Exam Results

My computer has been down for a while so haven't been able to post but thought I would update you on my exam results.  The riding was a bit of a nightmare.  The first horse I got was a lucky choice for me as I was used to riding him - a nice cob called patches who isn't quite as sluggish as some of the other cobs.  I thought it started off well and the sitting trot seemed okay although I messed up the first canter as he didn't respond to my aids the first time I asked for canter but thought okay I can still pass as long as I get it right on the next horse.  Unfortunately despite the fact all my lessons have been at the exam centre, I haven't really been given the chance to ride many of the thoroughbreds.  However, my instructor assured me it was highly unlikely I would get them in the exam as they are all quite big and I am only 5"2 but as luck would have it they gave me a 16"3 thoroughbred next the biggest horse in the exam.  Couldn't seem to get a ryhthum in trot and then he started shying so they stopped the exercise briefly and the caller was instructing me to hold the reins looser - oops.  Then I panicked a bit and didn't hear the instructions to cut from the back of the ride across the school to the front and left it too late and had to cut diagonally.

Think I knew I had failed for sure when the examiner decided to switch half of the exam onto a third horse before the canter and light seat trotting and cantering over poles.  Sure enough I failed the riding although was chuffed to pass the three horse care modules.

Examiners comments were "Although showing awareness of the fundamental requirements of this section, as yet she does not have sufficient balance, security or co-ordination for the required standard.  Work is required to develop these key areas in order that she can more easily follow the natural movement of the horse, maintain a more elastic rein contact and give aids with greater clarity,  She also needs to develop more awareness when mounting, dismounting and adjusting tack whilst mounted [ I thought my mounting and dismounting was fine but who am I to argue the other comments were probably fair generally and especially so as I didn't perform my best in the exam],

A Weekend of Sunshine

Had a lovely weekend riding in the Brecon Beacons at Trevelog Pony Trekking.  My favourite horse, Penny was finally home from her winter holiday.   She is really cute.  About 15 hands, bay with a white blaze and blue eyes and very fast.  Was dying to see if I still enjoyed riding her as much as I did last year as have ridden lots of different horses since then.

Had a lovely ride on the first day.  I was worried she might be a bit sharp after all that time off but she was going great.  As we had a few beginners with us, I got to hold back and lead the canter which is always good fun on Penny.  She doesn't get too agitated when you hold her back but when you loose the reins she goes like the wind.  I was just saying to one of the others how nicely she was going and how well she was behaving when  we decided to swap the order round so one of the guys who hadn't ridden for a while could try a canter. Unfortunately Penny took exception to his horse being behind her and started playing up.  She spun round a few times and kicked out and was generally very mareish.  She obviously likes the boys and didn't appreciate having one of the girls behind her, getting a bit too close.  Still I stayed on without too much effort which was fine.

Saturday night stayed over at the farm and went down the pub with some of the guys who work at the farm and then Sunday morning we were up early to tack up again for the arrival of the next lot of trekkers.  Had another great ride on Sunday -riding Penny again.

I only need four more rides this season and I fill up my loyalty card and get a free ride.    And another private riding lesson booked for tomorrow as my exam is looming.  Hope I didn't pick up too many bad habits at the weekend as noone nagging me about my seat and position.

Dashing through the snow on a one horse open sleigh

“Hallo!” our Austrian hosts greeted us, followed by a kiss on each cheek.  This warm friendly greeting was soon followed by a most welcome glass of Schnapps. We were glad of a little warmth, having just braved a snowy blizzard on our journey from Linz Airport.  Our destination was a guest house just outside Schönau im Mühlkreis, a picturesque village in upper Austria, close to the Czech borders.  This was the beginning of a wonderful five days in Austria, not for the normal skiing holiday, but to ride horses in the snow and to experience the stuff of Christmas Carols – horse drawn sleighs speeding though paths bordered by snow covered trees.

me riding Viktoria

 After a hearty lunch of fresh bread and sausages in goulash sauce, it was time to take our first ride. Wrapped up warmly, we mounted our horses and set off for our ride through the snow.  The horses made light work of foot deep snow. My fear of sliding all around the ice on a large beast, which could slip and plunge me to the ground before landing on top of me, dissipated in no time.   Before long, we were cantering gleefully through the snow at a fast pace, and being pelted in the face by snowballs kicked up by the horse in front.  On the way back, we stopped outside one of the archetypal Austrian houses, which were scattered across the hillside.  An Austrian gentleman emerged with a tray of schnapps for us all to taste, whilst still sat on horseback.  We responded with grateful cries of “Dankeshun” before preparing to be set off again only to be told, it was obligatory to have a glass of Schnapps “for each leg” and we found our glasses promptly refilled once again.

