Buffy came into my my life in 2011.
She was my second horse having bought my first one in my 40s. My first horse had never really been the right horse for me and didn't do a lot for my confidence - but he taught me a lot and I don't regret having him.
I bought Buffy with the intention of hacking, lessons and maybe the occasional distance ride.
We ended up doing all that and also jumping, dressage, side saddle and trec.
She would turn her hoof to pretty much anything.
She particularly loved jumping and we used to go to a local equestrian centre regularly for competitions and we never came Lower than 2nd.
I'd had her for about 11 years when she went lame. It turned out to be arthritis. She had treatment for it and came sound again and we had another 14 months before she went lame again.
The treatment didn't work this time so I took the decision to retire her.
On hearing that I'd retired Buffy, a friend contacted me and asked if I was looking for a horse to ride.
I knew Pepper because she'd been on the same yard as Buffy at one time and they'd been hacking buddies.
I started riding Pepper once a week at my friend's yard for 3 or 4 months and then a space came up at my yard, so I bagged it and took Pepper on full loan in 2023.
The one thing I'd never done with Buffy (and it was a bucket list thing for me) was going out with Bloodhounds. This involves a pack of bloodhounds following the natural scent of human runners - and the field of horses and riders following. No wildlife is ever hurt and it is just huge fun.
I suspected that before I had Buffy she'd had a bad experience with hunting and when the hunt had been through the farm she would be stressed for days - so obviously I'd never tried it with her.
But now I had Pepper.
In the autumn of 23 the bloodhounds where meeting at a property on our local hacking and going from there - so I decided to give it a go.
My thinking being, that if I set off and decided it wasn't for me - I could just hack home.
Well we had the time of our life. I strongly suspected she'd done it before and she loved it.
Distance rides and bloodhounding became our 'thing'.
In April 24 I had to have Buffy put to sleep. The painkillers she was on for her arthritis were starting to affect her internally so I made the heartbreaking decision to let her go.
About a month after I lost Buffy, Peppers owner gifted her to me.
We last went out with the Bloodhounds in November 25.
Pepper was now 23 and I didn't want to risk her getting injured so we just stuck to hacking and distance rides.
Then in May this year we did a local organised fun ride and had a lovely time.
The following morning I got a call from the yard to say she was colicing.
The vet was called out twice that day and we fought so hard for her but she was only getting worse and the vet finally said there was nothing more she could do.
I'd called my sharer who rode her once a week and who I think loved her as much as I did and also her previous owner who gave her to me.
The three of us were with her when she went over the bridge.
I had inlaid forever heart necklaces made for both of my beautiful girls and I've put them both on a ribbon and never take them off.
Buffy 's was rose gold so I had Peppers done in silver so I know which is which.
The pony jumping is Buffy doing what she loved and the other one is Pepper - the day before I lost her.
I won't have another horse. I'm now in my 60s with severe osteoporosis but I feel blessed to have had these two iny life.
