Kim Chapman’s blog: Trailer troubles and happy horses!

Kim Chapman tells us about tricky travelling and her happy Horslyx horses!

“Where to start since my last blog?! Well, for starters, the weather has improved! So at least we were able to practice for the latest dressage test and not just turn up hoping for the best, but more of that in a bit.”

“We had no competitions planned in March, which was probably a good thing. I’m very lucky to share a trailer with a good friend (Melanie Pedelty) on the yard so we had decided to box up and go to a local country park for a change of scenery and a good blast! However we didn’t make it off the yard thanks to Liz. She completely panicked in the trailer and went down, luckily she managed to get back up on her feet but I’ve never seen her shake like that – she really did have jelly legs. It was a horrible experience, one I never want to repeat. Once the trailer was stationary she calmed slightly, so I just stood with her and waited to unload her until she had settled. The last time we were out, the back bar came down, so was obviously rolling around on the floor the whole way home, so has obviously spooked her. So, the rest of March was used going back to basic on trailer practice – the cure… switching her to the right hand side of the trailer! She’s never been a brilliant traveller, but she’s a lot happier on that side.”

“Luckily, the recent dressage test is only a 10 minute drive away, so we’re starting her off on short journey’s again, with the hope of building them up. So, the latest dressage was just last Friday (4th April) and we came 7th! Although we’d had a lot of time in between to practice, because of the trailer issues, the focus switched to getting her travelling again, so we weren’t as prepared as I’d have liked, however, this was only her 3rd ever dressage test and considering the first one where she napped and reared into the arena, I couldn’t have asked for any else – she was so well behaved, with no issues at all. Happy in the warm up arena, no issues going from the warm up into the arena and to me, she performed the best test to date. So I was slightly disappointed with the marking, as I said, it felt to me the best test she has done, but we were marked slightly lower than the last test, but 4 weeks before I didn’t think we’d get her in the trailer again to take her anywhere! Always some sort of positive to take away, or at least I try and always find one!”

“A huge achievement was for Mel who I go competing with (if you ask her, I bullied her into it) but – she won! This was only their 4th ever dressage test so a massive achievement for them! We also need to credit Horslyx with the win too, as Mel’s horse Megan suffers from COPD, so she’s the lucky horse on the yard who is benefiting from the licks along with Liz. Liz is having the Original, and Megan the Respiratory.”

“The first delivery from Horslyx arrived just over a week before the dressage, so my unpaid groom (my Dad) was called upon to put the holders up! There was definitely an improvement with Megan, the warm up arena is quite dusty, so she normally coughs and splutters her way through that, with a couple in the test its self – not one cough! Could just be a coincidence, but we’re thanking the respiratory lick! Needless to say, there are two very happy horses at night now with their licks! If only there was a way to fix a lick in the trailer, my travelling issues may be completed sorted!”

“April brings the start of the showing season, as well as a dressage clinic and the championship for the winter dressage… so, lots to be cracking on with!”