6 June 2026
*whispers* I did a thing...
633 days later, I finally got back on board my best friend, and it was more than I could have ever dreamed.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous; there’s a good reason I waited for a heatwave and chose our oven of an indoor. That gal can be SHARP. But mostly, I was just overwhelmingly excited.
Ignoring my not so graceful mounting attempt (I was super-stiff after a busy week, plus competing Maple that morning. Combined with Win, who has a naughty habit of walking off as you get on, it wasn't as smooth as one would like...), it was otherwise a huge success. It really did feel like coming ‘home’.
I didn't ride for long, and nothing crazy either. Just a walk and a weeny trot. Although I confess the walk did also involve some lateral work to test our buttons. Can confirm shoulder-in, travers and half pass are still all there!
It really does feel good to be sat on something a little more schoolmaster-like again. As fun as Maple is, she's still so green, and with youngsters especially I think it's very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you can't ride. Something I've definitely been guilty of lately.
So getting back on Winnie has been exactly what I needed, the perfect remedy to those doubts. Because not only can I ride, but everything Winnie knows on the flat, I taught her. Which also supports the notion that I am, in fact, capable of teaching a horse this dressage malarkey. I've just got to believe in myself. Getting back on Win has been the perfect reminder of that.
What next then? Well, I now have two horses of my own to ride, so I guess the first port of call is figuring out how I'm going to fit that into what is already generally a 16-hour day, door to door... but what a good problem to have?!
More specifically, though, I'm still going to be taking it slow and building up her strength. Although she's been doing lots of groundwork and looks a million times better than she did when I first brought her home in February, she's still very weak under saddle.
And as for getting back inside those white boards? Despite the buttons still being there, I stand by my decision to retire her from competition. She owes me nothing, and I owe her everything. So we're just going to have fun playing with whatever she's comfortable with.
Besides, that extra saddle time alone is going to be invaluable, especially on something that actually knows what they're doing. I'll be making the most of the opportunity to focus on myself and my riding.
Turns out ‘home’ really was worth waiting those 633 days for.
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