9th August - Olympic excitement!

I’ve had so much to do this last couple of weeks but I’ve been hugely distracted – by the Olympic Games!

I can’t get enough of it and the equestrian competitions have been AWESOME! I didn’t think it could get any more exciting after I watched the Eventing, where we won team silver. But the show jumping was AMAZING and, not to be bettered, so was the dressage, with both GB teams winning GOLD – so, so, so incredible. There was an Andalusian stallion in the Spanish dressage team, called Fuego, and watching his dressage to music (‘Kur’) test was so inspirational, I can’t wait to get schooling Zano and see how far we can get in the dressage arena! I definitely want to try riding to music, the horses can pick up on the rhythm in the music and a lot of them really enjoy it. The really exciting thing is that Zano has the most beautiful paces – his walk is incredible – which will mean, hopefully, that he’s got lots of potential to do well in dressage tests. I know I’ve got to be patient, because he needs to be brought on slowly, but I’m so so excited about what lies ahead for me and Zano. I just can’t help it! Ooooh, and I’ve been distracted again writing this – watching Laura B, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin in the dressage final and Charlotte’s just won GOLD with a breathtakingly supreme dressage test – her horse, Valegro, is out of this world and so exciting to watch. Phew!

Back to earth again! And back to Zano. Jo, my riding instructor, suggested that I take Zano on lots of hacks so that he goes forward and doesn’t do too much in the school too soon. It’s easy for horses to get bored, and I really want Zano to enjoy himself in all his work, so we’ve been heading out with Nicky and Chico, and my partner Paul’s been coming with us on his bike. So far Zano’s been very relaxed and he’s proving to be totally bombproof. Today he even walked past a cement mixer with dust puffing out without blinking, he’s a real star! And I still can’t quite believe our journey so far – only a few weeks ago I was leading Zano round on the ground, watching the other riders hacking out without us. Now it’s us going out on hacks in the sunshine – I’m so happy and pleased with Zano that I could almost burst!

All smiles as Zano and Chico hack out - cool as a cucumber!

Oh, and how can I forget? Puzzle: The Runaway Pony and Phantom: One Last Chance are now, officially, on sale! Yey!! Take a look at the dedication in Phantom, there’s a mention of a certain dapple grey horse in there!!

You can buy your copy here

30th July - Birthday celebrations

It was my birthday this week and everyone at the yard was amazing – I got cards, cakes and pressies, even though I’d tried to keep it quiet! Just after my birthday Jo came to give me and Zano our first lesson and she taught Megan on the lovely Chico, too. Jo came with me when I tried Zano, and she hasn’t seen him since, so it was lovely to see her reaction when we went to see him in the field before I brought him in. He’s such a handsome chap and he loves having attention! Here he is, soaking up all the admiration! Who wouldn’t be impressed?

Jo started off by watching me lunge Zano, giving me loads of really helpful pointers, and then I had a fifteen minute lesson. Jo’s advice is to ride Zano ‘long and low’ to begin with to make sure that he develops all his muscles along his ‘top line’ (from his poll all the way along his back to his tail!) in the right way. He behaved himself very nicely and we’ve booked our next lesson already!

I’m sure that Zano is quite bright. He seems to know when I’m about to come and bring him in from the field, because he always decides to have a lie down two minutes before I appear with the headcollar! I’m a complete softie and I don’t like disturbing his beauty sleep. Instead I tend to wait and have a cup of tea until he’s ready to wake up! But yesterday I went to see him and sat next to him for a while, stroking his face and ears as he rested his chin on the grass and snored. It was a very peaceful and calming five minutes!

I’m still taking Zano over his poles to make sure that he’s using himself well and to keep him relaxed in the school. He’s so funny over them now though, he’s a real show off and hardly needs me next to him because he knows the routine so well. Jo, his physiotherapist, would be proud. She’s volunteering at the Olympic Games with the equestrian team for the next couple of weeks. She’s amazing at her job, so all I can say is that any horses who are worked on by her are very, very lucky! Good luck & have fun, Jo!

23rd July - Mixed fortunes

This has been a week of mixed fortunes, although happily, it ended on a high note!

