Welcome! My first post...

I wanted to start a blog as I find that I am constantly reducing and editing down my Instagram captions to make them punchy and direct. But really, I want to ramble on about things. So here we go…

I thought I should introduce ourselves first, so that you can get to know us inside and out. I’ll start with the main man! Pepsi is a 21 year old Irish horse. He is 15hh and a Bay Roan. I absolutely love his colouring, as he is a roan he changes colour so many times throughout the year, from bright red in the summer to a dun-type in the winter when he is clipped. His mane and tail are black, speckled throughout with sparkly grey hairs. Luckily for me, mud and poo stains tend to blend in! We bought Pepsi from a lovely showjumping family when he was 9 years old, and since then we have done absolutely everything. I took him to Pony Club camp the week he arrived with us all those years ago and it was the BEST thing we have ever done. Throwing yourself in at the deep end with a new horse can be a bit nerve-wracking but for us it gave me a chance to really get to know him.

Since our rather exciting and exhilarating start, we have been all over the country competing in a variety of disciplines and he is a huge part of our family. I share the riding and care with my mum – for which I am forever grateful. Juggling a full time non-horsey job, a social life, a house of my own and riding and competing is very hard, and I would be no where without my ‘super – groom’. Amongst everything else, she is chief plait-er, she gets all my equipment ready for the next discipline when we are Eventing, and calms me down with a cup of tea and a flapjack when we turn down the wrong way down the centre line (many a time unfortunately!).

Pepsi has the kindest nature and personality, but can also be a bit spooky. He is very very vocal and loves the attention. I have learnt so much from him as a rider, and as a person. He has got me through some extremely tough times in my life and I owe him absolutely everything. The wins, trophies, and endless rosettes are just a bonus when I get to spend all my free time with such a wonderful and kind creature.

He is now 21, and despite a few bumps in the road he has always been a very fit and healthy horse (praying that I have not just jinxed it). We have started to slow him down in his old age, but he comes back fighting every time. So for now I think we have found a happy medium. He spends an average week hacking, schooling, pottering round the fields and we throw in a competition or event every other week or so! He also swims once a week at Arden Equine Pool. We recently had a scare where his blood sugar levels were super high, causing him to have EMS. No laminitis luckily, and a negative cushings test. He underwent a huge weight loss regime (hence the swimming) and is now back to a healthy weight after losing around 40kg and going down 2 x saddle gullets!! He is feeling better than ever. I cant wait to share what we have in store.

Onto me – I will keep this short! I’m 28 and live in Kenilworth, Warwickshire with my boyfriend and our two cats, Lily and Piper. I live about 10 minutes away from the yard, and 10 minutes away from my Mums house. I am a proper home bird. I’ve been obsessed with horses and outdoors all my life. My mum propped me on her horse when I was tiny, and since then I’ve gone from riding school ponies to my own at around age 12/13.

I work full time as a Merchandiser, so during the week I squeeze riding in before or after work. In the summer this is lovely, I get to see the best sunrises and sunsets. In the winter – not so much. The weather doesn’t really bother me too much, but the dark nights and mornings do. I am absolutely an advocate of ‘work to live’ and my work life balance is tip top (if a little more leaning towards ‘life’!!).

Aside from horses, I love clothes and fashion, and my family and friends. I am lucky to still call my school friends by best friends and we all still live very close by – we went to university or college far away and moved back home to our Warwickshire bubble, where some of us have our own houses and our own roots.

I am so looking forward to documenting and writing about our adventures – I hope you find it interesting!