Hurrah spring is finally here! Today (Monday 20 March) is the first day of the new season, and with that we welcome longer days, mild weather and more time with our horses.
Tiny chicks, Easter eggs and adorable leaping lambs are also reasons to love this time of year, but not all of our equine companions share this enthusiasm…
Spring fever
Our very own rare breed champion, Harry the Cleveland Bay (pictured top) celebrates the coming of spring, but also his concerns surrounding a certain woolly mammal.
Harry first appeared on the Your Horse website last month and will be sharing his adventures with readers on a regular basis to help promote his wonderful native breed.
This month Harry admits he’s not always as confident as he appeared in his first cartoon, and can be a little spooky around sheep. We know Harry’s not alone in his hesitation at passing these farm animals, and know many of our readers’ horses and ponies find them just as spooky.
Let’s hope we can all enjoy April hacking without too many sheep-related incidents, and if your horse is feeling a little too ‘fresh’ we have some top tips to help you feel more confident.
Backing Britain’s oldest breed
Harry’s first post with Your Horse received an influx of positive comments, shares and views and his owner Julie Roberts was delighted to be able to raise awareness of the rare to breed, alongside her artist friend and cartoon creator Denise Le Breton.
The Cleveland Bay is Britain’s oldest breed of horse. Loved by the royals, the Late Queen was instrumental in saving the breed in the 1960’s but its fate still lies in the balance. Today the Cleveland Bay is on the Priority list of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, meaning its numbers are dwindling.
The Cleveland Bay Horse Society is a charity that regulates, promotes and protects pure and part-bred Cleveland Bay horses. To find out more, click here.
We can’t wait to bring you the next cartoon of Harry on the Your Horse website in coming months, so please stay tuned and share these posts for greater awareness of this brilliant native breed. We’d also love to see pictures of your Cleveland Bays – please send images with a few details about them to rachaelmaryturnerhook@gmail.com
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