The horse-human bond exemplified: mixture bounce cross-country – and hearth – with no bridle

Meet Jo and Jasper, who bounce big cross-country fences – and hearth – with no bit, nor even a bridle.

Jo Grey, aka bridleless_jo_ on social media, shares footage and movies of herself and her 14-year-old gelding Jasper, with whom she hunts and team-chases, but additionally offers shows of liberty work and bridleless leaping.

Jo’s cousin bred Jasper in Eire and Jo purchased him as a yearling; 13 years later, they display the bond that’s doable between people and horses.

“Each time we go leaping, you possibly can really feel him beaming,” she advised H&H. “His nickname is Mr Blissful; day-after-day is one of the best day of his life.”

A good friend launched Jo to pure horsemanship about 15 years in the past, and he or she took Jasper to a clinic when he was an unbacked three-year-old.

“It was like flying a kite!” she mentioned. “Everybody else simply quietly moved their horses out of the way in which and I almost cried. However there have been three instructors there and so they all mentioned if they may choose a horse to play with it might be him as a result of ‘he’s going to be mega’.

“There have been occasions after I was backing him that he’d be on his again legs; he was all the things I wanted however gosh, he was a handful! He was so exuberant and into all the things.”

Jo backed Jasper in a halter and he didn’t have a bit till he was seven; they accomplished a Cotswold Farm Park enjoyable journey in only a halter.

Image by Atmospheric imagery

“It was wonderful, an actual speaking level,” she mentioned, including that she went the entire hog, with out even the halter, about three years in the past.

“The primary time, I used to be petrified!” she mentioned. “However I’d achieved plenty of preparation and it was superior. Now, I hack bridleless, and go galloping and cross-country education. You possibly can put your palms up within the air and it’s pure freedom; it’s an important feeling.

“You are feeling such as you’re going to die however afterwards, you survived it and also you’re on cloud 9. You possibly can’t bottle that feeling, I adore it.”

Jo was not allowed to team-chase with out a bridle for security causes however she is hopeful the hunt may enable it. However she will go cross-country education au naturel, and he or she additionally faculties Jasper throughout nation free, together with her on the bottom.

The show work happened after she and coach and trick rider Freddy Steele linked on social media, and Jo and Jasper have since featured on Freddy’s show crew.

The theme of this 12 months’s performances is Olympus, based mostly on the Olympic torch, and tells the story of Zeus stealing hearth and Athena, Greek goddess of struggle and knowledge, or Jo with Jasper, taking the hearth again. This was seen on the Recreation Honest at Blenheim (26-28 July), however on the Kelmarsh Present this spring, in addition they jumped hearth with out a bridle.

“That was good enjoyable,” Jo mentioned. “Jasper had by no means seen hearth so Freddy got here to me; I mentioned I wasn’t agreeing to it until I knew Jasper was going to be okay. We used a metallic pole with cloth spherical it, jumped that a number of occasions, then set it on hearth at one finish, then the opposite. Freddy left the pole with me and I practised a lot, I melted the pole and bent it!

Image by Atmospheric imagery

“All of the week of the Recreation Honest, I used to be feeling sick and so nervous, I assumed I wasn’t going to do it. However by the third day, I used to be actually having fun with it. I used to be so pleased with Jasper.

“By the fourth day of leaping the hearth, he was in search of it, and if I’d wished to cease him earlier than the bounce, I wouldn’t have been in a position to; he made a bee-line for it. He’s such a cheerful boy, and all the time is aware of he’s achieved very well.”

Jo mentioned Jasper nonetheless has his mischievous facet, and “if he can rise up to something, he’ll”, reminiscent of chasing canines and stealing issues.

“However he’s a bit safer now!” she mentioned. “He’s great. The worst fear in liberty is that your horse will go away throughout a efficiency; three of his pals had been within the nook however he was completely glued to me: ‘No Mum, I’m with you, you’ll take care of me and also you’ve bought my again’ and that’s an important feeling.

“It’s taken years, loads of tears questioning the place I used to be going mistaken, however it’s been an important journey and I’ve discovered a lot. He has an important life and he was undoubtedly the horse for me. It’s great.”

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H&H information editor

Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Enthusiastic about equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all features of the trade, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of alternative is showjumping, by which she competes her personal horses, and he or she additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits via to worldwide championships.