What a memorable (for all the wrong reasons) year it has been. I am a big fan of a new year; it feel like such a definitive clean slate, fresh page, new beginning…. And despite the world putting a damper on things, I refuse to not feel my new year buzz! And thankfully it arrived […]
Lessons from a viral social media post – Road Visibility
A few weeks ago, I did a personality quiz and the result was ‘Advocate’: unsurprisingly. I am not afraid to speak up and speak out when needed. Sometimes to my own detriment, perhaps it is something I will grow out of, although I doubt it. However, when I shared a picture on social media recently, […]
Compete, don’t compare – post lockdown, shows restarting
Sat in my bed, where I seem to spend a scary amount of time at the moment, I realise how much lockdown has effected me. Less motivation, no plans, fewer goals, barely any reasons to get out of my pjs…. Then the posts start of people back out competing. How? How are they doing that? […]
Blog writing – a new chapter for this writer
I haven’t written a blog for nearly half a year simply because I lost my voice. Blogging is a means of expression; sharing a story, voicing an opinion and detailing a journey. And recently, my story got confusing, my voice lost and my journey too dark to share. However, life is full of chapters and […]
What I will be saying as I go in to the ring this year: mindset change
With the new year in full swing and a new season approaching, I am excited to be starting the year in such a better frame of mind to last year. I feel stronger and ready to take on whatever challenges 2020 will bring. That moment before the clock strikes midnight is always so significant to […]
Horse Ownership: Love isn’t a choice but marriage is.
Jack has recently had a few weeks holiday. Since the disappointment of HOYS, we all needed a bit of time to regroup and recover. Last week he came back into work but apparently had forgotten what a saddle was and thought he was 3 again. The mother wisely said “It was never going to be […]
The effect of fear in horses: brave or blind obedience
As it’s Halloween, it felt somewhat poetic to talk about something scary… Have you see the video from the French CCI5*, Les Etoiles de Pau, of the horse jumping into the wall? If you haven’t seen it, yes, it’s as scary as it sounds. British Rider, Jack Pinkney, ended up veering through a gap in […]
Under pressure – One week until HOYS
I was sat in an interview once and the interviewer asked “How do you perform under pressure?”. Every part of me wanted to say “Like this!” and burst into a full vocal and dancing performance. I thankfully exercised some self control and didn’t. However, to this day, whenever I hear the Queen classic it makes […]
Ban of whips debate: poked a Bear and got inspired
I was scrolling through Facebook the other evening when I came across a Horse and Hound post about Gemma Tattersall receiving a yellow card at an event. I had seen Gemma jump at Hickstead and was impressed with her partnership with her horse so was disappointed to read this. Scrolling through the comments, (mostly about […]
How long is ok to be ‘faking’?
The last few weeks have been quite intense; highs (Jack and I qualified for HOYS), lows (34 degree heat stopping play) and some middly stuff too (nearly falling off at a cross pole.) It’s been quite a lot for my brain to process to be honest. I found myself drifting back into my low place […]