My parents:
My mum wasn't born into a horsey family but she did become very into horses. She worked in many different yards such as Sparsholt College, Wellington Riding, Gleneagles and many others until she started running her own livery yard/competition centre back in 1999. She did some British eventing as well as some British Showjumping with a few of her horses. When she had me she stopped jumping and solely focused on dressage. She became a listed BD judge, she taught various people as well as competed as much as she could. Lime tree equestrian (her yard) was a busy place. My mum ran unaffiliated and British dressage, the livery yard had a full waiting list and a very good reputation. She also got into breeding, she purchased one broodmare and she manged to get two lovely foals from her. As soon as I was born I was sat upon one of her big dressage horses. I was always around the horses from a very young age.
My dad was brought up around horses unlike my mum. He is pretty much a self-taught rider. He did it all pony club, Showjumping, team chasing, hunting. When I was born he still had horses but wasn’t really that into riding. He has his own stables and land but just keeps horses for pleasure. As soon as I was walking I was sat upon his horses too. He still has two horses now.
My ponies:
When I was about one I got my first pony. A little skewbald Shetland mare called Bubbles. I did everything with her. I couldn’t say bubbles so I called her bubba and I treated her like my best friend. As I grew up I started riding her more, I picked out her feet, groomed her. I was nearly always on the yard. Either in my pink riding gear or my pink tutu. We kept Bubbles for years, she went to various loan homes making other kids happy until we sold her and she lived her last days in a field belonging to the woman we bought her off.
Then came along Cinderella. A little grey welsh pony. We went to try her and we loved her but my mum said she was too expensive so I thought that was it. Sometime after, I came home from school with a friend and my mum told me to go to the yard and waiting for me in the stable was the one and only cinders. I think when we bought her she was 22 or something. A grumpy old madam but a pony who really looked after me. We did lots of dressage, gymkhana, jumping and even fancy dress. I remember one time we went to a show and did a pole bending race, my dad was leading us and going around the last pole he turned too tight and I came straight off. I got back on and we trotted to the finish line. I got a special rosette with a cute teddy on it and to this day its one of my favourites. We didn’t win but we had a lot of fun.
After I outgrew her we had then started loaning ponies. First up was Rusty a small new forest pony who couldn’t jump due to an injury so we enjoyed doing dressage and hacking. He really was a lovely pony. But I was at an age where I lost interest in the ponies on a regular basis so we didn’t have him long.
We then had a lovely mare on loan. I jumped straight from a 13hh new forest to a 15hh thoroughbred. She was a real gem, we did some local showing and dressage as well as a few fancy dress classes. Again she couldn’t jump due to an old injury. Sadly our time together was cut short when she had to be put down. I remember when my mum told me she was gone. I couldn’t believe it and I didn’t know how to act. To this day I wish I had a chance to say goodbye. Not because she was the best horse I had, I didn’t have a connection with her (we only had her a few weeks) but because without that goodbye I never really got over losing her.
I had a bit of a break after Harriet I couldn’t quite find the want for another horse to replace her. We tried a few horses but none were suitable. After a break and finding myself with some money. I decided I was going to buy myself a horse. We searched online, decided to try this cob and next thing we knew he arrived home. We bought what we thought was the perfect pony. A calm laidback 7 year old cob. We did tonnes with Luca. Showjumping, dressage, hacking, cross country, bareback. We had a lot of fun. The first time I took him cross country, he actually really scared me. I was stood next to my mum while we watched my friend jump, I remember asking her to hold him but she didn't and the next thing he did was bolt off with me. he galloped around for ages before I could stop. I got straight off and my mum got on. He really scared me but I didn't give up. I really enjoyed having a horse and I started to form a bond with him. We won a fair few rosettes. We also gave dressage to music ago and it was so much fun. We won our first ever DTM class and it was such a high. We had a fair few setbacks meaning I came off a few too many times and I lost a lot of confidence with him. We turned him away for a bit but then decided he wasn’t the pony for me. We let him out for a few months and then decided we just couldn’t keep him and Bertie so we sold him. It was a heart-breaking decision but it was the right one. He is still in the same home and he is spoilt rotten and loved dearly and that’s all I could ask for.