 Another highlight of the trip was our trip on the sleigh pulled by a pair of beautiful white Lipizzaner horses.  We snuggled up in the numerous blankets provided and sat back to enjoy the snow covered scenery whilst the horses worked hard pulling our sleigh.  A more romantic scene, it is difficult to imagine, than sitting on a horse drawn sleigh listening to the tinkle of the bells as the snow falls silently around us.  It was only a pity I was surrounded by a group of riding pals rather than the man of my dreams.

 Without doubt though the most spectacular ride was when 20 of us, locals and tourists alike, set off in fancy dress to ride to Haid for the Snow Games.  On arriving, we sat down to another typically Austrian meal of meat and dumplings washed down with beer.  Then off we went to watch the games, a number of light hearted races where either two riders raced at speed towards the crowd before veering off sharply to avoid the snow drift.  This was followed by races between two “one horse open sleighs”.  Our only disappointment was that we weren’t racing ourselves but next year …

me riding peperyl

Postscript:  I originally wrote this article for a travel writing competition and wanted to keep it short and concise and appropriate but with my bloggers, I will share the stories of riding out in the morning stopping for three hours lunchs with schnapps drinking competitions and copious amounts of gluhwein before staggering back to our horses as it was getting dark and cantering up snow covered country roads with no lights hoping we didn't meet too many cars.  Hip flasks full of schnapps were also a must to sip on throughout the ride and to my surprise I found riding slightly under the influence seemed to improve my riding  acheiving what my instructor repeatedly told me to do and I struggled to do consciously - relax!  Although I made another discovery sitting trot on a full bladder on the way home from the pub is most uncomfortable.

Amazingly the horses didn't slip once even cantering downhill in the snow.  Admittedly they had specialised shoes with studs but was very impressed with them.  It beat a skiing holiday day hands down every time.

Down at the Farm

Unfortunately my blog posts have been fewer and far between this winter than I would have liked.  This is due to a combination of things including less opportunities for me to ride and therefore less to write about, partly due to the weather and partly due to my lack of experience meaning that even though I had a horse available to ride, I have found him difficult to cope with outside the organised pony trekking season because he prefers a big group and my riding skills are far from good and I just don't have the confidence or ability to make him do what he doesn't want to do. Added to this the bad weather and snow in December and the start of January has made it even more difficult.  If that wasn't enough, there have been various personal issues like redundancy and job hunting to contend with.

This weekend, I was hoping to go horseriding but the weather was horrible and the rain came down all day.  I would have braved it but no-one else wanted to brave it with me so contented myself with hanging out at the farm feeding the horses, checking out the new foals that have just been brought down off the mountain and ooohing and aaahing over the first baby goats and lambs of the year.

I even had a go at bottle feeding one of the baby goats which was great fun and reminded me a little of when my boistrous noisy boys were tiny babies on the bottle.  I am kicking myself because I forgot my camera and so have no cute photos to share with you.

On the upside, trekking starts again in six weeks on 1 April 2011 when Trevelog opens for business again so i am looking forward to some decent treks again.  Anyone who lives in the West of England or Wales and fancies some pony trekking in the beautiful scenery of the Brecon Beacons or who is planning a holiday in the area, prices are £25 for a half day and £40 for a full day.  Incredible value and highly recommended by me.  I wouldnt trek anywhere else.  If you are interested in booking check out the link to the website.

A Horse of my Own - but not for long.

Haven't posted for a while partly because I have not had a computer since my last one blew up.  The other reason being that whilst I knew looking after a horse would be a lot of work, it seems to take up even more time than I anticipated although to be fair that could be partly the time spent drinking tea at the stable as well as actually riding and looking after Sam.

Unfortunately, my docile placid plodding horse seems to have had a bit of a temperament change since his move.  He really doesn't like the schooling ring and was developing the habit of not going forward at all and barging at the gate.  My riding is not the best and so both he and I were unfamiliar with the schooling ring which probably didnt help.

That said I have now learnt how to tack up properly, a bit more about grooming and definitely more about mucking out, lol.  I have also learnt how to delouse a horse after there were a few cases at the new stables, although don't think Sam actually had them.

Unfortunately, the last week has been a bit of a disaster.  On Saturday, after a nice little walk and trot out in the lanes, I decided to hang back once we got back to the farm and ride him round the field whilst the others went back to the stables.  After a very reluctant start, it took me about four attempts to turn him round and go back in the opposite way of the other horses, we managed to get into the field.  Having walked him away from the gate and trotted a little we cantered back up the hill a couple of times and he went like the clappers.  This from the horse who is normally reluctant to get out of a trot to the point on most of the treks where I have ridden Sam I miss half the canters.  Unfortunately, when I went to walk him back in the other direction for the third time, he took off from a walk in a canter/gallop not sure which and I promptly fell off, although I did manage to land on my feet with the reins in my hand which was something and I got back on and decided it was time to ride back to the stables.  My friend ticked me off for cantering him an open field but I hadn't believed he had it in to go that fast.  Won't make that mistake again.

