Katie - Petplan Equine Ambassador
Horse insurance is vital to ensure my horses get the very best veterinary treatment and by insuring through Petplan Equine I know that they will do everything possible to make things run smoothly. Their knowledgeable and professional service makes a potentially stressful situation very straightforward.
Wow, how exciting to be writing my first blog as a Petplan Equine Ambassador! Their support will certainly be invaluable as the busy eventing season gets underway – I have big plans! I look forward to (hopefully) sharing with you some of those exhilarating highs that horses can bring us, but which only come after the inevitable lows and a lot of hard work.
Katie and her three horses: Juno, Tia and TJ
I am an equine vet based on the Kent/Sussex border with a passion (some may say obsession) for Eventing – it’s the most wonderfully addictive sport and I am very lucky to have some special horses who share my love of it! I don’t come from a horsey background but my family is very supportive of my hectic lifestyle and I certainly wouldn’t have it any other way.
Aiming for the top of the sport as an amateur rider is hard work but luckily I have one incredibly special little horse who is helping me chase my 4* dreams. That horse is Templar Justice (TJ), an 11 year old 15.2hh Thoroughbred gelding, who I bought as a 2 year old from the stud and have produced up the levels myself. He’s a quirky character and is seriously high maintenance but he always tries 100%, absolutely loves to jump and makes the biggest XC tracks feel so effortless. I can’t think of a better horse to (hopefully) tackle my first 4* events with – he is without doubt a horse of a lifetime.
TJ is helping Katie chase her 4* dreams
It’s fair to say my other 2 horses have a bit to live up to, but they too are special in their own ways. Tia (Dreams Come True) is a 7 year old sport horse mare and is my first homebred. What she lacks in height (at just 15 hands) she more than makes up for in attitude! She is very talented but can be pretty feisty and opinionated. She is really learning to channel this in the right way now and I am very excited for the season ahead at Novice/1* level.
Juno (Templar Juno) came from the same stud as TJ and I have had her for 2 years now. She is rising 4 and just about to start on her eventing journey. She is a very laid back mare who loves nothing more than a cuddle! She has been very easy to back and quick to learn the basics. She may do some unaffiliated events this year but I will see how she feels and am in no rush with her – especially as I’m not sure how I will find time to ride 3 horses!
Plans for the year
We all know horses and plans don’t always go well together but it’s really important to have an aim and to be prepared to change it, often several times! 2017 was an amazing season for me, with a win at 2* level, top 20 finishes at Bramham and Barbury 3*s and an amazing final run at Boekelo CCI3* - so if I want to better that I need to dream big. My targets for this year are Luhmuehlen 4* in June and Burghley 4* in September. If I make it to either of these it will seriously be a dream come true! As TJ will only event a handful of times in preparation for these it’s great to have Tia to keep me out there enjoying myself and I hope to take her to Chatsworth 1* alongside some more local events.
Katie plans to stay at Novice/1* level with Tia this year
2018 so far
After a successful 2017 both TJ and Tia had a short break before getting back to training for the 2018 season with plenty of lessons; show jumping, dressage and even some arena eventing with much fun and success. TJ has been continuing to have regular trips to the local water treadmill (which we started doing after a small injury last season) and it has been amazing for developing his strength and maintaining fitness alongside trips to the gallops, which are definitely his favourite place to go!
So with an early XC schooling session successfully completed in January I was feeling smugly ready to go – and then the weather happened. Frozen arenas, bottomless mud and foot deep snow have certainly set us back and led to many event cancellations. I made it to Poplar Park with Tia and we had a great first run in the BE100 – we both had very big smiles on our faces as she flew round. TJ was also due to run there in the Advanced Intermediate but got a foot abscess two days before – typical sick note TJ! So it was on to Aldon to get our 1st run in, but again the snow came and they were forced to abandon. So right now it is looking highly possible I will be starting TJ’s season with the 3* at Burnham Market – good job he is a brilliant XC horse and I have a lot of faith in him.
