Tuesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties

Pinch, punch — it’s the first of the month! I used to really dread November, because for me, it always meant dragging myself home from Pau and facing many months without events. It bummed me out so much, but these days, I actually really look forward to it. A little bit of nesting; some cozy evenings in; the chance to assess the season and make plans for the next; time to read, and watch, and learn, and hone all those skills we don’t really get a chance to develop when we’re all rushing around from competition to competition. I love using these first couple of days to really unwind and write down a list of achievable goals for the next six months, whether that’s things I want to work on with my horse, ways I want to improve my house, or personal skills I’m keen to develop. Having that list in front of me definitely makes the short days feel a bit less gloomy. I’d love to know what your off-season goals are!

Events Closing Today: Ram Tap H.T.SAzEA Fall H.T.

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

The first recipients of training and funding from British Eventing’s exciting new Howden Way initiative have been announced. Ten young horses, with riders ranging from established upper-level competitors to up-and-coming stars, will take part in the Young Horse Academy programme from January, with the longer-term aim of developing talent within the country. [Meet the lucky recruits]

In Piggy March’s latest column for Horse&Hound, she reflects on a couple of exciting weeks in France. From the trials and tribulations of travelling abroad post-Brexit to Le Lion’s somewhat uneven standard of judging, there’s a lot of ground covered — and as always, her sage wisdom and frankness make for fascinating reading. [To be fair, if she wrote shampoo bottle blurbs, we’d read them]

USEA member Carole Bennett just enjoyed her first horse trials at the age of 68, after decades working in Hollywood. In true eventer fashion, she reckons the thrill of the cross-country course beats any buzz at a film premier — and we’d be inclined to agree! [Read all about her first competition here]

Have you ever had one of those bright ideas that’s made you think, ‘if someone made this, it’d make them millions?’ I’m personally still waiting for someone to get on self-mucking stables, but entrepreneurs Allison Malefant and Connie DeMaio have been a bit more forward-thinking after realising that equestrians had nothing available for them that served as a comfortable, functional coverall for cold winter days. Now, there’s no stopping them. [Horse people need to be warm too]

The Ocala Horse Properties Dream Farm of the Week:


Okay, you know how I was saying I’d like to hunker down and tick some goals off my list this winter? First goal: secure this place. Second: use it to make myself the very best rider I can be. With 10 stalls, a stunning irrigated arena, plenty of acreage, close proximity to WEC, and a house that is, frankly, to die for, it’s getting my daydream machine working overtime.

Watch This:

Charisma remains one of my great celeb loves of all time, so to get us all moving on this, the first of the truly cold months, I reckon we could use a bit of inspiration from the tiny man himself.