It started off, though, with Zano deciding that he didn’t want to do any more work. He was quite tricky to try to get up onto from the mounting block. When I did get into the saddle he was really a bit cross about the whole thing, swishing his tail and behaving like he might have a few bucks as we set off around the school. Hmm, time to have a think - after all, we’ve been here before!

Well, that day I was heading off to watch a Jumpcross competition near where I live. I knew that Jo, my riding instructor, would be there and I thought it was time for a little chat. She gave me a pep talk and pointed out that Zano had been through every check he could have had. We knew he was sound and not in any pain. Now it sounded like he was just being a little bit naughty. After all, he’s had over two years not doing much, and maybe he was wondering if he really wanted to start work.

We arranged a lesson, which I’m really excited about! Then I relaxed and enjoyed watching the rest of the competition. I rode there last year on my friend Fran’s horse, Pinto, who I was sharing. They have a nervous and novice day and it’s my aim to take Zano there next year to do the novice classes! It’s always good to have a plan to work towards!

This is me competing Pinto last year at Jumpcross – he’s 17hh and always jumped big!

Jo’s advice is proving very worthwhile! I’ve been lunging him before I get on him and that’s worked well. As has June’s bit of advice (June’s the yard owner). She suggested that someone stands by Zano’s head as I get on to give him some pony nuts. He’s such a greedy horse that he doesn’t care what I’m doing in the saddle now, as long as he gets a mouthful of treats at the same time! Problem solved, thanks June!

16th July - Getting back on Zano

Well, I’ve started riding Zano again! It feels amazing to be back in the saddle, even if it’s only really to sit up there for a few minutes at a time until he gets a bit stronger and confident with me being back on top, rather than next to his head!

I did try to ride him over some straight poles – for some reason that caused Zano great excitement and I think he felt a bit confused hearing my voice coming from up somewhere on high. I think he found it quite difficult to adjust to carrying me over the poles; that’s something that will get easier for him the stronger he gets. I didn’t want to do too much riding before Kay the saddler came back to check him. He’s got so much bigger that I needed to be sure that the saddle wasn’t pinching him at all.

Also, Jo Spear the physiotherapist suggested that I get a ‘prolite’. This is a really thick pad that goes under the saddle. It can have extra padding at the front or back, and it makes sure that the horse is comfy with his saddle. Kay was amazed at Zano’s transformation. Last time she saw him he still had quite a visible spine, but now that’s all covered up as he’s put on weight. In fact, his girth has got bigger by a huge 6cms!

Kay watched me riding him in the saddle without a numnah first then decided that his prolite should have extra pads at the back. This is because Zano’s got quite high withers, so padding in the back helps to make sure the saddle stays level, rather than tips back. All I needed to do next was get a new numnah to go underneath and I chose team Zano colours – purple!

9th July - Ready to get back on board!

Yay! Good news! Jo’s just been to the yard and is really happy with Zano’s progress – she said that he seems much more together, more confident and definite with his movements. Just the news I was hoping for! Jo was really impressed with his pole work – he’s such a clever boy. When she first showed us how to do it he was tripping over them left, right and centre – he even stood on them a few times and rolled off them again! But today he strode over them like an old hand who really understood what was being asked of him. He was a star, and I was so proud of him and pleased for us both!

Zano looking handsome, and very much heavier than when he first arrived

Next step – getting back on board! Well, I’ve got the saddle, now it’s just a question of building up the riding work really slowly. Jo said that he’s ready to start as if he was a 4 year old, with the basics in place. So, it’ll be a question of riding him for about 10 minutes every other day for the first week, going over the poles the alternate day. I’m even going to ride him over the poles, too, because he’s really confident doing them. Then I can start to build it up to about 30 minutes every other day, with walking in hand too, in about 3-4 weeks time.

I’m so excited!!! We’ve got the summer ahead of us – the adventure starts here! Not only that, books 3 & 4 – Puzzle: The Runaway Pony and Phantom: One Last Chance hit the shops in August – yippee!

2nd July - Things are looking up!

All the sunshine and rain is really bringing out the flies! So, Zano is currently sporting a new look – a fly mask and a fly sheet.

