‘Reluctantly I acknowledged that I had overhorsed myself’
“I rode for eight years, then took a break for four. A few loan horses later, I was 21 and my parents bought me my first horse, Bailey — beautiful, but totally unsuitable,” explains Eve Proctor. “I persevered, but a relationship break-up meant that I had to sell him.
“Fast forward a few years, and secure with my now-husband, I took a horse on loan as we had paddocks and stables at our rented cottage. Pregnancy followed and, as this horse was quirky, I wasn’t happy to ride and he went back.
“When I had my second child I realised how much I’d missed riding, so I bought Mac. He was a green, six-year-old Irish Draught, and I lacked the time he needed. Life revolved around early starts and feeling guilty at weekends as other activities suffered. There’s only so much grooming and sweeping an eight- and a four-year-old are happy to do. I realised
I’d lost a lot of confidence and feared getting injured when I was responsible for my children. Reluctantly I acknowledged that I had over-horsed myself and sold Mac to a home where he regularly events. “This left a hole, so eventually I bought a pony as my son had started taking lessons and had become hooked. Along came Snoopy. I loved taking care of him and breathing in that delicious horsey smell I’d missed so much.
“Once my son got a bit older I wanted something of my own so that we could ride out together. Diamond, a chunky 14.2hh, 12-year-old cob who adores hacking entered our lives. A year on and my confidence has grown massively thanks to her. We’ve done pleasure rides and had a weekend away, something I would never have dreamed of doing before. My son is 14 now and capable of doing the horses on his own, which makes life so much easier. “I couldn’t have done the horse thing with babies in tow and I have a huge amount of respect for those who do. It becomes easier as the children get older, and finding the right horse for your circumstances makes all the difference.”