So it feels like forever since I really felt like me and Travis have taken a step forwards.
He is a quirky boy and has the patience of a Saint, although still isn’t quite enough to describe what is needed to progress this horse.
Same venue every week, nope still scared. Same routine every week, nope still scared. Same few movements each week, nope still can’t remember.
Same subtle commands, nope still don’t know what you mean. And then, there it is, one day the penny drops and everything you have been working on all comes together.
You sit there with that feeling of just being carried, no effort, no arguing, no nagging.
Now I can’t lie, I did think it was all a fluke, I did think this would never last. Knowing Travis the way I do it probably won’t and it most definitely won’t the minute we enter a competition.
However, for the present he has been a total pleasure and made the most gruelling winter almost bearable.
His self carriage for such a front heavy lump is never something that will come easy to this horse, and somewhere in his past a human has allowed him to know that he weighs 600kg.
This means that you do have to negotiate with him just like a mare, but for now this boy is being the best he has ever been!
I guess it’s time to see what the real judges have to say and get ourselves back in front of them!
Equine insurance specialist now able to offer live prices and immediate cover. Equesure Insurance has launched a new insurance product for horse trailers valued up to £15,000.
The annual trip to Your Horse Live was completed and even my partner enjoyed a bit of it! Okay, he mainly enjoyed the cake stalls (and they were amazing – we took three bags of cake home with us), but also liked the rescue village and heavy horse yard. We got to go into the stable with two donkeys for pats and cuddles and we both loved it.
Five years ago, I had the absolute dream of having my own acreage, but this has honestly been the biggest learning curve, relearning so much about how to better look after our horses and what the land requires. Hopefully, I can give some insight into things I have learnt, mostly by trial and error and lots of mistakes.
After five or six years away from the British showjumping circuit, I’ve rejoined, and this time with my little Connemara standing just about 15HH – and he’s been amazing!