“The Spider” exercises amid a winter wonderland
THE astronomical winter may start on 21 December in the northern hemisphere but in terms of temperature, it had definitely arrived at Bowstridge Farm today. To say there was a sharp nip in the air would be an understatement! But the farm did look like a Christmas card with every blade of grass covered in a beautiful blanket of crisp white frost.
Temperatures around minus seven early doors greeted the staff as they set about a new day and when they went to check the water supplies for the few horses who are still turned out, they found four inches of ice!
But horses whatever the weather, require mucking out, feeding and exercising so the show goes on. I was up at the yard to show someone new around from West London and despite the freezing temperatures, the horses as usual, went on the walker, into the indoor school and onto the gallops. Our old friend Arachnophobia looked full of the joys of….er winter, as he worked solo with real gusto. Rider Lucy commented that he normally does very little when working on his own but he was probably keen to get back to his box!
The Amadeus Wolf and Rebellion yearlings continue to progress in the indoor school and the colt did plenty of cantering under Zac Baker. The imposing chestnut is a joy to watch and does everything so easily.
Despite the cold, our guest enjoyed his morning tour which concluded in the racing office with a glass or two of champagne which hardly needed refrigeration! While we imbibed, it was interesting to ponder…whatever did we all do before horse walkers and all-weather gallops?
