You often hear people voicing their frustration that certain situations in life don’t come with a ‘manual’, particularly anything to do with children or animals. In other words there are no hard and fast rules about how to work them, but still the library is full of books aiming to impart their wisdom on how … Continue reading Automatic or manual? →

So I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle and following a week of doing little more than lying in the sun and making sure my San Miguel beer was cold, you would think I was more than ready. But it appears that the journey of my back has not reached the finish line … Continue reading A novel idea →

So I’ve promised myself that I will give my body a break from riding for a couple more weeks as I am absolutely determined not to go back to square one, if I can help it. At the start of our enforced rest, Tag did his usual and worried about why he wasn’t doing anything … Continue reading No sweat! →

Even when I'm not sure of much else, I know that when I'm in the saddle, or even in the company of equines, everything that I am, kinda 'clicks' into place. Having recently 'unclicked' myself - with a back that decided it needed a rest - it has given me a chance to have a … Continue reading Cocky or confident? →

On the run up to any competition there is always a ridiculous amount of planning that goes into making sure as little as possible is left to chance. And unless you are happy to hack around the countryside, everyone at one stage or another wants to go to a show and be proud of what … Continue reading Lightening the load →

It's nearly five years since I first met Tag, when he spent his days in a field being bullied by a wicked black pony and I decided to take on the task of seeing if he would/could adapt to a new life. To save making too many changes all at once, I kept him at … Continue reading Control or Freak? →

I recently enjoyed watching some of the highlights of the Cheltenham Festival – through my fingers of course - and I usually find myself hugging Tag a bit tighter afterwards, quite certain that I could never watch him racing. Not because I don’t love the sport, of course I do, but I have always struggled … Continue reading Chapter forty – The carrot or the stick? →