Author: sophiehulmeeventing

I hope everyone is well and staying safe! I have super exciting news! I have done my induction training and I am officially a BD Trainee Judge! I am so excited to move forward with this part of my career and I know I will learn so much from this! I have started doing some writing and training to better understand the system and what judges are looking for at what levels. It is really fascinating and I have been enjoying learning about all of this. I will continue to keep my blog updated on everything I do and learn while being a trainee judge!

Next in the Sponsor in the Spotlight series is The Pure Feed Company!

I absolutely love this feed company! I have been using their feed for years and all of my horses have benefitted from being on it. Annabelle my older top competition horse in particular loves it. She really struggled with weight, particularly through winter. She just kept burning the calories and not easily holding on to any weight. She also would go off her feed get fussy. Everyone knows that she’s a very opinionated girl on the yard. Once I put her on Pure Condition she was so different! She held weight better and ate up her feed quickly and didn’t pick through it. Its also a non heating feed so she didn’t get super fizzy on it either. Another thing I love about Pure is that it is a chaff based feed on a heavy concentrate. So it is easier to digest for the horses and better for them! Horses are not designed to eat loads of concentrates. Their diet is meant to be forage little bits and often. So by having a feed with a high forage content is great for them and better for them. Annabelle loves her Pure Condition and I won’t look back after seeing the change in her! All the horses love their Pure feed and I am so glad I tried it and made the switch. If you are interested or looking at trying something different for your horse or horses I would highly recommend The Pure Feed Company! Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions or check out their website where they have feed advice and give nutrition consultations!

Next up in the Sponsor in the Spotlight series is Ice Equestrian!

This company does beautiful bridles and browbands and headcollars and are branching into other products as well! These browbands and bridles are beautifully made and help make my horses shine at home and on the show circuit! They are beautiful and fit my horses perfectly. They are a small family run business on the Scottish borders. They have something for everyone, whether it is for the competition rider or someone who wants to hack and enjoy the scenery with their horse! Their range of products are beautiful and truly exceptional quality! Please check out their website! The link is below!

Ice Equestrian

So a lot has gone on lately at Sophie Hulme Eventing! Our last due embryo transfer mare delivered another beautiful and big colt!…. He is gorgeous and he is out of my lovely mare Gorsehill Belle and by The After Party so he is a half sibling to both Garyen and Griffin my two other colts this year. We have decided on the name Gabriel and he is a cheeky but sweet boy. I am in love with his colouring already!

In addition to Gabriel we also have another addition to the team! Let me introduce little miss Daisy to the team. She is a welsh border collie and her and Maisey are already the best of friends. I think they are going to be a force to be reckoned with! So lots going on here! I will continue to keep this updated on all things happening with the horses and myself! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Best wishes, until next time!

For our next Sponsor in the spotlight we have HRP equestrian and their amazing Wing saddle pads. I helped with the research of these saddle pads and can 100% tell you they do make a difference! HRP wing saddle pads are different than your normal standard square saddle pad. They are shaped differently in order to avoid putting pressure on your horses back and spine.  They have “wings” on the back that relieve pressure from the saddle on the spine. HRP Equestrian’s research showed that a square saddle pad puts pressure on the spine and on the horses back. I have been using these pads for the last 4 years and I would never go back to a square saddle pad. I have noticed a big difference with my older mare Annabelle and especially when she comes into season. The mares ovaries sit right behind the saddle and they can become inflamed when they go into season and they can be very sensitive. That area for a mare when she is in season can be very sensitive and they can get very upset when pressure is exerted on that area. I have noticed a big difference with the mares when they are in season not being as upset and resistant as they used to with the square saddle pads. I couldn’t recommend theses saddle pads enough. Please check them out and give them a try! They are backed up by scientific research and having been apart of the study and seeing the data come in myself, I can 100% vouch for them!

Checkout their website here HRP Equestrian

Well I am very excited to introduce the next foal at Sophie Hulme Eventing! His name is Griffin and he is out of an embryo transfer from my mare Farytale Cooley and Nick Gauntletts stunning stallion The After Party. He is a BIG boy and has very long legs. He has big movement already. I am already joking if he doesn’t work out as an eventer looks like he will make a lovely dressage horse! He is so striking and already such a character. I am very excited about him! Although I think breaking in will be interesting as his favourite move is to bronc in place and while walking anywhere. Already in love with him and excited to see how he develops going forward. We have one more foal that is due and then thats its for this breeding season for us! I will keep this updated on how they are all doing! Onwards and upwards! Until next time!

As a part of my Sponsor Spotlight series I would love to introduce you to an amazing company Auburn Laboratories!

APF Pro is a miracle worker! The horses take it every day and I take it whenever I am very stressed or very sick! With everything going on now this is an amazing product to add to the horses routine but also to yourself! APF has helped me when I have gotten very sick and I definitely felt the difference when I took it! All of my horses are on it and have been on it for years! I will never take them off it after what I have felt not only with them and with myself!

