The five main horses in my life so far.

1)The Intro Horse. 

We each came into horses in our own way, but it was always with a horse leading us. This might have been a friend's first pony or perhaps it was a draft horse on a farm that you visited once. It might have been a real-life meeting, or an imaginary one.

I've always liked horses ever since I was little, I can't even imagine what the first horse that made me want to ride was because the love was always there. However here are a couple the first was a horse that I nick named 'Holly' she lived at the back of one of the pubs that we used to go in as a kid and I loved wandering off to go and stroke her and watch her in the field. However as I kid I also loved StarLite out of Rainbow Brite I used to read the book all the time, and of course I loved Black Beauty. 

2) The Experimental Horse

Once you had crossed the line between 'Darn. they're big!' and 'Wow, Can  I try that?' you found yourself face to face with the horse that would suffer through your early attempts at figuring out the whole horse experience. Wherever this horse came from, he probably didn't benefit from the encounter as much as you did. 

There were a couple of horses that did this, there names being Wally and Jimmy these two horses taught me how to actually ride a rising trot or sit a canter. Wally and Jimmy were both extremely lazy so they taught me how to get them moving. I always got told by my riding teacher that I had 'a hot seat' because this was something that I never struggled with.

This is Wally, not the best riding but a horse that taught me how to make them move not just plod around like a riding school pony.

3) The Connected Horse

The first horses we meet don't really connect with us, nor do we with them. Those are experiences in survival and test of endurance. The connected horse is the first horse you truly bond with. This is the horse that sounds a chord that lives so deep in you that you might never heard it otherwise. 

Here enters Jake, this horse was the first horse that I ever really loved. I couldn't wait to ride him. The first thing that I ever got told was you'll either love him or hate him. I loved him he had an amazing cheeky personality, he taught me how to REALLY ride. How to really sit when he takes off and also how to ride a buck. That horse was like a bucking bronco, thanks to Jake I have a seat like glue and can ride most problems, sometimes I can't when it's unpredictable. Nothing he ever does is scare me, I've never not wanted to ride him, and I love every minute to this day I still ride him! 

Jakey Boo, isn't he so cute, These days he's smaller than what I normally ride but I still love him to pieces. 

4) The Challenger

Into each person life, a little challenge must fall.You'll have read that one final training book, bought yourself a clicker and heading rope, and there you'll stand, arms crossed, assessing the situation as if you you actually knew what the situation was. It might be difficult to believe as you are flying down the aisle way on the losing end of a braided cotton line, but you actually need this in your life. 

This would be Arthur. I don't like Arthur I can't stand Arthur he is a horse I'd never ride but he's another horse that taught me how to sit. He challenged me and in the end I could ride him but he wasn't a horse that I could naturally work with. He challenged me to think one step ahead because I never knew what he was going to do. One minute he could be fine the next he was like a totally different horse. Do I regret riding him? The honest answer to that is no, because without him I wouldn't be the rider that I am today I would never have rode Gatsby and have moved to the amazing riding stables I am at now. So no I don't regret riding him. 

Mr Grumpy Pants himself Arthur Bear! 

5) Your Deepest Heart

There will come a time when you will look at yourself with a cold appraising eye, and you'll have to be honest about your continued ability to deal with the challenger and other difficult horses. At that point, you'll seek out the horse that will be your soul mate forever. You'll have bought him the most comfortable best fitting equipment. Maybe you'll still go to shows and ride - brilliantly or barely - in the Alzheimer's class. Maybe you'll just stay home. Whatever you do, one day you'll realise that after all the money you spent on animal communicators and trainers, you only had to stop and listen and would have clearly heard your horse's thoughts and desires. 

I haven't got this horse yet but there's a horse that comes pretty damn close. One day I'll have my own horse to do what I want with when I want, they'll be my forever horse and probably be spoilt rotten but what I do have is Gatsby. This horse has taught me so much more about riding and so much more about myself than I already knew. He's taught me that it's okay to be upset and also that any drama or upset in my life stays out side of my horse time, my horse time is just Gatsby and I. Doing what we are good at improving and having fun! He's the horse that looks after me, he knows what I'm mentally ready for in my riding before I know what I'm ready for. He's taught me how to really ride a horse, how to engage the hind quarters, how to work in an outline and how to get respect between the hose and I. He means a lot to me and without him I wouldn't be the rider that I love. He'll be the first horse that I do proper competitions with and there will be so many more first things that we do for now but the most important thing is that we have fun and I love him to pieces. 

A selection of our riding not always the best moments, but moments that have been important to us.

Until Next Time  

A Girl With A Dream