“NATIVES ARE CHEAPER TO FEED, HAY AND BED”

FORMER British vaulting team member Sonyarisa Duckhouse made a switch from 18hh horses to natives back in 2014, and she hasn’t looked back.

Sonyarisa started vaulting aged seven. As well as landing the Welsh championship four years on the trot, some of her other achievements include taking seventh in the FEI CDI2* at the Budapest International and landing silver in Belgium.

“My final competition was a CDI2* in Saumur, France in April 2014; I slipped off in the third round and it brought back memories from a serious accident I had a couple of years before,” explains Sonyarisa. “I said to my coach that I was ready for a quieter life.”

Sonyarisa’s first native was the Fell gelding Chestermann Dandy. Now aged 14, Dandy was a finalist in the 2019 SEIB Search For A Star championship.

“Since my accident I enjoy being closer to the floor,” continues Sonyarisa. “The difference in keep cost is massive, too; natives are cheaper to feed, hay and bed. I’ve also found that a lot of livery yards don’t have stables big enough to accommodate the big horses either.”

Sonyarisa also owns four-year-old Dales stallion Hett Tudor King, whom she bought as a foal from his breeder.

“The Dales seem less amicable than the Fells, though I’m completely sold on natives as a whole. I was overhorsed on the bigger rides; I would struggle to make them move from behind, but Dandy is like a Rolls-Royce. Some people are put off by a native as they think they need flash, but I would rather have something which can use itself properly and that I can ride well.”