Ahead of spring arriving, time can be used wisely now to plan your garden. With a little creative thought, most outdoor spaces can be transformed in to an inviting place in which to relax and entertain. Often the largest area that we own, a garden or terrace can quickly become utilised to the full with a few creative additions and tweaks, here and there.

The Victorians recognised the importance of enjoying the garden and were responsible for popularising the quintessentially English summerhouse. It became – and indeed remains – a place to sit surrounded with nature, plants and wildlife, whilst reflecting back at the home; providing a fresh perspective on the place where you live.

Introducing a summerhouse to your own garden or terrace can be the catalyst for an amazing shift in how you live. At the same time as creating a focal point for your outdoor design, it presents a home away from home, to work, rest and play. However, if you are to maximise the many benefits that a summerhouse can bring, you must consider its position and overall impact within your outdoor setting.

Is it the morning or afternoon and evening sun that you wish to capture? Choose a position that fits with your lifestyle – the time of day when you will be using it the most. Warming sun will extend the use of your summerhouse, keeping you snug. Consider these aspects whilst giving thought to the best position for enjoying the most attractive view of your garden and home.

Often is the case that from time to time the summerhouse is used for creative contemplation and work, which a shaded spot will make more comfortable. A corner summerhouse can sometimes work extremely well, keeping you sheltered from the elements whilst providing a panoramic view of the garden, however you must consider things such as plant growth, the position of doors and windows, plus access for erection, maintenance and indeed electrics, should you wish to install them.

Start thinking about how you can introduce a summerhouse in to your outdoor space now and its use this year and beyond has the potential to be considerably enhanced. Give consideration to the overall garden design, as the best summerhouses are those which are integrated into the wider scheme and are clearly the inspiration for everything else. The use of paths, steps and archways to link to your new garden building with the rest of the garden will make the experience of walking to the summerhouse even more inviting.

It’s time to get thinking. Enjoy!

Scotts of Thrapston has continuously supported local amateur event riders and is delighted to be running the programme with Carlton for a third year.  If you wish to find out more and apply for the 2012 Scotts Rider Development Programme, please visit the Scotts website.

The whole of the country was covered in snow during last year’s extreme weather, and while many are delighted to miss school or work, horse owners spend the time panicking and worrying for their animals.

Simple steps can be taken right now to prepare for snow days:

• Firstly, stock up on sand for gritting the yard surface, drive-ways, outside stable doors and areas around taps.

• Check your shovels and tools for damage, and if needs be, repair, or purchase good quality new ones.

• Be prepared for every eventuality and create an essentials box to keep at the yard, filled with provisions such as matches, a torch, cans of soup, a packet of biscuits, blankets, extra gloves and socks, and a hot water bottle.

Once the snow arrives, these measures can be taken to make horse management easier:

• In a safe manner and always with help, shovel the snow to form pathways to and from buildings to the stables to the car, and cover with grit, to provide safe and clear walk-ways for everyone to travel around.

• Steam haynets instead of soaking if the tap has frozen- it will be more pleasant for the horse and allow them more time to eat before it freezes.

• Place a brick or a small football in water buckets to make the ice easier to break should they freeze over.

• Be sure to remove a layer of rugs or blanket during the day to ensure the horse really feels the benefit at night when the temperature drops.

• Reduce boredom for horses kept in during the snow by setting up a ‘café-system’ of their food. Hang up several small hay nets around the stable, place a couple of buckets of chopped carrots and apples in separate corners for them to rummage through, leave a radio on during the day and invest in a hanging-treat toy.

• Spend a good amount of time grooming your horse every day. The interaction will keep him sociable and less irritable, and keep his coat clean and comfortable under his rugs.

• Bandage legs overnight to keep a good circulation of blood to the joints, and provide extra warmth.

• If it is not possible to turn out into a paddock for an hour or two during the snow, walking horses in hand on grass patches will keep circulation going, and alleviate any boredom. However, walkers must take extreme care when walking on snow and ice, and only walk calm and reliable horses. If the conditions are severe, it really is not worth taking a risk, and the horse simply MUST stay in the stable.

If you have ambitions to event at top level but your career needs a kick-start, then look no further!

