I’d like to see more regular uploads of the “mundane” stuff like day in the life, week in the life, monthly updates on all the horses, grooming routine etc. I think equestrian influencers think the lessons and competitions are the only interesting things to viewers but don’t forget that a lot of us aren’t lucky enough to have our own horses so we find all the everyday things that you probably find boring really interesting!
I would love to see more of your day to day schooling- I suck at planning my sessions! Question: if you could have a ride on anyone’s horse (professional, amateur, doesn’t matter) which horse would it be? 😃
I'd love to see a "Day in the Life of Pete". A behind the scenes of the behind the scenes. What's it like trying to film with the horses? Do things go wrong? Setting up and prepping guests maybe?
Yes!!!! I love, love, love Simon and Bear combo. He is someone who could handle her oddities and really show her off! The vlog you did with them at Christmas was my favorite! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love your chatty updates, snippets of the babies frolicking, or the teenagers spending time in the field, and schooling videos. I hope your filming the home remodel. I agree with the other commenters that said they enjoy daily things. For me it makes it feel more like hanging with you or living vicariously through you. I enjoy watching your competing vlogs because I love supporting and cheering you on, but these chatty ones are what bring that connection to you and have shown what a special person you are. I think an annual Q&A with Hobs for those of us that have been from the beginning!! You're riden Q&A
Sounds wrong to say but I loved hearing about your struggle with OCD as someone who also suffers with it. It's such a rubbish illness, and so hard to deal with and get through. Amazing that you have gotten such a good hold of it and aren't letting it rule your life. There's hope for me yet! 😂
@@elphick.event.ponies I can definitely tell! Mine is super targeted around eating and drinking, so I actually love the little insta stories of you and Han when you're doing your hack snacking! I'm like see, they didn't die! 🤣 Silly brain
Likewise, I spent years being convinced my heart would go at any time and obsessively checking myself for cardiac symptoms. I thought it was just anxiety but learning it was OCD really helped me get so much better.
I have severe OCD too and I genuinely appreciate you talking about it so much, thank you! It’s so reassuring to know I’m not alone, and discussing it really helps to break the stigma and misinformation surrounding OCD
Truly Megan, seeing you be able to openly talk about how hard January is for you made me realize why it’s so hard for me. Keep doing what your doing and spreading good vibes ❤❤
Time stamps : 5:35 Horses being draining 7:25 do you struggle with mental health 15:08 2025 and beyond plans with Wilma 16:23 qualifying jam and Winnie for badminton 21:14 competing in Ireland 21:58 aiming for 1* 23:29 weaning vali, DD plans 25:30 mares in foal 27:44 plans for jammy, Wilma , Winnie 28:59 how’s jammy doing? 33:36 new horse 34:44 house improvement 37:18 plans for entire Sorry if I missed any x
I am so pleased and grateful you talked about your OCD struggles in this video - I'm 17 and have struggled with ritual ocd for 3 years constantly having to touch things, reclose doors, retrace steps etc etc etc and I have always felt no one else suffers from this - my sister has just turned 13 and low and behold is suffering with the most intense intrusive thoughts particularly about family, negativity, her pony, graphic images etc. She has been up crying everynight for two weeks so we watched this together and it has been really really nice to hear from your experience, and for her especially to know that there are others who are/ have suffered from intrusive thought ocd and that it is more normal than talked about. thank you! i am so pleased that you have gotten through ocd, it truly is the worst and so frustrating to manage!!
Horses might catch our attention initially but it’s people like you that make us stay. I’m in America (sorry rest of the world lol) and don’t own a horse any longer but I really enjoy watching your journey and have done so for several years. Best of luck to you in 2025 and hug Hobbit for me as she reminds me of my own sweet mom so much. ❤
Basic training content is also interesting including poles, ground work, halter breaking foals, teaching basics w the babies (like lifting legs to pick out hooves), as well as prepping the competitive horses. More Ettie and young ones. You could model products also.
I’m just putting this out there for thoughts and lots of prayers. I’m in California right in the line of the fire. We’re getting ready to evacuate and I’m terrified. Thank god I don’t have my horses anymore but I do have cats and dogs. Keep us in your hearts and send good vibes into the Universe for us.
I am so very sorry and sad for the terrible bloody awful fires destroying everything, sorry is not enough, especially as at least 10 lives have been lost and I think of all the wild animals and it makes me cry and feel so angry and sad all at the same time, I just keep wishing for massive rain to come for you all and for the winds to stop... Thinking of you all. And all the animals, Great Britain doesn't realise how lucky it is, give me floods over fire any day. Please take very good care, all of you❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏
This made my day to watch this 🥰 I feel for you on the red flag weather warnings, although for the opposite reasons. I live in LA and have been surrounded by fires and out of power since Tuesday. It has been a horrible feeling to have everything packed in the car and my trailer hooked up just waiting for evacuation notice to come through. I have watched many of my friends lose EVERYTHING in the last 78 hours. Very lucky my horse and I have remained safe. Hug your ponies tight and thank you Meg for being a light in an otherwise very dark week ❤
Thank you for showing every other equestrian that the winters are hard!! We are all struggling and it is so nice to have a REAL equestrian to talk about it, we love you Meg ❤❤
Personally id like to see videos basically like what you put on your instagram story, their so fun to watch, stuff like like day to day things and what exercises you do with the ponies and just simple things, but meg you made the best content this year you should be so proud of yourself and all the people and ponies around you !
Meg! Not kidding the last 7/8 months i have totally kicked butt with my business thanks to you. Seeing you succeed with your horses. Gracefully deal with set backs and difficulties etc ive become a way more motivated equestrian. I full time start colts and it can cause some major burnout but thank you for always being inspiring. Its so amazing seeing you make progress with your home breds and it inspires me to go out and get on my youngsters on days when im just feeling over it.
A great update. Juggling so many horses, all at different stages of life must be amazingly hard!.....you and your Mum do a fantastic job. I love your realistic, honest approach. Best wishes for the year. ❤
Can you do a equestrian wear closet tour? Or a groom/equine essential tools video? Or a safety for horses video? I feel like during your videos you always drop such helpful tips about things, especially winter horse safety etc. Hope you and your horses are well!
