Charlotte - Petplan Equine Ambassador

Why is it horses seem to take as much if not even more time (and energy) when they are not actually in work or competing? This is a question I have been asking myself frequently over the last (I have lost count) however many months!

The answer is simply that appointments with vets and the time spent pondering over the best treatment plan generally takes much longer than the hour hack or schooling session it has replaced. This of course should be the case, as these often hugely influential decisions should be very well thought through and I have to admit in my case, talked through repeatedly.

So having set the scene it's time to explain what I have, or more appropriately have not been up to with the horses.

I will start with Neeco who sadly has not come sound despite treatment and plenty of rest. We have given him one last round of treatment using a different drug and we hope this will work but if not we will seriously be considering his future. It's hugely disappointing for me and his owners however Neeco has given us all a number of years of fun, always coming home with a rosette and almost always a red one! It is now a 12 week wait to discover if the treatment has worked, we have our fingers very tightly crossed.

Oggie has been in light work, he is fat, hairy and a little feral! He is a slow developer and at only five years old, it's so important not to rush him. He has ample talent and a really sharp brain which I love about him. I'm really pleased with his general body condition now; he has developed a strong topline and seems to be maintaining it well, through his neck and importantly over his back. The fact he is quite fat is also something I am pleased about as you could never call him a 'good doer'. With the hard work I put in with him at the beginning of this year, he became well established in his basic flatwork and his jumping and his general rideability was improving hugely. We have a really good base to build on and I feel his physical condition has caught up now too.

I thought it best to end with the good news. Teddy is fit and sound, he has been jumping weekly, schooling well and behaving badly! We finally made it out to a dressage competition where we completed two rather tense novice tests and came away with average mid 60 scores. Needless to say I was just very happy to be out, to have remembered the tests and to have stayed on! I am tentatively starting to fill Ted’s diary with outings so hope to have more results to report next time!

I have been reflecting on all of my bad luck this year and despite the stress and upset that 2017 has brought me and my horses, I have not once considered giving up riding. It's easy to begin to think 'poor me', however looking at the bigger picture, seasons of bad luck, leading to bad results and no progress effects all athletes at some point in their life. It's important to keep perspective even if you can't always remain positive. I'm sure some would consider me (all equestrian's in fact) as a glutton for punishment but I have decided I am simply a true addict, of horses, of risk, of hard work, success and accomplishment.