Some of those changes I have welcomed with open arms and others have taken a bit more consideration as to whether they were the right moves to make.
In a horsey sense I have spent the last few years climbing up the levels in dressage and was both delighted and yet surprised to reach medium with Pie. OK so they might not have been record breaking percentages but for a cob to get through a test of this standard is a massive achievement and though he doesn't find dressage easy I am more than pleased with his efforts to satisfy my desires. What he does enjoy though is a good jump and whenever the fences go up in the arena, Pie simply lights up and becomes so much more enthusiastic in his work. So the question I began asking myself, how can we both enjoy ourselves.........the answer is eventing!
Our local riding club ran a taster one day event earlier in the season and we decided to go along and give it a bash, well what a hoot we had. We rode a nice test for a decent dressage score, a double clear showjumping and cross country and left the event on a massive high and even more so when we got home and found out we had won the class. I think we'll have to add some more ODE's to our schedule next season.
Possibly the biggest and craziest change I have made this year has to be giving up the normal and civilised lifestyle of living in a house, to taking to the road and turning into a bit of a gypsy by taking all my belonging and tactically shoving them into a small ex minibus that I have been working on all summer to turn into a camper van, or should I say HOME! I've never been that comfortable living in one place for any length of time and if you were to look at the record of places I've lived over the years, you would see that I have never stayed in any one place for a length of time.
The biggest reason for making the move was purely financial. Owning horses and renting a house is expensive business and when your doing all this on your own it can be a massive burden on your mental health. So something had to give and as there is no way on hells earth I could give up my ponies to live a boring and lonely life in bricks and mortar. So van-life it is and I kid you not it is the best decision I have ever made. OK so not having a shower or a washing machine can be a little bit of a challenge when moving through a new town but google is a wonderful tool and there are leisure centres and laundrettes in abundance. I do have all the basics though such as cooker, sink, toilet a cosy bed and my personal favourite a diesel heater to keep me toastie warm.
I'm very surprised though I thought a lot of people would have had a negative reaction to my lifestyle choice, (I mean travellers constantly have verbal abuse thrown at them.) but instead I have only found a positive vibe and people genuinely interested in how I make it work for me. I'm forever hearing “I wish I could” and “I would love to do that” and it makes me proud to think that I've had the balls to take the risk that not many other people are willing to take. So far the risk is paying of but stay tuned to find out whether I can make it through the British winter in one piece.
Finally the biggest and most recent change on the cards is in the career department. For the last year and a half I have been immersed in the Dairy industry. Long, unsociable hours and physically demanding work, left me with little time and energy to pursue other pass times and I found the amount of time spent riding and writing becoming less and less. At first I didn't notice so much but more recently it had started to take its toll and I consciously started putting plans together to allow me to find a solution. The above being one of them, and so with this new found freedom of being able to move my house and my horses anywhere I liked, I began looking for a career change that would take me to a more central location that would allow me better access to facilities, trainers and competition venues. And so just last week I attended an interview and have been offered a position as a riding instructor at a very popular equestrian centre in Ayrshire, about an hour up the coast. So before the end of November myself, the ponies and my almost completed home on wheels will be trundling along the road to start a new chapter in our life.
I've come to realise as I get older that change is something that happens in our lives whether we want it or not. We can either embrace it and allow it to shape us into a better version of ourselves, or we can resist it and become narrow minded and stuck in our ways. Ever the optimist I am going to take these changes and see where these new adventures takes us....hopefully onto bigger and better thigs in he future.
SS
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What are Ulcers and how are the caused?
Gastric Ulcers are small puss filled pockets that develop on the upper lining of the stomach, whilst colonic ulcers can appear as similar circular wounds or even lengthy abrasions along the wall of the hind gut.
They are more often caused by the PH rising and the higher acidity in the stomach and gut burning the lining and killing the healthy bacteria, which then creates these painful sores within our beloved equines.
There are several factors which can cause the acidity levels to rise within the digestive system.