Thank you so much for opening up about 'touchwood'. I suffered from the exact same issue with intrusive thoughts, and it's reassuring to know that I'm not alone as it was so strange discussing it with people! You are so personable, Meg - all the best for 2025 🥰
Honestly I love the open talk about the mental health as much as you are comfortable sharing. It will be great for your younger viewers to hear about so they can hopefully recognize and address their issues if they relate. If nothing else, more people need to understand that mental health is just as important to our physical health as our physical bodies!
I think that sounds like a really good plan for Wilma! She is for sure developing nicely but I also think her mind is still really young and she doesn't feel comfortable in some situations yet. I love that you are giving her time to progress but also challenge her from time to time. Also, getting an outsider's opinion is something I always feel is so beneficial because sometimes we are simply caught in our own minds and don't notice something someone else might see.
Loved this vlog as always!! I would love to see a series of getting a horse from winter to eventing fit! Might be an ideal series with Jammy coming back into work properly again, and of course would love to see Jammys first jump of 2025!!!
How lovely you shared your struggle with OCD--I am sure this will help others who struggle with that. You provide a wonderful role model --not only by the way you love and care for your horses but by showing that you can overcome an issue like OCD and move forward with strength and health.
Im so glad you spoke about your ocd as i also have it and have struggled with it since i was in my early teens. i had no idea at the time what was wrong with me as ocd is so trivialised and i had no idea what intrusive thoughts and rituals were. i went to therapy the same as you and got diagnosed in my late teens. the more people talk about their experiences the more people can relate and get help when needed. ive watched you for so many years and your content helped me through the hardest parts of it. thank you for using your platform in such a open and helpful way.
I agree with you about winter. By the time we get to day 985 in January, I am ready to cash in my chips. I found the solution for me...I returned to riding after 45 years away...started in October, leased a horse and rode every day that was available. Trail riding (western tack) in a small or large group is awesome!! That was the first winter I didn't feel like I was being sucked down a big black hole while waiting for golf season to return. Now I am 65 and won't be able to ride forever, but for now...yippee!❤
I can relate. I felt real dred before any event but the high after was amazing. I finally got to the point I didn't want to go. I felt relief when I stopped. I did not ride for years then I bought a fun pony that I broke myself and took up horseback archery. I do what I want, when I want and have fun doing games with my ponies, teaching them fun activities and going for lovely rides. I am now calm and relaxed. I satisfy my eventing bug watching vlogs and playing Star Stable.😊
I admire your honesty about life and it's struggles. I am a retired teacher, taught USA secondary school science, then transitioned to college intro biology courses for several years, as a teacher, I've been accused of being bossy... so here is some advice I just can't hold back any longer. I've watched your videos for several years, and I've wondered if you are talking to your therapist about your eating and sleeping schedules. More and more studies are finding close links between physical and mental health and I have felt concerned when you have mentioned staying up after midnight editing videos then being up early to care for the horses. Some recent studies on endocrine health (which can really affect mental health) talk about the need for 8 - 9 hours of sleep each night to keep all those glands in the brain working properly. So, enough advice. As far as what I like to watch, I'd like to see more of your daily interactions with all the ponies. I don't really care for the events or travel and usually don't watch those. I want to see the mares and foals, how you care for everybody. Those little glimpses of the boys watching the horse you are working are lovely, but not enough. Watching you brush a horse is so soothing. More of home life with the ponies, please.
I agree. Maybe because I’ve never bred a baby nor have I handled one. Young horses yes! But I love the whole education from beginning to end. Some folks may say it would be boring because it is not ridden work. I think any babies start is truly the start of them being fantastic horses. Since you and Hobs love breeding then it seems a natural progression to show a little bit about what goes into a baby!
I'm so gratefull to you for sharing your confidence dip. I'm also doubt my capabilities regularly, but seeing your process and how you got on top of it, helps me to keep hope and keep trying! ❤
Meg, so many of us have some kind of mental health issue, and your courage in sharing is one of the biggest gifts you can give us. Every time I see you on a horse (a big one), you are, at first worried, but then they just steal your heart. You ride them so well, and the jumps don't look so big when you're up there. Your skill is starting to extend past what the ponies can do, as amazing as they are, and you can still have a great time eventing them. It just makes me so excited to see you extending. I worry a little that as you push up to the capabilities of your ponies, it might scare you, while on a horse you know will be capable of 140, the challenges are different, but being overfaced (to a point) is not so much of an issue. I just see so much potential in you, and I'm hoping you'll be bold. Remember how you feel halfway through your demos, and rides on other horses, and how you feel in the end, after you've accomplished almost everything you've ever tried. Lots of love and support to you, from Granny in Canada.
Pony crosses that are large, possibly like some of her homebreds, might suit. Many prefer pony minds and temperaments but still want size. Many do not like "hot" horses with many buttons and likely never will. Others love them.
@@homesteadlife2235 You have such a variety of ponies in UK. The equestrian culture is so central once you're out of the cities! You may well be right about people preferring the mind and temperament of a pony. My whole suggestion was just considering Meg's enjoyment of the horses she has ridden in the past couple of years. My mind wasn't really on breed. Good point about the difference. Thanks.
@@homesteadlife2235 That's a really good point. I'm Canadian, and I still can't figure out when you speak of breed, and when you speak of size. Not to mention you call, as a sort of endearment, even the largest, "pony" sometimes. I'm giggling, thinking it's a bit like the old baseball skit, "Who's on First?" 🤣🤣🤣❣❣
Hi Meg. Loving this style of vlog. I wish there were more Q&A from you. I understand that you may not want to answer so many questions all the time. I appreciated all your honest answers and excited for your plans this year. It sounds like a lot of very positive and exciting things are on the horizon for you and the ponies! Looking forward to Wilmas' journey and seeing her find her way. Wishing you all the best in 2025
Love this Meg! Thank you for everything you do to give us such great content. Ive been watching you since 2019ish and hav just enjoyed all of your vlogs, the highs and lows, you are such a great horse woman ❤
It may be a bit late, but thank you for you continued honesty and keeping it real. It helps some of us who wonder if we are wrong, when we are simply going through our challenges. Here's to 2025 and it's challen, struggles and triumphs. And Hobbit. And King Kenny. And all at Elphick Event Ponies 🎉
HNY Meg! Great to have a catch-up vlog. Love watching the lessons, any of Simon riding your ponies, interacting with the young stock, a bit of house improvement, watching Pete’s eats, and not forgetting Hobbit content! Pretty much everything you do already is fine by me Meg! Have fun this year team Elphick.😊❤️.
