We cross paths with all sorts of people on our equestrian journeys, each leaving their mark in different ways. There are the ones who can’t resist offering unsolicited advice, the ones who deliberately dash ahead of you to the water tap before you get there (yes, that really happened), and the passing acquaintances. There are also those who turn into lifelong friends. All of us have one thing in common, our love of horses.
You’d never guess
My own experiences with Riley and Blackjack at livery yards have given me countless stories—some hilarious, some downright unbelievable—but I digress and that is for another time.
Riley and Blackjack are still enjoying a quiet life in the field. It sounds idyllic, but poor Blackjack is only a third of the way through his ulcer treatment. That said, watching him gallop and leap around one morning as I brought his breakfast to the field, you’d never guess he was on medication or that there was anything wrong with him at all.
Equestrians never really switch off
But isn’t it funny how, even when equestrians step away from their horses, we never really switch off? We’re either watching them at shows, shopping for them, or—most often—talking about them.
Which is exactly what I found myself doing when I met my friend Sarah for coffee at my favourite little coffee shop, called Elephant in Parkgate.
Sarah and I first met back at my old livery yard, where we shared pole lessons every Friday—a highlight of the week for both of us, and something we still miss. Naturally, we reminisced about those lessons, before drifting into updates on our ponies. We laughed, we sympathised, and—as is inevitable with equestrians— who can all swap stories of lameness, setbacks, and those all-too-familiar “not riding for one reason or another” spells. I, of course, shared Riley’s and Blackjack’s latest woes.
Meeting up with Sarah is always fun. We’ve already arranged to meet again next week, and I’m hoping I’ll have brighter news to share—that both ponies will be back to their ridden selves.