You've loved horses ever since you were a kid and have always dreamed of owning one. You've spent the last three years taking horseback riding lessons. You know how to tack up, muck out, and have read just about every book out there on the care and feeding of horses. No one can doubt that you've put your time in. Horses are no fleeting fancy, but are a hobby that is here to stay

The idea of owning ponies is wonderful, as is the reality most of the time. For me, I get a great deal of pleasure from seeing my two kids charging about with their jodhpurs on and spending time brushing and grooming their respective ponies. If somebody had said to me 20 years ago that I’d draw as much enjoyment as I do now I would have told them they were mistaken. We are lucky enough to have our paddocks and a stabling area adjacent to our house so irrespective of the weather the kids can see their ponies and bring them into the stables if they want too. This has not been more important than in the last few months when we have had an incredible amount of rain turning the fields to mud baths most of the time

Horses are amazingly beautiful and sensitive creatures. Horses require not only understanding and patience to have a horse as a pet, it also requires a whole lot of care.