Life as a horsey parent might mean traipsing around the country or to and fro from the yard, with a hefty credit card bill in tow. But when it comes to entertainment during the long summer holidays, you have it covered.
A no brainer. Not only does camp mean a week with your feet up (aside from the odd evening of washing up or panic phone calls when the pony has lost a shoe), but there’s the build-up entertainment too — weeks of list making, cleaning, polishing, practising…
Weeks off without a textbook in sight means plenty of time for the kids to get their sleeves rolled up and start giving the stable a deep clean, the tack a well deserved oil and clear out of dregs of lotions and potions.
Bring out the budding Bob Ellis in your child and spend a day building courses in the school. Re-painting tired looking poles is also suitably time consuming…
4. Pick up a polo stick
While the sun is shining and the Gold Cup tournament is in full swing, seize the moment to give polo a try. Contact your local Pony Club to find out about taster days that they are running.
Unearth your inner Enid Blyton (and domestic goddess) and pack up a picnic for a long hack. Anything that can be eaten with one hand while your child’s pony is dragging you off in the other is a bonus…
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6. Hit the racetrack
Get in touch with the Pony Racing Authority to find out about taster days for pony racing. You may have the next AP McCoy on your hands.
Spot horsey heroes at the Festival of British Eventing (7-9 August) at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. On top of the eventing, enjoy dressage to music, the Shetland Grand National and dog agility. Tickets from £10.
Combine a sightseeing trip to the captial with top class showjumping at this year’s Longines Global Champions Tour of London, being held at Syon Park by the River Thames (24-26 July). Tickets from £24 for under-16s and £35 for adults.
Your children tucking into one of the equestrian greats’ autobiographies should (might) give you peace and quiet for hours — as well as giving them a dose of horsey inspiration. Pippa Funnell’s is a winner.
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.
