Ten things to do this summer

Make the most of the warm days and light evenings to catch up on jobs you’ve put off – but don’t forget to have some fun, too!

Got some spare time this summer and looking for things to do that are outside so you can enjoy the sun? We give you 10 great ideas to keep you busy while catching some rays.

1. Bathing – although mud season is far behind us (and scarily creeping up on us again) it doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty of dust around. Why not give your horse a good scrub by giving him a full head-to-toe bath to have him feeling and looking amazing again?
2. Scrubbing water troughs – now this might not be the most glamourous job but when the suns out, it is a bit more bearable. Give the trough a thorough scrub and refill so your horse has clean fresh water to drink on those super-hot days.
3. Clean out that stable – if you turn your horse out for summer, now is the best time to clean and sanitise your horse’s stable ready for winter. Take out all the bedding, pull up the rubber mats and give them a good clean with sanitiser. Why not remove the cobwebs as well while you’re at it?
4. Lorry/trailer clean – spend a sunny day giving the inside and outside of your lorry/trailer a clean so that the next time you’re off to a show or training session, you’ll have it looking spick and span.
5. Explore – did you really think we’d give you all cleaning ideas? Take your horse out somewhere new, say, to a new common or to a beach. You’re bound to have great time exploring.
6. Horsey holiday – it turns out there are all kinds of places you can take your horse on holiday. Have a few days away and enjoy being somewhere new and getting to wake up with him every morning.
7. Horsey days out – plan a day out to either a big horse event or agricultural show, and there are plenty of heavy horse farms and horse sanctuaries to visit, too.
8. Yard barbecue – now the sun’s out, grab that barbecue and have a yard get-together. It’s a great way to get to know other people at your yard a little better while enjoying a few G&Ts at the same time.
9. Tack cleaning – it may not be a fun job but cleaning it while sitting out in the sun and means you can get a glowing tan and glowing tack. Be sure to take everything apart so it has the well-deserved clean it needs – and don’t forget your sunscreen.
10. Fun rides – fun rides run throughout the summer. As the name suggests, they’re great fun and sometimes can present little challenges as well. They’ll help with your horse’s fitness, and you’ll be raising money for your chosen charity to