Lotte & Sparrow

I'm Lotte Kerkman, 24, and I've always had horses. Right now the only one left is my Shetland pony, Sparrow.

Sparrow is 19 years old and actually not a Shetland pony at all, but an American Mini Horse. I just always say he's a Shetlander, because that's a much better-known breed here in the Netherlands ;). Sparrow and I met in 2012, when he was 5 years old. My parents were looking for a pony of my own, because I was always to be found at the riding school. Getting Sparrow saddle-broken and raised was quite a journey, but by now he's a wonderful pony!

What makes Sparrow different from other ponies is that he's a very well-liked pony within herds. When young horses are still unsure of themselves, Sparrow is good at teaching them and guiding them within the herd. During groundwork, though, there's no holding him, and he definitely doesn't always keep me relaxed, especially when he makes yet another escape attempt.

I think my favourite breed, partly thanks to Sparrow, has become the Appaloosa. Although I have to say that the black New Forest Pony I used to have was also great fun. New Forest ponies are true all-rounders and super strong, and I like that for equestrian sport too.

I still remember Sparrow and me doing our first photo shoot in the dunes. He was 7 then and I was 12. For the first half hour it actually went really well. That gave me the confidence to take off his halter for the last few photos and let him loose with just the rope. Well, I paid for that... Off he went!

He bolted through the dunes of Zandvoort. The only thing I could think about was that my mother must not be called, haha. In full panic I ended up running after him for ages. Sparrow ran into an apartment building right next to the dunes. That's where we finally managed to catch him. I'll obviously never forget this. And my mother does know all about it by now. ;)

I really enjoy using HorseJournal to make notes about the days I spend with Sparrow. I write down how he behaved during training and I keep track of measurements, like his temperature, breathing rate and heart rate. I can easily record other important things too. It's a wonderfully clear way to look back over a longer period at how your horse is doing. On top of that, the photos and videos you can add are really useful. That way you can also keep vet results or messages from the farrier, for example.

The favourite moments I regularly scroll through are the photos and videos of Sparrow during our liberty training sessions. You can clearly see again what he enjoys and where you might do something differently yourself during a session.

Sparrow and I are currently working on expanding our 'tricks' for liberty work. We'd love to put on a show at an event one day, for example during the Santpoort Festival Week.

I'd honestly recommend HorseJournal to anyone who wants to keep track of how their horse is doing in a clear way. Whether you ride at a riding school or have a stable with several horses of your own: HorseJournal is really versatile!