Page 143 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

This had to be someone who could enthuse and at the same time ensure standards were
maintained in both safety and procedure.
As a family, we gradually organised ourselves to cope with getting to these venues by
initially “commandeering” one of our tyre delivery lorries to carry the cart and tow a trailer
with Juno, following behind.

INCREASED EQUINE FAMILY
I must add at this stage in the story that by this time Juno had been with us two or three
years and our equine family had increased by one more. Jupiter was born in the year after
Juno arrived, she began putting on weight and Jill, the riding instructor proclaimed that she
was soon to drop a foal. The horse dealer admitted that after he bought her she looked a
little “wormy” so he treated her and she gradually put on flesh. It looked as if she had also
developed a keen association with another horse in his “stable”!
We were all delighted with “Jupiter” who duly arrived and turned out to be a strong
coloured colt who would grow to be larger than his mother and be full of character. (Jupiter
remained with us all his life.)

(Picture of Jupiter, only a few hours
old.)

DRIVING RALLIES
By the time of our second season of
membership of the Lincolnshire
branch of the British Driving Society
a new area commissioner had been
appointed.
Mrs Sue Goffin lived just outside
Grantham and her and her husband
Bob were farmers. Sue was a lovely
statuesque lady of undoubted
authority. Our being newcomers to
the art and life of carriage driving
she slowly and diplomatically guided us in the “right” direction. Useful advice was offered
and accepted regarding harness and driving style together with acceptable dress code
regarding hats, gloves and aprons.
Sue became a firm friend as you will read later in “the Snow drift”.

During the enjoyable years that followed, we eventually managed to purchase a large size,
well bred and mature Shetland pony for Helen to drive at these events. “Jill of Marshtop”
was purchased from a prominent, respected lady breeder from East Yorkshire. The pony
was one of her very first breeding mares and had years of driving experience.
There was some scepticism among some of the BDS members with large horses who
thought little Jill would hold them back. Nothing of the sort, in fact it was “little” Jill who
sorted them out!

Eventually Helen “outgrew” the idea of driving with her parents and Jill was found a new
home with a retired gentleman who lived on the outskirts of Sheffield and needed a
thoroughly reliable pony to help him recuperate from a severe illness. Jill found herself in
“seventh heaven”.

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