He’s not entirely impressed with the fly mask – I’ve found it hanging off various posts in the paddock! He’s getting used to it though, and so much better than having all those flies buzzing about while he’s trying to get down to the serious business of chomping all the lovely long grass he’s enjoying at the moment! Jason, the farrier, came back to see him this week and he’s fitted him with one size bigger shoes than last time – his feet have grown quite quickly with all the good grazing, so this way they shouldn’t outgrow the shoe before Jason comes back in August.

Jo, the physiotherapist, is coming back next week – I can’t wait. It’s been slow going with all the ground work, but Zano’s really settled into it. He’s as quiet as a lamb now when we walk into the school (rather than charging off!) and he sees the poles and strides over to them, knowing what he has to do, which he seems to really appreciate.

Zano and Chico

He’s not on the calming liquid anymore but he’s as chilled out as anything, even with all the summer grazing, so that shows he’s really started to relax at the yard and that he feels comfy with me. I know I do with him, so it’s been worth putting in all this ground work. After all, we’ll be together for years (fingers crossed!), so being patient now for a few months is nothing in the big scheme of things. I’ve been walking him out lots still around the Suffolk lanes with his best pal, Chico to keep him company. He’s starting to look like a real, proper Andalusian now!

23rd June - A busy June!

I’ve had a really exciting but busy couple of weeks!

First of all, it was Zano’s birthday on the 16th June – I can’t quite believe he’s 8 years old now, and not quite up to where a 4 year old should be! Still, we’re catching up. I brought a carrot cake for him (and everyone else on the yard!) – he had a small slice and LOVED it, he even licked the plate! He’s gobbles up every bit of food he’s offered, which is great because he’s finally really starting to bulk up, put on some weight and get nicely rounded.

After the birthday celebrations I headed down to the beautiful grounds of Ardingly College for another school talk, where we jumped over a mini version of the Fratton Cup course (from Moonlight: Star of the Show). I had to ‘jump’ the course first and I think everyone had lots of fun (I know I did!). Then, the following weekend it was back to Sussex for a trip to Hickstead for their big showjumping competition! It was amazing! Copies of The Pony Detectives were given as prizes to the winners of the Mini Challenge, which was a real thrill.

I got to watch the Speed Derby and see the horses and their brave riders facing the very scary Derby Bank – it was soooo steep! I’ve seen it on television lots of times, but it’s not until you stand by it that you realise quite how tall it is and how much of a drop down the horses have to make. They have to be brave and really trusting of their riders. It was a real gallop to the line in the main class – with Irish raider Trevor Breen taking the trophy on his horse, Beer Hunter.

It was a nail biting victory, with some really fast riders almost stealing the prize in the last few rounds. After all the big name show casualties to the weather (like Badminton), it was lovely to see some real top level horsey action in the sunshine! And guess what? After the class had finished I was allowed into the ring to have my pic taken in front of the Bank – whoop whoop!

5th June - Pooh picking

I’ve been out and about recently, visiting a few schools to talk all things Pony Detective!

It’s been good fun sharing how I came up with the idea for the series, and how I grew up pony mad but pony-less! We were talking about some of the smells from the yard, and how I love the smell of horse feed, the hay barn (the Pony Detectives’ fav place to hang out) and – weirdly – manure!

I think next time I do a school talk I might take some in with me so I can share the horsey smell with everyone! Zano’s living out in the field at the moment, so there’s plenty of manure to gather up! I fill a wheelbarrow full of manure each morning when I pooh pick, and there’s nothing Zano likes doing more than wandering round with me from one pile to the next. I mentioned before that he loves sniffing manure and when I’m pooh picking he likes to sniff the pile on the floor, then check it again once it’s deposited in the barrow – I think he likes to know that I’ve found every last bit to make sure his field is kept ultra clean. He also loves grabbing the barrow handle and trying to tip it over – but only once it’s brimming full!

Zano getting involved!

Anyway, the other day I was just finishing the pooh picking, having searched all the patches of long grass for the tell tale flattened bits. Zano normally accompanies me all the way round, then follows me to the gate. But this time he didn’t follow me, he watched me go, then took a couple of steps to the right. He stood there, staring at me, then bobbing his muzzle to the grass. I walked over and found, to my amazement, a single pile of droppings that I’d completely missed! I picked it up, put it in the barrow and walked back to the gate. This time Zano followed me to the gate, happy in the knowledge that his field was, temporarily at least, manure free!

