Katie Stephens Racing

Snippy - The Journey

So, the Snippy Journey continued over the weekend as we attended our first ( of many I hope) Showjumping camps at Bicton. Whilst I sat on this horse everyday when I was training her, I didn't sit on her until March this year after Beth Norrish had started the re-schooling process for me in January of this year for fear I would mess up all of Beth's hard work. Beth has done an amazing job and I quite simply wouldn't have had a suitable horse to take along with my friends if she hadn't prepared Snippy for me.

The mare finds much of daily life a challenge. Generally they are challenges of her own making, nevertheless they are not easy to deal with at times, but then what is? Anxiety, the prevalent modern day gastric ulcer issue and a host of other foibles do not make this journey a stroll in the park, but the effort and reward of what we achieved this weekend does make it worthwhile.

The video. To the untrained eye, probably looks like an ancient rider (me) trying to wear brave pants going steadily over poles that are a third of the size of a hurdle on the racecourse, but to the trained eye, this video shows, the horse working hard on balance in her canter, and me trying hard to stay light in my hand, encouraging her forward but in an even consistent rhythm all the way around the course. And I left the poles up!!!! This is most rewarding on a horse that I hadn't left the ground on at all until April this year.