How bizarre to receive this weeks “Richard’s ramblings” email on ground work when I just returned from the stables.

Talk about a timely reminder, I arrived at the stables this morning to turn out and muck out after the horses were confined to quarters yesterday as the rain was torrential and flooding, the pasture would have been torn up.

Normally Sarge the idiot would have been bouncing to be put out and tossing his head at me and carrying on like the big spoilt baby he is (wife’s horse, mine just wait 🤣🤣)

He was not at his stable door which I thought strange but stood at the back of the stable near his nets looking over the wall, I called him and he just stood looking away…….

The dipstick had got his foot through one of holes of his feed nets (it’s an English thing) and it was up under his “arm pit” tight and wrapped around his leg.

30 seconds later I had cut him out and he just stood waiting to be told to move.

My point is here is in regards to ground work and specifically the roping I did to his legs when he was a two year old, I was laughed at for been in the round pen and lassoing him, (look at cowboy Steve) walking him with his feet roped and more importantly stopping him and making him understand he had to stand still when roped.

It all paid dividends today and avoided what could have been  costly or damaging incident, it cost me a new feed net and a worried wife.

He walked out and put his halter on and went to the pasture like a little lamb.

Don’t skip this bit of ground work guys, very important In my mind, it could be a leg in a fence next time but having a horse that understands to remain calm and stationary made a potentially dangerous situation just a thing.

My friend last year lost a horse caught in a net as it panicked and strangled itself, she never does ground work except lunging as she’s an “English” rider! 

Checking the CCTV he had been stood for about an hour and half caught in the net, never did he pull back or thrash around once he knew he was trapped.

So thanks for the timely reminder Richard Boatwright keep those emails coming Sir!

Been a while since I rambled on with a stable update…. What a year 2025 has been, after several years of calm and consistent stabling it’s all changed and two moves later we seem to have got settled in new dig for the horses.

Losing ground for my round pen has been a massive minus to the whole situation and I miss it every day.

We had to let Sid go but he’s found a great home showing and he’s qualified for The horse of the year show and my next riding project big Stan has had to go, I am truly devastated to see him go as he was just nicely broken by me and coming on well, he’s gone to a riding school and is loved by everyone! 

The 4 stalwarts are doing ok, and we have got back out riding again after months off during the turmoil.

This is where I will probably sign off for a period of time as unfortunately just before Xmas I was rushed into hospital with an eye problem that will require surgery soon and as a result I won’t be able to use screens or drive for quite a while or ride as it recovers and they see if it has worked! 

Bed ridden for several weeks and not able to work, I will go crazy

So I wish everyone a fantastic start to the new year and hope 2026 is a cracker 

Final big thanks to Richard Boatwright, your videos and instruction is second to none and your an inspiration my friend, keep at it