The road to recovery....
Hi again everyone, I thought it was about time I got doing another one of these updates, as I’ve been a bit absent recently across YouTube and my Website!
I actually haven’t got a computer at the minute, as mine has died a long death and finally given up the fight against old age! Those of you who have me on Facebook will already know much of what has been going on as I keep that very regularly updated(much to the dislike of the non-horsey friends!) And so I will add a link in at the end of this for you to follow us on there!!!
We’ve had a very busy winter, with the usual early mornings and late nights – but this spell of sunny weather and brighter evenings is really helping to blow away those winter cobwebs!
I know in my last post I explained all about Niamh’s injury and her box rest stint, but finally I have some good news to tell you all! Niamh had the all clear to start walking from the vet just over 5 weeks ago – she’s progressed really well, and although the muscle wastage will take a good few months to get back to how it was, the vet has just re-assessed her and is happy for her to begin cantering and fitness work, and so she should be back jumping within the next month or so! I am incredibly proud of her, she has been through a hell of a lot the past few months – for a horse with her type of personality, being immobilised for 7 weeks, along with a further 3 months box rest is a huge thing to have to take in and accept – but she has been a fabulous patient(despite the odd grumpy face, which is understandable!) She’s currently hacking out for between 45mins and an hour a day, just walking and trotting, but hopefully next week will be the start of going up a gear!
Our broodmares are also getting ready to go to Harthill stud next month, all have been swabbed, jabbed and had bloods taken, so just to wait for the all clear from the results now!
The other horses are all doing great, the youngsters are starting to look more like horses now, a little less hairy and a bit more filled out and less leggy than they started the winter as, so it’s all systems go in keeping them fit and healthy ready to start their careers later this year.
I’m reaching the end of my 2 years at a sixth form college, I had my January results back a few weeks back with a C in Sociology and a B in Psychology – which for me is respectable haha! I will be finishing all exams and A levels by the 20th June, where I will have a couple of weeks to myself before starting off in the scary world of Producing, Showjumping and working!
Thanks to all of the people who have supported us recently, it’s really made me realise how many people are behind us and it’s really such a great thing to know – particularly when you’re starting out on your own in a world that can be incredibly harsh and competitive!
Thanks to everyone for reading, and I will try Keep you all a little more updated than I have done, but obviously along with the technical problems, I haven’t actually had anything of much interest to report back on! Good luck to all who are starting off their season over the next few weeks, we will hopefully be following in your footsteps a little later on in May!!!
Jenny and the Kelly crew!
(30/3/12)
Setbacks, confidence boosting and Oliver Townend!
Hi everyone, welcome to my new website!
Unfortunately, I’m going to start off with some bad news, as our lovely big girl Niamh has been ruled out of competing until around june/july through injury. She is currently being spoilt and pampered on box rest, after 6 weeks of being crosstied- we are all a little relieved to have her off them! For those who haven’t yet heard – Niamh has torn a tendon in the very top of her back right leg, in what is essentially the equivalent to the groin area in a human – so it is incredibly painful! She was entirely immobilised to begin with for 6 weeks, but is now improving. We had an awful wait while the vets discussed what it could be, firstly because of how badly she was walking, the vets thought it was neurological, which would have been disastrous, then it was her pre pubic tendon, which would also be a poor prognosis, and now it is believed to be another very small tendon in the same area… This is actually relatively good news as the outlook for the future seems to be good! She will also be able to carry foals for us in the future!
So that is obviously a bitter sweet subject! I haven’t kept many updated on much of last year, so here we go….!
Brief run through of the year; Had a good end to the winter season(2010/11) with Niamh, securing all her British Novice double clears and moving confidently up to Newcomers, before she had a little holiday before the summer season.
Had 5 fantastic new horses arrive at the start of summer which has kept us very busy for the rest of the year! Consisting of 8yo Broodmare, two 2yo Fillies, a 2yo gelding and Yearling gelding… all with impeccable breeding and very exciting prospects for the future!
Unfortunately, our Broodmare Lou was not in fact carrying a foal despite being scanned in foal at stud, a shame but everything happens for a reason as they say!
Relatively quiet competitive season over Summer, competed at Cheshire County which wasn’t the best show we’ve had, but great experience none the less!
We have been training incredibly hard over the summer, with both my regular trainer, Bianca Bairstow, International Showjumper Keith Shore and very luckily with Oliver Townend! Bianca has really helped improving the flatwork side of my riding and has been a constant help since I was much younger - I owe a lot of Niamh's progress to her!
Olivers lesson was really fantastic – more than anything, it boosted my confidence and self belief, which was much needed! At the end of the lesson, he came to me and gave me some ideas to work on, and then said, ‘you can really ride, just let her learn from her mistakes, you help her too much! Believe in yourself!’ which was a little bit wow! his feedback sent me home looking a little like the Cheshire cat, with a grin spreading from ear to ear! A very good rider, trainer and role model!