If the stomach becomes completely empty, which only being the size of a rugby ball can happen pretty quickly. The acid from the stomach pours into the hind gut and so causes the formation of Colonic Ulcers
How do I know if my horse has Ulcers?
So ulcers sound like a pretty bad thing for your horse to develop, and you'd be right for thinking it. Imagine yourself with severe stomach pains and every time you move the pain becomes even worse. Here are some of the more common symptoms found in horses that have been diagnosed with Ulcers of both kinds.
If your horse shows any of these signs it could be worth contacting your vet to have their stomach scoped with a camera to see if there are any signs of problems within the digestive system.
If this is not possible then maybe consider some of the following changes that could be made to both prevent and help cure any ulcers that may have formed.
I hope you have found this information of some use and carry it as a useful tool in the future. I have had several issues with my own horses showing symptoms of Gastric and Colonic Ulcers over the last couple of winters and whilst I haven't had them scoped for clear proof that they were suffering from ulcers, just changing the way I manage them has made a massive difference and the symptoms disappeared. Prevention is better than cure and so I now always keep up the management tips ive described above and continue to have happy and healthy horses.
SS
]]>There is a craze going round at the minute across social media, that's whipping everyone up into a frenzy, and that is one of becoming an influencer! You see people all over Instagram, Facebook etc chasing their dreams, travelling to far off lands spreading word of positivity and telling people that you can be anything you want to be as long as you work hard enough for it.
Is this true?.....of course it is!
But what happens when you try to become everything to everyone all at once?
For some time now I've been following, up and coming dressage star Oliva Towers on her social platforms. Through my phone screen I've watched the ups, the downs and the blood sweat and tears this young entrepreneur has put into everything she's achieved with her horses, her teaching and her media platforms, to become arguably the BEST influencer of equestrianism in this country. She has inspired many, including myself to take to blogging and share their own journeys with their horses.
Who wouldn't be inspired....Her social media following has grown rapidly into the tens of thousands, she's been getting spotted out at events which pricked up the ears of potential sponsors and even the likes of national events (HOYS) and governing bodies (FEI) have invited her to do pieces for them. That's the dream right? That's the perfect life?
This week Olivia's most recent video came out and I settled down with a cup of tea and some biscuits (ok a whole packet haha) to see the most recent antics of this fabulous young lady in the hope of gaining some shards of wisdom and motivation to keep me going till the next one.
Wisdom I wanted and wisdom I got!! What I love most about Olivia's vlogs is that she is open and honest about everything, what she's doing, how she's feeling etc. However to sit and watch this woman feel like she had to explain to the world that she was exhausted through the pressures of becoming an influencer, really made me wonder how many others are out there throwing material at this new social craze and burning themselves out in the process.
I'm no big name in the blogging world but my page 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Pie' has gained followers from all over the world, and although I think I'm nothing but a regular girl with a short stumpy gypsy cob and a whack job appaloosa, speaking on about some random crap from time to time, I have been inundated with comments and messages from people calling me an inspiration and thanking me for helping make their day a little brighter. Its such an amazing feeling to receive words like this, and in the beginning I thought Wow this is what I want to do with my life. I want to grow a massive following and produce all these videos etc and perhaps one day I'll make it big!
I threw myself into creating enough content to produce a TV show and started coming up with new and unusual ideas to get me noticed. What I didn't realise at the time was, that I was allowing the idea of becoming a big name take over and it was actually affecting every aspect of my life.
I wouldn't go out to dinner with family and if I did I was rarely getting involved with conversation because I was staring at a screen typing posts. Everything I did with the horses became a photo shoot or a video session to get the best materials for vlogs. I became obsessed with trying to generate more followers or replying to every comment people made. And while all this is very entertaining.....it gets to a point where you stop living!
I either had to quit this habit before it had a chance to consume me, or I had to develop a form of balance between life and media. I took a month or so out of consistent posting and only shared things I wanted from time to time rather than every waking moment of the day. What I have found in doing this is that the people who were following me before are still there cheering us on and yet I have this relief that I no longer have to impress anyone else. I can just be me and enjoy the journey that I'm taking through life.
