Yep you read that right, my first 20 meter circle in 18yrs and what’s more I Trotted it… nearly most of it, I will admit to being a few strides short.

I know the exact date of my last proper ride because it was when I took my BHS stage 1 care & riding, on the 8th December 1993. I had actually stopped working at the riding school sometime over the previous summer, but decided to do take the exam; to say i wasn’t really prepared would be an understatement.

What I remember most from the day is mounting from the ground, and my already too tight Oxfam bargain hacking jacket, being even tighter to bursting point. I did manage to just scrape through though and pass.

At the time I had no idea it would be almost 18yrs later that I got to ride again. It actually makes me quite melancholy thinking about it. For something that I have loved since I was little, why would I throw away my dreams over chocolate and boys? Enough of that, here’s to hoping this is the beginning of 18yrs + of riding…

Nas was exceptionally fresh and spooky –full clip, wind, neighbours building a bonfire – so I could kind of excuse it a little bit. And I’m also still very conscious of my weight and size being too much for him, especially when he was playing silly buggers and trying to side step the bottom of the school.

I was also in a very bad mood, initially I wasn’t going to get on him, but when I actually got out there I though don’t be silly its only ten minutes and I didn’t want it to be another 7months before I got on him again (that wouldn’t be so bad if I lost 7stone in that time lol ).

So there I was lethargic and feeling crappy (realised why-later on… it was time of month at wrong time of month argh). And there was Nas feeling very fresh and full of life, in one way it was good because for the first time since I’ve been getting on him I had to ride him. And because he was a bit of a git I was determined to make him do at least one thing I wanted.

Rather than plod around the school like we have been doing. I have also noticed that I am more controlled in the rising trot now and I actually feel like I could do more. But still it was a big thing to actually trot on a circle, I had just done the straight sides up until now.

I left it there after the circle and a little walk around, I felt that even though I hadn’t got him to walk nicely down the other end of the school at least we had managed a trot. Looking at the video after though it wasn’t the prettiest of trots, considering the mood we were both in I am pleased.

I’ve still got a long way to go with the weight loss, but I am now beginning to see the differences from when I first got him –at least you can see the saddle now – the biggest difference I have noticed is when I first got on him back in 2007, were my ankles I had no strength for rising trot at all, at the time I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get over the pain. I even went out and bought the flexi stirrups. Now they don’t hurt at all. The only place that does is my inner thighs.