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January – February InTouch | 19 WINTER 2024 InTouch | JODIE’S LIFE WITH HORSES PUTS HER IN GOOD STEED Thanks to funding from the Bradley Jenkin Memorial Fund, Jodie has received even more special accolades. FEATURE Above left to right: Horse of the Year winners presentation. Happy horse and rider back at the yards. Competing in the Para-Equestrian Grand Prix Musical Freestyle at Horse of the Year. Continuing to ride the wave of success For Jodie Thorne, horse riding isn’t just a passion but a huge part of her life. “Life just wouldn’t be the same if horse riding wasn’t a part of it. It would be incredibly boring that’s for sure!,” she says. “Being able to ride on average four times a week (sometimes more) gets me out of the house and enjoying the fresh air, has given me the opportunity to meet lots of new people and make some really good friends, she says. Jodie started riding when she was about 10 years old. At that age, her facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) didn’t affect her riding – the only extra help she needed was a mounting block so she could get onto the horse. “But I stopped riding when I was 15 and didn’t get back on a horse again until I was 26. This time it was very different – my balance and strength had deteriorated so much that I needed to be lifted onto the horse and have sidewalkers holding me on for my first five-minute walk around the barn. My legs felt like jelly when I got off! But I was hooked again, so carried on riding weekly at Riding for the Disabled Association for the next year and my strength, stamina and Photo: Rachel Stringfellow Photography