I hope anyone here reading this, whether you run your own blogs or just have your personal social media accounts, really sits back and thinks about how much time you are spending staring at a screen into the lives of other people, rather than going out and enjoying YOUR LIFE and YOUR TIME on this planet. Sure social media and the internet is a fantastic asset in this modern age, but don't allow it to control you and restrict you from living a traditional life.
So go turn of your phone, laptop or whatever it is your using right now and get out and feel the wind in your hair, sun on your face or the rain on your skin and appreciate the REAL WORLD in all its glory.
SS
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Its taken time to juggle all the adjustments and certain dreams have had to be put on hold now, purely for financial reasons. Is any of this sounding familiar to you. I know I'm not the only one trapped up in this whirlpool we call life. The key is to stop fighting against the current and start flowing with the tide.
So how do you do this might you ask.......good question. And if I knew the solution I'd be sure to share it.
What I can share though is how I have made it to the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
If you've been following our Facebook and Instagram over the last couple of years you'll know that when it began we were living, eating, breathing dressage. Members of the British dressage Association, we were heading away to competitions on a regular basis and even travelled to the other side of the country to take part in Area Festivals. What an amazing time we were having and then reality hit!
Long story cut short and adulting had taken over, between renting a house, livery for the horses, keeping vehicles on the road and working all the hours under the sun to pay for the said lifestyle, I found myself, often wondering if there was more to life than just paying bills. Of course there is, we weren't born to just work, provide and then die!
So I have taken matters into my own hands. Currently I cant afford to go out competing in dressage at the level Pie and I are capable of, but what I can do is pop along to the local riding club for a play around the odd show jumping course and do a bit of showing. I'm not in a position right now to have weekly lessons with the fabulous instructors that visit this area, but what I can do is allow Pie to use his wealth of knowledge and help others to improve their riding skills (RDA and our sharer, Morgan).
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, to have a more positive mindset and help you become a happier person in general you need to stop dwelling on the things you can't do and start focusing your energy on the things that you can do right now. By all means don't give up on your hopes and dreams, but don't pull yourself down just because they are not reachable at this moment in time.
Believe that you can and you'll open up a whole new world of positive thinking for yourself.
SS
]]>The fact is non of us know when its all going to end, when that clock will stop ticking for us and our time will be up. Have you ever found yourself at the stables after a long day at work, promising yourself that you'll ride tomorrow. The next day you do the same and by the end of the week all you've done is shovel endless amounts of horse dung and are still no closer to achieving the goals you've set yourself.
Or maybe you've actually got in the saddle and been chipping away, with the dream of one day entering a competition or moving up a level with your trusty steed. Yet every time someone asks if your going to do it you find yourself replying “were just not ready yet.”
Here's the thing you'll never be 100% ready to delve into the unknown and there will never be a perfect time climb up into that saddle each day. Don't get me wrong its good to take a break and a rest every now and again but you mustn't stay there.
A few weeks ago our family said goodbye to our first pony. She was out grazing in the field happily that morning and by the evening was being euthanised due to a ruptured heart valve. It was very quick and she passed away surrounded by those who loved her. This came so unexpected to us all, especially my mum who cared for her and had dreams of one day taking her to the beach with the carriage for a yeehaa and a hoolie across the sand. My mum is devastated that this dream will now never come true. There are a lot of shudda woulda coulda's been spoken of right now, but this will never bring that time back and those dreams will never become a reality.
It has really opened my eyes to the fact that this last year I have put my relationship with my own horses on a bit of a back burner, because I've let other things such as work etc get in the way. Work is essential to pay the bills (don't we all know it) but it shouldn't engulf us and stop us from having a life. You ask anyone in their 60's+ if there is anything they would do differently and I bet every single one will tell you that they wish they had done the things they dreamed of when they were younger.
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you have a dream.....chase it!!
