My Childhood

The first 7 years of my life were in a motel. We owned and ran a motel in Beachport, SA, and there really isn't time for much else when you run a motel! I started gymnastics at about 2, and continued until I was 9, but decided to give it up just after I was offered a place in the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport). I first began to ride around the same time, just at a little riding school not far from home, and shortly after I was given a pony to lease, ride and care for as my own. Unfortunately I did not get all the basic lessons I probably needed right from the start, so I basically just watched what other riders did and copied (or at least I tried to!) and after a couple of years I moved on to another horse. The next horse didn't work out, and so he was sold and I free leased a little arabian pony, Zahra. Zahra was probably one of the best ponies I have ridden; after a bit of working out who was in charge, she would do anything for me, and she took me to PC grade 3 (from grade 5) and I jumped her at home over gr2 fences. She was a great confidence builder. The next main horse was a slightly bigger, more solid Arabian, and he taught me a lot more in the dressage, but was not a confident xc horse, but I persisted and he became a lot better, but he was never going to be the horse I wanted/needed. I then moved onto 'Gary' (bad name I know). Gary was off the track and had been handled by people who were not confident on the ground with him, therefore resulting in VERY bad ground manners. He had hardly jumped, never done dressage, never been to Pony Club, but after 2 1/2 years he was competing grade 1 (EFA Pre-Nov). I still have him, but he is currently turned out with an injured tendon. And now for Legs. I started riding Legs in Nov 08 whilst staying at Vanessa's place in Goornong, and within about three weeks we went to our first showjumping comp at Tonimbuk, jumping 1m, where he jumped one clear round, and had a rail and a stop in the 2nd, but nevertheless was very good. At home he is now doing leg yields, shoulder-in, starting travers and half pass, and is starting to establish a medium trot :) However he does get upset at events, but he has improved out of sight, and I believe the more he gets out and has no bad experiences, the quicker he will improve even more. He is doing his first Prenov this weekend :)