I spent the last 5yos with this horse everyday, and because unlike the stereotype I don’t have lots of money, I’m most likely going to have to say goodbye to my boy… a horse who’s been my best mate since the day I met him, so yeah, this is an attempt to live what would be my dream and keep him forever, hack him when he’s old and give him the best life he could ask full of fun.

If I fail to buy him the donations over £25 will be refunded, I’ll try do everyone if this doesn’t work but you have to do it manually so if 1000 people donate £1 I’ll struggle - if people don’t mind I’ll put a poll forwards to what they want it spent on (rugs/ physio for horses/ content, or I’m happy to donate to another cause/ animal charities etc)

Olaf is a horse I first saw 5 years ago… I saw his video and immediately fell in love. I asked if they’d loan him as I was 19 and in university (so not in a position to spend £15,000 on a horse!) understandably I was ignored, a few months later the horse I had been training hit her limit in her work and I felt like the wrong home for her, when she was sold, I immediately wrote again to Olaf’s owners, but he was sold… I was gutted. A few days later I got a message saying it had fallen through, and I dragged my dad on a 7hr trip to see him. He was a bit cold backed and I was messaged by a couple people who said they didn’t think he was the one, but I don’t think you could’ve said anything to me that’d have put me off… just completely fell in love with him. When I trialled for my university Sport Academy on him I was placed in the lowest squad and told he looked too much like a show horse (fat) but it only took 5 weeks and they started to see what I had seen.

2 years later, his owners needed to sell, I managed to find a syndicate, for 100k which included my trainer Mary Wanless to buy him and keep him with me. That was very hard but I had more hope than I do now… I didn’t crowd fund last time I sold him to new owners as an investment, and the time has come when his biggest % owner wants that investment back. I don’t want to resell him as an investment because although he may be, he’s not business to me… he’s my child and I want his future to be secure. It would break my heart him leaving, I’ve been crying (like that is useful) for months out of worry for him, I just want a good life for him, I don’t want his talent abused for money. He is sensitive and whilst it makes him an incredible partner, it also makes him what I’d describe as “shy” the more you do the less he does, you have to be quiet and let him offer.

Ive set up this crowd fund to raise money to keep him with me (permanently!) - I’ve never so wholly understood a horse, and it was from the moment I saw him I felt that way… my “heart horse”

Our journey has been incredible, from being eliminated at one of our first shows together to winning a reserve national title in the same venue 18 months later, we where in the Hartpury Elite Sports Academy and through that we had lessons with Carl Hester, won regionals, reserve national champion, beach trips, cross country, been the face of brand campaigns… I know there are many good homes out there but unfortunately once they leave your yard you do never know.