Faves around the stables with Katelyn Thompson

This article is from the August 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

I really cannot remember my life without the horses. Growing up I learned the ropes through pony club and interschool events, both State and National Championships that set me up for a successful EA run up to 3 star eventing and medium dressage. I haved groomed full time for Emma Booth for well over a year now and she has provided me with some incredible opportunities, including being able to groom for her and support her and Zidane as a team throughout the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina. 

1. Our Hoist: Working for a Para rider, our stables often run a little different to your average stables, and a hoist hung in the middle of stables is just one of those differences. The hoist does the heavy lifting and helps me to lift Emma up onto the horse rather than me trying to lift her on multiple times a day.

2. Wall hooks: For hanging jackets, bridles, towels, halters, grooming bags and just about everything in between. Keeps the barn looking tidy and like everything has a place, even when it isn’t in its actual place.

3. Horizontal bars on the stable doors: Gives us somewhere to hang the horses’ pjs during the day and paddock rugs overnight. Keeps the stables looking neat and tidy, while allowing the practicality of setting rugs up for that night or the next morning.

4. Fridge/freezer: Not only does the freezer keep our ice boots icey and key things refrigerated, it holds all our favourite treats, both horse and human… Carrots, apples, milk for coffee and cold water in summer... Definitely practical in more ways than one.

5. Organised rug shelf… Trying to cope with Melbourne’s weather and horses’ rugs is difficult at the best of times, let alone with multiple horses of all different sizes. Rugs get washed, dried, folded and put on the shelf in size and type order so we always know where rugs are when we need them. 

6. Labels on EVERYTHING: Bridles, saddles, rugs and everything in between, makes life around the barn so much easier to coordinate between everybody down at the stables.

7. Boom box: Who doesn’t love to work with a tune pumping in the background? Considering we are right in the middle of winter, playing music is one way Em and I love to raise the energy around the stables. 

8. Large fans mounted in the stables: During summer, even with all the doors and windows open, the barn can definitely struggle with airflow. Having large fans mounted in the stables and a portable one for at competitions, the horses have a more comfortable time in the box.

9. Portable Tack Box: Keeps all our competition gear for our main guy Zidane in one place, clean and ready to go whenever we may need to take him out for the day, whether it be a photo shoot, training day or comp, most of the gear is ready to go.

10. Diary: Big ticket item this one! We have a large diary in the barn where everybody writes down what we may be running low on, or something that needs to be done.
As a team we can work together to see very clearly what needs to be ordered and/or done during the day.

Sign up to our newsletter