APF Pro:

• Improved formula provides powerful anti-catabolic action to help build and maintain skeletal muscle
• Increases resistance to stress induced gastric upset
• Protects the immune system from long-term or intense stress
• Optimises glucose uptake and utilisation in muscle cells
• Promotes higher levels of ATP and CP in muscle cells
• Improves utilisation of lipids (fats) for long term energy production
• Improves and protects mitochondrial effiency
• Delays the onset of fatigue during exercise
• Improves recovery from physical exertion
• Protects digestive function by providing sustained energy to GI tract
• Delivers powerful anti-oxidant activity to protect against free radical damage
• Protects against the damaging effects of intense or chronic stress

Please check out this amazing product! I promise you won’t regret it when you feel the difference with your horse or yourself.

Auburn Laboratories

Well since we are in lockdown I thought I would start a new series called “Sponsor in the Spotlight” I will do a series about the amazing companies that Sophie Hulme Eventing is partnered with. I am super excited to share them all with you! I hope everyone is keeping safe and well in this uncertain time!

First up on the list is Multi Radiance Medical Lasers.

Well here is a amazing piece of kit that I can not live without! I got my Multi Radiance laser back in 2013. I think it is one of the best pieces of kit I have ever gotten. I use it all the time and not going to lie it has been an absolute life saver at times! From treating cuts/fungus to sore muscles and swollen legs as well as injuries. It has proved to be a massive help especially with 5 event horses. I have used it not only on my own horses but on numerous friends horses. They all swear by it as well! I also use it for my aches and pains as well as for my friends and family. The running joke whenever I go home is if I can laser everyone!

The Multi Radiance Laser I have is the MR4 ACTIVet. They have other models of lasers as well. But this is the most common among horse owners. It is a superpulsed laser that is infrared light therapy. It has 6 different settings that are each at different frequencies. The laser also has blue and red light. The blue light helps kill any bacteria and helps promote healing. It is great for cuts/fungus as well as wounds and I have taken advantage of this setting numerous times especially with horses going out into the field!

There are numerous case studies that show how amazing this piece of kit is. I have loads of experiences with both my own horses, friends horses, as well as my own injuries to prove how well this works. I will do a series of laser success stories over time on this blog of certain situations I have used it for. This laser has so many uses and I am so lucky to have such a super bit of kit!

If you go onto the Multi Radiance Medical website they have studies up as well as further information on their lasers. If you have any questions or would like to look at laser treatment don’t hesitate to send me a note!

Here is their website link Multi Radiance Medical

Thank you so much to Multi Radiance Medical for their support and amazing Laser!

So  with all of this depressing news about coronavirus and being stuck in lockdown, I thought it was about time to spam the internet and my social media with cute foal photos. Meet our first foal “Garyen” (this year its G) he is out of my beautiful girl Gorsehill Belle aka Annabelle who is out of Holly Clover and by Touchdown. She is the mare I have had for 10 years now and who I went to young riders with and have competed up to the 3* long level. He is by Nick Gauntlett’s stunning stallion Party Trick who is out of DHI Party Piece and by Chilli Morning. Garyen is a handsome black colt that is already a cheeky monkey and a huge personality. I have no idea on show name yet so bear with me on that… I think Annabelle’s stubborn assertiveness has definitely come through… He has his dads laid back attitude as well thankfully… (I need something to keep me sane/ optimistic that he won’t be a complete devil child to break in when he’s 3). We have two more embryo transfers due this year, one more from Annabelle and another from Feyre. I will keep you updated on how everything goes!

This is a time full of uncertainty. I am still a little bit in shock how so much has changed so quickly. A couple weeks ago I was still working at Prestige (Summerhouse) Equestrian and planning my event season and about to head out show jumping. Now we are in lockdown and the season has gone off the rails. This has given me a reality check and has made me incredibly thankful that myself and my horses are healthy. There is a lot going on in the world right now and a lot of people are being affected by the coronavirus. I feel for the NHS and the families that are being affected by this virus. I thought I would share some thoughts on what to do at home and on the yard to keep you productive, sane  and happy on the yard as well as some optimistic thoughts to take forward.

Tip 1

Make a yard playlist or have different playlists for different things. I have a couple designated playlists for while I muckout and do odd jobs that need doing on the yard. I feel that it helps me keep upbeat and motivated to be productive.

Tip 2

Make a list of all the jobs that during the season aren’t as easy to get done due to everything else going on…

Potential ideas:

Big tack room sort through and clear out- get rid of anything too old or not usable. Organise where you want everything and if there are things you don’t need anymore give them away or find a second home for them. Blanket sort through/ re organise and decide what needs fixing, reproofing, and throwing. Disinfecting and cleaning your grooming box and brushes. Disinfect and clean out the freezer and ice boots.

Tip 3

Make individualised plans for each horse with exercises to help with their weaknesses. Try out different pole, grid, jump and dressage exercises that you have wanted to try but now had the chance to.

Tip 4

Enjoy tidying the horses and give them a spa day. Bath, mane and tail pull (if you pull tails), tail and feathers trim.

Tip 5

Practice tasks that you have been meaning too but haven’t had time for. Things like plaiting with bands or string, tail plaiting, bandaging, quarter marks, studding and cleaning studs holes. etc.

There are so many ways to pass the time in this unprecedented situation. Lets try and stay positive and  optimistic. This will not last forever and we will get back out to doing what we love. But for now lets do what we can to support the community, our horses and ourselves. I wish everyone the very best during this difficult time. Let me know if there are any particular topics you would like me to cover in my blog/social media I am open to any suggestions!

Lots of love from the Sophie Hulme Eventing crew 🙂