New Horse for Para Dressage Rider Natalie Povey

We have mainly been busy with viewings, trying to find Elton a lovely new home and Helen who helps me with Elton has been riding him so he is more tuned into the aids of an able-bodied rider. He has now been sold to a lovely new home where I have been informed he is settling in well, he's not too far away either and the lady is lovely.

We have some exciting news too as I have a new team member – she is an 11 year old, 14.2hh part bred welsh x warmblood, liver chestnut mare by Fulton, called Caecolley Fulltide – Fulltide or Tidy for short. I was very lucky that not long after advertising Elton for sale I was contacted by the Stud who bred my old mare that took me from RDA level to competing internationally at 3* who had a pony for sale that they wanted to go to a para rider and it was important to them that she went to a good home as they had owned her since a foal and she was their daughters pony. She was my old mares half sister by the same sire, Fulton. At the time I wasn't in a position to buy her as I needed to sell Elton to fund another horse but the Stud suggested that if I was going to be looking for another horse and she met my list of requirements that I went to see her and we could come to some sort of arrangement - so that is what I did and they very kindly kept her for me until Elton had found a new home. Fulltide was everything I was looking for as I wanted to downsize to a 14.2hh but also wanted something a bit older but with good enough paces to compete against horses, she moves like a little horse and has a fantastic over-tracking walk which is very important as a grade 1b horse. When I went to try her she hadn't been sat on for a couple of months only once a few days before I went to try her, it was a windy day too – Fulltide behaved impeccably and took it all in her stride, she had also never been ridden with a whip before but she wasn't bothered, she just tried her hardest to please. She has only ever competed twice and hasn't done a great deal but is very willing and safe which is the most important thing to me with potential to do well.

She has been with me a few days now and she is settling in well, as she hasn't been worked for a while as it is nearly three months since I went to try her and she hadn't done much previously due to her owners A levels so we are building her fitness up gradually as I don't want her going from not being worked to being in full work. She is been lunged daily which we are gradually increasing. At the moment I am waiting for my saddler to come out as I don't have a saddle for her as Elton's is too long and not the right fit, so I am enjoying time on the ground with her getting to know her and building a relationship. I have attached a photo from when I tried her at the Stud (sorry the qualities not very good) and one of her settling in at the livery yard where I am based.