Alicia Wilkinson

Trying to Fit Everything In


It’s my last year at Oxford Brookes University and I have been trying to finish the dreaded Dissertation! I have finished my first draft and now editing it. I have two weeks holiday over Easter then go back for two weeks then I am done…hooray!!!

It has been great fun and I would thoroughly recommend going to University, but I do have an incredible Mum that has kept all the horses fit and looking fantastic for the past three years and has brought them up to Oxford for me to have numerous lessons and training. I could not have done any of it without her and I know that is why most riders either don’t go to University or they have to sell their treasured horses before they go.

Well my gorgeous horses have stayed at mine and they are all going brilliantly;

Pooh has started the season so well with a 9th at Isleham Novice, 3rd at Poplar Park Intermediate and finally Belton Novice finishing 15th where Dengie Performance Horse Nutritionist Claire Akers came to support. Her next run is the 2* at Burnham Market in Norfolk so fingers crossed for a good run there. Pooh has had her food upped since Claire came to weigh her again to keep her weight on during the season. She has also had her teeth done and they were horrific again so has had them cleaned and have been advised to get them done every month because she has Diastema through all her teeth. Poor thing.

Ziggy is being a star and has been on a number of short hacks. He is behaving impeccably considering he is in rather intermittent work. I come home for a weekend, get on him straight away and trot and canter him then he has two weeks off while I am back at Uni till the next time. During these two weeks whilst I am home hopefully he will progress a lot. It has been a gentle and relaxed way to break him in.

Googie rather depressingly has broken her tail! I know HOW?? Well she had been ridden and had a rug on that didn’t have a filly string. A horse in the stable next door pulled her rug up over her head and she must have panicked and rammed it into a wall!!! Mum found the rug all done up on the floor. She is making great progress and can slightly lift her tail and swish a few flies away.

 

Pogo and Dougie are out at a friends field enjoying luscious grass. He is very happy and looking fantastic.