Niamh was really getting ready to get going over this winter season, in her last show at Aintree EC, she jumped fantastically in the Blue chip power qualifier, having just one unlucky pole in the rather beefy jump off! It really is such a shame to have another setback with her as she really is a fantastic horse! We had huge worries at the beginning of the injury, as both ourselves and the vets were baffled – eventually the veterinary hospital in Liverpool shone some light for us as to what it was, and so thankfully we were reassured, as we didn’t know whether she would make it, never mind compete again!
So for now, we are just taking the bad with the good, it’s a pretty big setback as she is our only ridden horse at the moment! But I’m sure she will be worth the wait, she really is a very special horse!
We’re still busy though, we have 11 horses at the moment, having the odd issues here and there to keep us busy, and we’re also planning ahead to the coming year/2years… where hopefully we will be moving home and base to somewhere more substantial and professional to keep all our lovely horses, and to start my business!
Very exciting times and fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly over winter to get us a good start over the spring/summer months…. Some of the horses that will then be turning 3 will be broken as a couple are already looking mature enough to begin their working days!
Hope everyone has a good year, and that you all made the most of your Christmas and New year breaks! I’m back to college now in my last stint of exams and work before I leave for good in June!!! Hope this has helped to explain a few things!!
Thanks everyone! Jenny & the Kelly crew!
(10/1/2012)
Unfortunately, I’m going to start off with some bad news, as our lovely big girl Niamh has been ruled out of competing until around june/july through injury. She is currently being spoilt and pampered on box rest, after 6 weeks of being crosstied- we are all a little relieved to have her off them! For those who haven’t yet heard – Niamh has torn a tendon in the very top of her back right leg, in what is essentially the equivalent to the groin area in a human – so it is incredibly painful! She was entirely immobilised to begin with for 6 weeks, but is now improving. We had an awful wait while the vets discussed what it could be, firstly because of how badly she was walking, the vets thought it was neurological, which would have been disastrous, then it was her pre pubic tendon, which would also be a poor prognosis, and now it is believed to be another very small tendon in the same area… This is actually relatively good news as the outlook for the future seems to be good! She will also be able to carry foals for us in the future!
So that is obviously a bitter sweet subject! I haven’t kept many updated on much of last year, so here we go….!
Brief run through of the year; Had a good end to the winter season(2010/11) with Niamh, securing all her British Novice double clears and moving confidently up to Newcomers, before she had a little holiday before the summer season.
Had 5 fantastic new horses arrive at the start of summer which has kept us very busy for the rest of the year! Consisting of 8yo Broodmare, two 2yo Fillies, a 2yo gelding and Yearling gelding… all with impeccable breeding and very exciting prospects for the future!
Unfortunately, our Broodmare Lou was not in fact carrying a foal despite being scanned in foal at stud, a shame but everything happens for a reason as they say!
Relatively quiet competitive season over Summer, competed at Cheshire County which wasn’t the best show we’ve had, but great experience none the less!
We have been training incredibly hard over the summer, with both my regular trainer, Bianca Bairstow, International Showjumper Keith Shore and very luckily with Oliver Townend! Bianca has really helped improving the flatwork side of my riding and has been a constant help since I was much younger - I owe a lot of Niamh's progress to her!
Olivers lesson was really fantastic – more than anything, it boosted my confidence and self belief, which was much needed! At the end of the lesson, he came to me and gave me some ideas to work on, and then said, ‘you can really ride, just let her learn from her mistakes, you help her too much! Believe in yourself!’ which was a little bit wow! his feedback sent me home looking a little like the Cheshire cat, with a grin spreading from ear to ear! A very good rider, trainer and role model!
Niamh was really getting ready to get going over this winter season, in her last show at Aintree EC, she jumped fantastically in the Blue chip power qualifier, having just one unlucky pole in the rather beefy jump off! It really is such a shame to have another setback with her as she really is a fantastic horse! We had huge worries at the beginning of the injury, as both ourselves and the vets were baffled – eventually the veterinary hospital in Liverpool shone some light for us as to what it was, and so thankfully we were reassured, as we didn’t know whether she would make it, never mind compete again!
So for now, we are just taking the bad with the good, it’s a pretty big setback as she is our only ridden horse at the moment! But I’m sure she will be worth the wait, she really is a very special horse!
We’re still busy though, we have 11 horses at the moment, having the odd issues here and there to keep us busy, and we’re also planning ahead to the coming year/2years… where hopefully we will be moving home and base to somewhere more substantial and professional to keep all our lovely horses, and to start my business!
Very exciting times and fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly over winter to get us a good start over the spring/summer months…. Some of the horses that will then be turning 3 will be broken as a couple are already looking mature enough to begin their working days!
Hope everyone has a good year, and that you all made the most of your Christmas and New year breaks! I’m back to college now in my last stint of exams and work before I leave for good in June!!! Hope this has helped to explain a few things!!
Thanks everyone! Jenny & the Kelly crew!
(10/1/2012)