Horse Shows With A Dog

The 55th Lanivet Show was on last weekend and we went down there for the morning- ostensibly for the Mountain & Moorland Classes but also for the Dog Show! This Show takes place at the Royal Wadebridge Showground by kind permission of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association and has a great and proud history.

As has been the case recently, the competition in the M & M Classes was fierce and both ponies, riders and mums were turned out impeccably. We decided to enter only one Class although there were others that we could have participated in had we wanted too.

In truth it seemed the riding was just a distraction for our daughter who was much more excited about the opportunity to participate in her first dog show. With the Class over the rest of the day was all about dogs so with our Welsh B happy with some hay it was off to the other side of the Showground for the Dog Show.

We took our Chocolate Labrador bitch, Ruby, so she and our daughter entered a few of the Classes and came out with a 4th in one so was delighted.

It was our first Dog Show and for fellow novices let me tell you that it's a very, very competitive business. It went over our daughters head but you can see from all of the stancing that the dogs have to do and the brushes and combs in evidence that people are taking it very seriously indeed.
For those that have not read any of our stuff before we have a Cleveland Bay mare, a Welsh Section B and a Shetland Pony. Fortunately for them we have a business supplying tack and essentials for Shetlands and most of the Native Pony Breeds so our three are not short on gear to keep them happy, safe and dry.

Our three are still in at the moment albeit for different reasons. Our Shetland Pony, Poppy, had looked a bit sore (we found a pulse at the fetlock which indicates increased blood flow to the foot) however having been in for a few weeks she saw the farrier earlier in the week and it all looks fine. To try and make sure that all stays well we are strip feeding here on thin strips of paddock that we put the lawnmower over before she is allowed on it.

Our Welsh, Gulliver, had been put on restricted grazing just to be on the safe side and will stay restricted but is slowly spending a bit more time grazing albeit on very short grass.

In the stables we are still using the Mini Miser Haynet and the Wee Pony Haynet's- these are the one's that have holes that are half the size of the holes in normal Haynets so are perfect for greedy ponies. We sell these on our website along with other product's to restrict the grazing but not completely cancel turnout time.

There still seems to be the feeling that once the sun comes out here the grass will grow like crazy so owners will need to be very careful that their ponies are not getting too much grass. As we have said in previous articles, if you have any concerns we would strongly advise consulting a vet.

Please look out for our other articles and get in touch if you need any help or advice on tack and essential's for your Mini, Shetland or Pony.

You can learn more about us and have a look at restrictive grazing products at our website.