I have been lucky enough to have some wonderful horses and ponies to ride, my totally non-horsey parents somehow manged to find them all at the right time and they all taught me something, however the two I currently own are perhaps the most special of all.
The Flying Cow AKA Henry
I had zero confidence when I met Henry, all I wanted was a horse to hack out, he of course made a wonderful first impression by decking me the first time I sat on him!! However something drew me back and after some rather more successful attempts at riding him, he came to live with us just before my 16th Birthday - November 2001.
Henry always refused to believe he was actually a 17hh Part Shire, he always thought of himself as a rather more sportier model, and it wasn't long before we were giving the world of competing a go - so much for only wanting a hack! Henry's desire to do anything that was asked of him and to the best of his ability meant he was soon collecting his fair share of rosettes at our local show, all the while boosting my confidence more and more.
We eventually acquired transport and suddenly the world was our oyster. So we decided to give Eventing a go and it was then I was bitten by the bug. Henry was certainly not built to jump, despite what he thought, and eventually life began to catch up on him. He tore a Check Ligament out hunting and due to his age and size it didn't heal as well as it should of. Then, due to him compensating, the joints in both front legs developed arthritis.
So I made the heartbreaking decision to retire him and he now spends his days munching grass and keeping the youngsters in line, which he loves! He wouldn't be happy with a totally quite life though, so once a week he gets taken for a wander by my equally old and decrepit father, something the pair of them love and something which seems to regress the pair of them back to childhood!
Henry always refused to believe he was actually a 17hh Part Shire, he always thought of himself as a rather more sportier model, and it wasn't long before we were giving the world of competing a go - so much for only wanting a hack! Henry's desire to do anything that was asked of him and to the best of his ability meant he was soon collecting his fair share of rosettes at our local show, all the while boosting my confidence more and more.
We eventually acquired transport and suddenly the world was our oyster. So we decided to give Eventing a go and it was then I was bitten by the bug. Henry was certainly not built to jump, despite what he thought, and eventually life began to catch up on him. He tore a Check Ligament out hunting and due to his age and size it didn't heal as well as it should of. Then, due to him compensating, the joints in both front legs developed arthritis.
So I made the heartbreaking decision to retire him and he now spends his days munching grass and keeping the youngsters in line, which he loves! He wouldn't be happy with a totally quite life though, so once a week he gets taken for a wander by my equally old and decrepit father, something the pair of them love and something which seems to regress the pair of them back to childhood!
All That Malarky AKA Mally
The reason I began this website and the horse that surpasses even my wildest dreams!
I bought Mally as an unbroken 4 year old in December 2010 from Vicky Yoxall. As daft as it sounds I had a gut feeling about her the moment I met her and as yet I haven't been proven wrong! She was the most straightforward horse to break in and has always had a bold attitude to life - the first time she went XC schooling was 1 month after I'd first sat on her, she jumped ditches, steps, banks and water without so much as a bat of an eyelid.
My intentions were to take things slowly and start eventing the following year, however Mally didn't hear that part and we were taking part in our first Unaffiliated ODE by May! She completed 3 BE90s in 2011, coming 6th in her last run at Oasby. As she hadn't been broken a year at this stage, our Dressage was always going to let us down, however we have been working hard over the winter and having mothly lessons with Jeanette Brakewell, so fingers crossed this season we shall better in a slightly better position after Dressage!
This year we are stepping up to BE100 and we shall see where life takes us, with Mally the only limit is my supply of brave pills!
I bought Mally as an unbroken 4 year old in December 2010 from Vicky Yoxall. As daft as it sounds I had a gut feeling about her the moment I met her and as yet I haven't been proven wrong! She was the most straightforward horse to break in and has always had a bold attitude to life - the first time she went XC schooling was 1 month after I'd first sat on her, she jumped ditches, steps, banks and water without so much as a bat of an eyelid.
My intentions were to take things slowly and start eventing the following year, however Mally didn't hear that part and we were taking part in our first Unaffiliated ODE by May! She completed 3 BE90s in 2011, coming 6th in her last run at Oasby. As she hadn't been broken a year at this stage, our Dressage was always going to let us down, however we have been working hard over the winter and having mothly lessons with Jeanette Brakewell, so fingers crossed this season we shall better in a slightly better position after Dressage!
This year we are stepping up to BE100 and we shall see where life takes us, with Mally the only limit is my supply of brave pills!