As we move into better weather for Spring, loads is happening here at Natural Bridges. It’s an exciting time and set to be a very busy summer!

The last few months have been jam packed. I’ve traveled from Northern Ireland to Drogheda and everywhere in between doing everything from show jumpers to RID weanlings.

The work is always generally challenging, but being able to change someone’s life with their horse never ceases to give me satisfaction.

People put up with issues for so long, and feel so trapped and helpless. There is nothing better then freeing them from these restrictions, and giving them a new start with their horse.

The next exciting event is being filmed for Irish tv. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share what I do with more people.

We will be showcasing a horse with a trailer loading problem, something I’m presented with on a regular basis.

I find trailer loading one of the easiest problems to fix, so the challenge here is going to be working on a time limit and keeping crew with cameras safe.

I don’t like time limits, things take as long as they take, but I think I have picked a good horse for the job.

He is a great horse in every way, but, for whatever reason, does not like the trailer. The owner said when she got him, he had issues going forward from the leg. She has since fixed that problem, but this is going to be the key to fixing the trailer loading problem.

He knows, on the ground, she can’t make him go into the trailer, so he throws up the head and backs away. She is out of ideas. Making him realise he can be made to go forward, on the ground, will be his fix.

Should be fairly straightforward, and the time limit shouldn’t be a problem.

I will be posting a link to the program once it airs. This is really just a springboard to see how I like television, as I am in talks for a documentary or a 4 part series and want to see what I’m in for! Watch this space.

In other news, I finally have round pens available for sale! I have been tirelessly working on getting my round pens out to market. I’ve been having teething problems getting my heavy weight pens made, as people seem to keep wanting to tell me how they should be, instead of listening to what I want!

I have finally found a manufacturer I am happy with, and am awaiting samples. In the meantime, I have acquired the distribution rights to a light weight round pen manufactured in France.

These round pens are fantastic, and I think they will suit most people’s needs. They are about 40% cheaper (and lighter!) then the heavy weight pens, and are a great option for most people.

Because I mostly work with problem horses, I need the taller, heavier round pen. It has been designed with problem horses in mind. Horses that are likely to challenge or jump out.

But most people have perfectly reasonable horses, or, if they have a problem horse, they don’t tend to challenge it, so the light weight pens are ideal for most people.

For more information check out my other site www.roundpens-ireland.com.

The last bit of exciting news is about pedestals. I have a pedestal! It’s not quite finished, but will be shortly.

The pedestals have also caused me difficulty! I was so determined to have a pedestal made of galvanised steel, but that has yet to come to fruition. Every company I talked to just wanted far to much to have them made.

With every product I want to make available, price and quality are very important to me. I want people to get good value for money. So the quotes I was getting back on the steel pedestals just didn’t fit my desires.

I’ve eaten the bullet as they say, and have had one made of wood. I was unsure how I was going to feel about this, but its come back to me and it is beautiful! Really a work of art. With 24 colours available, I think everyone will be thrilled to have one sitting in their yard.

It’s nearly complete, and should be available for sale soon.

Funnily enough, as soon as I made the decision to go with the wood, I was given a steel option! This has yet to be made, and is a modified version of my original drawings, so until it is sitting in front of me, I won’t be sure if it will be a product I want to sell.

The pedestals will be sold under a separate site (like the round pens), called Horse At Play.

The site isn’t up yet, but will be shortly. I have several very unique ideas for challenging playthings for horses, and am excited to get them made and available. Some of my ideas have never been done, so some more fun to come!

That’s about it at this end, loads happening, its set to be a very exciting and busy year.