We are now in week 3 of my equine bloggers interview series! Today I am pleased to be talking to Nikki from In Stable Condition.
When and how did you get into horses?
No one in my family was horsey, so my interest in them as a young girl was very random! But I loved horses and spent a lot of time reading books and magazines about them and just being a generally horse crazy kid. I saved up my pocket money for weeks on end until I could afford riding lessons. I actually fell off during my second lesson, but that didn’t stop me from coming back again!
Eventually we were lucky enough to come across a small pony stud that had started to give riding lessons that were a lot cheaper than the large local riding school, so my mum was able to start paying for the lessons. They became more regular at this point which was fantastic. My riding lesson was always the highlight of my week.
Do you have/have you had your own horse? Tell me about them.
I was not lucky enough to own my own horse until I had finished university and was able to afford the upkeep of one myself!
I now own a 10 year old off the track Thoroughbred gelding called Astro. I have had him since April 2016, and we compete in showing and dressage. He is a bit troublesome and keeps me on my toes, but I love him dearly.
If you want to learn more about Astro and I, and our life in New Zealand you can take a look at my blog or our instagram We would love to hear from you!
What is your favourite part of the horse industry? Why do you stay involved?
This is an interesting question! My favourite part of the industry and the reason I stay involved is of course the horses! Horses keep me sane. There were times in my life when I wasn’t around horses and I lost myself a bit and was not a very happy person. Isn’t it funny how these animals have such a massive effect on us!
I also love the people. All of my closest friends I have met because of horses, and I love meeting new people at competitions and clinics and other equestrian events.
Do you have any horse related goals? Riding/competing etc
Earlier this year I actually achieved my childhood goal of riding at Horse of the Year! That was an amazing feeling to finally achieve something I had been dreaming about for nearly 20 years!
It would be wonderful to qualify and ride at Horse of the Year again next year but it is not the goal this season. It is our first season competing in Dressage and the goal is just to have fun, learn and improve!
What do you do for work?
I have a full time office job at the local Council! It keeps me busy and helps pay for my never ending horse feed and vet bills! Haha.
How did you start blogging? Why do you keep blogging?
I have actually only just recently started my blog! A friend of mine launched her blog a little while ago and I just thought it was awesome and it inspired me to start my own!
I thought it would be a great place to record my journey with Astro, share our stories, and perhaps inspire some other equestrian with a troublesome horse to keep on trucking through the issues! Sometimes it feels like the problems are never ending, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that, so it would be lovely to help someone else feel not so alone too.
What makes your blog different to other equine blogs out there?
What I’m trying to do is share ALL sides of our journey. The good, the bad and the ugly. Horses, riding and shows aren’t all glamour and glory and it isn’t easy and it doesn’t always go well. There are highs and lows and I want to share them all with you.
I think the real truth is important and I hope it helps people to be able to relate with us.
What is your favourite thing about blogging?
Well, as I said before, I haven’t been blogging very long, but I really enjoyed getting creative and building my website and writing all of the content. I think I’m going to enjoy writing regularly and having a creative outlet.
Do you have any blogging goals?
I would love for my blog, and our journey to help and inspire others. Even if it’s just one person! That would be amazing.
Do you have a favourite blogger or one you are inspired by/use as a role model?
So obviously my friends blog was the one that inspired me to start blogging. Her blog is called ‘The Wandering Hogget’ and it’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to see more from her.
Having recently discovered this blog (EquiPepper) I am enjoying reading the posts, and I have my fingers and toes crossed for you and Scottie!
I also really like Saddles n Sass, The Forelock Journal and Saddle Seeks Horse.
What do you think is the future of equine blogging?
I’m not sure to be honest! I’m interested in seeing other bloggers answers on this though!
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting an equine blog?
Just do it! It might seem scary putting yourself out there, but it’s really not so bad!
Do some research into blogging platforms and web hosts, get writing and give it a go!
It was great hearing more from Nikki and I swear I didn’t add in the bit about EquiPepper! Visit her website and Instagram for more from her!