May 29th - Scampi and Zano are getting better!

Marlee happy to be back on Scampi

Scampi’s back in action! Marlee’s over the moon and getting on really well with him.

Scampi arrived the same weekend as Zano, so they were newbies together. They’re stabled next to each other as well, and look like little and large when they’ve both got their heads over the door. He’s been quite cheeky though recently – he managed to escape out of his field when Marlee was looking the other way a few days ago, scooting past her straight into the hay barn! He managed to grab a few mouthfuls before being returned to his rightful place. Then he managed to wriggle under the rope that goes across his stable when the door’s left open. I turned round to see a small white flash as I was heading out to the paddocks. This time he made a dash for the long grass outside the front field!

Zano with the Amazing Jo Spear, working her magic on his back and pelvis

Jo came back to check on Zano’s progress this week, too. She thought his action was getting a bit better, but there’s still work to do before I can get on. He needs to build up a bit more before he can carry a saddle with me in it and learn where to put his hooves properly. Jo thinks that his lack of confidence might be linked with his gangliness – if he’s not completely in control of his legs he might not feel confident, especially with someone on his back. So, we’ve got another set of poles to work over – we have to snake left to right and back again over some poles, then end up over a fan of poles with one end raised. The good thing is that he’s really starting to settle now and is so affectionate. I think he’s starting to feel at home – yay!

May 22nd - Getting to know Zano better

Well, Zano’s still on the easy list, which strangely enough is proving to be a hidden blessing. I’m spending so much time on the ground with him, mooching about together in the field and the stable, that we are getting to know each other really well.

Enjoying a scratch

I’ve been grooming him lots and giving him a scratch (which he LOVES) and walking him in hand over the poles. I also found out after taking a cup of orange juice into his field that he’s a bit partial to it – in fact, he wouldn’t leave the cup alone until I’d shared some with him (I had to pour it onto my hand for him to suck and slurp up). He also loves oranges and overripe bananas in his feed, alongside the more usual apples and carrots!

Zano's new fav treat - Orange juice!

He’s starting to put on weight now, too with all the grass coming through. Scampi is getting much better, his abscess has cleared up and he’s got his shoe back on now, so Marlee can ride again soon – she’s very happy! And Megan took Chico to his first show this summer – with all the rain so many shows have been cancelled, Megan’s really pleased to be able to get out finally!

Megan and the ultra white Chico

He was a bit naughty loading, but luckily the show was within hacking distance, so she still made it in time for their first class. She groomed him to perfection and his coat was sparkling; they both looked amazing – the rain even held off for the class they’d entered! Megan and her Mum, Nicky, took some time over the next week to get him going into the trailer, and when it came to going training he was hoof perfect – shaking some pony nuts at the top of the ramp helped quite a bit!

Right, back to the pole work! I think Zano’s starting to enjoy them – I’m sure I could unclip the leadrope and he’d go over them by himself, he picks up new things so quickly.

15th May - Zano's got some exercises

Zano seems to be calming down again!

Zano doing his exercises

Jo left us with some exercises to do – I have to walk Zano in hand over some poles on the ground to get his muscles working in his hindquarters. Apart from trying to attack a couple of the poles (maybe he mistook them for snakes?!), he seems to be enjoying it!

Jo, the physiotherapist, said that Zano has tremendous range of movements in his joints but no muscle to control them. This means that when he’s back in work he’ll be fab for dressage because he’ll be really flexible, but right now he’s like a half tonne bambi! That explains some of his clumsiness, too!

Relaxing afterwards

It’s really helped thinking of him as a much younger horse. He can be quite clingy at times and at others like he’s trying to dominate, which is quite babyish. I wondered, too, if he was a bit unconfident – he’s had a couple of yard moves, and since his latest move he’d been asked to do more than he had done for quite a while. All in all, it’s been a big change for him, and he can’t speak to let me know how he feels about it all! So, I called a manufacturer of herbal products and, when I described Zano’s behaviour, she suggested a calmer to help him relax and start to feel more confident.

