Riah Hutchins Equestrian

25/10/2022

I am very aware I have been a little MIA over here the last few months.. which I will explain however I wanted to say the biggest thank you to this wonderful woman.
I think the last post I did regarding work was almost a year ago... however I have been working quietly behind the scenes as I couldn’t possibly have left this wonderful bunch. I have appreciated every one of my clients however this lady has been my biggest support since day 1 when I met her almost 3 years ago. David & Annie have been nothing but a pleasure to work with.
Pat is the most amazing women and I know anyone who knows her will agree with me. Her love and bond with her horses is something beautiful and one of a kind. I will never be able to put into words how thankful I am for the four of you and your support and I wish you all the happiness on your new adventure.
I’ve said it before but I mean it this time. That’s me done for now.. my professional riding boots are hung up for the foreseeable.
My own horses continue to provide me with more work than I have time for and are happily living a chilled life at the moment whilst I juggle university life & my journey into the world of fitness competitions whilst I am slowly getting my brave pants back on. A winter spent enjoying my horses for horses and perhaps the showjumping jacket will reappear for summer 2023.
But again.. to the woman who made my career as a want to be horse whisperer a reality. Thank you from the bottom of my heart 🤍

03/08/2022

Mr sassy pants strutting his stuff
A slightly spicier 🌶 Max yesterday .. points for spotting him letting me know he doesn’t like cantering in here because he doesn’t fit 🤣 a few oh 💩 moments because of all the Max eating beasts that appear when it’s windy but he seems to know when enough is enough and I’m slowly learning I’m not going to die anytime a horse spooks 🫠 but I really can’t complain for a horse that’s just had a long 3 months off ⭐️

01/08/2022

I have spent the last 3 months working A LOT so my heard had a bit of a long holiday as overpriced field ornaments.. but not any longer!
Max came straight in out the field after 3 months off with the intention of being lunged… my tack room is carnage.. much like my life the last 3 months so could I find the lunge line? 🤦🏽‍♀️
Without wanting to waste having just tacked up he went out and worked like this 🥵 foot perfect.. I fall in love with this horse over and over again 😍

13/05/2022

Max would just like to thank Frank Reynolds Dip Wcf for keeping his dancing shoes looking pretty ✨

26/04/2022

And it is with these beautiful pictures from Sophie that I’ve decided to officially announce that I’ve hung up the professional riding boots and teacher voice.
~
Over 2 years ago I took the plunge to start my own little business doing what I could only dream of as a child.. getting paid to ride ponies 🦄
~
I learnt the true meaning of hard work. 7 day weeks for months on end, leaving and getting home in the dark, wet days where I could wring water out of my socks and the numb fingers and toes but I still loved every minute of it.
~
Of course whilst it’s bought some of my highest highs it’s also bought my lowest low but without that I wouldn’t be in the position I am today so we won’t dwell on that.
~
I have met some truly wonderful people & made lifelong friendships and I can genuinely say you all made getting over my accident doable and for that I thank you. I met some amazing horses all of whom will hold a place in my heart for turning my dreams into a reality.
~
There’s been many lessons learnt but the main one is how damn lucky I am for my own horses and how sad I was to have fallen out of love with a sport I have been obsessed with since before I could walk and so that’s when I made the decision to call it a day on the riding & the teaching.
~
You may have noticed I disappeared off my social media .. or you may have just thought thank god she’s shut up for a while! But I’ve been busy enjoying my own horses and finding my feet again and so I thank every single one of you who ever booked their horse in with me or a lesson for making my childhood dream come true.
~
This isn’t a goodbye this is just a new beginning of a focus on my own horses and I’m so excited to share them with you.. starting with this one.
~
Max’s first photoshoot and his second time on the beach. He truly is a beautiful horse inside and out. I still pinch myself at the end of every ride that he is mine and I’m so excited to continue to grow our bond and see what the future holds 🤍

31/12/2021

Well that was not the year we had planned…. However I am grateful for the lessons learnt, the appreciation I now have for being able to do everything I love, to have welcomed a new face, to have made and captured some memories that will last a lifetime, for my clients old and new that wished me well after my accident and continue to support me now and for every person who got me through what has undoubtedly been the toughest year. Here is to hopefully a less eventful, more successful 2022 for now all I can say is thank you 🤍 🍾