My Father had severe OCD, and I deal with it as well. It is a terrible illness, especially when it becomes more severe...My Father would wash his hands until they bled. It would take him a half hour to be able to get into the car to go anywhere, because he had to make sure it was clean, he was clean, etc...Unfortunately, he didn't get help for the issue until he was older, so there was very little they could do to help him. The illness led to his younger brother killing himself a couple years ago. The depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts are no joke. It's torture for people that really deal with the issue, especially if they don't get help early on. Thank you for talking about it, Meg, and being honest about how it has affected you. It can literally destroy people's lives. My Father was fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive partner, and he did not have to work when he was older, which made things much easier for him. The important thing to remember with OCD is that the earlier people get help with the issue, the more they can be helped with it. Regarding horses...I enjoy watching videos about basic stuff like working with the horses at home, what a week in your life is like, working with specific issues with each horse, and so on. I prefer it to seeing you away from home riding other people's horses. Remember your roots, and what people were watching you do before you got to the point you're at now. Eventually, watching you work with the babies will be really neat. I always enjoy your videos no matter what, but I do especially like seeing what you do on a daily basis.😊❣️
I think a really cool video would share the sires of all of your homebreds. With pictures and videos of the sires if you have it. Any competition info on the sires and why you chose that sire for your mare. Love ya Meg and it makes my day when i see that you posted.
Brilliant vlog meg. Love how honest you always are in your vlogs think you are fab. ❤❤hope 2025 is brilliant for you and your horses. Looking forward to eventing season to start😊
I don’t know if you remember, but you did a video a while back with Jaffa and Ari on desensitizatizing them and playing in the arena( yes i’m an EEP veteran💪), and i would love to see that sort of vid with Etts or the boys once they’re old enough( maybe ted if ur brave enough lol)🫶Also, just to say Im so grateful to have been apart of your journey and see you grow, all the love xx
My mom passed away a month before Christmas last year, thank you for all the love and laughter you provided over the holiday season and that you will continue to do for all of us this year.❤happy new year🫶
I’d love to see a video talking through steps of getting a project pony, what level do you need to be at, budgeting, and then like rough steps of what you do with them. I’m thinking about getting my own and it would be so cool to see the perspective from someone who’s done this heaps!
I would love more challenge videos!! You did one a while back where you and friends chose 5 horses and you each rode 3 and did a jumping challenge! I think that would be so fun to see more things like that where you’re just having fun with riding!
Meg, on the leaf blower, try putting your left foot in the arch at the base of the machine. That will keep it still while you are pulling on it. I think most people find January depressing. Wilma might just need a little more development and I think you are right on the money on the direction you are taking with her. It does seem a little crazy to have to think about events two and a half years ahead. Leak in the roof: don't do it and you will have rot, mold, and water issues. It also attracts bugs.
I don't like to be a wet blanket, Meg, but BetterHelp is worth a more careful look. Over the last ~30 years I've had some therapists who were questionable and a few more who left me with more problems than I came in with. Given BH's history and business practices, I worry that others may end up in a similar situation :(
Not a wet blanket. Being careful who you engage with very important....pay attention to what your gut tells you. If it feels wrong, it likely is. When money is involved, we are frequently more delusional....
@@sun1one1 That's true, but this isn't about conventional vs unconventional. Things like paying actors for false testimonials and secretly selling users' personal information to third parties are totally unacceptable no matter what the therapy model is. BH relies a lot on influencers to legitimize their services because their audiences trust them & are less likely to look into their super-sketchy background before signing up.
2025 will be the year 🤞🏻 Please do a detailed video on your horses’ weekly training schedule. Some tips and tricks for keeping them fit and strong, things you focus on etc. that would be amazing 😍 Also a week in your life!
I've been watching you for a while and now I'm subscribed! I feel like we are so similar! Mental health and I took a break from the horses. But this year I'm getting back into it. I'm changing jobs and I'll be back to horses full time. Looking forward to following you in 2025
Loved this vlog Meg. It’s awesome you’re able to talk about mental health so openly. I have the greatest admiration for you. I love the way your vlogs are so open & honest , & have the downs as well as the ups. Don’t change anything, stay as wonderful as you are, (& a really great content creator!!)…. I wish you all the best for 2025. Looking forward to many more vlogs 💕. Lots of love 💕💕
Hey Meg, thought you would find this entertaining. I live in Canada🇨🇦and just had to drop the video to go chase a pack of coyotes away from my horses in the field🐺 Canadian livin at it finest😂
My first horse hated anything canine or feline shaped, he used to bully the coyotes so we had absolutely none stick around. He tolerated our dog, but the cats would be carried outside the fence gently between his teeth
Boohooo🥺😭. If you sell Ettie now, we will never get to see her polished up and clipped!!! It’s been a long time since we saw a little white foot behind Millie in the straw. I would love seeing more of the babies. When the weather is warm, do you bathe them? Do they know how to get on and off the horse box? Do they come in during the day to sleep like you did with Ari, Winnie, and Brinny? I love your channel and I love your sense of humor!!!! 💕💕💕
Foals are a lot of work. My mare foaled twice in 2024. Beginning and the end of 2024. And also I have 4 more foals 😂. Lots of work coming up with them🙌🏻😂So grateful 🙏🏻
I love that you talked about ocd. I stuggel with it and am verry open about it but for such a long time i didnt know what was "wrong" with me. So a person like you who a lot of people look up to speaking about it is amazing. I love you x
happy new year meg! best wishes for 2025, cant wait to see where it takes you and the ponies. thanks for sharing all the tears and cheers if 2024, enjoyed the journey thoroughly! ❤
My mare passed away at the end of summer and I have found myself still stressing over weather this winter even though I am currently horse-less and am not around horses. I always have an immediate reaction to bad weather, worrying about the horses... even though I no longer have my own to worry about. Horses can be so stressful in the winter. They can be hard. They're NOT easy creatures to keep, and keep well. I absolutely adore horses and miss having them in my life, but boy can they be draining.
My condolences, my horses helped me thro that time, they were so understanding and also missing Mum and her carrots, or was it only the carrots. Anything Megs, you keep us upto date, interested(and also envious, now our time is up, a bit). Just any horse related vlog is a therapy for me, can't get enough even tho my daughter (far away with her horse) keeps me in the loop and updated.
