A Big Day for Tiny Horses

Lots of miniature horses:

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I feel I should begin by saying Barb, if you're reading, I loved the miniature horse show and getting the horses ready for their close ups. But all things considered, it was also a pretty surreal day!

For a start Rich and I aren't the shortest of people, and spending so much time standing next to really small horses did nothing for our sense of perspective. Then there was the dizzying array of categories the horses could compete in, from the fairly straightforward "Best Filly 2 years old and under" and "Best Turned Out" to the slightly stranger "Best Mane & Tail" and "Best Head." And then there were the show names - again, thoroughly excellent, but at times pretty bonkers. Barb's horses had nice, sensible show names like "Tally Ho's Sir Lancelot." Others, like "Abba Diva Fury's Firecracker" weren't so lucky... . Of course, having the backstage access we did meant we got to refer to our superstars by their slightly less glamorous stable names: Lance, Button, Grace and Echo.

Without doubt the must surreal part of the day was also the most fun - grooming the horses in readiness for the showring. I think it's safe to say it's unlikely I'll be doing any of the following to a miniature horse again any time soon:

• painting hooves
• dyeing mane and tail with Just For Men
• "polishing" with Johnson's baby oil
• applying horse makeup
• shaving muzzles

When we were done with them they looked like the supermodels of the equine world...

But in all seriousness, mucho kudos must go to Barb and Robyn who put in a Herculean effort getting their horsey chums ribbon-winning ready. Hours of training, practice (their skills in the showmanship and obstacle events were remarkable), shampooing and grooming paid off in the armfuls of ribbons our miniature award winners came home with. After a long, extremely fun day we returned to Tally Ho tired but triumphant.