Scotts of Thrapston, in partnership with Carlton Horse Trials, will give two lucky riders an exclusive place on their Rider Development Programme next year, offering extensive training and even the chance to train with the Brazilian 2012 Eventing team.

Scotts of Thrapston has continuously supported local amateur event riders and is delighted to be running the programme with Carlton for a third year.

The programme opens doors to riders who are keen to better themselves and their horses, and provides high quality training enabling them to enjoy the sport safely.  From March 2012, the chosen two riders will work towards competing in their first affiliated event at Carlton Horse Trials in July.

The programme will educate the riders on all aspects of competition, training alongside the Brazilian 2012 Eventing team, with BE Accredited Trainers Nick Turner and Ann Bostock. This will include dressage, show jumping and cross country training at Carlton Cross Country Course, as well as working on their focus and mental strength with a sports psychology workshop, held by Charlie Unwin.

For more information and to apply, please visit: www.scottsofthrapston.co.uk/carlton

Or alternatively, contact Sara Tusting at Carlton Cross Country tel: 01234 720320

Closing date: 24th February 2012

All applications will be reviewed by the coaching staff at Carlton. Two lucky riders will be chosen to form the Scotts’ squad and will need to be available for the specific training dates detailed within the programme details on the Scotts and Carlton websites.

We look forward to receiving your applications and wish you all the best in entering this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Bandaging the horse’s legs is beneficial in so many ways, from keeping the joints and muscles warm, to providing essential support after strain or injury.

However, if applied incorrectly the bandage can be very harmful in a number of ways, from stopping blood supply to the leg to affecting joint movement.  Even tension and firm application are essential, but finding the balance between ‘taught but not tight’ is a skill well worth mastering.

Veterinary Surgeon at Rossdales, Sarah Boys Smith MA VetMB CertES(Orth) DipECVS MRCVS commented; “One of the most important things to remember is to use stable bandages as the name suggests: i.e. They should be used for horses that are stabled and not for horses that are being exercised or turned out.”

Sarah added; “Underlying structures such as the flexor tendons, in particular the superficial digital flexor tendon can be affected by bad bandaging. Skin sores can occur and range from a small amount of hair loss to open wounds. Any generalised swelling may be due to inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue or, more seriously, inflammation of the tendons. But as long as they are placed correctly and with care there is minimal risk of complications developing.”

Scotts of Thrapston and Rossdales offer these tips to get you rolling the perfect bandage.

• Always start with clean, dry legs.

• Stable bandages are usually around 4-5ins wide and about 7ft long and made from wool or man-made fibre. They are usually put on top of fybagee or Gamgee unless the bandages are designed to go on the leg without extra padding.

• The padding (which is normally fybagee or Gamgee) should be wrapped around the leg flat and wrinkle-free against the skin, taught but not tight.

• Starting at the top, wrap the bandage over the padding in a spiral pattern from front to back, down the leg and back up.

• Use uniform pressure on the bandage as you wrap, making sure there are no lumps or ridges beneath the bandage.

• The finished stable bandage should fit from just below the knee or hock to the coronet band, with the padding showing half an inch at the top and bottom.

• Re-bandage the legs every day to minimise the chance of circulation problems caused by slippage, or skin irritation due to dirt or debris entering the bandages.

• Before re-bandaging take a few minutes to examine the legs for any signs of heat, swelling or irritation. Leaving the bandages off for 10-15 minutes before reapplying them is important as swelling often takes this long to develop.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your bandaging. A third hand is incredibly helpful when applying stable bandages for veterinary purposes.

Finally, reviewing the ventilation in your stable is essential when considering your horse’s comfort through the winter. It’s no good paying all this attention to bandaging if the stable is cold and draughty! Now’s the time to make repairs and ensure fresh air can circulate the box, whilst still providing a warm, cosy bed.

Scotts of Thrapston offers a selection of windows that can be added to existing stabling or purchased for new build projects. The Newmarket louvre style window and grille is ideal for controlling draughts. The six blade louvre system, opening in two sets of three blades, allows good air flow into the box by opening the top three louvres whilst enabling you to keep the chill off the horses back during the winter months, by keeping the bottom three closed.

