Like Mother Like Son?

When we were back in England we went round to see my old friend Vicky. We go way back and grew up riding ponies together, I had a little naughty Welsh Mountain called Toffee Crisp and she had a lovely strawberry roan who was blind in one eye called Sherry. Vicky now has two kids and her little girl is also pony mad so she took Ebi-kun for a ride.

First he had to learn to brush her down...

and get the hang of the basics, toes up, heels down, sit up straight....

and before you know it, he was going over trotting poles!

and he loved it, Poppy wasn't too keen mind you. Thank you Vic, he can't wait to have another go!

Now, I can't actually remember learning to ride, my gran saved Toffee from the dog meat factory when I was about 18months old, so that whole learning to ride thing is filed away with the learning to walk thing. My aunt and I kind of shared Toffee, she had him when I was too young to look after him then she out grew him and I had him back and then years later she had him back and her girls learnt to ride on him. He was a lazy, cheeky very naughty little pony, he would refuse point blank to go over a trotting pole but had no problem clearing a 3 foot fence to get at the grass on the other side. He lived to a ripe old age and is missed by us all.

I went on to compete in Western riding, I did the usual show jumping and dressage too but the western stuff was my thing really. I was the top British youth for 3 years running and the first youth to qualify to go to the European championships (lack of money stopped me from going!). I also trained with a lot of great trainers both British and American and did a seminar with the Monty Robert the Horse Whisperer - before they wrote a book and made a film about him :o).

Here I am in my awful red pants, on Duncrahill Pippit, who was a beautiful, yet head strong quarter Horse.

ahhh those were the days.....

promise not to bore you with my child hood rambling next post, we are off camping tomorrow so it will be more likely to be about our camp adventures...