You want to go and enter an Intro dressage test.....do it. If you get a rubbish score, guess what you can work towards a better one at the next show. Want to try a clear round jumping class....got for it. You might fall off onto your bum and have everyone laughing at you. So what, just hold on tighter at the next jump.
Stop waiting for things to happen or before you know it you'll be sat in a rocking chair with a whole lot of I wish and what ifs.
Time is Precious use it wisely.
]]>We then had another big gap before the main event ..... MEDIUM 73. This was actually a godsend as pie really needed the recovery time. The harder the tests get the more they demand of a horse/rider both physically and mentally.
I think I was that excited to ride that I dashed out to the box to get pie ready for our slot and arrived in the warm up only to find I was an hour early 🤦🤦🤦 I think that's the first time I have been early for anything in my entire life!! 😂😂So back to the box it was 😝
An hour later we got ready again and headed to the warmup. It's surreal to be warming up beside people you have looked up to for so long, I've always seen these Horses/riders as the ones to idolise....... And here was me riding right beside them 😱😱😱 I'm not going to lie I felt quite intimidated at first and suddenly wave of emotion came over me..... What the heck was this feeling...... Ohhh was this nerves (butterflies in my stomach, the feeling like I was going to projectile vomit at any second 🤢)
I've been lucky.... I haven't felt nervous when competing for a while, probably because we had become so comfortable with the level we were at. 🤔
And then I thought..... No sod it we can do this and if it goes tits up no one can say we didn't give it our best shot.
And then there we were on that centre line, Game face on and riding it like we stole it! 💥
Medium trot, shoulder in, half pass that little coblet of mine gave me his all and I came into that halt at the end smiling like a Cheshire cat 😁😁😁😁
The results didn't even matter to me. We did what we set out to achieve and we went better than I thought we would. So a 3rd place on a score of 58.09% is as good a start as any for our medium career 😊
I couldn't understand why I've been waiting so long for my next pedicure. Then said human tells me that ALL the appointments she made for me over the last month, with both the farrier and barefoot trimmer had been...... Cancelled!!! HOW RUDE 😒😒 I mean come on humans Wtf, my front hooves are beginning to turn into shovels and my shoes are no longer shoes but freaking flip flops 🙄👡🙄
I should have kept my mouth shut though as next minute she comes out the stables with some farriers tools and some giant fella that resembles a body guard (he's actually the owner of my fwend Henry horse, but still 😂)
Next thing he grabs mi leg, and she starts ripping out the nails out of my hoof. Well I didn't know whether to squeel like a girl and run for the hills or freeze and stay very very still, whilst hoping and praying she didn't chop my whole foot off 😳😳😳
I went for the second option as let's face it anything was better than humpfing these metal plates round any longer 😉 Let's just say it took them double... No treble....the amount of time that it would have taken a professional, but all four feet are still in tact and I feel surprisingly more comfortable than I thought I would.
So that's it guys I'm now 100% BAREFOOT lemme here a Woop Woop! 😁😁😁
HP
Other positives from the lesson:-
🔹Our simple changes are becoming much more simple 😊
🔸The canter is beginning to feel more uphill and established.
🔹I'm not flapping about like a chicken anymore which must mean we're more in tune with each other and the aids. Yay
I preach to all my pupils that it's so important even out of a bad session to find something positive out of the ride, no matter how small.
That way when you are feeling like you are getting nowhere in your riding you can look back at them and see how far you have come. I've started writing something down each day in my journal that has been positive to try and keep my mindset on the right track. 😁 😁 😁
Does anyone else do something similar???
