Transforming Flo from an anxious mare into a happy horse who loves to jump.

Flo has been coming on in leaps and bounds. After jumping several unaffiliated double clears I registered her with British Show Jumping in June. Since then we have been out several times, mostly to Field House Equestrian, a fantastic venue that we are very lucky to have on our doorstep.

We are slowly building our confidence with the step up to affiliated tracks, getting used to the bigger squarer oxers, and I hope to collect my British Novice and Amateur double clears this winter over the indoor season. If this is progressing well I may also target some Blue Chip Winter Championship Qualifiers in early spring.

The biggest difference I have noticed in Flo since competing her on the Cool, Calm & Collected supplement is in her behaviour in the collecting ring. When I first started riding her she was very tense in the warm up, and would visibly flinch if another horse came too close when passing her. She would become worried if another horse was being told off, or had the practice fence down and this would affect her concentration, and leave her unsettled before going into the ring.

We have made enormous progress with this over the summer, deliberately arriving at shows early to give her plenty of time to relax, and jumping towards the end of the class when the collecting ring is at its quietest. With the help of the supplement, and plenty of quiet reassurance her confidence has grown enormously and last weekend she was happily cantering round a very busy collecting ring, and then went into the ring to jump double clear and be placed 5th. This class was also the first time I have tested our "jump off turns" and I was very pleased with how she responded, I am sure that next time I can take this up a notch again.

Cool, Calm and Collected, together with the help of my mum Beverly at Jump For It Training, and Dani Coumo is helping transform Flo from an anxious mare who a year ago was nervous about competing into a happy horse who loves to jump.

I am looking forward to our next show together this weekend, and I am off to practice staying calm myself on the way into those bigger oxers!

Rosie Ryan