Some words of wisdom
“Sometimes things happen, but the most important thing is to learn to dance in the rain rather than wait for the storm to pass.”
- AUTHOR UNKNOWN
The Early Years
Louisa endured adversity from the start. Her mother suffered from poor mental health and could not cope, so a tender aged and neglected Louisa ended up in foster care. Difficult years lay ahead, but her equal passions for art and horses were lifesaving.
The Local Riding School forged Strength and Resilience
In Louisa’s words, “horses were my life and I would be at the local riding school every day from dawn till dusk. I would be put on the freshly backed youngstock and the difficult ponies that needed bringing on”.
To gain free rides, Louisa undertook numerous yard duties from mucking out, to tack cleaning and everything in between. She became resilient, strong, and independent. Riding school experiences rescued Louise in every way.
Heartbroken at not having her own Pony
At 12 years of age, a pony would have meant the world to Louisa and her Canadian father offered the finances. Nevertheless, Louisa’s foster mother would not permit this opportunity. Owning a pony just kept eluding this devastated young lady.
Like many Teenagers, Troubled Times came to Pass
Louisa’s relationship with her foster family crumbled and she moved to Canada to be with her father. Things were now looking up and with Dad’s support, she enrolled in an Art School. Her riding flourished and owning her own horse became a reality.
Just as things were going well Louisa’s World Evaporated
Bad luck followed Louisa. Her lovely dad suddenly died from a massive heart attack. A distraught and lonely girl returned to England to start again. Louisa made a new life and at 19 years of age, things started to go well.
Her First Horse
Louisa and her friend clubbed together to purchase a 16.3hh warmblood horse. Sharing a horse is not always easy, but this worked and young Louisa successfully show jumped the circuit. She was happy and valued for the first time in her life.
At 20 years Devastating Times surface for Louisa
At times her world had fallen apart but more adversity lay ahead.
Some words of wisdom
"When the going gets tough the tough get going."
-JOSEPH P KENNEDY
Quoting from Louisa:
“One fateful day I hopped on the back of my housemate’s H100 motorbike. We slowed down approaching a crossing and I got clipped, I remember being hurled into the air and landing the opposite way. I knew it wasn’t good. I was tended to by some of my friends on the street, a tourniquet was applied to my leg and I could feel I was losing a lot of blood.”
Becoming an Amputee and Learning to Walk
Louisa woke up in intensive care to be told she had lost her leg 3.5 inches above the knee. This shocked but resilient young lady spent three weeks in hospital and had subsequent physiotherapy to learn to walk with a prosthetic leg. For years to come, Louisa would have PTSD and suffer severe panic attacks.
Riding with a Prosthetic Leg
Owning a horse would now be out of the question, so Louisa sold her horse share. At least the money helped to fund her way through university. In time, she adapted to her disability and sometimes rode friends’ horses. For the next 25 years, Louisa occasionally enjoyed hacking out while being a full-time mother to three children and running a business.
Gabriel arrived from Ireland
It took 25 years for Louisa’s guardian angel to find her, and he arrived in the form of a young horse. Gabriel was honest and quiet and of course, both Louisa and her angel bonded. Gabriel had pony blood and came with part Connemara connections. This little horse took 51-year-old Louisa places she had only dreamed of reaching.
Gabriel’s and Louisa’s adventures
This little Irish horse took to dressage. Hunting developed his braveness and in due course, he competed at unaffiliated eventing. Louisa and Gabriel were riding high.
Gabriel’s hunting experiences taught him independence and quick thinking.
Louise had to learn to ride with a forward jumping seat and to stand in her stirrups.
The socket to her artificial leg had to be stuffed with incontinence pants to absorb any sweat and to keep it in place.
The Present Day
Angel Gabriel is there for Louisa. She has her “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow.
Words of wisdom
"Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue and dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
- E.Y. HARBURG
