Slow Start

We are all impatient to start exercising, horses and drivers, since the horses' shoes went on on the 8th.
We've now lost nearly 3 weeks in January this year due to the weather, so the season is getting off to a very slow start. Last week, after a short spell of dry weather, the ground was beginning to dry out quite nicely, and we managed to get in the first few gentle drives on the firmer tracks. It was quite a job keeping them to a walk - they were raring to go, but it is important to start gently and walking out is the best way to start.

However, these last few days have been a great disappointment, especially the deluge on Thursday. It's important to keep off the popular field tracks because the narrow rims of the wheels risk creating tramlines that remain for the whole year, so we plan to be using the metalled road down the driveway and along to the Holton Heath industrial estate which will be a change for the horses and drivers alike, but will no doubt take its toll on the shoes.