Lauren Shannon’s eventing blog: roof lights, rubber matting and blank cheques
This week unfortunately hasn’t included any exciting events like weddings, or even other public appearances for Louie (Zero Flight)!
The event horses are just coming back into work after their post-season holidays. They spend a week doing quiet work, including hacking, before we attempt any proper schooling.
This has freed up my time to plan more for our new yard, which is officially starting in January. We were going to start at the end of November, but with everyone needing a bit of time off at Christmas, it wasn’t going to make sense to clear the site and let it fill with water while everyone went home!
We have made lots of decisions this week that had been hanging over us a bit — little things such as whether to insulate the roof and about the roof lights. Does rubber matting or pourable rubber make more sense long term?
Some it sounds boring, but it is actually incredibly fun, although keeping within budget is no easy task! If only someone were to give me a blank cheque, the build would happen very quickly.
Mark and Tanya Kyle, of Queenholme Equestrian, have been incredibly helpful and understanding through my proposed move. They have developed their purpose-built yards very well over the last 6 or so years. It means they are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to my build.
Currently, I rent an 8-stable yard from them, which has been a great place for me to run my business from. Obviously, I will be moving early next year, at the end of February, so they will have this yard available to rent. It is a self-contained barn with 8 stables, tack and feedrooms, as well as it’s own wash box. There are brilliant facilities there, with indoor and outdoor schools, lunge pen and walker.
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It is a huge undertaking, this building project. It has caused many a sleepless night and I can’t say that I have enjoyed all of it. However, we are now getting to the point where things are becoming concrete and I am starting to really enjoy the process. Fingers crossed I’m still saying that in a few months’ time!
Lauren
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Event rider Lauren Shannon blogged on Horseandhound.co.uk from June 2011 until September 2014. Born in Brighton, she lived in America from the age of three to 16, returning to the UK to go to university after she finished school. After university she worked for Mark and Tanya Kyle before setting up her own yard in Leicestershire. Her best result to date was finishing 9th at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse, Zero Flight.