This month Harriet Morris-Baumber has been busier than ever teaching and she is looking forward to finally getting out competing. Read on to find out more…

Harriet says “I am so happy to be able to be teaching again, things are really busy here which is great. It has been fantastic to see some new partnerships as well as my existing clients. I definitely have the best job in the world.

My horses are going really well and I am pleased to hear that eventing might be on the cards again this summer! Assuming everything keeps heading in the right direction I am very much looking forward to getting out eventing again, with Frickley Park being our first choice at the end of July.

I have starting taking the horses out cross-country schooling and have also taken them for a few showjumping practise rounds too. They have all had stud holes put in their shoes again so it’s starting to feel like the beginning of the season, even though we are in July!

We are still busy here at the yard and we have recently given the arena fence a facelift and had one side completely re-fenced. I am really pleased with the finished result and we have a nice straight edge to ride down now.

The recent rain fall has meant the ground has gone back to being pretty much perfect here, which is fantastic news and enables me to use the grass showjumping arena, as well the cross-country field.

I am very fortunate that our ground provides very good going most of the year and we have invested in an irrigation system so that we can continually water the ground to provide the very best footing we possibly can, even in prolonged periods of dry weather.

Irrigating not only provides the moisture needed to stop the ground getting hard but it keeps the grass healthy which also provides cushioning for the horses if the ground gets firmer.  The irrigation pump also enables me to keep the water jump topped up to the correct level as it had really dropped with the prolonged dry spell.  

Lots of clients are busy looking for new horses which is really exciting. Some teenagers are moving off ponies and onto horses and others are looking to replace horses that have retired. A lucky few are looking for a second horse to go alongside their faithful friends.

I really enjoy helping people find their next horse and I often accompany clients to viewings as two pairs of eyes are definitely better than one. Clients often ask me to ride the horse at the viewing too. It really helps to be able to discuss how a horse feels, and how it reacted to various things. Based on what we have both felt, a decision can be made on whether the horse is suitable or not.

It’s important to bear in mind the individual circumstances and how the horse would fit into a client’s daily routine. Some people don’t have arenas, and some people only have access to an arena Monday- Friday and can only hack at weekends, so the horse has to fit in with the clients’ circumstances as well as their physical capabilities.

This can easily be overlooked, and that’s when small issues can gradually snowball into overwhelming problems. Asking questions about a horse’s management routine can be very useful and asking about any variations in temperament, from winter to summer for example, are well worth noting.”

Harriet offers lessons in all disciplines using the fantastic facilities at her yard based at Granary Hall, near York. She has also developed the HMB Super Syndicate to make owning an event horse an affordable way for anyone to share the risks and rewards of horse ownership.

For further information telephone Harriet on (07795) 562745 or visit www.harriet-morris-baumber.co.uk