A Special Visit

Hello all! Well I am back from my holidays (hence a break from blogging) and I cant say I am feeling an overwhelming joy at being back! That must be a sign of a great holiday- which it was :-). But before we left, I paid a special visit to the Ada Cole Horse Sanctuary, run by Redwings. I have ridden a few lovely ponies from Ada Cole over the years and I was really pleased to be able to visit the sanctuary to show my support. And what a gorgeous place....I was so impressed. The horses and ponies there are so well looked after, and the grounds and land was amazing. I have to say we did fall in love with a few special ponies, but found it heartbreaking to hear some of their stories. Why not visit the sanctuary yourself and show your support? To find out all about Redwings, and see if there is a sanctuary near to you simply visit their website. In the meantime, here are a few photos I took on my visit...

I'm no expert...

Having attended Burghley Horse Trials a couple of weeks ago I was feeling a bit deflated that I had not progressed to such a top level or even a competition level within my own riding career! I am more of a happy hacker who loves horses to bits but i''ll fess up now that i'm no expert. I don't come from a horsey family and until I got my own boy I didn't really know many equestrian folk. I wasn't one of those girls out competing on their ponies from a young age...rather I would walk round to the riding school on a weekly basis for my lovely lesson. Having pleaded with my parents for a pony every Christmas and Birthday since I was seven i'm sure they got sick of me but they never gave in. By the time I got to 18 I had saved enough money; the hunt for my own horse began. And what an experience that was...teaching myself the translation of "horse for sale" adverts! Seven years later i've come a long way with my neddy but still have a long way to go. I get a huge sense of pride when he scrubs up nicely and behaves himself...but that's sometimes evened out with the rage I get when he breaks out of the field/ acts like a total rebel.But I shouldn't be deflated. He might not be picture perfect or impecably behaved all the time, but just like me, he's no expert. We're just enjoying learning and improving together. So if you're new to the equestrian field, baffled by the lingo, intimidated by the environment, don't worry. You're not alone and more often than not you really will know as much (if not more) than the person next to you!

Paisley Products!

We're always looking products with something special about them and this week's new additions do not disappoint! Specially designed for fashionable fillies, these Pink Paisley Products add more than a little style to female riding wear. We love the beautiful detailing in the Pink Paisley Hat Cover and the matching Paisley Gloves complete the gorgeous look. Both products are now available to buy online from our website The Horse Diva .

Burghley Horse Trials 2010

Every year I look forward to Burghley Horse Trials and this year was no exception. I decided to attend the cross country on Saturday to enjoy the exciting thrills and spills of eventing. Anyone who has attended Burghley Horse Trials will instantly remember the huge amounts of shops there are to peruse! However on arrival we decided to walk the course (there was no way I was going to be able to carry all my shopping around the cross country!). The weather was beautiful and we set off around the course stopping for various food stuffs along the way! If you have never attended, here is a great map of the course to give you an idea of the route. Throughout the day I wanted to get some equestrian action shots but this was a little harder than I first thought! I didn’t have my own camera and the one I borrowed had more than a slight delay...as you can see I did have a little trouble even getting a horse in the shot!
Whoops!Too close!

However my photography skills did start to improve, although it was still safer to try and get a galloping shot!

I really enjoyed being near the start/ finish and seeing the riders ready to go and everyone cooling the horses off once they completed the course.

Here is William Fox-Pitt setting off...

And finishing...And a delighted Mary King completing the course...
After walking the course I moved on to my next favourite past time; shopping! And after a glass or two of Champagne I did get rather carried away. In fact I even had to send my boyfriend back to the car (which he couldn’t find for ages!) with all my bags. Towards the end of the day we saw the very lovely Clare Balding in the Rural Crafts tent and she very kindly signed the wellies my boyfriend bought me for my birthday! I’m not sure if I can wear them now?! Big thanks to Clare for the signature!

I have still yet to find time to watch the television coverage but I have recorded it and I see it is also available on BBC iplayer. If you’ve never attended the event I suggest you watch the footage – it may well inspire you to give it a try next year. Big congratulations to Caroline Powell on her fantastic win! I’m looking forward to watching the winning round this evening. And next year I’ve decided i’m going for two days! There’s just not enough time for me to cram such an amazing event in to one day.

Horses in Fashion

Last week I was sitting working away with GMTV on in the background when I suddenly noticed equestrian fashions in front of my eyes! Feeling a little less than inspired by my current wardrobe I decided to have a little search to see how horses influence the fashion world. At the mo the only equestrian wardrobe influences I can see in my house are a range of hoodies, waterproofs and many warm layers of clothing.

So armed with another excuse to hit the high street, over the bank holiday weekend I kept my eyes open for a few little horse themed treats. Here are a few of my favourites...

Black Horse Cross Body Bag- £25.00 from Miss Selfridge (photo from http://www.misselfridge.com/)

Horse Cameo Ring- £7.50 from Topshop (photo taken from http://www.topshop.com/) All Over Pony Ankle Socks- £3.00 from Topshop (photo taken from http://www.topshop.com/)
Vintage Horse Print Dress-£40.00 from New Look (photo taken from http://www.newlook.com/)

There are plenty more on the high street so why not treat yourself to a little equestrian fashion!