I had such a nice groundwork session with Huyen 💗 She was quite tense and reactive when I got her out of the paddock so I thought she would go a little grazy. But instead she listened amazingly well, relaxed and was very connected. Her face and body really softened. Afterward I gave her a little treat and she did the cutest soft whinny. Im also proud of myself. I was doubting my skills a bit but everytime I do train lately I realize I’m doing pretty well! Not perfect but definitely improving.

…was quite emotional to set foot on the tarmac here (long time dream) and well the best part was seeing @Jenny Randall and Sakkie waiting for us 🥰 We just had a rest and are heading out for dinner soon. Will get back in here later for a catchup. Tomorrow we hit the road and head into this beautiful land for the road trip 🌎 Hope you are all fine, sending virtual hugs and vibes from Africa 🫶✨❤️🐴

✨A little Easter check-in… I’m very curious 👇 What do you feel like you’re starting to get good at right now? And… What’s one thing you know you’re ready to begin next? Something you’ve maybe been putting off, overthinking, or waiting for the right moment with. Let’s share it - wins and next steps. 🐣🐴✨🫶

...and The Training No One Sees. Might wanna grab a cup of tea for this read 🍵 Just this past week, we had a very unexpected guest move into the yard - a female peacock. No one knows where she came from. The Animal Ambulance won’t take her because she’s not injured, Bird Rescue won’t take her because of her species and no one seems to be looking for her, o for now, she’s just here. And I have to say, she is beautiful. Impressive even, but also a bit of a ticking time bomb in a place like our stables. Our barn sits right on the edge of nature, backing onto the dunes that lead out to the sea. You can ride straight there, which is pretty special. But with Amsterdam only 30 minutes away, it’s also a busy place. Always people, always movement, machinery, horses and especially in the mornings when everything is being cleaned and organised. It can feel idyllic and it can turn chaotic in seconds where recenty we had chaos. The sun was out, so naturally many people was there, orses tied up, being groomed, tacked up, people chatting, a normal, busy day. I had Lenny tied up with about five other horses nearby, and a few more across the way. Everything was calm. Until it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, a dog started chasing the peacock aaaaand she honked loud, very loud and flew straight up into a tree. And in that split second… everything exploded. Two horses pulled back and broke their halters. People were on the ground. Things went flying. One horse slipped on the concrete trying to scramble away. Horses in the paddock took off galloping like it was their cue to join in. It was absolute chaos. And this is the part I think matters most…because these situations happen. Maybe not always this extreme, but often enough. And when you start to understand horses, really understand them, you begin to feel when something is about to tip - for me time almost slows down. And in that moment, I’m not thinking about anything other than keeping my horse safe from the situation, from other horses, from people… and from themselves.

✨ Let’s share some wins 🥳 What’s something you and your horse did this week that went right and / or felt good? 🐴✨🫶