Injuries and horses really go hand in hand.. whether the injury is to the horse itself or to the rider. We would all love to wrap our horses in bubble wrap as we know how expensive vet bills are and how long it can take for a horse to recover.

However, not often do we address injuries to the rider and I feel that if you do any sport long enough, let alone a sport involving a 500kg animal, there will be some injuries involved.

The normal injuries riders get are from falling off or wear and tear ; broken bones, back injuries, concussions, etc. When we do get injured and need time for rehabilitation and recovery, it is very easy to feel demoralised and depressed but this is all part and parcel of our sport.

The best thing a rider can do is to take the time to do the rehab and to find ways to make themselves stronger and less likely to reinjure themselves. A good way to do this is to find a good physiotherapist that understands horse riding and can help with strengthening all the muscles that riders use.

I have had herniated discs, torn muscles, concussions to say the very least. Sometimes it is easier to come back from a physical injury than it is from a mental trauma associated with the injury. A sports psychologist can often help if there is fear involved.

On the third day of Chinese New Year, my mum slipped outside the house and managed to break her femur quite badly. This was also partly due to her osteoporosis. Since seeing her x rays and also seeing all the sick people in hospital, I have made a conscious decision to be a little healthier and fitter to reduce the risks of health issues later on in life.

Most important when injured is to try and keep a positive state of mind. This too shall pass and there will be brighter days ahead. Most injuries take time to heal and after that, you can go back to riding again as usual.

It is hard when we had a goal which now seems further away due to injury, or being forced to take a break when things were going so well… but you will come back stronger. The setback at the time may seem huge but in hindsight later on, it will only be a minor bump in the road.