Bless you for doing this update! I've been following you for several years but it feels like I'm sometimes loosing my mind to try and keep up! I genuinely don't know how you accomplish what you do and are so relatable and entertaining ❤! So many skills! The home remodel while living in it is something we have in common right now. Doesn't that situation take on a life of its own?! Hang in there. At least we have barns to go to! Lol
hi i‘m from germany and i always wondered why paddocks with a substructure or even paddockpanels isn’t common in the uk? it makes winter so much easier for everyone, like the horses can go out pretty much every day and mud fever stops being a problem for example? here i feel like it’s 50/50 like 50% of the stables have proper paddocks for the winter and tbh for me it’s a must😅
hi meg i dont like the festive period, due to personal reasons, i also suffer from sad, seasonal affective disorder, happy new year to you and pete and your family and friends
hey meg!! would love some more qnas, bit of a life update 😂 you really REALLY need to meet with the whole gang again as well! (lucy tina em and hannah too!) i also think it would be epicc to see bts of photo shoots. i would also love to see some more info on the anxiety side of riding, as i have/ had the same thing as you without bad bad falls (comes on and off, but its a constant for me as i have anxiety) because i think it would be very very interesting to figure out what to do to help ❤ also some more youtube giveaways/ community posts (like your ig!) because not everyone is able to download it so we miss out on things like asking questionss ❤thank you so much!!!!💞💞
Ahhh Meg seeing your vlogs always make my day❤ so sad to know that ettie has to go I do love her and have loved watching her journey 😢 personally someone with ocd I think it’s so helpful to hear others talk abt it especially as every other sentence of myn is touch wood😂 I’d love to see more day in the life stuff and every day routines, arena hires, lessons there so good to watch and help me with my riding and maybe a day in the life of tips and tricks of winter would be great! Keep shining Meg we love you❤
I really enjoy all the training sessions, and basically anything. I discovered Bear in this vlogmas, she is so cute! It would be lovely to see more of her. You Meg and Harlow are hilarious together. Thanks for filming. Your vlogs bring me a lot of joy. Horses are my greatest passion, unfortunately I cannot ride regularly. But! I made a new year's resolution to ride at least once this year, and maybe more of course. (when I'm around horses, I'm alive) ❤🎉
The thing with selling Ettie and Moose over the others. Is that you no longer have the mother's of either of them. Whereas you still have the mother's of almost all of your other homebreds. So if you sell any of the others you can actually rebreed at some point. But with Ettie and Moose that can't happen. Maybe you could lease them out instead then you could get them back if they turn out to be any good.
In your bingo card you said film in a new country! I think a trip down here to New Zealand should be on the cards for you! We have some wicked riding and scenery down in the South Island! Never say never Meg 😉🤠
Happy new year. Regarding your gas leaf blower, if I can make a suggestion, look into a rechargeable battery one. You will love it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack pulling that cord. Good luck.
I just watched the LHS demo vlog before this...... I am so impressed how much you have developed since I started following you journey!!! ❤❤ I'm really looking forward to watch this season!!! Love to see you train and compete!!! Also love all the familiar faces in your world!!! ❤❤
So interesting to hear you talk about your form of germophobia (or type of OCD), I used to be the exact same way! I used to get to a point where I'd go to the restroom, wash my hands, but then I'd touch the door to leave and tell myself "You touched the dirty door, you need to go wash your hands again!" and I'd essentially be trapped in the restroom in an endless loop til my mom came in after me and had to drag me out. I'm really glad things have gotten better for you, and please take all the time you need in order to not get fully burnt out on UA-cam. Your viewers will always understand that mental health comes first.
I really enjoyed watching the whole getting others to ride your ponies thing, I know if I was younger a horse like Wilma would have made a dream of a lifetime! So I would like to see some of that aswell
Thank you so much for talking about OCD. My (young adult) son lives with it and it’s really the biggest barrier in his life. Being autistic, the usual forms of counselling/CBT/therapy don’t work. If your contacts have any leads or ideas about therapy that might work, it would be great to be able to speak with them and explore his options
I’d like to see more regular uploads of the “mundane” stuff like day in the life, week in the life, monthly updates on all the horses, grooming routine etc. I think equestrian influencers think the lessons and competitions are the only interesting things to viewers but don’t forget that a lot of us aren’t lucky enough to have our own horses so we find all the everyday things that you probably find boring really interesting!
Ah this is great to know, thank you ❤️
@@elphick.event.ponies ❤😊
@@elphick.event.ponies Yes agreed x
I would love to see more of your day to day schooling- I suck at planning my sessions! Question: if you could have a ride on anyone’s horse (professional, amateur, doesn’t matter) which horse would it be? 😃
Yess agreed 😊
I'd love to see a "Day in the Life of Pete". A behind the scenes of the behind the scenes. What's it like trying to film with the horses? Do things go wrong? Setting up and prepping guests maybe?
Simey takes Bear to a SJ show.
Yasssss
Oh please yes!!!
I'd love to see you both work together with simey as well ❤
Yes!!!! I love, love, love Simon and Bear combo. He is someone who could handle her oddities and really show her off! The vlog you did with them at Christmas was my favorite! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Please do this@@elphick.event.ponies
I love your chatty updates, snippets of the babies frolicking, or the teenagers spending time in the field, and schooling videos. I hope your filming the home remodel. I agree with the other commenters that said they enjoy daily things. For me it makes it feel more like hanging with you or living vicariously through you. I enjoy watching your competing vlogs because I love supporting and cheering you on, but these chatty ones are what bring that connection to you and have shown what a special person you are. I think an annual Q&A with Hobs for those of us that have been from the beginning!! You're riden Q&A
Oh and @elphick.event.ponies will you still be able to use the breeding to Ron?
Sounds wrong to say but I loved hearing about your struggle with OCD as someone who also suffers with it. It's such a rubbish illness, and so hard to deal with and get through. Amazing that you have gotten such a good hold of it and aren't letting it rule your life. There's hope for me yet! 😂
Ah it’s savage isn’t it, certainly in a much much better place than I was back then
@@elphick.event.ponies I can definitely tell! Mine is super targeted around eating and drinking, so I actually love the little insta stories of you and Han when you're doing your hack snacking! I'm like see, they didn't die! 🤣 Silly brain
Likewise, I spent years being convinced my heart would go at any time and obsessively checking myself for cardiac symptoms. I thought it was just anxiety but learning it was OCD really helped me get so much better.
