SPORT
ALL THINGS EQUESTRIAN
HAPPY NEW YEAR, I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A LOVELY CHRISTMAS. FOR MY FIRST ARTICLE OF 2015 WE’RE GOING TO DO A LITTLE TIME TRAVELLING, BUT ONLY BACK TO THE START OF DECEMBER.
WORDS | Hannah Goodby
IN THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS, DESPITE THE HECTIC PRESENT SHOPPING, I TOOK SOME TIME OUT TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I had been attempting to do a joint demonstration with my friend and fellow equestrian Jo Howie for a while. But after trying to get our schedules together for the best part of 2014, we finally had a slot on the 6 December. Jo runs her own Equine Therapy business and is trained & qualified in equine sports massage, soft tissue mobilisation, stretching, cross fibre techniques and direct pressure techniques.
jumping would add additional spectacle to proceedings. The idea was to convey some of the science and mechanics but with a rider’s perspective in terms of feel and how to go about warming up and practically exercising key muscles for jumping.
As part of her work Jo demonstrates how a horse’s anatomy functions, and she does this by painting the muscles and skeleton on to the horse. The result is a hugely impressive sight.
With horses playing such a big part in our lives, we imagined how things might have been different if we hadn’t had the opportunity to be around them from an early age; something that we both found difficult. So to be a child suffering with a serious illness, one that prevents them from having the chance to realise their dreams is just heart-breaking, and that’s why the work of Wish upon a Dream is so important. To be able to give a seriously ill child the chance to realise their dreams means so much.
With my background as a rider and qualified coach, we felt that being able to paint up a horse and then do some show
102
Naturally #wonderhorse, otherwise known as Monty’s Star, was thrilled at the prospect of performing in front of an audience and showing off his physique! We decided early on that we really wanted to try and give something back to the Island, and this was especially true given the time of year. So that’s why we partnered with charity “Wish upon a Dream”. Speaking to Lesley Turnbull (founder) about the idea, we knew it was the right fit for us.
After much organisation, drafting in friends and family, the demo was a great success. Despite it being a cold, wet and windy Saturday night, many of you came along to Mount
ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE