Heartache

Many women involved with horses are not interested in having children. In fact the only time they may think of them is when a cute pony comes up for sale. Its not a problem though because the horses and dogs, yes and even cats, become the family. Children can always be borrowed to ride the cute pony and one has the great satisfaction and relief of handing them back at the end of the day! Losing one of our family hurts as much as losing any human. I think the reason for this is because animals do not have a voice as such and not much choice about their owners. Some are very lucky and some are not but this is also true of the human variety of family members. Having lost a much loved member of my little family recently I can tell you it never comes easy and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I have had for a long time. I see his face before I go to sleep and still hear him sometimes at the yard. He wasn't an easy ride but taught me so much and I loved and respected him despite his foibles!
Gem, my Jack Russell, got ran over by my horse two days ago. She was rolled under the front feet while the horse was at full gallop. I swear my heart stopped! She got up and ran off but has been so quiet since. She has broken the top of her tail and is finding it hard to jump up on the bed now. Gem is nine years old and has always been as fast as a whippet but this has shaken her so much she is now quite slow and won't come down to the paddocks anymore. Last night I lifted her up on the bed and she was so happy and grateful, snuggling up close to show her appreciation.
Animals give so much back, we must treasure them and protect them as much as possible. There is so much cruelty in the world towards defenceless creatures and so little justice when it comes to sentencing the guilty parties. Don't ignore these incidents, petition against them!

Back to dressage....Is it the same in all sports? Are all competitors always whining 'its not fair'? It seems to me that the cream always rises to the top whether with or without money. Sure it is harder without the latter but talent will always be noticed and nurtured. Look at Nick Skelton all those years ago. He went for a lesson with Liz Edgar and afterwards she told her husband Ted that the pony was useless but the kid had talent. From this he became a student/ working pupil and then one of the greats of British Showjumping. It is lovely when there is a bit of a fairy story behind success. There are quite a few in dressage, theres Carl who learnt ro ride on a donkey in Sark and who worked his way through to where he is now. Peter Storr who did not come from a horsey background but rode at a dealing yard for many years before training his own horses. Henry Boswell was brought up on a farm that became the family riding school but has brought his own horses on through sheer hard work and dedication and there is Charlotte Dujardin who started out as a working pupil and is now on the British team. So you see its not about being fair its about talent and how much you want something. Now I know you will say 'but I do want it', yes we have all said that. But wanting it and making it happen are two completely different things and sometimes wanting is not enough as I found out when I 'wanted' to be a showjump rider. I thought I did, I really wanted to be, its just that at the end of the day the jumps were so big they scared the bejezus out of me! Hence sharp exit to dressage!