As a fellow sufferer my heart goes out to you, it's such a cruel illness to live with isn't it.️ Hoping things get better for you ❤️🙏
I have severe OCD too and I genuinely appreciate you talking about it so much, thank you!
It’s so reassuring to know I’m not alone, and discussing it really helps to break the stigma and misinformation surrounding OCD
Truly Megan, seeing you be able to openly talk about how hard January is for you made me realize why it’s so hard for me. Keep doing what your doing and spreading good vibes ❤❤
Time stamps :
5:35 Horses being draining
7:25 do you struggle with mental health
15:08 2025 and beyond plans with Wilma
16:23 qualifying jam and Winnie for badminton
21:14 competing in Ireland
21:58 aiming for 1*
23:29 weaning vali, DD plans
25:30 mares in foal
27:44 plans for jammy, Wilma , Winnie
28:59 how’s jammy doing?
33:36 new horse
34:44 house improvement
37:18 plans for entire
Sorry if I missed any x
Thank you so much this is really helpful❤❤
Plans for ettie**
I am so pleased and grateful you talked about your OCD struggles in this video - I'm 17 and have struggled with ritual ocd for 3 years constantly having to touch things, reclose doors, retrace steps etc etc etc and I have always felt no one else suffers from this - my sister has just turned 13 and low and behold is suffering with the most intense intrusive thoughts particularly about family, negativity, her pony, graphic images etc. She has been up crying everynight for two weeks so we watched this together and it has been really really nice to hear from your experience, and for her especially to know that there are others who are/ have suffered from intrusive thought ocd and that it is more normal than talked about. thank you! i am so pleased that you have gotten through ocd, it truly is the worst and so frustrating to manage!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 🥳
Horses might catch our attention initially but it’s people like you that make us stay. I’m in America (sorry rest of the world lol) and don’t own a horse any longer but I really enjoy watching your journey and have done so for several years. Best of luck to you in 2025 and hug Hobbit for me as she reminds me of my own sweet mom so much. ❤
Basic training content is also interesting including poles, ground work, halter breaking foals, teaching basics w the babies (like lifting legs to pick out hooves), as well as prepping the competitive horses. More Ettie and young ones. You could model products also.
I’m just putting this out there for thoughts and lots of prayers. I’m in California right in the line of the fire. We’re getting ready to evacuate and I’m terrified. Thank god I don’t have my horses anymore but I do have cats and dogs. Keep us in your hearts and send good vibes into the Universe for us.
❤
Yes I will. Also I believe many of us are. Please know this!
I am so very sorry and sad for the terrible bloody awful fires destroying everything, sorry is not enough, especially as at least 10 lives have been lost and I think of all the wild animals and it makes me cry and feel so angry and sad all at the same time, I just keep wishing for massive rain to come for you all and for the winds to stop... Thinking of you all. And all the animals, Great Britain doesn't realise how lucky it is, give me floods over fire any day. Please take very good care, all of you❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@jmleeinla4025 I'm in a very similar situation and feel for you ❤️ I hope all turns out ok for you!!
Praying for your safety 🙏
This made my day to watch this 🥰 I feel for you on the red flag weather warnings, although for the opposite reasons. I live in LA and have been surrounded by fires and out of power since Tuesday. It has been a horrible feeling to have everything packed in the car and my trailer hooked up just waiting for evacuation notice to come through. I have watched many of my friends lose EVERYTHING in the last 78 hours. Very lucky my horse and I have remained safe. Hug your ponies tight and thank you Meg for being a light in an otherwise very dark week ❤
Thinking of you! It must be terrifying.
Sending much love and prayers. My heart breaks for those going through this trauma❤
Absolutely love all your training blogs with Simon, Rich, Lucinda, Dan, etc. they’re so helpful for me as a rider, and I rewatch them a lot!
Thank you for showing every other equestrian that the winters are hard!! We are all struggling and it is so nice to have a REAL equestrian to talk about it, we love you Meg ❤❤
I would love to see a video on "Where are they now?" Lara, Millie, Jaffa, Brynni, etc.
Personally id like to see videos basically like what you put on your instagram story, their so fun to watch, stuff like like day to day things and what exercises you do with the ponies and just simple things, but meg you made the best content this year you should be so proud of yourself and all the people and ponies around you !
Meg! Not kidding the last 7/8 months i have totally kicked butt with my business thanks to you. Seeing you succeed with your horses. Gracefully deal with set backs and difficulties etc ive become a way more motivated equestrian. I full time start colts and it can cause some major burnout but thank you for always being inspiring. Its so amazing seeing you make progress with your home breds and it inspires me to go out and get on my youngsters on days when im just feeling over it.
A great update. Juggling so many horses, all at different stages of life must be amazingly hard!.....you and your Mum do a fantastic job. I love your realistic, honest approach. Best wishes for the year. ❤
Can you do a equestrian wear closet tour? Or a groom/equine essential tools video? Or a safety for horses video? I feel like during your videos you always drop such helpful tips about things, especially winter horse safety etc. Hope you and your horses are well!
Thank you so much for opening up about 'touchwood'. I suffered from the exact same issue with intrusive thoughts, and it's reassuring to know that I'm not alone as it was so strange discussing it with people! You are so personable, Meg - all the best for 2025 🥰
Honestly I love the open talk about the mental health as much as you are comfortable sharing. It will be great for your younger viewers to hear about so they can hopefully recognize and address their issues if they relate. If nothing else, more people need to understand that mental health is just as important to our physical health as our physical bodies!
I think that sounds like a really good plan for Wilma! She is for sure developing nicely but I also think her mind is still really young and she doesn't feel comfortable in some situations yet. I love that you are giving her time to progress but also challenge her from time to time. Also, getting an outsider's opinion is something I always feel is so beneficial because sometimes we are simply caught in our own minds and don't notice something someone else might see.
What a lovely chatty vlog. Good luck for 2025 Meg❤
Loved this vlog as always!! I would love to see a series of getting a horse from winter to eventing fit! Might be an ideal series with Jammy coming back into work properly again, and of course would love to see Jammys first jump of 2025!!!
Meg, I'd love more videos on how you prep your horses to go out for eventing, grooming routines, and jumping aftercare routines!
