Chris’s blog: ‘Bring it on!’

Scurry driver Chris Orchard is doing her pre-season MOTs, and that applies to herself, her ponies, her carriage and her paperwork! 

“With all the excitement of winning at HOYS, Christmas and New Year celebrations all now just memories, it’s time to start preparations for the 2016 season in earnest.

Surrey County Show, the first HOYS qualifier for us, has just opened its entries so it’s time for getting my head round the paperwork and to start the roll of clerical ‘stuff’ that’s needed over the next few weeks to get us up and running on the county show circuit – that’s the boring bit!

My ‘holiday’ from the gym is now over too and it’s back to five days a week training to get that pesky hip back to competition strength again, and also get rid of some of that excess Christmas pudding! Mental preparation is also a consideration so I plan to reread the book I got last Christmas calledPerfect Mind Perfect Ride. It’s very good and the theory does seem to help, even if only as little as to make you think about it.

Carriage maintenance is on my list too, I mostly act in a purely advisory capacity on this, thankfully my husband Paul is good at the technical stuff. He checks for any stresses in the metal frame of the carriage and all the welds. If there’s any doubt I think this is the time to get it all in tip top order, as half way through the season, or worse still half way round a course, is not a good time to find a problem.

The ponies all need a once over by the vet, which they will be getting in a few weeks time and have all had the dentist already, they all hate having their teeth done (as much as I do) but they were all very good for him and no major problems appeared. The dentist we use, Richard Morris, is very patient, gentle but firm with them, that’s how I treat them myself so they respond to that well and not a sedative in sight.

Over the next few weeks (weather permitting) I will be driving the ponies at home, then the last phase of preparation will be clipping them all so by the time we get to March for the Scurry display at the Carriage Driving Fair they should all be fit, healthy, and look sparkling white again raring to go for our 2016 Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry season to qualify for HOYS again this year. Bring it on!”

Chris