Success stories HEROS Success Story - Catkin Copse

Catkin Copse came to HEROS as a 10 year old having run from the age of 6 in National Hunt Bumpers and Novice Hurdle races. Sadly at 9 she sustained a stress fracture to her left fore cannon bone and was retired from racing. She was given some time to recuperate before she came to HEROS for re-homing.

At that time, HEROS had just started its education program and as Catkin was such a good ride and easy to manage, it was decided to put her into the education programme for students to learn to ride on. She was ideal for this, especially as she taught students they needed to be kind and careful as her only quirk was her dislike of having a bridle put over her ears.

Catkin was so versatile that when one of the tutors took her out one day to her first ever dressage competition, as her horse was lame and Catkin won both classes with hardly any preparation. She is just a horse who enjoys learning and always wants to please.

She helped many students here for several years but at HEROS we like to give horses as many opportunities as possible and would not expect them to stay in the education programme for ever. Our primary function is to find the right life-long home for the horses in our care and when the ideal lessee came along it was decided that Catkin deserved the chance of a perfect one to one relationship and go out and have some fun.

About a year ago she left HEROS for her life-long home where she enjoys plenty of hacking around the countryside and being someone’s special horse. She is very much loved and wants for nothing and has done her bit to help teach people to ride and fall in love with the wonderful animals horses are.