So far, it seems to be working wonderfully – phew! Poor Scampi, Marlee’s grey pony, has been in the wars this week. He came in very lame and we all thought that it might be laminitis, which makes ponies’ hooves really sore. He’s had it before and it can happen if a pony scoffs too much rich grass. He’s kept in a paddock which is purposely quite bare, with plenty of well soaked hay to eat, so it didn’t seem to quite add up.

But, when Jason the farrier popped in, he removed Scampi’s shoe and had a bit of a prod around and found an abscess! So, he cleaned it all out and then poulticed it to draw out any infection and bandaged his hoof up. Poor Scampi – I’m sure he’ll start to feel better now, though! In the meantime, he’s joined Zano on the ‘no-riding’ list!

7th May - The mystery is solved

The puzzle behind Zano’s change in behaviour is starting to get pieced together!

Back on Board

I was still concerned about his back after he’d appeared so sensitive to being tacked up and being sat on. I had managed to get back on him – always important after a fall – to have his newly ordered fully fitted, but he was still unhappy. But before I asked anything more of him, I had to be sure it wasn’t anything physical that was bothering him.

So I asked one of the leading physiotherapists, Jo, based not far from the yard, to come and check him over. When she arrived, suddenly everything started to click into place! Jo watched Zano walk and trot in a straight line, then watched him on the lunge in walk and trot. Then she felt all his muscles and found some real tightness across his back, which she massaged. At one point, he almost bucked in his stable, then he let out the most almighty sigh, like lots of tension had suddenly been released!

Jo asked about his background and I gave her the details that I knew – he’d come over from Spain in 2010 after being well schooled there, had spent most of the last couple of years relaxing and had been ridden a bit just before I got him.

Then Jo gave her verdict. She said that, based on his muscle structure, in her opinion Zano had done very little work in his life – ever! Suddenly, I realised that instead of bringing a well schooled horse back into work, I had a big novice-y baby on my hands, one that needed to be taken right back to basics! He was clearly broken in when he was in Spain, but it’s likely that it was all done fairly quickly and then he had 2 years off. So, although it’s all in there somewhere, it probably wasn’t established as much as I thought it was!

So, for the next few weeks, it’s back to working from the ground with him.

30th April - What's behind Zano's strange behaviour?

Well, it continues to be fun and games with Zano!

I’m on a steep learning curve with him as we both get to know each other. His close encounter with the cows seems to have put him off for life and he’s starting to get lively. It’s been really wet and rainy here – with mud everywhere (mostly over all Zano!) and suddenly, with a bit of sun, the grass has started to grow. I think Zano’s been on a bit of a sugar rush! He’s suddenly become a lot more of a handful to lead or to lunge or walk out, especially now he’s started to put on some weight – I think he’s feeling the joys of spring!

Zano enjoying the Spring grass

That certainly seemed the case when the wonderful saddler, Kay, came to visit with her van full of saddles. She spent a couple of hours taking Zano’s profile and looking at his old saddle. He pretty much fell asleep (as always!) while she was checking him over, but he soon woke up when it came to fitting a saddle on him. That should have had the warning lights flashing in my head, even more so when he refused to stand still to be mounted. Kay gave me a leg-up, but I didn’t manage to stay in the new saddle for long – it was a bit like one of those Wild West rodeo rides! I think it’s fair to say I hadn’t been expecting that!!

Anyway, after being ejected from the saddle at top speed, I dusted myself down. Zano seemed pretty agitated and I’d had a bit of a bump on the head, so we decided it wouldn’t be wise to carry on. Kay had a good idea of what I needed and she had enough information to order the right saddle in. Before her return, though, I’d have to figure out what was going on in Zano’s very handsome head and see if it really was just the spring grass, or if there was something else behind his tricky behaviour...

15th April - Zano Vs. Cows

Zano bonding with Paul

While I’ve been waiting for the saddler, I’ve been walking Zano out in hand everywhere, going on longer and longer jaunts around the surrounding lanes. Sometimes just the two of us wander out, sometimes my partner, Paul, leads him and I walk with them, and at other times I go out with Rosie and June.


Zano can be a bit clumsy, at times almost tripping over his hooves or my feet as he eagerly looks round at all the different scenery. But his favourite thing? Stretching down to smell droppings left on the road from other horses! Horses have a really well developed sense of smell and they can get all kinds of information from sniffing a pile of manure – like who has been on the lane before them, or whether they’re a mare or gelding, Zano loves it!