My friend rode him for me on Monday (she can actually ride properly) because I was working and he seemed fine.  However, when I tacked him up on Wednesday to ride, I had a bit of a nightmare.  I got on in the schooling ring after Saturday's hiccups and he immediately moved sideways and rammed my leg against the gate and refused to move.  I managed to get him moving and he did it again nearly trapping my foot against the fence post.  Got him to start walking round the school and was feeling very nervous as he seemed to be behaving strangely.  I wasn't sure but he kept putting his head up and thought he was trying to buck, but this is out of character for him so thought maybe it was just my nerves. And before we were even half way round the ring, I realised he had definitely being trying to buck when I went flying up and off him and landed on the floor in a heap.  Whilst it was not the first time I had fallen off, every other time it was very much my fault because my position was poor and I lost my balance and sorta slipped off the side as opposed to getting tossed in the air.  Scary moment as wasn't sure how I was going to land but luckily it wasn't on my head.  Hit the ground hip first.  The only thing I could think was I needed to get back on or wouldn't get back on at all.  I got back on briefly and he bucked twice more without unseating me before I got off again.  This all happened in the space of about ten minutes.

After dismounting and untacking, we had a look at him and he seemed to be flinching when his back was touched just below the withers so I felt a bit guilty about riding him as this was probably the main reason for him bucking.  It was recommended I not ride him for a few weeks and then see how his back is doing.  Not sure what the problem was because it was quite sudden so guess we need to monitor it for a bit.

Having spoken to Sam's owners, he is going to go back to the trekking centre because she was a bit concerned about how much he had been playing me up and the fact he doesn't seem to like the new stables.  Although she has said I can still come up and ride him over the winter, even though the centre is closed for the winter. Hopefully, in familiar territory, he will revert to being the lovely slow plodder he normally is.

Whilst it is a bit disappointing it hasn't worked out quite as planned, if he has possibly got an injury would rather she was around to oversee his care and I will still get to ride him, but in familiar territory for us both.  Undoubtedly, it will be a lot less work too which may be just as well because my housework and kids have been feeling a bit neglected in favour of the horse.  So a bit of a set back, but not enough to deter me from riding for the moment.  Although I thought I had got off scotfree in terms of bruises etc it seems that 24 hours later, that it wasn't exactly the case although just aches and pains rather than anything serious.

A Horse of My Own (well, for the winter anyway).

I have been wondering what to do in terms of riding, when the trekking centre shuts for the winter.  I had toyed with the idea of lessons or maybe trying another trekking centre which doesn't close for the winter but wasn't entirely sure about either.  One of my friends who works at the trekking centre had arranged to borrow a horse for the winter and after a few conversations, we decided it might be fun if someone else had a horse down in Cardiff with her.  I was unsure whether I could committ to looking after a horse as my employment situation is a bit up in the air at the moment and I will have to look for a new job soon.  However, my friend kindly offered that if I borrowed a horse too, she would feed it and let it out for me in the week each morning and bring him in the evenings.  With two small children, mornings are always a nightmare and there would be no way I could make the hour round trip to the stable and back before the school run each day so this seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.  The owner of the trekking centre very kindly agreed to loan me a horse and we agreed on Black Sam who I have ridden in the past and has a lovely temperament and is suitable for the kids to ride too.  He is very forgiving of a new rider.  He is the ultimate bombproof pony and not the most forward going horse so I feel confident that he will not take off with me when I don't want him to.

My first ride in the schooling ring with Black Sam

Black Sam arrived on Monday night and I have been really excited. Perfect timing as I have twelve days off work, starting last Wednesday, so lots of opportunities to go horse riding.   He seems to be settling in well and I have finally learnt how to tack up and I am learning a bit more about feeding and grooming.  I had a frustrating day yesterday, as he would not trot for me and was being very slow.  He is still finding his feet in his new surroundings and he isn't used to riding in a schooling ring or riding out on his own without following another horse, so it is a learning curve for us both.  I think he is also testing me a little, as well.  I am hoping that having my own horse to ride as often as I like will mean that I learn a lot about riding this winter as there is no substitute for time in the saddle so I have been told. 

The new stables seems really nice.  The people are lovely and very helpful.  There is a schooling ring to practice in, fields for grazing and a few that I can ride in as well.  We are also very close to some lovely countryside and forestry trails.  It is not quite as stunning as riding in the Brecon Beacons perhaps, but certainly lovely and much better than having to ride on the road with traffic all the time.

I had another ride today and he was great, much more responsive and we had a canter in the field.  I managed to canter without holding onto the mane which is my normal technique.  I think, even a few hours over the last few days, riding round the school without stirrups has paid off as I feel much more balanced.  I am still struggling to remember everything as I have a tendency to concentrate on one thing and forget other important things like keeping my position.  Yesterday, I was kicking a lot to get him to trot, abd I found my feet slipping back and myself falling forward, a bit too often when he finally did trot.  Today, everything seemed to come together and despite a fair bit of rain, we had a lovely day and I got to do lots of horse riding.  Looking forward to a hot bath now tonight as my muscles are feeling it, riding him in the schooling ring seems to be much harder than trekking on my muscles, possibly because I am actually starting to ride him rather than just sit on him.

Look forward to following my progress through the blog.

Riding over the Winter

Been a bit fed up this weekend that with no childcare, I didn't get to go riding this weekend as my ex had to work all weekend.  Just a shame when the weather was so lovely for horse riding to miss out because it is not going to get any better now as winter approaches.

That said I had a lovely weekend with the kids.  We went shopping for Halloween costumes, checked out a new riding stables and went swimming, which was fun.  It seems ages since we have spent a whole weekend together as they normally spend half the weekend with their dad and actually it was really nice to spend some proper time with them now they are both in full time school.

The trekking centre where I ride is closing for the winter soon.  Up in the mountains, I think the winter is harsher than down here in the city, and the ground gets very hard too.  Anyway, that means no more trekking during the winter so I need to decide how I am going to continue my riding over the winter.  I was thinking about starting riding lessons but have been slightly resistant to this as it is so expensive compared to trekking and feels less fun than getting out in the mountains and the forestry.

Anyway,  I have a plan which will hopefully come to fruition soon.  I am too supersticious to talk about things that might happen, in case it jinxes things but keep watching for further updates.

A Nice Little Lead Rein Ride for the kids

I was feeling very frustrated this weekend that due to the social diary of my eldest son and his requirement for me to play taxi, I wouldn't be able to leave them with their dad for the weekend whilst I went pony trekking.  So decided that whilst the oldest was away at Beaver Scout camp, I would take my youngest son along with his godmother and her daughter up to Trevelog Trekking instead.  Obviously, the next best thing to going trekking myself.

Black Sam in the stable, ready to go out for a ride.

We had a lovely morning despite my friend being rather nervous about horses, she soon relaxed.  After arriving at the farm, the kids spent a little bit of time fussing around the dogs before we got hats on them.  We borrowed Black Sam, one of my favourite bombproof ponies at the trekking centre who has a lovely gentle nature and is perfect for the kids.

We headed out of the farm and down the lane for about ten minutes before we realised the little sheepdog puppy from the farm had followed us.  He was very cute but we hadnt noticed him until he shot in front of us under the gate into a field of sheep to practice his herding skills.  Not a good idea if the sheep don't belong to you, as a farmer finding a strange dog chasing his sheep may well shoot it.  As I was leading the horse, I said to my friend "Quick, you better get over the gate and catch him."  The kids and I had much merriment watching her chase the little puppy round the field with us shouting "You need to run faster than that".  Having finally caught up with him, my friend carried the puppy out of the field and we took a quick detour back to the farm.  Unfortunately, the puppy had tired himself out and insisted on being carried back.



Ellie riding Black Sam with me and Laurence leading him.



Despite being in the middle of October,with not particularly good weather yesterday, we had a lovely warm sunny day which was fantastic.  The kids,had two good ten minute stints each before I decided to have a little ride on the way back (just in case, the horse spooked with one of the kids on his back as we passed the goat shed on the way back - well that was my excuse anyway.)    Both kids had a wonderful time and were keen to come back another day.  My son looked so cute, he is so small his feet didnt even reach the stirrups so he had them slipped into the leathers feet resting on the stirrups. His friend enjoyed trying to put into practice what she had learnt in the pony party she went to a few weeks ago.  All in all, a lovely morning for them and I think both kids are converts to pony trekking, even if they need to wait a few years to be old enough for a proper trek.

Although only a short ride, had a little trot and Sam was very biddable.  Whilst it was just a fifteen minute ride along the road, it was really nice as it was the first time I had ridden a horse on my own, totally unsupervised.  And it did stop be feeling fed up for not having been horseriding this week.

Back at the farm, Black Sam hadn't actually broken into a sweat.  He is used to much harder work.  However, we thought he deserved a little brush down after his efforts and the kids had great fun grooming him.  After a quick look at the foal and a pet of the goats, we headed off to grab some lunch at the burger van in the valley which does delicious burgers produced from a local farm which don't even deserve the same name as the food McDonalds serve.  Finally, time to go and fetch my oldest son, who wasn't bothered to have missed out because he is not so keen on horses.

Making the most of the weather whilst it lasts.

After the bucketfuls of rain on Friday, I was not feeling overly optimistic about pony trekking all day Saturday.  I envisaged getting very wet and cold up in the mountains for four hours.  I am delighted to say the weather lifted and we had a lovely day, where it only rained during lunchtime when we were in the pub.

I was quite excited about the trek as I was riding Prince, who I have only rode once before and is something of a step up from the beginners horses that I normally ride.  Definitely required a bit more concentration, than some of the other mounts and I can't say my handling of him was expert in any sense of the word. 

We set out with a group of about twelve of us and I took my preferred position near the back of the trek.  May be not the best logic, but I always feel there are less horses behind to tread on you if you fall off during the canter.  Once again, we were heading for the Queens Head pub, Cmvoy for the usual pub lunch so set off down the bridle path before joining the road for a short while before hitting the forestry path.  As a tractor approached, they shouted a warning to me to rein in because Prince didn't like tractors.  I could feel him tensing up and was hoping we wouldnt end up in the middle of the road but fortunately he only moved a couple of feet up the grass verge.

We trotted along the forestry and managed a short canter at one point before starting to descend for the road down the hill for lunch.  Once again I had my hands full as Prince took a dislike to some motorbikes behind us although to be fair they were being driven very considerately and got off and walked the bikes past the horses.  We dismounted then and walked the ten minutes to the pub as the road is very steep and slippery so not ideal for riding down.

After lunch, we returned along the forestry hoping for a few canters.  I was a little tense about the canters having not cantered on Prince before and the others at the back found it very amusing that they see my position change and my body tense everytime they announced the next canter.  Unfortunately for me, the horse in front was not very keen to canter and preferred to keep to a trot whilst the others cantered off ahead.  To say Prince didnt like it was an understatement.  After holding him back for a while as we are not allowed to get out of line, Prince had had enough and decided he was going to overtake whether I liked it or not.  My ensuing yells of Oh Shit! Oh Shit! Oh Shit at an increasing volume prompted much laughter from the trail guides at the back and a quick glance from the guide at the front who saw I was just managing to pull back in line after overtaking about three horses.  Thats the only problems with being a regular and mates with all the guides is that it is going to take me a while to live that down and I will probably never convince them I didn't think I was going to fall off.  I was just worried how far we would go before he stopped!  Having used all my strength to pull back and bring him out of the canter, I was pretty sure that in the end it was still his decision not mine to slow down.  That said it certainly added a bit of excitement to the day's horseriding.

Back at the farm, we untacked and sorted the horses out and I decided to stay for the evening and go to the pub.  The only problem was that with over an hours drive home, there was no alcohol for me.  That said lovely evening was had by all and one of the guys drove back up the valley in front of me to the main road.  This was very reassuring seeing as there are seven miles of windy single track road with no lights and no mobile reception so if you broke down on your own it would not be fun, especially at nearly 1 o'clock in the morning.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Off to Trevelog for a day's pony trekking today and I can't wait.  Due to my ex's other commitments, I have had the kids all weekend for the last two weekends and haven't been on a horse for three weeks now.  I have definitely been having withdrawal symptoms.  Was hoping to go tomorrow as well but unfortunately left it too late to book and no horses available as they are fully booked.  But I am more organised for next weekend and I will be going Friday and Saturday.  One things for sure though, no more camping in the field at the farm this year.  It was absolutely freezing at the end of August.  That will have to wait for next year! Unfortunately, the end of the season is approaching as they close for the Winter at the end of October.  I don't know what I am going to do.  I will probably have to try and find some riding lessons, if I can afford them by then.  I suspect I probably need them.  I have really enjoyed riding this year.  It has kept me sane in a difficult time in my life. I have managed to ride lots of different horses. My control of  the horse has come a long way in six months,  thanks to lots of help and guidance from the trekking guides but I still have a long way to go in terms of learning to horse ride, particularly with my balance and general seat position.  Anyway, time to get my jodhpurs on and head for the mountains.  The weather looks sunny, if a bit chilly.  What more could you ask for the middle of September in Wales.

Taking my two babies trekking for the first time.  My little one's feet don't even reach the stirrups but he had a fantastic time.

Equestrian Fashions on the Catwalk

Equestrian fashions hitting the catwalk with gusto this year.  The lucrative celebrity endorsement industry appears to have discovered horse riding with the likes of  Zara Phillips launching her collection with Musto and Katie Price aka Jordan launching the fourth collection of the KP Equestrian range.  It seems obvious that the industry has finally began to pay attention to Equestrian clothes.  Horse riding is seen as a hobby for the affluent who will also want fashionable clothes and have the money to pay for them. 

Photo: Musto.com

Whilst twenty nine year old Zara Phillips is granddaughter of the Queen and daughter to the Princess Royal, she is clearly not just a pretty face and has impressive riding credentials.  She hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London after missing out on the last two games because her horse Toytown was suffering from injuries. In keeping with this, she is endorsing a collection by Musto, a leading supplier of  sailing and country sports wear, famed for developing high-performance fabrics that can withstand extreme weather conditions. 


On the website Nigel Musto commented on the collaboration with Zara: “Zara Phillips has been a strong supporter of Musto and has worn the brand for many years. Her own equestrian range for Musto really takes the relationship to the next level. Zara has been heavily involved with the product designs right from the start of the project, rigorously testing each garment and ensuring she is happy with the style and fit. She is a dedicated and extremely successful horsewoman and is a natural fit with the brand. We feel her new collection will significantly enhance Musto’s already successful offering in sports apparel.”. 


The collection has  a classic red and black colour scheme and includes a range of pieces from a long sleeved tech t-shirt priced at £35 to a fleeced lined riding jacket costing £200, .

Zara was keen to stress she was no clothes horse and that whilst she wanted something "which you wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen in, in public.", the collection was about practicality and good engineering rather than high fashion.  The  Eventing World Champion has used her British Eventing number 176 and her initials as the collection logo.  Zara who is engaged the to the Rugby player Mike Tindall, modelled a range of Musto products in a photo shoot at the 12th century Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire.  Whilst she looks "hot to trot" in the photos, Miss Phillips who is 11th in line to the throne appears uncomfortable with the label of "model" preferring to be described as an athlete.  I think given her sporting achievements this is only fair, and her lack of vanity and committed approach to her riding has resulted in a stylish but functional range of technical clothing.

The same can not be said of Katie Price's equestrian range.  Stylish it is not, the bubblegum pink range of equestrian clothes are tacky at best.  However, whilst Zara's stylish collection is completely in keeping with the image of the Royal Equestrian, Katie Price's collection is equally in keeping with the image of the reality star and former glamour model and page three girl.  She said of her collection that she wants to  bring  'real glamour and sparkle onto the yard'.

KP Equestrian: Raspberry Pink Velour hoodie and joggers

Katie will be launching her collection at this years Horse of the Year show in October. Katie commented: “Ever since I can remember, I’ve dreamt of riding at Horse of the Year Show. So I’m just so excited at being asked to ride there in October to coincide with the launch of my equestrian clothing range. I know I’m not of the same standard as those riding there competitively, but I’m working with my dressage trainer, Andrew Gould, on something that will have a definite ‘wow’ factor. I can’t wait!”  Whilst, there is no doubt, Katie has long been an enthusiatic rider, she is not in the same class as Zara Phillips and the equestrian range is part of a large array of Katie Price products from perfume to books.

Characterised by its predominant colour scheme of bubblegum pink the range sports a  mix of sparkly buttons and zip pulls as well as our signature silver trims and prints.  It even includes diamontee decorated t-shirts.  Whilst the KP Pony range has been a big hit with little girls, I challenge any grown woman to wear these outfits and keep a straight face.  Without doubt, it certainly appears to lack the high levels of technical engineering and functionality of the musto range.

KP Fashions features Jackets, T shirts , Hoodies, Sweats and Velour tracksuits as well as related childrens wear range £14.99 for a vest top to £69.99 for a jacket.

Other fashionable equestrian brands include Anky Technical Casuals, Kingland and Gersemi.

Anky Techical Casuals was launched by triple Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven, one of the best modern day dressage riders in the world. Again as you would expect whilst fashion was important, there is also a focus on superior technical materials and optimum functionality.  Kingsland originates from Scandinavia and is designed by Lin Kingsroed who herself comes from a family of top riders. This brand combines classic equestrian wear with up to date styling and uses top quality materials.  Finally another  hugely popular Scandanavian brand, Gersemi  market themselves as 'The Equestrian Fashion Brand' and emphasise style and quality.

Learning to Horse Ride - Horse Riding Lessons

I haven't really had many riding lessons and whilst I know to become a really good rider they are probably important I'm just not sure how enthusiastic I get about lessons which seem so regimented compared to the pony trekking I normally do.  I have been lucky enough to go pony trekking nearly every week since the start of the season and have definitely learnt a lot over the last six months.  I can now trot and canter comfortably on when we are out pony trekking but ... my rise on the trot is not as well controlled as it should be and sometimes I slam down on the saddle a bit and my canter is reliant on me holding the reins in one hand and a big bunch of mane in the other to ensure I keep my balance.  That said the ground tends to be pretty rough and bumpy out on the mountain so that handful of mane has definitely saved me from a couple of falls when the horse has slipped.  However, in contrast to the riding school horses, the trekking horses are not schooled and do not respond to leg aids in general but are trained more along the lines of follow the leader.

My first two riding lessons were designed to give me some confidence as it was eight years since I last went pony trekking and I had booked in for a full days pony trek - mad or stupid I don't know but I survived it.  The lessons were not overly successful as the horse was more interested in going to the middle of the ring to nuzzle it's owner than responding to my commands even in a walk.  That said I enjoyed them and was eager for more.

The third lesson was after some 10 hours pony trekking and there was a noticeable improvement and I appeared to have a perfect command of the horse during the walk. I seemed to be mastering the leg aids with apparent ease.   However, when we tried the trot I struggled despite having apparently got to grips with it whilst trekking.  The problem being that whilst trekking beginners were encouraged to hold onto the saddle whilst trotting to give confidence and progress people quickly so the trek could proceed at a reasonable pace.  This was considered a complete no no at the riding school I attended.  Secondly, trotting round the ring required an ability to steer the horse as well as stay on which I struggled with when trying to trot.  The horse was a fast trotter and I was continuously told to rein him in because he was a "trotter" and "could trot faster than most horses canter" allegedly.  Given my difficulties in steering, we agreed we should try practising the trot in the lane until I had the rise confidently and could then worry about steering.  The first few trots up the lane went fine as I trotted a short distance towards the instructor.  Then when we turned around, he asked if I was happy to try the next trot without him in front of me.  I happily agreed and asked the horse to trot on.  Seconds later, it took off!  I may have screamed and he was yelling "heels down" and "lean back".  I was panicking as there was a bend at the end of the lane down into the farmyard with who knows what round the blind bend - kids playing, a car, another horse.  I think I may have managed to slow the horse down sufficiently to stop if I had needed to, but luckily one of the grooms who was lead reining one of the kids at the end of the lane caught my reins.  According to the post mortem afterwards I had, unwittingly, instructed the horse to canter by putting my feet in the wrong place.

It was a while before I ventured back for a fourth lesson but with my trail ride approaching which was intended for experienced riders, I thought a lesson may help me improve my skills in advance of the trail ride.  (Although, I was the most inexperienced rider on the trail ride, I rode regularly at the trekking centre so they were fully aware of my ability or lack of it based on their own assessment rather than mine.)  Unfortunately, during this lesson, they did not allow me out of a walk and said that my rise was not controlled enough and I needed to practice it at a walk for longer before they would allow me to try trotting.  I was not "gripping hard enough with my thighs" and "my elbows were in the wrong place".  Basically, everything was wrong.  To make things worse, when I returned to the pony trekking, they spent the next couple of weeks berating me for the deterioration in my riding as I struggled to even find the rhythm for a trot when the week before it had been no problem.  I was so focused on all the things I had been told I was doing incorrectly that I seemed to forget all the things I had been doing correctly and do them wrong as well.

With the end of the trekking season looming, I am not sure whether I can go five months without getting on a horse so I am considering lessons again over the winter on a regular basis.  I didn't seem to gel with the last riding school I tried so I was thinking of trying somewhere different.  Any tips or advice on choosing a good riding school would be welcome.  What should I look for and will I ever reconcile the laid back style of riding on the treks with the more formal English riding style at the riding schools.  It might be worth adding that I have no aspirations to jump, do dressage or compete in any shape or form.  I just want to get out in the countryside on horseback, but to feel safer and more in control of the horse than I do at present.

Pony Birthday Parties

From the advertisements in my local what's on magazine, I have noticed an increasing number of adverts for pony parties for children.  A quick google search confirmed this seems to be a growing trend.  I've even seen a couple of children at the trekking centre for an hours ride as a birthday treat with their friends.  It's certainly a welcome alternative to soft play parties which I am growing increasingly bored of.

Mad4Ponies wrapping paper Buy Now

Having researched this area a bit, a pony parties can vary enormously.  Some are basically party packages at a local children's /city farm with party tea included and the option to pay extra for pony rides for all the guests, others are at a farm or centre where the party centres primarily around pony rides but offers a small animal petting zoo and/or pony games for the children.  Others offer a service where providing you have a big enough garden or suitable space, they will bring the ponies and equipment to you, along with their handlers.

Things to consider when organising a pony party include:

• Stating the obvious, I know but does your child like horses and ponies.  What about their friends? You don't want a terrified birthday boy or girl in tears because they got scared of the ponies.
• How old are the birthday child and their guests?  Some providers take children from the age of 3 upwards to about 10 but ages can vary according to individual providers so make sure you check!
• How many ponies will be available and how many rides will the children get?
• Can the children play with and groom the ponies too?
• How many guests will there be?  Minimum numbers seem to start at about ten but they may have maximum numbers too.
• How much will it cost?  Does that include pony rides, food, party bags, birthday cake, rosettes and so on.  Check carefully as prices seem to start at about £100 for 10 children but what's included varies according to where you go.
• Is the operator fully licensed and insured?
• What other entertainment is provided for the children if only a couple can ride at a time?
• If food is not included is there somewhere suitable for a picnic or somewhere indoors to eat?
• What hand washing facilities are there? Essential if children are handling animals and then eating!
• Does the price include party bags, rosettes, birthday cake etc.

Doing your own Pony Party

Thelwell Pony Party Invitations - 20 Pack  Buy Now

If your child loves ponies but this doesn't feel like the right option for you consider a pony themed party at home or in a church hall.  Partyware such as plates, tableclothes etc with a horse theme is available from internet providers even if you can't find it in the local supermarket with the more popular themes.  You can find lots of horse inspired art on the internet so making invitations yourself could be a fun cheap option to individualise your party.  The walls could be decorated with posters of horses or horseshoe pictures.  If you will be using the garden for your party or somewhere easily swept, you could even get some hay bales for the kids to sit on.  Variations on this theme could include a western theme with cowboy outfits or a my little pony theme if you don't mind a more commercial take on things.