It is a good idea to check the walls of wooden stables for frayed, chewed or sharp edges, as these can injure the horse or catch bandages, unraveling them and causing a potential hazard. Scotts of Thrapston can supply “Stokbord”, a recycled plastic that provides extra protection against kicking. This is fitted on top of the existing kicking board to give greater resistance to the impact of a horse and can, therefore, help to prolong the longevity of a timber stable. It will also help to resist damage that can be caused to a horse caused from kicking a brick or block built stable.

Veterinary Surgeon at Rossdales of Newmarket, Sarah Boys Smith MA VetMB CertES(Orth) DipECVS MRCVS commented;

“As vets we do appreciate that recommending ‘box rest’ is easier said than done. But to the surprise of many owners, a lot of horses adapt to box rest better than they might imagine and thus it is always worth persevering if your horse is a little difficult in the first instance.”

In partnership, Scotts of Thrapston and Rossdales are offering these tips to help you make an action plan to beat the box rest blues, making you and your horse calmer, happier and on the road to recovery!

The tips described in this article are tried and tested but it is important to remember that every horse is different and not everything will work for yours.

• Soaking hay for 30 minutes can reduce the dust and mould spores. Haylage is generally less dusty but has a higher energy content compared with hay and may result in excess weight gain in good doers.
• Double up hay nets to make it harder for the horse to ‘scoff’ his hay. Provide a ‘café system’ of small doubled up hay nets around the box to encourage breaks in his eating. Hiding carrots among the hay in the net makes grazing fun, although laminitic horses and ponies should avoid carrots as they contain high sugar content.
• Divide feeds into several small portions to be given throughout the day. More chaff and less concentrated feed will provide additional fibre, though a feed balancing supplement can help to provide the essential minerals and vitamins that are found in the hard feed. Feeding little and often will help to reduce the risk of colic.
• Encourage drinking by placing apple halves in the water bucket.
• For horses needing daily medication such as painkillers, try mixing apple juice, molasses or oil to the feed to mask some of the taste and encourage eating. Alternatively, hollow out a carrot and pack the medicine inside topped off with a blob of molasses.
• A rear top door gives an additional view for the horse as well as improving the circulation of fresh air for the box rested horse. Features such as this are available from Scotts of Thrapston and should be considered with new stable builds in preparation for long-term rest, but can also be supplied for existing equestrian buildings.

• Placing a bucket of chopped carrots and apples in the stable will make your horse’s eyes light up when he sees you coming! Watch him excitedly rummage around with his nose.
• Leaving a radio on and playing music from a classical station can settle a lonely horse and help relax him.
• Look into purchasing one of the many toys available on the market to combat the horse’s boredom, such as plastic balls to fill with treats that he can roll around the floor, or a hanging toy with an integrated salt lick. Or make a DIY boredom buster- thread some rope through a swede or turnip and hang from a beam, bar or tie ring.
• Some horses benefit from having a mirror installed in the stable, as it makes the confined space seem larger and beats loneliness, all reducing stress. Look for a safe, non-glass mirror.
• Alternatively, in dry weather use a web stable door guard to reduce the ‘confined’ feeling he may have, and allow fresh air to circulate around the stable. He will also experience natural temperature changes as he would if he were out in the field.
• Similar to a rear top door, internal grilles between loose boxes not only provide extra ventilation, but also easy social contact between horses. Scotts of Thrapston can supply the grilles for existing timber stables, ideal for horses on box rest.

• Spend a good amount of time grooming your horse every day. The interaction will keep him happy and calm and brushing him will relax him, massage him, and make him feel clean and cared for!
• Turn out into a stable sized paddock or a small ‘playpen’ can be options for difficult horses and should be discussed with your vet. Unfortunately, a significant change in the convalescence programme (such as turnout into a normal sized paddock) may compromise the ultimate success of a full recovery and you should therefore weigh up this risk/benefit ratio carefully with your vet before proceeding.
• Hand grazing horses on box rest is unlikely to have a negative effect on the majority of conditions but can significantly affect the horse’s temperament.
• Walking horses that are on box rest can be difficult and dangerous and it is often safer to do this under saddle rather than in hand. Mild tranquillisers can be prescribed depending upon the situation and, contrary to what many believe, do not commonly have long-term side effects.
• It is also important to remember the effect on other horses. Whilst some horses are better on their own, the vast majority are calmer if they can at least see other horses. Keeping a second horse on box rest is, unfortunately, sometimes required.