I would love to see more videos of you just having fun with your ponies! The turkey chase me Charlie you did with Han is one of my faves
Hahah that old classic 😂
How lovely you shared your struggle with OCD--I am sure this will help others who struggle with that. You provide a wonderful role model --not only by the way you love and care for your horses but by showing that you can overcome an issue like OCD and move forward with strength and health.
Simey and rich videos always make me cackle, u get along with them so well. Would love to see how the house is getting om
Im so glad you spoke about your ocd as i also have it and have struggled with it since i was in my early teens. i had no idea at the time what was wrong with me as ocd is so trivialised and i had no idea what intrusive thoughts and rituals were. i went to therapy the same as you and got diagnosed in my late teens. the more people talk about their experiences the more people can relate and get help when needed. ive watched you for so many years and your content helped me through the hardest parts of it. thank you for using your platform in such a open and helpful way.
Great little upload Meg. I do love a chatty vlog & have missed you doing them xxxx
I agree with you about winter. By the time we get to day 985 in January, I am ready to cash in my chips. I found the solution for me...I returned to riding after 45 years away...started in October, leased a horse and rode every day that was available. Trail riding (western tack) in a small or large group is awesome!! That was the first winter I didn't feel like I was being sucked down a big black hole while waiting for golf season to return. Now I am 65 and won't be able to ride forever, but for now...yippee!❤
I can relate. I felt real dred before any event but the high after was amazing. I finally got to the point I didn't want to go. I felt relief when I stopped. I did not ride for years then I bought a fun pony that I broke myself and took up horseback archery. I do what I want, when I want and have fun doing games with my ponies, teaching them fun activities and going for lovely rides. I am now calm and relaxed. I satisfy my eventing bug watching vlogs and playing Star Stable.😊
I admire your honesty about life and it's struggles. I am a retired teacher, taught USA secondary school science, then transitioned to college intro biology courses for several years, as a teacher, I've been accused of being bossy... so here is some advice I just can't hold back any longer. I've watched your videos for several years, and I've wondered if you are talking to your therapist about your eating and sleeping schedules. More and more studies are finding close links between physical and mental health and I have felt concerned when you have mentioned staying up after midnight editing videos then being up early to care for the horses. Some recent studies on endocrine health (which can really affect mental health) talk about the need for 8 - 9 hours of sleep each night to keep all those glands in the brain working properly. So, enough advice. As far as what I like to watch, I'd like to see more of your daily interactions with all the ponies. I don't really care for the events or travel and usually don't watch those. I want to see the mares and foals, how you care for everybody. Those little glimpses of the boys watching the horse you are working are lovely, but not enough. Watching you brush a horse is so soothing. More of home life with the ponies, please.
Video idea - playing with the babies! Pamper them, in hand walks, agility in the school ect.
I agree. Maybe because I’ve never bred a baby nor have I handled one. Young horses yes! But I love the whole education from beginning to end. Some folks may say it would be boring because it is not ridden work. I think any babies start is truly the start of them being fantastic horses. Since you and Hobs love breeding then it seems a natural progression to show a little bit about what goes into a baby!
I'm so gratefull to you for sharing your confidence dip. I'm also doubt my capabilities regularly, but seeing your process and how you got on top of it, helps me to keep hope and keep trying! ❤
Can’t get enough of your lessons with Rich so more of that is always good! X
Meg, so many of us have some kind of mental health issue, and your courage in sharing is one of the biggest gifts you can give us.
Every time I see you on a horse (a big one), you are, at first worried, but then they just steal your heart. You ride them so well, and the jumps don't look so big when you're up there. Your skill is starting to extend past what the ponies can do, as amazing as they are, and you can still have a great time eventing them. It just makes me so excited to see you extending. I worry a little that as you push up to the capabilities of your ponies, it might scare you, while on a horse you know will be capable of 140, the challenges are different, but being overfaced (to a point) is not so much of an issue. I just see so much potential in you, and I'm hoping you'll be bold. Remember how you feel halfway through your demos, and rides on other horses, and how you feel in the end, after you've accomplished almost everything you've ever tried. Lots of love and support to you, from Granny in Canada.
Pony crosses that are large, possibly like some of her homebreds, might suit. Many prefer pony minds and temperaments but still want size. Many do not like "hot" horses with many buttons and likely never will. Others love them.
@@homesteadlife2235 You have such a variety of ponies in UK. The equestrian culture is so central once you're out of the cities! You may well be right about people preferring the mind and temperament of a pony. My whole suggestion was just considering Meg's enjoyment of the horses she has ridden in the past couple of years. My mind wasn't really on breed. Good point about the difference. Thanks.
@@homesteadlife2235 That's a really good point. I'm Canadian, and I still can't figure out when you speak of breed, and when you speak of size. Not to mention you call, as a sort of endearment, even the largest, "pony" sometimes. I'm giggling, thinking it's a bit like the old baseball skit, "Who's on First?" 🤣🤣🤣❣❣
I think we all love the day to day stuff videos, those routine things is what makes the exciting stuff happen
Hi Meg. Loving this style of vlog. I wish there were more Q&A from you. I understand that you may not want to answer so many questions all the time. I appreciated all your honest answers and excited for your plans this year. It sounds like a lot of very positive and exciting things are on the horizon for you and the ponies! Looking forward to Wilmas' journey and seeing her find her way. Wishing you all the best in 2025
Love this Meg! Thank you for everything you do to give us such great content. Ive been watching you since 2019ish and hav just enjoyed all of your vlogs, the highs and lows, you are such a great horse woman ❤
Would love an Ari makeover ❤ Please continue Teddy Bear videos, they are super amazing, loved Vlogmas ❤❤
It may be a bit late, but thank you for you continued honesty and keeping it real. It helps some of us who wonder if we are wrong, when we are simply going through our challenges. Here's to 2025 and it's challen, struggles and triumphs. And Hobbit. And King Kenny. And all at Elphick Event Ponies 🎉
HNY Meg!
Great to have a catch-up vlog.
Love watching the lessons, any of Simon riding your ponies, interacting with the young stock, a bit of house improvement, watching Pete’s eats, and not forgetting Hobbit content!
Pretty much everything you do already is fine by me Meg! Have fun this year team Elphick.😊❤️.
Would definitely love to see Simon take Bear showjumping.