Horse themed cakes can be ordered from a local baker, made yourself (again the internet is full of inspiration) or if your child rides you could even use a photo of them with their favourite horse.  These are available from most big supermarkets. You hand in your photo, (which is scanned into a computer), then the image is transferred onto the icing using food colouring.  Make sure you use your own photo though because they won't let you use a photo that appears to be subject to copyright.


Activities could include pin the tail on the pony, some sort of craft activity drawing or decorating pictures of horses. or horseshoes, singing horsy nurery rhymes like "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross".  Keep an eye out for a horse shaped piñata as well.  You could have pony themed prizes for games or even rosettes or little trophies for the winners.  You could also set up a grooming area where the little girls get pony tails and elaborate plaits and ribbons just like their favourite pony rigged out for a show.  


For older children, you could take a small group of them pony trekking or enquire about a shorter lead reined ride if they are not old enough for a proper trek.

Welcome any other ideas that anyone has tried.  Lets hear your thoughts.

My Top Ten Books about Horses

A list of some of my favourite fiction about horses, although to be honest the first five or so came easy but the last few were a struggle.  Would appreciate any recommendations from anyone on good novels to read with a horsey theme to them, but these are my thoughts.

1/ Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - 
The ultimate classic novel about a horse, told from the horses perspective.  One we all remember from our childhood.

2/ Riders by Jilly Cooper  

This was a fascinating insight into the world of show jumping from local shows to the Olympics.  It also had a definite chick lit slant and some steamy sex scenes and bad language.  I loved it!

3/ The Horse Whisperer by Nicolas Evans 

 A moving story of a 13 year old girl and her horse who are traumatised emotionally and physically by a terrible accident.  Worried about the girls state of mind if her horse has to be put down her mother tracks down a horse whisperer to try and help the horse.  Beautiful story.

4/ The Valley of the Horses by Jean M Auel
Set in prehistoric times, the second book in the Earths Children series follows Ayla's battle for survival alone after being rejected by the Neanderthal clan.  She finds herself in the Valley of Horses and as a result of her loneliness she tames a foal and learns to ride him and as a result he becomes one of her closest friends.

5/ National Velvet by Enid Bagnold  
Another classic novel  from my childhood. 

6/ My Friend Flicker by Mary O'Hara
Set on the American Plains,in Wyoming, the tale of a boy desperate for his own colt of his own. 

7/ The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell

The story of feral horses in Australia; a silver stallion Thowra  and his battle to become king of the Brumbies.  Along the way he and his half brother face many dangers in the form of rival stallions and stock men who want to hunt him for his beautiful coat.

8/ Polo by Jilly Cooper   

Another bonkbuster by the author of Riders set in the world of horse riding, this time the polo field.  Nevertheless an excellent read!

8/ The Horse and his Boy 

The third of the Chronicles of Narnia, a fantasy story about a boy Shasta and his talking horse Bree

9/ The HorseDancer by JoJo Moyes 

A modern novel about the relationship between a teenager, her grandfather and her horse.  He teaches everything he knows about fine horsemanship from his experiences fifty years ago at an exclusive french riding school.  

10/ Pony Club Secrets by Stacy Gregg
A series of stories about life in the pony club for little girls to read.  Very cute!

Horsepower - Part One The Animal ITV 1 Sunday 22 August 2010

Martin Clune, the award winning actor, better known for his comedy roles in Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin, narrates a superb new two part documentary investigating man's relationship with horses.

Martin Clunes on a horse : photo ITV

We hear about his family's seven horses that they keep on their family farm in Dorset: his horse Chester, his wife's horse Bea and his daughter's horse Saracen as well as their four miniature Shetland ponies.  He confesses that he is a terrible rider but has a horse mad wife and daughter.  It is through them his fascination with horses developed.

The documentary sees him interview a host of the great and the good from the equine world: the jockey Frankie Dettori, the horse whisperer Monty Roberts, an extraordinary horse trainer Jean Francois Pignon and Laura Lee, a Nevada resident who campaigns to save the Wild American Mustangs, to mention a few.

Clunes also manages to cover an amazing amount of ground in his quest to understand the horse.  This takes from the ancient to the modern and from Europe to Asia to America. He visits the grand opening of the £1.7billion Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, a rehab clinic in Arizona to undergo equine assisted therapy, the desserts of Nevada to witness the herds of wild mustang, the Niaux cave in the Pyrenees mountains to study cave drawings of horses, the Glasgow Wieper Centre for Equine Welfare - Europe's most hi-tech horse hospital and the open plains of Mongolia to trace the evolutionary roots of the horse by observing the takhi, the last remaining truly wild horse.

This was a truly absorbing and entertaining hour which gave a fascinating insight into man's relationship with horses.  I am looking forward to the second part which looks at the jobs which horses do and have done in the past.