Believe in your horse, believe in yourself!

It’s been such an amazing experience finally achieving a goal with my horse that I set out upon over two years ago. It’s a wonderful feeling, as our journey towards this point has been far from a straight line, indeed at times it seemed a very long way off and yet here we are! Riding Bronson on the Quantocks has been a dream come true! You might wonder, what’s the fuss? You can ride on the Quantocks any time, just go to the trekking centre. But this is not that. Pippsway is something completely different. Every word Pip says on her website is true, every promise she makes she delivers upon, this truly is being as one with your horse. Many years ago I read that the bit was there so that the rider could hear their horses thoughts, I didn’t really understand what that meant at the time, I do now!

Looking back one thing is for certain, the person that got us where we are today is Pip. She worked tirelessly to rehabilitate Bronson and bring me on in my horsemanship, always bridging the gaps in my understanding of Bronson and where I was going wrong. Beginning the task of teaching me everything there is to know about horsemanship from the ground up, how to do each thing, whilst giving leadership and gaining Bronson’s trust.

There was a period of time where I couldn’t ride for 5 months so Pip worked Bronson several times a week. The change in him and his self esteem was simply astonishing. I asked her how she had achieved this “I believe in him” she said. It occurs to me that in the end it was Pip’s belief in both of us, in the potential for our partnership and in our ability to get from where we were to where we are now, that was an essential ingredient in the mix. I can assure you that anyone else would have thought we were bonkers! For a beginner rider to bite off more than they could chew in a horse like Bronson, would have been madness in any other circumstance and yet because we did it with Pip’s support and guidance, we have gotten where we are today safely and happily. It’s simply astonishing!

I wish more horses and riders could benefit from Pip’s wisdom and I’m nagging her senseless to write a book. I would say I can never truly repay her for the gift she has given me and yet I know that actually I can, by being the very best guardian to Bronson that I can be, by adhering to and applying all the teachings she has shared with me, by being together as one with my horse. For that is what Pip wishes for all horses from their riders and it is what inspires her to take each human and each horse that come into her care from the point at which they find themselves to a place of mutual understanding, trust and having the lines of communication wide open and clear.

I need to nurture and build upon the self belief that Pip has helped me to find and believe in Bronson too. We’ve achieved this and there is still so much more to learn, so much higher to reach and so much further for our partnership to grow. So from today onwards I will believe in my horse and believe in myself!

I arrived at Pippsway two years ago, asking to learn to ride properly. Then I met Bronson and had the dream of riding him in the canter fields and on the Quantocks in complete control on a loose rein. This blog has charted our journey together, from having those dreams to living them and I hope you have enjoyed it. Pip Unwin is an extraordinary horsewoman and trainer and learning the Art of Horsemanship with her and Bronson has been one of the greatest joys of my life. If you have a dream, if you want to build a closer relationship with your horse or if you are experiencing challenges, get in touch with Pip today. It will be the best thing you could ever do for yourself and your horse! Let the journey begin...