One thing he is definitely not in love with, though, is cows. Especially herds that rampage about the small field he’s trying to get past! I was on my own with him when we walked down the path between two paddocks. We’d walked down there before and he’d been curious about the cows. They’d been standing quietly then, though, in the far corner of the field and he’s walked past without any problems.

As we approached this time, Zano’s head got higher and higher. Suddenly it felt like I was leading an 18hh horse, rather than a 15.3hh one! Just as we reached the edge of the field, he began to snort. I thought I’d be able to get him past quite quickly, but as we started to go, the cows began to charge towards the fence, right by us! Zano dug in his heels and snorted again. This set the cows off, and they stampeded away again, before turning round and trotting back for another look. I managed to get Zano past, but he passaged (very slow, powerful trot!) until the cows were well and truly out of sight! He calmed down, but he’s a sharp, quick learning horse. I wondered what would happen next time he saw another cow...!

30th March - The dentist and chiropractor pay a visit

Everyone who visits the yard falls in love with the stables and with Zano – I feel very lucky to have found such a loveable horse and such an amazing place to keep him!

Zano’s first admirer this week was Leigh, the equine dentist. She immediately found some really sharp points on Zano’s back teeth (his molars) and the sharp teeth had started to cut the insides of his cheeks! No wonder he hadn’t wanted to have his bit put in his mouth!

Horses’ teeth need checking every 9-12 months, and Zano’s last dental visit had been 9 months ago. He’s got quite big teeth, though (as well as big, strong hooves!), so I think Leigh might need to come back and check him every 7-8 months. Zano was very well behaved, once again, while Leigh filed down the sharp bits and had a good feel around to make sure there weren’t any other problems. She even let me put my hand in so that I could feel the sharp bits and then again after she’d rasped them. It felt really weird – horses’ mouths are sooo long – their tongues are HUGE! When she finished, Leigh said that, now his teeth weren’t sharp, Zano would be able to chew his feed better, so should start to put on weight. Phew!

Zano being lunged - he wasn't always this quiet!

Next up it was Stephen, the chiropractor, who works on the skeletal structure (basically, his bones!). He saw Zano walk and trot, and turn tight circles. Then he gave him a full examination and found that he had really sore ribs, just where the saddle goes! We looked at the saddle and decided that it wasn’t the ideal one for him and was possibly what was making him feel a bit uncomfortable. So – next person to call – the saddler! In the meantime, I started lunging him to get him exercised.

16th March - Something isn't right with Zano

Well, it’s been an eventful few weeks at the yard with Zano. To begin with, Jason, the farrier, came and shod him first of all (Jason is a bit younger than Jock, the farrier in Scout: Mystery of the Marsh Ponies), but he’s every bit as good. And he never says no to a cup of tea, either!

Zano having his 'shoe' fitted

Jason’s verdict was that Zano has big, strong hooves, so he’s happy that Zano will be okay with just his front hooves being shod at the moment. Zano was amazingly well behaved – he almost fell asleep, with his muzzle resting on Jason’s back! When he wasn’t asleep he was turning round and trying to watch what was going on as Jason took off his shoes, trimmed and rasped his hooves and fitted his new shoes. At one point I saw John give him a kiss on his velvety nose!

Zano checking out what the farrier is up to!

I love watching the farriers work, with the noise as the furnace fires up, and the distinctive smell as hot shoes are fitted against the horses’ hooves, and the sounds as metal is hammered into shape and the nails are carefully tap, tap tapped in. It makes me think what it must have been like in old days when the spooky Old Forge (which appears in book 3 of the series, Puzzle: The Runaway Pony), was a proper, working blacksmiths!

I am starting to worry me about Zano; I’ve ridden him a couple more times, this time in the school, and we’ve only been walking round in large circles, but something doesn’t feel quite right. He’s starting to get a bit shirty, too, about having his saddle put on and his girth done up; he doesn’t even like having his bit put in! And, he’s not really putting on any weight, even though he’s having loads of hay and his feed is starting to be built up.

It’s time to do some investigation into what’s up. He’s already been wormed, so that can’t be it. So – first stop? The equine dentist, then the equine chiropractor!