Half-term week is traditionally a busy time for family horses and Daniel was no exception. Sunday began steadily enough when he and his brother enjoyed a leisurely hack along the lane and a canter up the cross-country field.

Monday morning saw Stephen the farrier arrive to shoe all three of our horses. The boys then took another turn up the lane to bed-in their smart new footwear.

On Tuesday, Sophie took Daniel into the school for a testing lesson with local eventer David Elms.

“Just imagine him as a deflated medicine ball that you need to blow up,” said David as Daniel puffed around his umpteenth circuit.

“Don’t be too nice, we want seven out of ten for his walk,” David added.

“Never did a bloke put in so much effort,” muttered Daniel. “Oh well, tomorrer’ll be easier.”

Wednesday saw “Auntie Wendy” stride purposefully into the yard with her box of clipping equipment. This was Daniel’s first full clip of the winter because his coat took weeks to grow back after last summer’s sweet itch.

“You’re still on the portly side,” said Wendy. “Let’s see if a haircut makes you look any sleeker.”

An hour later, Daniel, immaculately shorn and hogged, peeped from under his eyelids as Wendy packed up to go.

“Wot’s the problem? Don’t stop ’er,” he grumbled as she paused to chat to David and his wife Joanne.

On Thursday, Steve persuaded Baby to launch himself over a broken-down wall and the horses finished by racing one another up the hill. Friday saw Steve jump the rail in the cross-country field by himself when Baby skidded and slammed on the brakes.

“Lawks!” said Baby as Steve, covered in mud but still holding the reins, stared up into his mad amber eyes.

Daniel, meanwhile, was facing his hardest day of the week. Hannah spent an hour schooling him in the morning and, in the afternoon, Sophie put him through his paces with another lesson with David.

“That’s gorra be ten outa ten,” said Daniel, bustling briskly round. “I’ll be thin as a lat after all this.”

Saturday saw him braving the school one last time with Sophie for what should have been jumping practice. A severe overnight frost had left the ground too hard for anything but steady pole work, but it was still a valuable step towards the new show-jumping season. After beginning our 2010 outings with the hunter trials practice day at Coniston Hall on March 14, we hope to fill our diary with plenty of local shows, clear round days and trips to Craven Country Ride.

Steve Wright & Jenny Loweth