"I'm currently in the wagon driving down to Stow-On-Wold with Mr Hyde. Annabel is in the front with Daddy, and Benjamin's back here with me. We've been selected for the Equine Pathway, so I'm taking Mr Hyde to strut his stuff and show his potential. Whether he will or not is another matter. He can be very sharp; he has a lot of natural ability, but he's the most challenging horse I've had. You can see my video of Mr Hyde at the bottom of this blog - do note, it's very much a work in progress!

Holding his breath and terrifying daffs

I took him to the Regionals last week. I don't think he took a breath from when he went in until he came out! He was very tense. He's a Hackney x Dutch Warmblood, so when he gets tight the knees come right up! Anyway, if I could stay in the arena I thought I was doing well. The test included his first canter down the centre line, which caused some 'discussion'! He said, "I'm not going down there towards those daffodils," and I said, "Yes you are!". Plus he had to go past cars that were going to eat him. And of course all of the movements I had to ride were by the cars. But is was good experience for him; he has to learn to relax away from home and cope with pressure. He has to learn to trust me enough to know that he's safe. 

Mr P's next outing

Mr P has got his first Grand Prix at Myerscough next week. I've kept him ticking over, but there's not been much for him to do lately. This will be his first GP since Olympia and he's very full of himself. We'll see whether I can hold him down the centre line.

Demo time

The demos that I'm doing in association with Sue Carson Saddles are shaping up nicely. We've got two competition winners to take part and there are three demos in total. I plan to ride Mr Hyde first, then do the competition winners, who'll be riding their own Novice/Elementary/Medium horses and then I'll bring in Mr President and show off his tricks. I'd love to see you there if you can come - you can find out about the demos and get tickets by visiting the Sue Carson website.

Annabel's fresh air pony

So, the Shetland went back. Annabel wouldn't ride it after it kept putting its head down. She now has a fresh air pony, which is far cheaper to keep and I don't have to muck it out. She is riding other ponies, but not black ones. Black ones put their heads down. We'll maybe look at finding her another pony if she nags us enough but for now, I like the pretend one!

Impending arrival

Our mare, Bonny, is due in three to four weeks. She's in foal to the 2009 Dutch Harness Champion. We had to import semen and use AI, which was a kerfuffle as we're not registered breeders. Luckily, we managed to get it through our vet. Anyway, I'm hoping for a colt with four white socks and a blaze. What's the bet it'll probably just be brown?! Hopefully, I'll be able to tell you all about the new arrival next time.

'Til next time,

Steph."