Q&A with Team Pepsi's part-time Super Groom, and full-time Mum

This week I have enrolled a very special guest - my mum, Jane. As we share the care and riding of Pepsi, it's only fair she gets her own introduction! I've given her the chance to spill the beans on what it was like to be a 'Pony Club Mum' back in the day, and asked her how and why she got into riding all those years ago... I hope you love her as much as I do, not only she is the very very best 'Super Groom', she is also the very very best Mum!

Q: When did you start riding? How did you get into horses?

A: “I started riding at 8 years old. I changed schools and lacked confidence, and the school suggested I went to horse riding lessons. I lived for 5.30pm every Tuesday and fell in love with a very special black cob called Nobby. My parents collected “Nobby’s” (sugar lumps) whenever we went out to eat so I could give him a treat.

My Auntie lives on a farm in Cornwall and has horses, so I already had a love for them from our holidays staying with her”

Q: How many horses have you had?

A: 6 if you count the pony we had on loan! Before I had a horse of my own I volunteered at a rescue center taking children out on hacks on a lead rein in return for riding at the end of the day.

1. I bought my first horse, Gillie, having saved up enough money by working as a Nanny, it was around my 21st birthday. He was an amazing confidence boost and I kept him at the riding school, but as he was used for lessons too he soon became tired and I was ready to move on.

2. I next bought Rascal, a 15.3hh bay gelding. I should have known from his name not to buy him! He was a gentle giant until the farrier came and would rear and kick out. I went through 4 farriers with him! He also hated pigs, and most hacks near where I kept him went past a field of pigs and he would bolt. I bought him only having ridden him in a field and popped him over a cavalletti pole!

3. After that I bought Echo, a strawberry roan mare, from a riding school that was changing hands. She had never been in a stable apart from when waiting for lessons, and only herded in from the fields with all the horses there. I had her on loan for a week but had to extend it as she kept jumping out of the field, even over a 5 bar gate! The second week of owning her she settled. I kept her with a gelding who she followed in and out of the field. I couldn’t go in the field with a headcollar as she would double barrel at me - I had a few close calls! She was 12 when I bought her, and was my first forever pony. We didn’t have any facilities so it was mainly hacking at the weekends and the odd xc comp with having had no practice! As she got older she enabled me to lead my young children out on her for short walks and I’m sure this is where Sophie’s love of horses came from. In Echo's last 5 years of life I retired her and unfortunately she suffered from laminitis. Towards the end, she was unable to stand so I made the kindest, but hardest decision to put her to sleep.

4. Sophie was then old enough to share a pony and had been having regular lessons. We found a pony called Oscar, who we thought would enable a mother and daughter share. I was happy to just hack while Sophie joined Pony Club. Unfortunately, Oscar had many problems especially with napping and spinning, dropping a shoulder and bucking you off. In hindsight I think he must have been in pain but in those days my knowledge of backs and physio were limited. Hence he was sold to a dealer as a field companion and I sobbed my eyes out but knew he was dangerous.

5. While we were looking for our next horse a friend lent us a pony, Rosie, who she didn’t have time for over the winter. She was a real confidence boost for us both.

6. We carried on searching and put an advert out for our Forever horse on a few website. A lady contacted me about Pepsi. She had liked the idea that her daughter’s outgrown pony would have a home for life. It had taken us 6 months and lots of ‘possible buys’, and we were both still so worried and nervous. Pepsi came to stay with us on loan to begin with, and then were offered to buy him. Sophie was thrown in the deep end at pony club camp but WOW what a great start to having a new pony. He is the love of our lives and I have been brave enough to do some dressage competitions on him. Most of all he is part of our family and so very special.

Q: What is your favourite thing about Pepsi?

A: Knowing that he is always appreciative of our care…especially the food. That whinny he gives me in the morning or from the field at the end of the day.

Q: What is your biggest achievement in your riding life?

A: Entering and qualifying for the Trailblazers dressage Championships at Stoneleigh.

Q: Have you had any horsey related injuries?

A: Concussion from falling off a horse riding in a field and my hat fell off. I still get nervous riding in a large open field.

Q: Tell me about your daily routine

A:

Weekday – Pepsi gets turned out every morning by our Yard owner. I work in the mornings and I am eternally grateful that she is always careful with the choice of his rugs. After lunch, I go to the yard and bring Pepsi in. He has a massage pad on while I muck out his stable and groom him. This allows his grass belly to go down. I ride 3 days a week and try and hack, go round the fields and school, depending what Sophie has done with him the day before or after. After I’ve ridden, he has his tea and is rugged up for the night. Last job is poo picking and moving his fence in his field for the next day.

Weekend – I share the care of him at the weekends with Sophie who usually rides as she works full time in the week. I enjoy an early get up to help her competing and a a good walk when she hacks out. But sometimes I just have a day off knowing that Sophie will care for him to an impeccable standard. They have such a strong bond.

Q: What is your favourite thing to do at the yard, and why? (aside from riding!!)

A: Snuggling him down for the night in his stable rugs and giving him his tea.

Q: And your least favourite, and why?

A: Poo picking when we haven’t done it for a while as the birds scatter the poo and make it difficult.

Tips and Tricks….

Q: How did you survive being a 'Pony Club Mum'?

A: By always having some pony club milk at hand (baileys) . It can be drunk without anyone knowing, although Sophie can sniff it out from a distance! “Mum are you on pony club milk already?!

A: What is your best preparation tip for a competition?

Q: Write down the times of everything working backwards from your start time.

Q: What is your best tip for ‘grooming’ on an event day?

A: Plenty of coffee and a good picnic, as well as having that piece of paper at hand with the timings of everything.

Q: How do you stay calm at an event?

A: Make sure I have plenty of time and just be thankful that I am on the calm horse (there’s usually a mad one in the warm up!)

A stressful rider usually needs listening to so they can have a moan or tell their fears although you pretty much know what is coming as you work so well as a team. Usually a stiff talking to the rider to get on and RIDE, "you’ve jumped bigger" (usually a lie too but it usually works). After all the stress, the rider nearly always says thank you and admits she was faffing!

Q: Favourite product in your grooming kit?

A: Tail detangling spray. Spray it on, leave it a minute or so, then comb through. Pepsi has such a lovely thick tail that looks beautiful when it’s combed.