My Father had severe OCD, and I deal with it as well. It is a terrible illness, especially when it becomes more severe...My Father would wash his hands until they bled. It would take him a half hour to be able to get into the car to go anywhere, because he had to make sure it was clean, he was clean, etc...Unfortunately, he didn't get help for the issue until he was older, so there was very little they could do to help him. The illness led to his younger brother killing himself a couple years ago. The depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts are no joke. It's torture for people that really deal with the issue, especially if they don't get help early on. Thank you for talking about it, Meg, and being honest about how it has affected you. It can literally destroy people's lives. My Father was fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive partner, and he did not have to work when he was older, which made things much easier for him. The important thing to remember with OCD is that the earlier people get help with the issue, the more they can be helped with it.
Regarding horses...I enjoy watching videos about basic stuff like working with the horses at home, what a week in your life is like, working with specific issues with each horse, and so on. I prefer it to seeing you away from home riding other people's horses. Remember your roots, and what people were watching you do before you got to the point you're at now. Eventually, watching you work with the babies will be really neat. I always enjoy your videos no matter what, but I do especially like seeing what you do on a daily basis.😊❣️
I think a really cool video would share the sires of all of your homebreds. With pictures and videos of the sires if you have it. Any competition info on the sires and why you chose that sire for your mare. Love ya Meg and it makes my day when i see that you posted.
Brilliant vlog meg. Love how honest you always are in your vlogs think you are fab. ❤❤hope 2025 is brilliant for you and your horses. Looking forward to eventing season to start😊
I think that a tack show would be a amazing! Which brands you have/like and why and what brand you don’t like stuff like that!
Would love to see an ultimate mum vs daughter. Meg on Whinnie vs Janet on Jam! If everyone is up for it x
I don’t know if you remember, but you did a video a while back with Jaffa and Ari on desensitizatizing them and playing in the arena( yes i’m an EEP veteran💪), and i would love to see that sort of vid with Etts or the boys once they’re old enough( maybe ted if ur brave enough lol)🫶Also, just to say Im so grateful to have been apart of your journey and see you grow, all the love xx
My mom passed away a month before Christmas last year, thank you for all the love and laughter you provided over the holiday season and that you will continue to do for all of us this year.❤happy new year🫶
I’m so sorry to hear this, sending you so much love ❤️
That must have been so very hard. I hope memories of happier times bring you comfort and ease the pain❤
I love you Meg! You are AMAZING. I also loved when you tried to turn on the leaf blower, it was so funny!😂😍
I’d love to see a video talking through steps of getting a project pony, what level do you need to be at, budgeting, and then like rough steps of what you do with them. I’m thinking about getting my own and it would be so cool to see the perspective from someone who’s done this heaps!
Love seeing all the babies, even if they are just in the field.
I would love more challenge videos!! You did one a while back where you and friends chose 5 horses and you each rode 3 and did a jumping challenge! I think that would be so fun to see more things like that where you’re just having fun with riding!
Meg you are fabulous, look forward to seeing you smash 2025. I love the roll neck jumper in this video!
Meg, on the leaf blower, try putting your left foot in the arch at the base of the machine. That will keep it still while you are pulling on it. I think most people find January depressing. Wilma might just need a little more development and I think you are right on the money on the direction you are taking with her. It does seem a little crazy to have to think about events two and a half years ahead. Leak in the roof: don't do it and you will have rot, mold, and water issues. It also attracts bugs.
I don't like to be a wet blanket, Meg, but BetterHelp is worth a more careful look. Over the last ~30 years I've had some therapists who were questionable and a few more who left me with more problems than I came in with. Given BH's history and business practices, I worry that others may end up in a similar situation :(
Not a wet blanket. Being careful who you engage with very important....pay attention to what your gut tells you. If it feels wrong, it likely is. When money is involved, we are frequently more delusional....
Yes, conventional therapy doesn't work for everyone. I wish more people would recognize that.
@@sun1one1 That's true, but this isn't about conventional vs unconventional. Things like paying actors for false testimonials and secretly selling users' personal information to third parties are totally unacceptable no matter what the therapy model is. BH relies a lot on influencers to legitimize their services because their audiences trust them & are less likely to look into their super-sketchy background before signing up.
Thanks Meg, you've got me motivated for my horsey year 😊
2025 will be the year 🤞🏻
Please do a detailed video on your horses’ weekly training schedule. Some tips and tricks for keeping them fit and strong, things you focus on etc. that would be amazing 😍 Also a week in your life!
yes please! i second that!
BRAIDING TUTORIALS! I adore how yours come out and I'd love to learn more! Also boots/tack reviews!
more week or day in the life of meg please!!!
Ohh okay 😍
@@elphick.event.ponies 100% my fav vlogs
I've been watching you for a while and now I'm subscribed!
I feel like we are so similar! Mental health and I took a break from the horses. But this year I'm getting back into it. I'm changing jobs and I'll be back to horses full time. Looking forward to following you in 2025
Loved this vlog Meg. It’s awesome you’re able to talk about mental health so openly. I have the greatest admiration for you. I love the way your vlogs are so open & honest , & have the downs as well as the ups. Don’t change anything, stay as wonderful as you are, (& a really great content creator!!)…. I wish you all the best for 2025. Looking forward to many more vlogs 💕. Lots of love 💕💕
wow thank you for talking on your ocd as i have it myself and going to the yard is so hard sometimes but you talking about it makes me feel less alone
Hey Meg, thought you would find this entertaining. I live in Canada🇨🇦and just had to drop the video to go chase a pack of coyotes away from my horses in the field🐺 Canadian livin at it finest😂
My first horse hated anything canine or feline shaped, he used to bully the coyotes so we had absolutely none stick around. He tolerated our dog, but the cats would be carried outside the fence gently between his teeth
Boohooo🥺😭. If you sell Ettie now, we will never get to see her polished up and clipped!!! It’s been a long time since we saw a little white foot behind Millie in the straw. I would love seeing more of the babies. When the weather is warm, do you bathe them? Do they know how to get on and off the horse box? Do they come in during the day to sleep like you did with Ari, Winnie, and Brinny? I love your channel and I love your sense of humor!!!! 💕💕💕
I love how you explained your weaning process, could Wilma go to Simon’s for a spell while you concentrate on mum and daughter for badders?
That's a great idea!
