Is it my fault? That’s the question that’s been bobbing around my brain recently. I have had three horses since retiring Tissy from international competition, in the hope of returning to FEI and Team selection. It’s been 7 years since I was last selected to represent Team GBR. So what am I doing wrong? Or is it really just luck?
I am very grateful that both Pria and Azid have been rehomed to wonderful owners, who enjoy them and care for them, that they have been able to have a ridden career and continue to compete and have adventures. But both couldn’t cope with the higher level training. Qantas has recently pulled his bicep muscle in the field and is out for the rest of the season. Was it my fault?
I keep a detailed diary of my training and the care of my horses and when I look back through the training I see nothing that could be deemed too much. I very very rarely train over 20km at a time, they only train 3-4 x a week in their novice years, day on day off up to 80km and 4 days on one day off above that. I mix up my training throughout the week and change the training focus every 6 weeks. They have three months off every year to just be horses and have a holiday. I don’t over compete with only 3-5 competitions a season and those aren’t at high speeds. They have weeks off after competition and are always bought back slowly into work.
So when I analyse my training I can’t see where I’m going wrong and I wouldn’t change what I do. But maybe something does need to change? But what? A conundrum I have been mulling over for a while, is it me, is it luck, are there external factors, do I need a major overhaul?
But for now Qantas is actually recovering well, he’ll get everything he needs to help him through and then we’ll make a plan and see how he goes. I’m remaining hopeful that this is just a blip in his endurance horse road and not a full stop. The hardest part is seeing all the potential in your horse, being excited about that spark they show, having hope that they’ll get there and then it being taken away. That’s why equestrians are so emotionally resilient, we have grit, we get back up again and we don’t give up, but most of all we always put the horse first.
Beth Endurance 