Woodlands Stables

09/04/2024

🚛🐴

08/02/2024

So sad, but unfortunately very common problem 😢

Hello everyone! This isn’t really the post I wanted to be broadcasting however I think it’s better to be clear and honest with everyone as we always are.

We’ve had yet another big price increase in one of our biggest monthly over heads and it’s now at the point wether it’s worth continuing with the riding school at all. Which is incredibly sad.

We put in 110% at all times and running figures I just can’t see a way to keep things sensibly priced and standards high. When im talking price increase, its not in just in one area - bills have been as much as doubling in price, its not the case of £20 rise here and there. It’s big sums of money and on a regular basis and we do it through hard graft and needs must but with how much agrow at times it brings I’m not sure it is really worth it!

I love seeing what joy our yard brings and that’s what iv fought hard to keep going but we can’t absorb everything and on a real level it needs to now be priced at what it actually costs and I know that isn’t going to be easy to swallow.

I don’t want to hear “ but it x / y can offer lessons at £20, why can’t you”. My moral compass is on point , that’s why - my riding school team have the upmost care and are treated no differently to my own personal horses and I’ll close before that changes. I don’t care what others do what we do is a good job and that’s all that we will ever do..

Let me talk you through a few of the outgoings we have on a monthly basis just to give you it in real terms-

* insurance (now much over £1000 a month)
* feed bill £1600 + per 4 weeks
* shoeing , let’s not go into that as I wouldn’t want to put a figure on what that is a month.
* Haylege (all always have ad-lib and are never hungry)
* shavings
*accounting
*wages
*repairs / building work
* vet fees . Physio fees.
* horses teeth
*water
*Electric
*staff development

And the list really does go on.

This is also affected by weather , wether the weathers good or bad our outgoings are hardly any difference- que this weekend for example, if we close we will loose all takings, yes lessons will be re booked but that’s still a weekends full takings gone.

That’s without the extras needed for licensing such as saddle fitters / nutritional visits and much more - that’s coupled with the stupid amounts of admin needed to document everything that needs to be documented.

On top of that the rules have also changed for people wanting to help on the yard, leaders needing to be 13 years and upwards and helping on the yard over that. That’s a lot of heart broken children we will be contacting whose weekends will be changing who adore everything that the yard brings to them.

Loan pony’s which we have a few, dramatically increased and to be honest we were paying more than I realised for that insurance wise for that too but shocked to see what prices are to go forward with that, which in order to offer opportunities will need to be passed on price wise.

Yes there’s lots of people out there who are not honest with their insurance company’s or that are not properly insured at all but I won’t ever be one of those people, we are professional in all that we do and will continue to do so. I have friends with businesses that run on the most cheapest of policies- all that’s fine till something goes wrong same goes for a lot of freelance riders and teachers , you can offer small prices when things are not done right. That’s a club we won’t be part of.

we are actively looking at what we can do and the sessions that are on ecpro currently will be honoured at prices currently paid but going further that that I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do on what scale if any so we will keep you updated and let you know!

If you have vouchers to ride please use them asap , want to book and have fun , get booked in asap please.

For now , anything booked today for the rest of the month will be kept at normal price (honoured) - tomorrow all the prices will have to go up online and I’m really sorry about that! I know our lessons are the most expensive in the area but you get what you pay for and none of what we offer is cheap. Quality of horses, instructors and care is incredibly high.

I have posted multiple times over the last year that thing’s need to be supported or they will be lost but now I’m saying on very real terms- if you want to have horses available this Easter , I highly recommend supporting while it’s raining and the biggest thank you to everyone who already does!

We really do thank all our loyal riders and appreciate everything but in times as they are we can’t pretend x

For now, these next coming days we will be working hard to come up with the best solutions for everyone!