SS
Would love to hear your experiences and pictures if you have done anything similar before 😁😁
Anyway its time for some beauty sleep for this rider. Peace out and good night
We worked so hard at the start of the year to get out competing and have been successful enough to qualify for 4 championships. Two of which we have decided, we will definitely not be attending due to distance and the amount it will cost and the other two towards the end of the season are looking less likely as time goes on. 😒😒
I am now sat here wondering...... What's the point?🤔 I work so hard to keep my horses and I know this may sound pretty brutal, but I'm not a person that can be content owning a horse to potter about the countryside on (as enjoyable as it is).🏞️
I am the kind of rider who wants to constantly improve and move up the levels and I'm beginning to feel a bit stuck as the piggy bank won't allow me to take regular lessons or compete further affield (necessary for higher levels in my area) and to compete locally means coming back a level and staying there 😟
I know Pie doesn't care either way what I do in fact he'd probably be delighted if I were to let him have an early retirement to munch the rest of his days away 🥕
I know, I'm being a moaning b**ch aren't I 🙄 People would kill to have what I have. I do appreciate this I'm just looking for a way to progress forwards, like everyone on this planet 🌍
So I could do with your help........ Where do I go from here?
🔸Take a break from horses, this would mean my guys going on loan to someone I trust until I feel ready to return to riding.
🔹Try to move through the levels at home myself and take the opportunity to compete at more advanced levels as and when possible.
🔸Take a step back and perfect the lower levels at local unaffiliated shows.
🔹Look into moving to a new location/job where I have more access to the people and facilities we need to move forward.
I have so many thoughts running through my head that I am becoming quite confused with what to do next. So any comments, ideas or boots up the backside would be much appreciated from all you wonderful people right now 😊
She arrives today with some blue pointy things and some giant long curved bow for firing the beggers across the arena Well I don't know what scared me more, the sound of them pinging off the bow string or the fact that she who feeds was in charge of a lethal weapon without adequate supervision
If I'm honest I was just waiting for the blooming thing to backfire and take out one o my eyes now wouldn't that have been a story and a half!!
She recons she'll be galloping along firing the dam things from my back soon. She's got to learn to hit the freaking target first though HAHA!! Keep practising doll, it'll be a while before your any kind of threat to Robin Hood thats for sure
HP
Pie is standing over me as if I'm one of his herd, his head is lowered and he is gently breathing on my face close enough that I feel an occasional tickle from his whiskers.
Every now and again he presses his face against mine and I get a soft scent of the grass he's been chewing on all morning.
I have a tear running down my cheek, not because I'm upset... In fact quite the opposite, but because I realise how much I expect from him and yet how little he expects from me in return!
Nowadays were all too busy running around planning or next show, riding our next schooling sessions. Yet how many of us actually take the time to just SIT, WATCH and LISTEN to our horses??
I'm not going to write any more as I want to be able to enjoy the rest of this precious moment that so many of us often overlook. And it's certainly one that I'm going to treasure for a long time to come. Here's to many more!
Absolutely love this horse, he makes me feel invincible
For once er up top manged to sit semi still while I got my jump on
HP
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Don't get me wrong the edges are looking a bit ugly where they have chipped up to the nail holes and we shall work away slowly on shaping them correctly, but other than this his hooves seem pretty hard and he has shown no signs of discomfort when riding. In fact I would almost go as far as saying he is moving much better from behind.
If this keeps up we'll have the fronts off in no time and we'll be official members of the barefoot club
]]>Grinning from ear to ear right now and if it wasn't for the fact it's a work night I'd be popping open the bubbles . Time to get to work on a exciting floor plan and new music to Wow those judges!!
]]>You are all aware that Pie and I have been taking part in british dressage with some success and I'm delighted to share that we have qualified for
4 CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!
Summer Music national championships - Bury Farm, Buckinghamshire (August)
Scottish National championships - Rockrose, Edinburgh (September)
Petplan Area Festival Finals - Morris Equestrian, Kilmarnock (October)
BD TGCA Championships - Solihull Rc, West Midlands (November)
I know right, this is amazing!! Well it was until it started to sink in the reality of me being able able to go and contend them all.
As you know horse ownership is expensive enough as it is and when you start to compete it becomes even more so.
I've already started clearing out my Tack room of things to sell to put money aside for champs, including my jumping saddle needs must and all!
