Once upon a time in the charming Lambourn countryside, where the grass is always green and the neighs of horses serenade the rolling hills, something extraordinary happened. My dear aunt, with a heart as big as the open fields, managed to pull off the most unexpected heist – she stole my horse! Now, before you […]
Gallop into the Future: An End of Year Review for Horse Riders
As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, many horse riders find themselves reflecting on the year that’s passed and setting their sights on the horizons of the year to come. Horses riders are notorious for prioritising their horse’s needs….. However, just as our trusty steeds benefit from regular check-ups, so too do […]
A bit about Barney….
The delightful Barney came into our lives a year ago. We had discussed the idea of getting a young horse but nothing seemed to fit. One message from Simon Charlesworth and something felt different. He was only 3 so I couldn’t see him ‘do’ much but I put a pole out in the school and […]
Lessons from loss: Navigating life after losing my horse
It’s said that the bond between a horse and rider is one of the most profound connections one can experience. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to share your life with a horse, you’ll understand the depth of this statement. Horses aren’t just animals; they become family, friends, and confidants. And when you lose one, […]
Are moments of brilliance enough?
This horse has definitely been sent to challenge me! The last few weeks have been full of some quite drastic thoughts about Jack and this week, it all came to a head. It is Horse of the Year Show week (we are not there), my aunt shared a video of Pie and I on a […]
The strength of horse riders
Have you ever asked a question whilst also not wanting to know the answer? Well, I did last week when I said to the vet “Are we talking season ending or career ending?” Every part of me wanted her to say “Oh no, a few weeks rest and he will be fine.” but I knew […]
The language around use of the whip
I received a message last week from someone saying “Have you seen that a jockey has received a ban for not hitting his horse. That’s right – for NOT hitting his horse! 🤯” Jockey Robert Havlin banned for 21 days for tender hands riding Quickgallop.com I was all ready to get on my soap box […]
Post competition disappointed
There is the preparation, the build up, the actual test/round/class, the wait for results and the aftermath – competing is physically demanding but also mentally and emotionally quite a workout too. After competing on Sunday, I found the aftermath a very intriguing place but also the mental noise needed some unpacking and I wanted to […]
From Now On
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, […]