Catch up with Natalie Povey's latest Blog

I am hoping to be out competing next month or so starting with some unaffiliated Intro (walk and trot) tests locally to get Fulltide use to being out and about as she has never really travelled very far or competed, so my plan is to take her out locally so she can experience what it is all about. The warm up will be most interesting as she likes to join in if other horses are being cheeky so it is something I need to sort out before competing in para competitions so she doesn’t cause any problems for other riders and horse. She doesn't do anything dangerous but I am unsure to how she will react with more than two other horses in the school so it should be interesting but I feel our partnership is now at a point where we can trust each other and I feel more capable as her rider in different situations so we are ready for a new challenge.

I plan to compete unaffiliated as much as I can afford to however I am struggling with transport due to not being able to do my trailer test to tow, and unable to drive a 3.5t hire lorry due to needing an automatic with hand control adaptations as I can't use my legs to drive, so it is a bit of a testing situation as I would literally drive anything given half the chance. I am unable to afford to buy my own 3.5t lorry due to finances. I am also the only driver in our family since my parents split up. So as a last resort I will have to use a professional transporter which is going to be very costly. So for a while whilst I try to save up funds I am going to compete locally able-bodied.

Costs for a professional transporter to para competitions which are usually three hours plus away are going to be extremely costly with each qualifier looking to cost in the region of £600 per competition (including entry fees, transport costs, waiting time for the transporter etc) and I would need to do at least four qualifier which has put it into perspective on how expensive it is going to be and that is without even thinking about how much it would cost to attend a championship or international which would be held over a few days with added expenses of accommodation, stabling ect. Sadly they are just funds that I haven't got available as I am sure you can understand, so my plan is to save up as much funds as I can with the aim of returning to competing in para dressage competitions in the future.

I would be hugely grateful for your continued sponsorship during this challenging time - I will of course keep you updated with my monthly blogs, as well as updates of all my competition results. I will continue promoting your products as they are products I truly believe are the best.

Best wishes, Natalie