PART 2 - MY JOURNEY WITH MJ
The Horse I Wasn’t Supposed to Love
After losing Bailie, I was certain of one thing. I wasn’t getting another horse.
The pain of losing him so suddenly…was something I didn’t want to risk going through again.
A Different Kind of Plan
It was actually my coach, Olivia Wilmot, who changed things.
She pointed out something I hadn’t really considered.
That working with such a sensitive horse had improved my riding…and walking away from that completely might not be the best thing. So she suggested an alternative.
A showjumper and trainer, Martin Arnott, had a couple of ex-racehorses he didn’t have time to produce. The idea was simple: I would take one on, produce it over the summer, and it would be sold at the end of the season. No long-term commitment. No emotional attachment. Just a practical, commercial arrangement. At the time… it felt like the perfect solution.
Meeting MJ
We went to see the two horses. We chose MJ. Not because there was anything particularly special about her at that moment…But because she felt like the sensible option. She was:
Smaller
Less bolshy
Easier for my Mum to handle
I still remember being told she’d probably never go beyond BE100. I actually felt relieved.
At that stage, even 90cm felt big to me.
No Connection
What stands out most when I look back, is how I felt when we went to pick her up.
Or more accurately…how I didn’t feel.
There was no excitement.
No anticipation.
No connection.
She was just a horse I was taking on as a project.
Nothing more.
What I Didn’t Expect
I told myself this would be different. That this time, I wouldn’t get emotionally invested.
That I could keep it practical. But horses don’t really work like that. And neither do we.
Because sometimes…the connection sneaks up on you.
What Came Next
Within weeks, things started to shift. Not because everything was perfect…
but because something was building between us that I hadn’t planned for.
And it wasn’t long before I realised…this was no longer just a "project"
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