With the late Indian summer upon us we can all enjoy the outdoors;  freshening up the home and garden before the full onset of autumn and winter.

But while your furniture might get a good dusting and your windows a polish, what about your stables?  Brushing up the boxes doesn’t have to be a chore, and it certainly doesn’t have to be forgotten.

We followed stable cleaning enthusiast Lucy on her day of sprucing up the stables and noted her top tips to help you and your horse reach hygiene heaven!

• Lucy started by cleaning cladding, doors and windows, keeping an eye out for any damage and removing dust and cobwebs, ready for re-staining at a later stage. At Scotts we recommend staining during the summer when the wood has a chance to really dry out.

• She then swept the hidden corners of the tack and feed room that get neglected through the year, not forgetting behind each stable door!
• Lucy removed the rubber matting from the stables to get the broom into hidden corners.

• Using a borrowed steam cleaner, she blasted away the ‘stable stains’ from the matting, before using on the concrete yard. It’s really important to get rid of slippery moss and grime from yards, car parks and paths to protect hooves, wheel, paws and feet from nasty accidents.

• Next was the delightful(!) job of clearing out the drains. Be sure to clear out gutters as well, to make sure rainwater can drain properly, away from the stables.

Finally, Lucy checked the yard to look at more practical issues such as adjusting any doors that don’t open or close properly, along with checking locks, bolts and hosepipes for damage.

She said; “It is hard work getting the motivation to even start cleaning the stable yard, but it really is worth it in the long run. It gives great peace of mind to know you can enter the autumn with everything checked and repaired, and it also looks great when you have visitors!”

We wish you luck with preparing your stables for the winter ahead and should you require any replacement doors, windows or other accessories, visit the Scotts Accessories website.

Carlton Horse Trials had arrived and I was looking forward to making a weekend of it. The sun was shining and the beautiful grounds packed with eager competitors. Although I was disappointed to be on foot and not competing it was actually quite nice and relaxing not to be feeling nervous!

I took the opportunity to relax and watch how the event was run, the Tusting family had obviously put hours of work and effort into the ground and I was so surprised at how smoothly the event ran.

I walked the BE90 XC Course and it was pleasantly inviting and flowed beautifully. Many of the fences we had trained over with Nick.

The SJ course also looked very inviting, the course again seem to flow and the fences of a nice height. It was lovely to watch lots of SJ rounds from a range of classes throughout the day and to also get some tips from watching a few dressage tests.

Alex was competing on the Saturday and it was nice to be able to watch and support Alex and Nix, they both did really well and I was over the moon for them when I heard they had been placed 10th in only their second affiliated event. What an achievement!

Janet and Henry last year’s rider development programme winners were competing on the Sunday and again it was lovely to watch them in action in all three phases, again both achieving amazing results!

I am feeling confident that it won’t be too long before Bugsy and I are back out competing in the affiliated world of eventing. We have taken things slowly and last week enjoyed our first canter across the stubble fields. Bugsy was a little keen to say the least but behaved perfectly I think it’s fair to say we have both missed the excitement of letting our hair down and going for a well deserved canter across the fields! Things are definitely looking up and I plan to start jumping on a surface at the beginning of September.

I had hoped we would be able to compete in one more affiliated event before the end of the season but being realistic I think it best not to rush things and spend the next few months getting back to where we were in preparation for next year’s eventing season. I hope to do a full season with the aim to move up at the end of the season and compete in our first BE100 class – fingers crossed next year will be our year!

Sarah Orr

Hard work, good performance and a bit of luck!

These three work hand in hand to secure a good result; I had all three on Sunday 31st July to steal BE100 section J, at Carlton Horse Trials, which was my first win on the circuit.

A big thank you to everyone who has put time, money and support into me and my horses.  Also, to everyone at Carlton Horse Trials ~ Sara & Nick Tusting and not forgetting the many family members. A thank you to Julia Berrie for great support, smiley face and continued interest from Scotts of Thrapston.

A fantastically FUN event Carlton was, yet again, and I have next year in my diary already!

The day started well when the sun came out and lit up Carlton, shining over the fabulous course. I was on in the morning for dressage and when I got on, Bobby felt really relaxed and started with his mind in the right place. Bobby warmed up really well; moving with a forward but consistent rhythm.  I went on into the arena to perform an accurate and relaxed test. I would have liked a slightly more energetic test, however judging by the mark of 32 putting me into 3^rd place I was extremely happy and it was a huge improvement.

Next was Show Jumping just after eleven.  I have been working on my Show Jumping in particular as I wasn’t happy with some poles I had down earlier in the year. I warmed up getting Bobby forward and bouncy, jumped a few fences to get his co-ordination together and went in with a positive attitude. It all slotted into place and he jumped a faultless round feeling great!

I went into second place but at this point had no idea whether I had a competitive score. I swapped tack and headed off to go cross country. I left the starting box in a forward gallop which set me up well for the course. It was a course with a question at every fence so there was no room for hesitant riding you had to be ready to kick every stride into and away from the question! I rode the course at a fast rhythm but made sure I was pacing Bobby conserving energy to cover the course.  I finished with a great clear and 1.6 time penalties to slightly reduce the lead I had now gained moving me into 1^st place!

A double clear with time to spare is always the most stylish win: so it was an amazing feeling when it had happened to me! It is such a rewarding result, making it worth the extra hard work put in.

The exciting news doesn’t end here as I have the U18 Area Finals on 27^th August where I shall be in it to win it! And two slick clear rounds from Vinnie today!

You can follow the progress of Bobby and Vinnie by joining their Facebook pages under:

Rosinic William Wallace – (Bobby) Here you will be able to find his up to date competition results and how he is doing in the run up to his next Horse Trials.

Varachi – (Vinnie) There will be some exciting news coming up I expect as Vinnie launches further and further into his career.  He had two double clears (6^th Aug) and he will be a horse ready to win next year for sure!

The Future is clearly bright!

Henry Beasley

After a calm warm up for my dressage we headed to the arena with an ever-growing group of loyal supporters! Nix was lovely and calm and we achieved our best score to date of 34.5 so it was smiles all round. After a long break Nix was all tacked up and ready for the showjumping, we had a fairly smooth round with only the one silly mistake leaving me 4 faults to add.

After an educational course walk on Friday with Nick Turner I felt confident and calm about the course ahead. With only a short break before my time, all my nerves had vanished and I could not wait to get out on the course. As I slipped on the Scotts colours, I suddenly felt very emotional looking back on how far Nix and I have come in the space of under a year, all thanks to Scotts and Carlton. As I was counted out of the start box I realised there was no place I would rather be. With a cheery “Good Luck” from Julia we were off! Nix flew round clear and well within the time! All the training with Nick Turner had made a huge difference, we were both flowing, confident and we loved every second of it!

The biggest surprise of the day was my mum running across the field beaming and shouting you came 10th! To be presented our first BE rosette by Julia Berrie at Carlton meant so much to me, with all the photos being taken and holding my rosette I became hugely emotional and was holding back the tears. I am so grateful of the support from all those who came and completed my day for me, it could not have ended any better.

On Sunday I returned to Carlton to help behind the scenes as a score collector. This was something new to me and was really enjoyable and informative, to see another side of British Eventing and I hope to get more involved on this side and hope to train to be a fence judge. It was also great to see Janet and Henry, winners of last years Rider Development Programme compete.

I can only begin to express my gratitude to all those who have made this an incredible journey that I most certainly will never forget! This opportunity has done so much for me and Nix, we have improved beyond belief and are now addicted to affiliated eventing!

Along the way I have met some truly lovely and inspiring people. Thank you to Julia Berrie and Scotts of Thrapston who have given me this great opportunity and supported us every step of the way and to Sara and Nick Tusting for their positive support and their beautiful course. I hope to see everyone shortly and intend to be a regular visitor at Carlton.

Carlton Horse Trials, we will see you next year!

Alex Elliott