I downloaded the Very Worst Riding School in the World recently on Kindle.  What a title for a book!  Interestingly, it is a short story that is a retelling of factual events.  It seems that Lucinda has loved horses from a young age.  And yet, in spite of her fascination with the beautiful animal, she admits that they are intimidating.  And although she desires to have horses and do well with them, it seems that her lessons only highlight how much she doesn’t know.

And yet in spite of this, it seems that there is a need for a riding school in the area where Lucinda lives.  She and her husband with their children find themselves in Africa in an area that may have horses, but doesn’t have a riding school.  As Lucinda’s husband acquires a couple of horses for her, she goes on a journey learning about how to feed them and care for them.

As the story is retold, there are obvious moments where horse people will be cringing and shaking their heads.  When Lucinda’s well meaning husband finds some land for them to keep the horses on, it seems that more horses are acquired in exchange for using the land.  And these horses are far from in prime condition.  And so the herd grows and the need to deal with serious neglect issues arises.

For someone who has barely learned the basics about horse care, suddenly locals are wanting her to teach their children to ride.  And so starts the very worst riding school in the world.

This retelling is a short read and only touches on how the riding school is first started.  To find out about how things progress, the reader is encouraged to sign up to Lucinda’s mailing list so that they can gain exclusive access to the next book in the series.  The first book was interesting and it was refreshing to see that the author could acknowledge their lack of expertise in the area of caring for horses.  It was good too to see that she sought out advice from those more in the know, but I can see how the riding school could very easily turn into a negative setup in a case of the blind leading the blind.

Author – Lucinda E. Clarke
Non Fiction – adult
In my library – on Kindle it is.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
I dedicate everyday of my week to horses.  Whether it’s from making halters from my Blue Poppy Equines product line or exercising/running clinics with my own and client horses.  This is to further the education of other horse lovers who want a better relationship with their equine partner.

What is it exactly that you do?
My business was originally started to provide correctly fitted halters for my horses as I have cross breeds which standard halters wouldn’t fit properly. After a few months I became aware that there were so many other horse enthusiasts in the world with the same problem, that’s when I made my business available to the wider community by advertising through Facebook @BluePoppyEquines and by travelling when doing clinics I’d promote my products which has helped immensely and kick started the future of my business’ success.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
At this very point in time as my business has only been operating for a year it isn’t possible to earn a liveable income.  But it is a future goal for myself, with word getting out more and more I believe it will become my full time professional job and will provide a liveable income.  Until then I do have my family’s support who have been helping me out where necessary.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
There are no specific steps that need to be taken to become employed in such a role.  It truly only takes dedication and determination. I knew from get go that this was what I wanted to do and without the proper attitude I knew it wouldn’t be possible.

My advice to anyone wanting to begin their own business is to pick what exactly it is they want to do and stick to it because anything is possible as long as they are dedicated and determined.

Favourite horse memory?
My absolute favourite horse memory would be back in 2013 when I rescued my Appaloosa mare Poppy from the sale yards. She was just skin and bone at the time and had obviously been severely mistreated. I dedicated years to rehabilitating and teaching her that not all people are cruel, we very quickly became inseparable and only exceeded the expectations of everyone around us.

I’d never take back the experiences I’ve learnt from this amazing horse, I still own her to this day and am even able to ride her. I love her more and more everyday for giving me the opportunity to show her how she originally should’ve been treated and for being willing to let another person in her life. Poppy is also the inspiration for the name of my business.

Another favourite horse memory I have is back in 2018 when I competed in the Australian Brumby Challenge. This competition consisted of having 150 days to fully train a completely wild Brumby from the national parks across Victoria and NSW. I was given a Brumby from Kosciusko National Park named VBA Ariat.

The experience was very full on mentally and physically, there were times when I wanted to quit and times when I felt I was on top of the world. I loved every second of the competition in the end and was fortunate enough to be awarded with The Judges Choice Award at the finals held at Equitana in Melbourne. I am now the proud trainer and owner of VBA Ariat.

Future goals?
My future goals for Blue Poppy Equines is to have my products available in every state and territory of Australia, eventually expanding internationally to other countries.

My personal goals are to continue to further my education so I can continue to help other horse enthusiasts. I’d also like to finish building my equine facilities so people can come and experience the joy of learning new things with their horses.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about my profession and sport is the simple fact that I get to spend my life with the animals and people I love.

In the first of the Jill books, young Jill is an only child living with her sole parent, her mother.  Money is tight and although Jill dreams of having and riding a pony of her own, she feels it is just that – a dream.  And the idea of taking part in a gymkhana is her ultimate dream – Jill’s gymkhana.  The young girl’s mother is a writer and when she receives some unexpected royalties, Jill is rapt to find that her mother gifts some of this money to her.

Coincidentally, there is a beautiful piebald pony up the road and the owner is keen to sell him.  Jill is disheartened at the idea of having twenty five pounds to purchase him.  That is, until her mother’s royalties are received.  Suddenly having a pony of her own isn’t so far out of reach.

But of course there is the cost of his health care and food.  And riding a pony requires a saddle and bridle.  Jill soon finds that although she acquires riding gear from the pony’s previous owner, it doesn’t make her a capable rider.  So Jill fumbles about on the pony Black Boy, finding it nowhere near as exciting as she imagined it.  In fact, it’s hard work and just plain confusing.

With the local gymkhana on, Jill attends, eager to glean any information she can that may help her.  A chance meeting with a gentleman in a wheelchair finds Jill with a new confidant.  Martin is a horseman through and through.  With his guidance and knowledge, Jill finds herself going on an incredible learning journey.

Jill’s Gymkhana looks at the things that first time horse owners must learn.  She is given no short cuts and has to work hard and consistently to learn things the correct way.  Martin is a no nonsense teacher and in a couple of years turns the pre teen into a quite capable young horsewoman.  The first in the Jill books, this one is bound to entertain young horse fans and teach them many things.

Author – Ruby Ferguson
Fiction – children’s
In my library – that it is!