Bored, broke and on box-rest.
Updated: Sep 12, 2019
The best reason to start any equestrian blog is off the back of an injury, while you're hopped up on painkillers and bored as hell... isn't it?
So as I sit here, the night before having my collar bone plated back together after an epic fall, I reflect that my two weeks of boring bed-rest has resulted in something that is (in my mind) mildly interesting. This January (2019) I set up an Instagram to track my little journey with my little pony, and I've had a lot of fun with it! Butttt... I am a rambler and find I end up writing super long captions that don't say everything I want them to. So here we are... I've expanded it into a website and I do hope you like it!
So I guess the first thing is introductions..
Me
My name is Vic, I'm 26 years old and live in Surrey, SE England. I've been riding since I was 4 years old and it's my absolute favourite thing to do. I've had a few ponies in my time and particularly enjoy working with young horses (specifically the mad ones) because I do like a challenge.
I say I'm an eventer but really that's just a way of saying "I do everything and I love adrenaline"... I'm a member of British Eventing and British Riding Clubs, but compete unaffiliated in all disciplines, as well as hacking, general pony banter, trying to do lots of horse related learning and just generally up for anything horse related! #madhorsewoman
Small And Mighty II
This is the official name of my little legend pony (and obvs this website), but he's better known as Zarry. He is 7 years old (born 2012), a chesnut gelding of arounnnnddd 14.1hh. Zarry has no recorded breeding and the jury is very much out on what he is... we were told Welsh X Arab when I got him, vet thinks New Forest pony... I dunno, apparently full-time legend isn't a breed but it is true!
I got Zarry as a 4 year old from a slightly unexplained background (apparently he was abandoned on someones land as a yearling? Apparently he was unsuccessfully backed? Unsure tbh!)... he was nervous but sweet and kind. I backed him with the help of friends... he was a nightmare... and then off we went on our little journey together!
He's a tough one, in both senses. A tough little pony, full of grit and determination, made of strong stuff... but he's also tough in that he's difficult as hell! He can be cocky but sensitive, independent but needs reassurance, bold but terrified.
Zarry is the hardest horse I've ever worked with and has changed everything about the way I ride and view horses, as well as my mindset in all areas of life. We have had some wonderful times but also some broken bones (me), tantrums (both of us) and tears (me, again)... but he is the true perfect match the me :-)
So, I do hope you enjoy reading about us! I'm not sure what it will be really... probably some of what we're up to (collar bone recovery will probably be the headline for a while!), some general horsey conversation, some randomly ramblings of a mad woman... who knows, but we'll give it a go! And if no one does like/read it then that's okay because I've enjoyed writing this anyway so it will just be for me. Either way, someones happy!
So wish me luck for surgery tomorrow, wish Zarry luck for rehabbing his wounded mother and see you soon :-)
Team Small and Mighty x