*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’.

Where to begin… My last few blogs have all felt quite monumental. Etty being weaned, Winnie coming home, Maple’s first shows! And yet I feel a bit lost for words, not because I feel as though I have anything big or exciting to share, rather the opposite.

I thought this post would be about Addington Premier League, and how well Maple did (or didn’t do). But plans changed, and we didn’t go. Not for any crazy reason or with a big story to tell; I simply didn’t feel like she was ready. Not that she wouldn’t have done a sweet enough test…she probably would have! But she wouldn’t have shown off her best self, and when she does eventually get out against the ‘big boys’ I want to feel like she’s in a place where I can show her off. She’s gone a bit bum high and consequently feeling quite flat, so a holiday it was instead! I’ll admit I was (and am) a bit disappointed not to go, but those couple of weeks off have done her the world of good and so we will just keep chipping away at it.

 I’m Annie Strawson, a showjumper based just outside Newark and proud to be joining the Equiglo team as a brand ambassador. Horses have always been part of my life, and I’m excited to share my journey with you.

Hello, everyone,

Well, it seems a very long time since we were on holiday. We didn’t bring a lot of sunshine back with us, just the odd , unfortunately. 

All the horses are well, the youngsters seem to be having a growth spurt, and Dido now at five months has grown out of her first foal slip, so that’s a headcollar on the shopping list. 

I’m Lizzie Blamire – a new EquiGlo brand ambassador.  I live on our farm in Cumbria with my husband Steve and our animals, including two yearlings and a 3.5 month filly foal, a broodmare, a stallion, a 32” mini-Shetland, Jazz, who is worth her weight in gold and she’s a great companion to Anthony aka Another Touch, who previously had a successful racing career on the flat.

Hello everyone,

Well, the show season is officially here! And after a 12-month break, it feels  fantastic to be back out and about, getting into the swing of things and enjoying the shows with our daughter, Peggy.

Cloddiau Actress, affectionately known as "Mrs. Jones," made a great return to the arena, by winning the Open M&M class at CCR Equestrian and continued her winning streak by taking home Reserve In-Hand Champion. She also secured her qualification for the TFSS Championships (The Friendly Showing Society) this September, which we are really looking forward to.

Hello everyone,

The weather is finally starting to change, and I couldn't be happier about it! Winter is officially on its way out and it's been great to have the sun out on the odd day. 

Lately, I’ve been focusing on the basics with Hazel and Mrs Jones and I truly believe that you can’t do enough groundwork with youngsters  - and the more you do, the better they will be ridden.

Hi everyone, I hope you are all okay and not feeling too down with all this awfully wet weather we are getting at the moment.  

Last year I was training to be a Sports Massage Therapist and both my theory and practical exams were December, which meant it turned out to be a very busy month for me. However, I am really pleased to announce that I passed and am now fully qualified! It’s so exciting and I have been busy helping get my therapy room ready and trying to get my business up and running. 

Hi everyone,

 I hope you are all doing well with your equine partners.

Rodger and Jack have been very good boys recently. Rodger competed in the Advanced Medium Music class at the Petplan Area Festivals championships at Sheepgate in August. He really tried hard for me even though it is a fairly new level for us both, so we are still learning. We managed to pull together a +65% test to finish 3^rd, but only the top 2 go through to the finals in October. 

The last couple of months have been fairly quiet on the competition front, although I have been busy keeping all the horses exercised. 

Rodger and I attended the British Riding Clubs  Dressage To Music National Championships at Arena UK in April. We haven't done too many music classes before but we did have some new music to dance to. He was such a good boy for me, a couple of small mistakes, but nothing to worry about. We were sat in 5th for a long while in a very large class, only to be pushed to 11th at the end of the class. 

Hello, everyone,

Our season is underway, and after falling out of love with it a bit last year for various reasons, I can now say I’m back and having a great time!

 I’ve done 3 rides and though the distances have been shorter, I’ve had a fun. It’s been more about enjoying ourselves rather than chasing the miles at the moment. My next ride I’ve upped the distance slightly to 48km, I’m seeing how my body copes, both on the day and the during recovery afterwards. So far, so good and hopefully that will continue.

I can 100% say I’ve never been happier to see the back of a year - good riddance 2025!

My group of friends and I have sat down already and marked our calendar with pre-booked holidays and work schedules and then the endurance rides we’d like to get to. We did this last year and it went “belly up” with my cancer diagnosis, but I’m trying very hard to now focus on this year!

Yes, there are the inevitable hospital visits for my regular scans, which although push me over the edge somewhat, I’m trying to make plans and hope the scans come back clear. Basically, I’m pretending I’m completely ok and that seems to be working right now. Burying head in the sand springs to mind!

Hello everyone,

What a year it’s been and it isn’t over yet!  As you know my whole world was turned upside down back in May when I was diagnosed with cancer, since then it’s been about diagnosis, surgery, treatment, then recovery.

Hello, everyone,

You claim to have 99 problems, then you are poorly and you only have one problem. Nothing else matters!!