* FULL LIVERY spaces and waiting list still open for breakers / training / sales and will not be stopping*

14/05/2023

Well done girls 👍
First trip out for 2023 and it was rosettes all around 🤩

Thank you AJ for being groom today, it’s your turn next time 👍
A huge thanks to the World Horse Welfare team, you make all the hard work worth it 😊

24/12/2022

Wishing our friends and clients, (new, old and future ) a very Merry Christmas 🤶 and a very Happy New Year 🥳

24/12/2022

The “grownups “ show the youngsters how to do Christmas lol 😂

23/12/2022

Christmas fun doesn’t get much better than this…. 😍

13/11/2022

Lest we forget 🇬🇧

26/10/2022

🐴🐴🐴

16/09/2022

Looking for a new home.. 👀 🏡

Beautiful sports horse
2 year old gelding
TB X Warmblood
Lovely stamp of horse
3 super paces, brilliant temperament
Vice free, straight moving
Easy to do. Good for farrier, worming etc.
Well handled, Totally unspoilt, looking for his next chapter.
Eventing potential

Please PM for more information. 🐴

06/09/2022

🐴🌟Job opportunity available 🌟🐴

We are looking for a reliable, friendly, trustworthy worker for basic stable duties on a quiet livery yard in Holywell Row, just outside of Mildenhall, Suffolk.

Hours: 8am - 4pm x2 days a week..
Duties will include:
* Feeding
* Haying
* Watering
* Turning in and out
* Mucking out

If you feel you would be a suitable candidate please message me for more information. 😊

12/08/2022

🐴🌡☀️

🌡☀️ HORSES & HEAT ☀️🌡

🌡A horse's core body temp rises the more its muscles are used. Combine this with hot and/or humid conditions & the horse’s temperature can rise to harmful levels.

🌡Temps of 30 C plus.. especially with direct sun are HOT for UK horses. Adding humidity increases stress factor.

☀️ Heat acclimatisation (living & exercising in the heat/humidity) takes 2-3 weeks. Acclimatisation doesn’t fully compensate for the effects of heat & humidity but should increase the horse’s exercise tolerance & reduce the risk of heat related disorders.

🌡A fitter horse will experience the same core temperature rise as a less fit horse but will recover more efficiently and lose less water overall through sweating.

☀️ Dark coloured, heavier & older horses may struggle more in the heat/sun.

🌡 The horse's brain is one of the first areas to be affected by significant heat stress.. and can become damaged.

☀️ Even before arriving at a competition a horse can lose 3kg of body weight for each hour travelled in a hot horsebox and 90% of this is due to fluid losses & dehydration.

🌡Dehydration can lead to colic because less water is getting into the gastrointestinal tract meaning food material becomes firmer and moves more slowly through the intestines.

☀️Dehydration tests:

Skin test: To do the skin-pinch test, grasp a fold of skin at the point of the shoulder and release it. If the horse is well hydrated, the skin should snap back into place in less than a second.

Gum test: Press gently on the gum just above an upper incisor and note how long it takes for the pink color to return to the blanched spot. Two seconds or less is normal; longer times indicate dehydration.

🌡Horses can be encouraged to regularly take water by adding apple juice or whole apples to water, soaking hay, feeding sloppy, wet feeds & allowing free access to water.

💧Best Cooling: Applying cold water all over the body (don't scrape off) and alternate with 20-30 seconds of walking in a circle. Keeping horse in a shaded area & using fans if possible.

Sources: FEI info & Olympic heat studies:

https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/preventing-heat-stress-in-horses-8351/

https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/teach-me/how-beat-heat-tokyo-2020

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/20423306/homepage/sc_olympics

22/05/2022

For all of you that might have missed Rachel and Chance’s first ODE at Isleham last week.
This young lady never sings her own praises so I’m doing it for her!
Super proud 🤩

22/05/2022

Girls had a great time on the Heggatt Hall Ride
We’ve been out and about again 😊😊😊😊😊👍👍😊👍👍👍

22/05/2022

Little Morgan update;

Dear Morgan & Issi and our pc team came 3rd in a big competition against clubs from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk in Games today. Qualifying in a competition against other uk teams in July.
Plus we came 1st for tack & turnout 🥳
Hope all is well xx