Today's blog comes from Jackie H:
Well actually it didn't start with a cob. It started when I was nine years old and finally persuaded my parents to allow me to start having riding lessons. I went to a local riding school and started learning to ride on what I suspect was a small New Forest pony. Like a lot of people I carried on riding at riding schools until I was into my twenties. Then I had children, then I had no time, so I gave up riding until I was 50! My mother died, never having done some of the things she held most dear and this catapulted me into thinking what I wanted to achieve before I shuffled off. The answer was astonishingly simple. I wanted to own my own horse. This led to a two year journey to get back into riding. It was a helluva lot more difficult that I thought it was going to be. Muscles had definitely gone south in the meantime! But I have never been one to delay gratification and in the end bought a cob that I was assured was a 'safe cob' on impulse (and for too much money).
The safe cob turned out to be no such thing, and after a few rides where I experienced a number of unscheduled gallops and unceremonious dumpings (one in a ditch, having crossed a road to get there), I decided that I was unqualified to sort the problem and that I needed help to do something. Luckily I had arranged to go to a Monty Roberts demonstration, which was where I met Sarah. Getting some basic groundwork in place with Charley proved the key to getting more confidence and a better relationship with this little mare. That and time and patience.
I have had such a lot of fun and have learned so much from both Sarah and Charley (and my friend Pam whose patience has been boundless while I dithered, over analysed, and worried, and messed about generally). Plus Charley has sure taught me to sit a buck. (Mostly!)
Of course if you have one horse, you have to have two so that it doesn't get lonely. And then you have to have three so that there is not too much competition between the first two. Then you have to have four so that two don't pair up and leave one out...so that led to my little shopping accident... of which more later...