I changed his diet in November to a totally natural blend of grass nuts, grass chop and natural minerals (seaweed, linseed, brewers yeast, rosehips etc) and since then he has never looked or performed so well. His hooves have become much stronger and he can now hold shoes for up to 10 weeks if necessary (with the rising cost of having the farrier out I have been guilty of leaving them this long to save a bit of cash, much to the detriment of his hooves )
I have now seen the light and developed a flicker of common sense and took the shoes off his back hooves. The front ones will come off in a few months time after he's adjusted behind and I shall then have two ponies living barefoot all year round. Then, maybe my wallet will hopefully have a few more notes in it....... Haha who am I kidding these horses will just make me spend it on carrots instead
I'll keep you all in the loop of how his transitioning is going but after two days (touch wood) all is well in the HP hoof department
Wow what a long weekend of travelling 10 hours in total. We literally had a round trip of approx 450 miles (724 kilometres) from the west coat to the east coast and back in less than 48 hours
As per usual I had totally misjudged the arrival time to the show and literally made it to the arena as it was our turn for the Prelim dressage to music. So it was straight down the centre line for the test without a warm up. Thank god Pie is a very forgiving soul and just got on with the job for an average of 63.70% from three judges for 2nd place.
After an actual warm up it was in for the Novice and after Pie had finished admiring himself in the mirrors and got down to work we scored an overall 64.81% for a respectable 4th place out of 7 combinations.
A short trip in the trailer to our overnight stop at the lovely Fiona Bird's yard before competing in the Petplan Equine Area Festivals Prelim Bronze class.
We hadn't planned on competing in the Area Festivals this year but decided with the evening music gala being on as well it would make the long journey more worthwhile. As far as I am concerned our test was absolutely horrendous and by far the worst we have done for a long time..... I really need to get my act together
However somehow we managed place 9th out of over 20 competitors with 62.99% which means....... We have QUALIFIED for the Petplan FINALS!!!!
OHHHH my days
3 crap tests and somehow we still managed to pull it out of the bag!!
Massive thank you to our lovely followers who were at the show either competing or spectating and made the time to say hello, it was so nice to meet you in person
Thanks to Equissimo for the Montar UK Breeches and competition shirt, and the The Mark Todd Collection mesh show jacket, it was an absolute godsend in the heat.
And last but not least Supergroom/navigator Emily-mae Cousins as without her I would have definitely missed my first music class and more than likely missed the second one too
Time for pie and I to have a bit of a break from the long distance competitions for a while and just enjoy the summer.
Why they can't just be satisfied observing us at nature, I will never know
So for now I'm standing in a box on wheels being thrown around like a ragdoll while said human zooms along the road like a driver taking part in wacky racers. Maybe it's about time I put in a formal request for a seat belt!!
HP
I found my soulmate!!!!
Two weeks earlier I had put down a deposit on a horse that I had never even seen, let alone tried.
At first meeting (top pics) little did either of us know what great adventures we were going to experience together. Between new disciplines, national championships and epic journeys, we have achieved more in 4 years than some combinations experience in a lifetime.
Yet the thing is, I still feel like the best is yet to come!!!
🌟🌟🌟HAPPY OWNAVERSARY PIE 🌟🌟🌟
I know he's wearing a bridle too but I had this merely as a backup in case he buggered off, but its a good job I did as Mr know it all had a brain fart tonight and conveniently forgot all aid commands including steering
This therefore concludes that although it looks as though we are in total unison majority of the time there are clearly some underlying partnership issues that need to be addressed. I feel a little disappointed in myself that I haven't paid more attention to this side of our training and shall be focusing on it much more in the coming months.
]]>Wasn't so funny after I chased her across the field threatening to wipe it all over her face..... Who's laughing now pewny human Mwahaha
]]>More than anything else in the world!!
Tonight I fulfilled yet another childhood dream of mine with this pony.
Swimming properly in the sea with a horse
Now I know what your thinking..... "But, she's always at the beach". Well yes.... but here in Scotland the waters always blooming freezing.
Today, however thanks to this prolonged heatwave were experiencing, the water gave us momentary relief from the soaring temperatures.