now.
It is called 'When Sophie Met Darcy Day' and can be ordered in advance from Amazon.


We have also taken on another chesnut mare that needed our help(see above), her name is Poppy and she, like Aggy, is in her early twenties. She is a very sweet and kind mare, but from the moment she walked into the row of boxes (known to us, as the 'girls row') she took one look at Aggy and hated her immediately. We had to pull her out for the farrier quite soon after she arrived and although she was in the ally just outside Aggy's stable and certainly beyond even sniffing distance, she squealed if Aggy had the audacity to even glance at her. It is a case of hate at first sight and even gentle little Tara has difficulty in keeping the peace between them. Sue and I just wonder how we will manage them when they do have to go out in the field together, at the moment, it looks as if one will have to be at one end of the farm and the other in the next county.