31/12/2021

I don’t do him justice at the moment but he is just so beautiful 🥺 my knee finally let me have 10 minutes of floating around today 🙌🏼 somewhere brand new for Max and once he had worked out the horse on the poster wasn’t real 🤦🏼‍♀️ we managed a tiny amount of this 👇🏼 2 weeks ago I still couldn’t trot so slowly but surely we will get there 💙

25/12/2021

Merry Christmas from all of us here at RAH Equestrian! We hope you’ve all day a lovely day and enjoy the rest of the weekend! 🎄 🎅🏼
Photo from the amazing Steph De Rosa Photography of Apple.. with a couple of festive additions 🤣

24/12/2021

Max enjoyed his hack getting into the festive spirit this morning, he was treated to a lie in as opposed to the 5:00am wake up calls, thanks to Frank Reynolds Farrier Services for his new shoes for Christmas yesterday… I treated Frank for Christmas to shoeing a horse that doesn’t resemble a kite on the end of a string 😏

23/12/2021

If this isn’t payback for the 5:00am wake up call to go schooling I don’t know what is 🤦🏼‍♀️ I spent agessss making this perfect for him 🤣

21/12/2021

***CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN COMPETITION – PRIZE NO.6!***

R.A.H Equestrian - 1 Private Schooling Session at a mutually convenient time, Worth £35

To enter, simply:

1. SHARE THIS COMPETITION POST,
2. LIKE the Barnstaple Equestrian Supplies page
3. Complete the online entry form: click bit.ly/ChritsmasCountdown

About Riah Hutchins:

Riah has an extensive 19 years experience with all types of horses, breaking in youngsters, schooling competition horses and dealing with difficult horses. Currently competing mainly in affiliated show jumping but also have a vast experience in affiliated eventing and dressage.

• 5* eventing yard, freelance breaking and schooling
• Highly experienced rider available for breaking in, schooling, behavioural issues and general riding
• Groom available for shows and clipping, plaiting etc.
• Equine Behavioural Science Specialist
• Working with rider and horse combinations

Winners will be chosen at random in the week commencing 20 December 2021.
GOOD LUCK!

THE PRIZES:

1. Michael van Houben - Equine Performance Coach - Private Coaching Session at a venue and time of mutual choice, Worth £60

2. Alternative Equine Club - 1 Years membership, 1 free online class entry and a Medium AEC Fleece zip jacket - Worth £50.

3. Nicki Castle Independent Equine Nutritionist - 1 Private Equine Nutrition - Evaluation and Weighbridge with full dietary plan, Worth £50

4. Outback Physiotherapy - Veterinary Physiotherapist - 1 Private Session, Worth £50

5. Kathy Martin Sports Massage - 1 Private Evaluation/Session, Worth £45

6. Riah Hutchins Equestrian - 1 Private Schooling Session at a mutually convenient time, Worth £35

7. Carrie's Canine Design - 1 Voucher towards a pooch pamper on site at Coxleigh Barton, Worth £35

8. Coxleigh Barton Country Breaks & Equestrian Centre - Large Arena and Jump Hire, Worth £45

9. North Devon Trailers - Trailer Service, Worth £120

Conditions:

To enter, entrants must

4. SHARE THE COMPETITION POST,
5. 2. LIKE the Barnstaple Equestrian Supplies page
6. Complete the online entry form: click bit.ly/ChritsmasCountdown

Winners will be chosen at random in the week commencing 20 December 2021.

21/12/2021

19/12/2021

Sundays are new bedding days… Apple decided to take it upon himself to ‘help’ so when I arrived this morning I didn’t have to unpack the shavings myself 🤦🏼‍♀️

16/12/2021

We do love a productive day!
The first day I’ve been able to ride 3 horses and muck out 6 🙌🏼 Max enjoyed some hill work this morning to keep him ticking over between schooling sessions, Apple is finally back in work after a very long 8 months! I think the realisation that he’s not retired was a slight shock to the system but he had his brave boy pants on and enjoyed a quiet walk down the lane.
Annie was a star this afternoon, a nice quiet, chilled stroll after a rather eventful ride last time.. 🤣 pleased to see some sunshine for a change! ☀️

14/12/2021

Christmas 🎄
Just to save sending you all messages here’s my Christmas availability
24th -26th off
28th-31st available
1st- 4th off
Horses don’t stop so I will always do my best to be around when needed but I will be prioritising a bit more time for my own horses as Apple thinks he’s taken early retirement and my brain needs a rest from a long 3 months 🤍
🎅🏼 equally as important news it’s only 1 WEEK TILL THE SHORTEST DAY!🎅🏼

28/11/2021

Max has had a busy week with some schooling and a pop round the newcomers at Chard. Brilliant schooling session he is learning so much every time, a very enthusiastic round in the newcomers, he’s had a couple of weeks without shows whilst he settles at home so he was very happy to be out and we will be experimenting to find some breaks 🤣 but it’s so nice to see him so enthusiastic about life which is easy to say when Lucy does such a great job onboard

26/11/2021

Max has had a very busy week this week but has just got his new saddle thanks to The Saddle Shack and is looking very pleased with himself about his early Christmas present 🎁 🎄

18/11/2021

The boys both checked over by Vicky Tattersall this morning for their routine checkup before either coming back into work or carrying on with work… pampered ponies 👑🤣

17/11/2021

Rusty but smiling from ear to ear 🥺
•
I managed a few more than the 5 strides of canter yesterday this evening… I don’t do him justice at the minute but Max is an utter star, a lot of horses would take advantage of my wonkiness and riding that resembles something like a sack of potatoes let alone having popped around this up to height course and then cantering around so calmly after ⭐️
•
I had a message from someone who had seen my posts about my accident and it reminded me yet again of the one thing that makes it slightly more bearable is knowing sharping my experiences is helping others 🤍
•
It sounds ridiculous to some but the first time I stepped into an indoor school after my accident I went away and cried which I laugh about now but it is a serious thing! Hearing horses hooves that loudly going ‘fast’ was far too overwhelming and bought a tonne of flashbacks back… to now being able to deal with that whilst sat on the horse myself is a huge step in the right direction!
•
Riding trot is slightly less impossible than it was but still a long long way off and I’m itching to be ‘normal’ again but I know it will happen and in the meantime I’m enjoying growing our partnership whilst letting Lucy take the reins for the big stuff… don’t panic we don’t suddenly start popping over these rather large fences I left that up to Lucy 🤣 as always thank you for your work with Max and support of me getting back to it slowly🤍

16/11/2021

𝙼𝚊𝚡 💙
Looking incredibly pleased with himself knowing he had been a good boy and was about to be given a lot of treats 🤣
We ventured out for a quick stretch this morning (don’t panic high vis police we were only strolling down the farm track). I haven’t cantered any horse apart from Memphis a few weeks ago under the watchful eye of my mum… only because I have very little control in my leg still so find it a lot more challenging to balance (which on Memphis is relatively easy but Max is a lot more bouncy 🤣)and I manage to catastrophize everything still. I spotted an open field and thought I’d suss Max’s thoughts on open spaces out… as per usual he was as cool as a cucumber so we had a little canter 🙌🏼 which to most is nothing.. but to get on a horse that is still new to me, go into a field not quite knowing what their reaction is going to be and have a canter on my own is a huge stepping stone for me as it’s the one thing that brings be straight back to my accident as I still need to get it in my head a horse can stop when I ask it to 🤣… don’t be fooled it probably wasn’t pretty on my half … (Max always looks pretty 🤣)but we did it and for those wondering his canter feels just as nice and fancy as it looks 😍

16/11/2021

Annie enjoying her hack this morning with David, a slightly spicy hack last week but back to her usual chilled hack today 🖤
Please note I’m completely full for winter for coaching and riding as I’m studying and still healing I cannot take on any new clients but always happy to recommend others that may be able to help ☺️

14/11/2021

Something a little different yesterday!
Annie and David enjoying their work very much at the moment! 🖤

01/11/2021

So I’ve kept this one quiet but I have to give credit where credit is due!
Meet Max! he has settled so well at home since joining the family, Lucy has done an absolutely amazing job of producing him this far and will continue to do so for me whilst I am still banned from leaving the floor. We have enjoyed a quiet few weeks hacking and getting to know each other and he then goes out and jumps like this despite still being relatively new to this whole jumping thing 😍 I cannot thank Lucy enough for the opportunity to own him he is a very special horse and I’m excited to see what the future brings 🤍

24/10/2021

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of having another photoshoot with Sophie Lefevre Photography 🤍
This was my goal I made myself to be able to do, Memphis has been with me for about 8 years and is now enjoying his retired life as a model and just all round dude, to be able to have the confidence to get on and ride ba****ck down the beach was something I never thought would be possible again let alone just 5 months later 🦄🤍

07/10/2021

Bailey is still on her holiday with Lucy whilst I wait for her new wardrobe to arrive. I went to visit her today so she could be clipped which was successfully done with no sedative 🙌🏼 isn’t she looking amazing 😍