I first met Pumpkin in the autumn of ’97. However, by a strange twist of fate, I loved her and knew her before I’d even clapped eyes upon her!

You see, my best friend, Donna, had been riding at Birch Farm for over three years now. I, on the other hand, had never even sat on a horse before! Donna always used to speak about Dolly, Chaska, Tarquin, Pumpkin, Tommy, Rusty and Sandy, and also about trotting, walking, mounting, grooming, saddles, bridles. And lil’ ol’ clueless here, I had no idea what any of those things meant… but still, I pretended that the creature named Pumpkin was the horse I rode and that I could do rising trot, because I was advanced in trotting and had graduated from sitting!

So after a while, I began badgering my mother for riding lessons. On my 8^th birthday, my mum told me I could go to a pony day at.. yep, you guessed it.. BIRCH FARM!

As the day approached, I became more and more nervous. What if Donna was there and saw that I couldn’t do ANYTHING on horseback.. what if I fell off? What if.. what if.. questions were flying round my head.

On October 20^th, I arrived at Birch Farm dressed in luminous green tracksuit bottoms, a Tottenham Hotspur sweatshirt and olive green wellies. Ugh.

We all assembled in the tack room. There were ten of us, who would be split into two groups of five. Then Marie went over some basic stable rules and told us who we were riding… as I later found out, this would be the beginning of a long and pleasurable relationship with Pumpkin.

“John – Chaska, Lucy – Tommy, Robert – Rusty, Donna – Dolly, Emily – Tarquin, Melissa – Pickles, Ricky – Muffin, Steevie – Pumpkin, Elisa – Sandy and Billy – Archie! You will all have no trouble with your mounts, apart from John, as Chaska may get a little bit scared of all the building work that is going on!”

I was amazed. I was paired up with the pony I said I had ridden all along! Melissa, Ricky, Emily, Lucy and I were sent to gather a wheelbarrow and a spade – we had to poo-pick the fields whilst the other group rode! Oh, how much fun THAT would be!

Half an hour later, my group was sent back to the main yard. Lucy and Emily were sent to the main stabling block to collect Tommy, the bad tempered chestnut gelding and Tarquin, the handsome bay pony. Ricky, Melissa and I were taken to the barn, in which stood three ponies. They all had exactly the same colouring, although one was bigger than another one, which was bigger than the smallest one. Rena (the stable girl) walked in and caught the reins of the smallest one, and led him outside. That was Pickles. Then she caught the tallest one, and handed him to Ricky. Finally, she turned to me.

“This, Steevie” she said to me “is Pumpkin. She’ll take good care of you!”

And I found myself holding the reins of this overweight little dark bay mare who I had ‘ridden’ before!

We trooped into the indoor school, and were told to mount up. I had no idea how to do this. But the instructor, Claire, helped me aboard… and for the first time, I was sat upon a horse.

I had the basics explained to me, how to make my pony move onwards and how to steer, and how to make my pony slow down. If I felt like I was falling, I should grip the mane. I would have someone leading me as well.

My first lesson went smoothly, and I even tried a trot!

So I continued going to Birch Farm. Pumpkin was always my favourite, always! Even though I rode the ghost-horse, Chrissie, the young Rusty, the speedy Tommy, the sensitive Archie, the bouncy Pickles and the stubborn Muffin, I always loved Pumpkin more than any of the others!

I fell off of Archie in my third lesson, and Chrissie gave me my first canter that I didn’t ask for, she just bombed off.

Yet Pumpkin, she gave me my first lesson, my first trot, my first asked-for canter, and my first taste of gymkhana games, which we won amazingly! Whenever I could, I asked to ride Pumpkin. She was my baby.

Pretty soon I was jumping a course happily on Pumpkin. She just about dragged herself over the fences for me. She gave me complete confidence. I even rode without stirrups on her whenever I could, I trusted her so much!

As my riding improved, I found Pumpkin could barely keep up with the work we were doing. We needed younger, fitter, taller horses, horses like Taz, Cassie, Maddie and Valour. Horses like Sugar, Robyn and Fee Gee. I found myself able to ride my baby less and less and less. I hated it.

I still went to see her after every lesson, and still begged to ride her, even though times when I did ride her were few and far between.

Grades came and went, on Tommy and then Maddie. Numerous shows and pony days came about, and I managed to grab Pumpkin for all of them and was proud to share my prizes with her.

Horses were sold and new ones brought. Misty, Silver, Warpaint and Shamus arrived. Chrissie, Tarquin, Chaska, Muffin and others were sold. But still I loved Pumpkin the best.

4 blissful years of riding later, I was hit by some shocking news that sent dread flooding down my spine.

BIRCH FARM WAS TO CLOSE DOWN.

It felt like someone had tipped a gallon if ice-cold water all over me, and like someone had simply stuffed me in the oven all at once. I was so confused.

What would happen to the horses and ponies? Pumpkin was old, very old. She was nearly 43, for crying out loud. What would happen to her?? Would she be sent to the slaughterhouse? Or abandoned on the streets?

I spent many days crying, for I knew now that I would never, ever see my baby again.

I moved to High Beech centre in Epping.  I found that I couldn’t ride properly because I was thinking of Pumpkin… what had happened to her? Was she still alive? Tears blinded me every time I went near a horse or pony.

I gradually regained my confidence, and eventually plucked up the courage to drive down Birch Farm, which was now a Limousine centre of excellence. There were still a few stables, but only 10 of them.

I looked into the first one. A palomino head popped out, and I instantly recognized him. Robyn! I thought he had been put to sleep, because he broke his leg… but no, here he was. In the next stable was a bay mare with a star that I didn’t know.

In the third stable was a dun gelding that I recognized. He tried to bite me. I slapped his muzzle and gave him a polo. That was my Taz alright!

Rosie was in the fourth stable, lazily munching her haynet. In the fifth, I saw a tiny Shetland gelding… could it be, could it possibly be… yes, it was, it was Pickles!!

In the next one there was Valley, then Wally and Prince… then there was a tall black stallion that I’d never seen before and… surely she must be in there… I looked into the last stable and burst into tears of anguish. Pumpkin wasn’t here. She was gone. I fled from the yard, but a small whinny of delight came from the barn in which I had first met Pumpkin. I whirled round, and yes… there she was!! Staring at me, ears pricked forwards and with a shine in her eyes that I’d only ever seen before when she was happily eating! SHE RECOGNIZED ME! I flew over to her and wrapped my arms around her neck, kissing her face lovingly. Oh, how I’d missed her… my tears of horror turned into tears of joy, as I fed her all the polos I had in my pocket and lovingly played with her mane, talking and singing to her. She had recognized me… Perhaps I was as special to her as she is to me? I couldn’t stop crying. We were together again… I couldn’t believe my luck!

When I had to leave, I promised my baby that I’d be back to see her again soon… I now cycle up Birch Farm at least once a week, because I would HATE to break a promise to her.

They say a horse can remember an experience for a lifetime. I just hope Pumpkin remembers the day we were reunited and the day we met… just as I know I always will, forever and ever and ever!!

  *~*True story dedicated to the light of my life, Pumpkin!!! *~*