No Ordinary Horse Podcast, Episode 13 with Ross Cooper

Connection Misdirection?

Do You Know When NOT To Ride?

The September edition of Horsemanship Journal features Badger's first cover photo, and one of my favourite images to date! This latest issue features more on the Unbridled Connection Retreat, the pro's and con's of rugging, and my latest article 'The Zim Diaries', talking about the convergence of conservation and horsemanship.

The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa, for he has so much to look forward to.” - Richard Mullin So, after two years in the planning, we finally made it to Zimbabwe to partake in an equine and wildlife conservation project! Two years ago in the midst of the pandemic, I wanted to organise something special for a group of my clients and those interested in working with me after an unsettling few years; a little something to look forward to where we could make a difference; this combines my passions of horsemanship, conservation and wildlife all in one! For the week we had planned a personalised itinerary where I would be facilitating daily clinics and workshops with the bush horses as part of the project; aside from this, we will be getting hands on with important aspects of conservation including assisting with their Black Rhino and Elephant conservation programme on the reserve! Now I am back, the time spent in Zimbabwe was such an incredible experience, how could it not of been! I would class myself as very fortunate to visit a country like Africa again, especially after so much uncertainty over the pandemic, though most of all, to be able to share how special Africa is with such an awesome group of people who wanted to join me there, for horsemanship and conservation. We really could not of asked for better company, so thank you to all who came along! Throughout this blog, you will find snippets from my journal, social media and aspects of what we all got up to working with the bush horses in Zimbabwe, from teaching the early morning clinics and the accessibility of training, to how horses benefit game management conservancies. As the week heavily focused around conservation, I will naturally be including some of the conservation roles we got involved in to help raise awareness of the trails and tribulations the natural world still continues to face. Happy reading y'all!

When I Can Hear You From Madeira...

Results; does it matter how you get them?

Located in the North Atlantic is a small cluster of Islands, with the largest of the sleepy Islands known as Madeira. Madeira, with it's capital of Funchal, is a beautiful volcanic island belonging to Portugal since it's discovery in the 1400's. With it's warm climate year round, sometimes known as the 'Island of eternal Spring', it seemed like the perfect escape for a few days in March!

Grab your snowshoes and sunglasses, you’ll need them both in Iceland! Iceland had been on the wanderlust list for some time, always seeming like one of those places that belongs on a far-away planet than a short plane ride away. So, instead of ‘lusting, I booked a weekend trip for my girlfriend and myself, for our first trip of the year! Let's see how we got on!