Foals are a lot of work. My mare foaled twice in 2024. Beginning and the end of 2024. And also I have 4 more foals 😂. Lots of work coming up with them🙌🏻😂So grateful 🙏🏻
I love that you talked about ocd. I stuggel with it and am verry open about it but for such a long time i didnt know what was "wrong" with me. So a person like you who a lot of people look up to speaking about it is amazing. I love you x
happy new year meg! best wishes for 2025, cant wait to see where it takes you and the ponies. thanks for sharing all the tears and cheers if 2024, enjoyed the journey thoroughly! ❤
Love to see training for events,lessons,event vlogs a yard tour things like that!!
My mare passed away at the end of summer and I have found myself still stressing over weather this winter even though I am currently horse-less and am not around horses. I always have an immediate reaction to bad weather, worrying about the horses... even though I no longer have my own to worry about. Horses can be so stressful in the winter. They can be hard. They're NOT easy creatures to keep, and keep well. I absolutely adore horses and miss having them in my life, but boy can they be draining.
that so sad
Watch Clever Cowgirl videos for weather related material.
@@christenawalker2944 I'd rather not
My condolences, my horses helped me thro that time, they were so understanding and also missing Mum and her carrots, or was it only the carrots. Anything Megs, you keep us upto date, interested(and also envious, now our time is up, a bit).
Just any horse related vlog is a therapy for me, can't get enough even tho my daughter (far away with her horse) keeps me in the loop and updated.
i’m so glad you spoke about OCD with the germs etc because this is what i’m going through and it’s nice to know i’m not the only one ❤
Would love to see more hacks and just casual riding. Bonus points if Hobs is there!
Bless you for doing this update! I've been following you for several years but it feels like I'm sometimes loosing my mind to try and keep up! I genuinely don't know how you accomplish what you do and are so relatable and entertaining ❤! So many skills! The home remodel while living in it is something we have in common right now. Doesn't that situation take on a life of its own?! Hang in there. At least we have barns to go to! Lol
hi i‘m from germany and i always wondered why paddocks with a substructure or even paddockpanels isn’t common in the uk? it makes winter so much easier for everyone, like the horses can go out pretty much every day and mud fever stops being a problem for example? here i feel like it’s 50/50 like 50% of the stables have proper paddocks for the winter and tbh for me it’s a must😅
hi meg i dont like the festive period, due to personal reasons, i also suffer from sad, seasonal affective disorder, happy new year to you and pete and your family and friends
hey meg!! would love some more qnas, bit of a life update 😂 you really REALLY need to meet with the whole gang again as well! (lucy tina em and hannah too!) i also think it would be epicc to see bts of photo shoots. i would also love to see some more info on the anxiety side of riding, as i have/ had the same thing as you without bad bad falls (comes on and off, but its a constant for me as i have anxiety) because i think it would be very very interesting to figure out what to do to help ❤ also some more youtube giveaways/ community posts (like your ig!) because not everyone is able to download it so we miss out on things like asking questionss ❤thank you so much!!!!💞💞
Ahhh Meg seeing your vlogs always make my day❤ so sad to know that ettie has to go I do love her and have loved watching her journey 😢 personally someone with ocd I think it’s so helpful to hear others talk abt it especially as every other sentence of myn is touch wood😂 I’d love to see more day in the life stuff and every day routines, arena hires, lessons there so good to watch and help me with my riding and maybe a day in the life of tips and tricks of winter would be great! Keep shining Meg we love you❤
Thank you Meg! This is so relatable!
I love these videos it really inspires me as I am a very nervous rider r Since my confidence knock at a show during the summer
I really enjoy all the training sessions, and basically anything. I discovered Bear in this vlogmas, she is so cute! It would be lovely to see more of her. You Meg and Harlow are hilarious together.
Thanks for filming. Your vlogs bring me a lot of joy. Horses are my greatest passion, unfortunately I cannot ride regularly. But! I made a new year's resolution to ride at least once this year, and maybe more of course. (when I'm around horses, I'm alive) ❤🎉
The thing with selling Ettie and Moose over the others.
Is that you no longer have the mother's of either of them.
Whereas you still have the mother's of almost all of your other homebreds.
So if you sell any of the others you can actually rebreed at some point.
But with Ettie and Moose that can't happen.
Maybe you could lease them out instead then you could get them back if they turn out to be any good.
In your bingo card you said film in a new country! I think a trip down here to New Zealand should be on the cards for you! We have some wicked riding and scenery down in the South Island! Never say never Meg 😉🤠
I know you post them on your insta but I’d love to see all the excersizes you do with the different horses and why you do them etc x
Happy new year, Meg! ❤ wish all the best for you, your family and all the ponies ❤❤
Happy new year. Regarding your gas leaf blower, if I can make a suggestion, look into a rechargeable battery one. You will love it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack pulling that cord. Good luck.
Thanks for sharing your mental health struggles, it helps me feel less alone❤
HAPPY NEW YEAR MEG!!!😊
I just watched the LHS demo vlog before this...... I am so impressed how much you have developed since I started following you journey!!! ❤❤ I'm really looking forward to watch this season!!! Love to see you train and compete!!! Also love all the familiar faces in your world!!! ❤❤
Catton is a great event. I volunteer th. You will love it
Happy new year🎉! Hope it's a good one❤
So interesting to hear you talk about your form of germophobia (or type of OCD), I used to be the exact same way!
I used to get to a point where I'd go to the restroom, wash my hands, but then I'd touch the door to leave and tell myself "You touched the dirty door, you need to go wash your hands again!" and I'd essentially be trapped in the restroom in an endless loop til my mom came in after me and had to drag me out.
I'm really glad things have gotten better for you, and please take all the time you need in order to not get fully burnt out on UA-cam. Your viewers will always understand that mental health comes first.
I really enjoyed watching the whole getting others to ride your ponies thing, I know if I was younger a horse like Wilma would have made a dream of a lifetime! So I would like to see some of that aswell
Thank you so much for talking about OCD. My (young adult) son lives with it and it’s really the biggest barrier in his life. Being autistic, the usual forms of counselling/CBT/therapy don’t work. If your contacts have any leads or ideas about therapy that might work, it would be great to be able to speak with them and explore his options
Love these videos once in a while, totally would love to see jam and win at badders next year though 🥺
Hi Meg, I'd love a Vali and Ettie and all the foal updates ❤