Find out much more about how we managed earlier in lockdown in my other blog here!
As competitions have started to get going in the new normal way, we were making plans to start again when Jorge decided to make new plans. It was one of those freak accidents that we all try to avoid, yet they remind us that horses are not machines - and we need to be on our toes all the time. Jorge and I have been together 7.5 years, and although sometimes a little ‘playful’ as a young horse, we had never parted company until this day, which ironically would have been the day we should have left for the final selection trials for Tokyo, had the pandemic not happened. Thankfully, my Champion Puissance hat saved my head, with only a little concussion and not being able to see straight when I insisted on getting back on, as that’s what we are programmed to do right?!
Jorge on his best behaviour at WEG 2018
So an ambulance ride on a spinal board to Queens Medical, surrounded by lots of masks and eyes, wasn’t what I had planned for said Monday, however everyone was very lovely. I had a chance to practise my breathing to control my focus and heart rate (which I had been practising with Charlie Unwin ahead of this year's games) and thankfully there were no broken bones. However I left with slightly less dignity, and none of my clothes as they were all cut off.
Although I couldn’t weight bear on my right leg for the first week, so was relatively useless to anyone on the yard, I slowly started to get some function back with a tear in my Iliospoas (a muscle in the pelvis) to heal, and plenty of bruising. The Iliospoas is a hip flexor and has a big function in walking and running, and obviously you can’t get away from it on a horse either!
It was quite difficult for me to let go and ask for help with the horses, thankfully a client turned friend, Sam Smith, was able to step in and help with exercising the horses for me to keep them ticking over between ground work. It’s taking significantly longer than I had hoped to be able to ride again, and even now with riding just two a day, I’m not anywhere near as effective as I would like to be. And it's amazing how much control, coordination and stability you lose when not using all the other muscles that you need for riding too. So as the rehab process is ticking along, it's frustrating and slow and has a funny way of showing you how rubbish you are 😂 with backwards steps as well as forwards. Watching videos in the past hasn’t always been easy as I’m my own biggest critic and always wanting it to be better, but even more so now. But I am grateful it isn't any worse, and it's only another obstacle to overcome.
So, we had to make the decision that the reorganised winter championships, which JZ and Donnie had qualified for, will be a bit too soon. I don’t like doing things when I’m not prepared, but I definitely wouldn’t be this time (not through choice), and I don’t want to let the horses down, or give them a not so good experience if I’m not quick enough to help them.
Donnie does me proud at our first post-lockdown outing!
So we will slowly start to get the horses out and hopefully prepare for the para festival at Solihull at the end of August, which may still be too soon to be fully functioning, but I like a goal, and then towards Keysoe CPEDI in October if it goes ahead.
It's been nice to concentrate on the training through this very weird time, and I think the horses have benefitted from it. Its also been nice to have a break from competing, after getting over the fact our year was not going to look like any other I’ve had since leaving school!
A massive thank you to my team for stepping up and doing more with the horses whilst I’ve not been able to, and to my sponsors and supporters for their continued support through a difficult year for everyone!