Henry (my best man at wedding!) and I

The most difficult thing is staying positive and having the motivation to keep doing the rehab every day. The quote I have used above is one I really believe is true, I have to believe in myself in order to recover else I could not keep doing the daily exercises. It is hard at times, but with all the support I have and my strong desire to prove the medics wrong I seem to keep the motivation most of the time.

I am going to a physio in Nottingham as well as my regular physio, Kate and now have my friend, Lucy twice a week to help me on treadmill and floor exercises. I have lots of rehab equipment at home so I can vary what I do. It is due to eveyone’s support I am able to have all this, Thank you all.

 I can also trot a bit now on Spark, this wouldn’t have been possible until recently. Henry and I hacked out together on Sunday! He tried to make me trot round a corner… nearly sacked him from being best man at the wedding!! I have 2 best men/ bridesboys,  Henry and Shane. Keep having funny ideas what they should wear!!

Dan and I are getting married on 24th July next year at Oakham Castle. Then a good party after at Eye Kettleby Lakes!

I am so lucky to have met Dan (only cost £20 off the internet, best £20 I ever spent!!) I don’t know what I would do without him.

My fiance, Dan!

When I had my accident and things with Tim didn’t work out out, I thought I would struggle to meet anyone, but how wrong was I!!  I have met the most special person.

That is why it is important to keep fighting when bad things happen, because if I had hidden away feeling depressed I would never have met Dan.

I have been to ride Spark both days this weekend, at the moment I am restricted to go just when Dan is here as he helps me get on! The riding I have done recently has really improved me, and this weekend I have started trotting.

Sparkle trots on hack!

Spark is amazing. He is a really smart horse owned by a friend, Abi Vaughan, who competes in working hunter classes.  A horse like Sparkle is really hard to find because he has a lot of presence and forward going yet he is quiet enough for me to ride. He is a good jumper too, so hopefully one day I shall enjoy that!

I am willing to work really hard to keep improving , and hopefully go on to compete in the para dressage. The 2012 London Paralympics is a distant dream, along with my walking!  It is too easy to feel down as the accident has made several doors slam in my face, however many have opened.  I have to think of these when I have down days.

I didn’t think I would be hacking alone and trotting on yet, but thanks to everyone’s support and my physios I am getting stronger all the time. The riding really works my core muscles, and if I think back to when I rode straight after the accident I feel a billion times better. So imagine in another couple of years….maybe I’ll be out hunting again!

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle