Guest post on overcoming challenges and building trust by @arb.equi

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Coming from the most non-horsey family based in a small town on the coast of England where horses aren’t really an option, I sometimes wonder to myself how I’ve ended up in this situation. I never had an interest in horses. I loved animals, but not horses, I preferred to play a game of football! This changed at the age of 7 when I went on a 5 day ‘horse camp' and completely fell in love! I had no clue what I was doing but I was in love. 

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After that, I begged for regular riding lessons. I had regular lessons on Saturdays and was treated to the odd 'own a pony' day's too. 

In 2014, I arrived in Suffolk to start  Boarding school. Luckily for me they had horses as a co-corricular activity. By year 8 I took on my first cob on loan. 

I met Maisie in 2016. She was a 16 hand 13 year old skin and bones thoroughbred. She moved beautifully and was so stunning we decided to buy her, mainly just because of her looks! 

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I was so excited for her to arrive home, my very own first horse! I rode her two days after she'd arrived. By the weekend we tried jumping. This was an awful decision and one thing I regret the most. She wasn't fit enough and I pushed her and I accept this. I fell off and didn't get back on, and that shook me too.

As she got fitter and felt better, she showed more and more of her personality and this scared me. I started making excuses to avoid riding. She became naughtier and in some ways dangerous. We had no connection, I couldn't even bring her in from the field in a polite manner. 

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I remember when I opened my Instagram account and experienced hate through this. Rumours spread around my yard that she was too much for me, but most of it came through my social media. "She's too much", "Honestly you should get rid of her", "You haven't and never will get a bond", "She's ugly", "Help yourself and sell her". 

This made me adamant to prove them wrong.

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I stared to look into Liberty and natural horsemanship for tips because we still had no trust. I decided that to get myself trusting her in the saddle, it had to start with me trusting her from the ground.

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At first I didn’t think anything was working, we got a few cute photos but that was it. When summer came I decided I would try some more, she started following me a bit and I trusted her more but not to the point where I felt comfortable. There was still no spark but I persisted.

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This is where it all went wrong but also turned for the best. Our first ride was awful, constant rearing, she’d never done anything like it. It was a real confidence knock, so I decided to get off, un- tack her and free school her, This was the first time I’d ever done this. I made her canter around me, then I stood still, whooaad her and she came right back to my side. I was in total shock.

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We suspected she may have ulcers as her behaviour when ridden had just been getting worse. People continued to tell me that she was dangerous and I needed to get rid of her, but I was adamant I would use time off to excel in our natural horsemanship area.

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We had a tough 6 months undergoing medical treatment, Maisie has been out of work on and off for 6 months, but in the most positive way the ball has been playing in our court with our bond being stronger than ever. She has absolutely mastered the kiss, comes back on command and we are on our way to mastering her bow. It has boosted my trust in her massively and she definitely trusts me a lot more. She now follows me everywhere and whinnies to me often.

I must admit I have loved proving those that thought I should give up on her wrong. She was not a horrible or dangerous horse, she just needed someone who believed in her. I believe that every horse has a good heart,  and if it’s been damaged then they need to find their 'heart human' just like we need to find our 'heart horse'.