Next up is Bertie. He came along while we still had Luca. We wanted something to build my confidence up so we found him online and went to see him. As I was riding around his owners said to my mum that I looked really confident and my mums response was that I usually didn’t. I think that’s when she knew he was the one. When I got on him I immediately felt safe and its safe to say I fell in love with him. Next day we went to pick him up, we definitely don’t hang about. After a few weeks at home we ventured to some dressage which was good then we went to our first jumping show. I probably hadn’t jumped a class in a good few months but he took me round and looked after me. We went clear and I was so happy. My dad and I were waiting for the results and I couldn’t look when they were putting the results up and then my dad just smiled at me and said well done. After looking at the board I realised we had only gone and won the class. That really was an amazing day and I’ll never forget it. Bertie took me from jumping 50cm classes to confidently winning 90cm classes and getting placed at novice level dressage. We did hunter trials as well as fun rides which I never thought I would do and I even galloped him bareback, rode him tackless. He gave me such an amazing time and we grew a really special bond. He was a cheeky chap but he taught me so much and helped me gain so much confidence. I had an amazing two years with him. Sadly then I outgrew both his height and ability and we sold him to a loving home. Where I have been able to visit and I have even been able to take him xc, hacking, jumping and schooling. I'm so lucky to have found him such a perfect home.
Whilst I enjoyed Bertie, my mum and I purchased Max, an unbroken new forest gelding. We broke him in together as a 4 year old. He was very wild when we got him but once he trusted us he showed us a completely different side to him. And he was a pleasure to back. We never did a lot with him. He went on a few outings here and there but we never got stuck into him. I always had something else on the side-line who I prioritised and my mum wasn’t overly interested. He did however teach me loads, he was very quirky but I learnt how to handle him and we had a lot of fun together. He is such a cuddle pony and very much a 'people' pony and we will always have a place in our hearts for him. He is now being loved by another family and teaching more people. He is now part of the 'equine assisted learning' programme.
My friend actually found Blu online for us. We went to go see him and straight away my mum was like oh no, never in a million years will we buy him. I got on him and straight away I felt at home, I felt safe and it just felt right. I begged and begged my mum for days to put an offer in and finally she did. Offer accepted, vetting booked and then something happened at school and my mum was so close to cancelling the vetting. I am so glad she didn’t. Then a few weeks later he came home. It was tricky to start. He was very different to what I was used to but I really enjoyed riding him. Lots of lessons and lots of shows and it all started to click into place when we attended the British show jumping camp at Bicton arena. And after that we were on flying form. More shows, stay aways, placings, more camps and lots and lots of fun. We then had a major setback but we came out the other side better than ever.
After months off he returned to the competing scene to only go and win 4 classes, one second, two fourths and a sixth all in just 4 outings. He felt unreal and it was amazing to finally be getting some prizes. In the summer of 2019 we started our affiliated journey with Showjumping Ireland. He now has 5 Irish points due to limited shows but he has jumped unreal the past couple months. We’ve enjoyed playing around the xc, galloping on the beach, going to the gallops, hacking in the beautiful forests and jumping at some fab venues. I can still remember what he felt like when I tried him and he is like a different horse now. We’ve gone from jumping 80’s to flying around 1.10 tracks and jumping up to 1.25m at home. Just wow! He has become my best friend and I can’t imagine not having him. I couldn’t have got him to where he is without some fabulous help. Obviously my mum for taking us everywhere and just helping in general with everything and being my number one supporter, all my different coaches from the flatwork lessons to the show warm ups to the jump lessons and most of all just the advice and support. Blu has shaped me into the rider I am today and without him I wouldn’t be where I am now. He is a very special pony, he has a few quirks but I trust him with my life.
And now I have the amazing Didi in my life. We decided we were going to start looking for a Showjumping schoolmaster to teach me the ropes as I caught the love for Showjumping. We drove all over Ireland trying over 20 horses in less than 2 months. We had one failed vetting, one we missed out on and then Didi. When we tried her I felt safe and confident on her but I didn’t immediately love her and I think that’s because I was holding onto the two others I fell in love with. But I didn’t think we’d find a better horse and my mum really like her, so the following week she arrived home. We had an early fall resulting in me losing some confidence but with the help of a great coach I gained it back quicker than I lost it. But it wasn’t till my second jumping lesson when I realised how truly special she was and how lucky I was to be able to call her mine. We’ve been working really hard at home and at some arena hires. I’ve had tonnes of lessons which I have thoroughly enjoyed and I feel like we are creating a really special bond. We've now been to 3 shows, the first one we jumped the 90cm and 1m, just had a pole in the 1m. The next show we just did the 1m and went clear. Then at our most recent show we decided to jump the 1.10m, I am so glad we did because we were more than ready and it was so much fun, we had one unfortunate pole but she really looked after me. She is such an affectionate, sweet mare and I love her to bits. I have already learnt so much with her and I’m excited to see where we go from here.
As well as all the ponies I have loaned and owned, I have been very fortunate to ride a lot of my friends horses as well as ponies and horses at various yards where I have worked and that in itself has been incredible too. I have learnt so much from not just my ponies but everything I have ridden.
So this is my riding story so far. I hope you enjoyed learning more about where my love of horses comes from as well as all my past ponies!
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think :)
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