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Well, we thought about setting Pony Club the task of building an ark this month and then reasoned that the weather just had to improve. What a truly awful month. We hope you all managed to cope with the conditions out there. The moat actually overflowed into the car park but didn’t cause any damage thankfully.
Obviously everyone is pretty fed up at the moment and struggling with swamped fields and difficulties in getting out. Please don’t forget that our indoor school can be hired during weekday mornings, after 4.30pm on a Saturday and (subject to availability) on Sundays. The cost for a group of four sharing the school would work out at just over £13.00 each for an hour – you are free to put as many of our jumps up as you wish and enjoy being able to ride indoors on a wonderful waxed surface.
With an eye on the appalling weather, we have worked out a programme of events for December and we hope that everyone will support them so that we can plan more for January and February. These events are not without their “hidden costs” of course, rosettes, judges, staff, all come at a price and it is important that the events are worthwhile.
We kick off on Sunday 6th December 2009 with Clear Round Jumping – ponies from 12noon onwards and horses from 2.00pm onwards.
On Sunday 13th December 2009 we have a Dressage Competition and Jean Rogers has very kindly agreed to judge this event. Something a bit different and for our younger Clients on Sunday 20th December when we will be offering the Moat Farm Christmas Shetland Event! This is for children aged 10 years and under. From 12noon onwards at half hourly slots, we will be offering organised games in the indoor school for groups of up to eight children each half hour. The price is £10.00 per child and this includes a gift from Father Christmas. Surely a lovely way to start the Christmas holiday! Do please phone to book a place as we don’t have that many slots free.
After we have all enjoyed a restful (!!) Christmas Day, we will be back again with the Christmas Gymkhana on Sunday 27th December. There is a wide variety of classes with, we hope, something for everyone – mounted games, equitation, pony and rider most suited (no-one EVER wants to judge that!) and of course fancy dress. A bit of a break we thought from eating chocolates, drinking wine and arguing with your relatives!! Save all that for Boxing Day!!
As well as this year, we are looking to next in the hope of offering some carriage drives in the Spring and carriage driving lessons. Velvet, our new addition, is a ride and drive pony and says she is well up for the task ahead. Monty is thinking about it. The amazing Mr Moorhouse came to see Mont to check out his ability as a driving horse and says that Mont has definitely done some work in the past. We will put the boy (Mont not Mr Moorhouse) through his paces and see how he goes!
We have several Shetland Pony Birthday Party bookings for January and February and have very much enjoyed doing the parties this year. The staff (never mind the guests) become amazingly competitive and the cheating that goes on (yes, you know who I mean!) during some of the games is dreadful! The nicest part is watching the children arrive, all giggly and nervous and not really sure at all, seeing them grow in confidence whilst they groom and plait the ponies, play games in the school and then go on the beach. By the time we get to the beach there are usually several requests to gallop!! Do please let us know if we can help with a party with a difference for your child.
We do of course also offer “Adopt a Shetland Pony” sessions ranging from two hours for one child to four hours for a small group – each session fully supervised and time is spent in the indoor school having a ride around.
One thing I am thinking of offering and as a result of reading an article in the Sunday newspaper only last week are day sessions for older children/adults. I read of a riding school in the South of England who offered a practical stable management session (grooming, tacking up etc), one hour riding lesson and then a hack out with lunch included and it got me thinking …! We cater for our younger Clients with the “Adopt a Shetland” but not our older Clients. A group of four would be absolutely ideal. If this appeals, do please let me know, and I will do some costings etc.
We’ve used every inch of available space at Moat to accommodate our herd during the dreadful weather including the half finished new three stables which suddenly got finished VERY QUICKLY INDEED (!!) when the weather deteriorated. We can’t thank Dave, Paula and Wyatt enough for taking on this task whilst John and I were away. Speedy Donkey and Reg Exmoor couldn’t be homed at Moat so came back home with me yesterday. As I type, they are prowling round their paddock putting Dorothy the Goat in her place and teaching the border collie a few manners. Hey ho, not much alters!
John and I, and all the staff, hope you have a wonderful Christmas and we offer our best wishes to you for the New Year. We look forward to seeing you very soon.
30th Nov 2009
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