bighorsetrek
- Dec 29, 2018
- 3 min read

2018 - Where it all began

I know it’s cliché to say it, but I'm going to do it anyway: "Where did 2018 go??!!"

It has been a huge year for me. Overall probably the best year I’ve had in over a decade: Multiple jobs, a successful spinal surgery, and of course, coming up with the idea of Big Horse Trek (and everything that has come about because of that so far)! Since that crazy idea started the ball rolling, a LOT has happened. I am not really sure where the last five months have gone. I have achieved so much, and still have a huge amount ahead of me before I even get to the starting point of the trek.

Here are some of the things I’ve done in relation to the trek in 2018:

Brushing up on the old map and compass skills

I attended a half-day Navigation/ map and compass workshop at Lysterfield Lake, run by Adventure Junkie.
I attended a two-day pack-saddling workshop, run by Pack Saddling Australia.
I made a very impulsive sight-unseen horse purchase from the sales (Tyson!)
I have spent countless hours contacting (and acquiring!) sponsors – 71 emails sent out to date, and a full day spent at #Equitana Melbourne talking to horse-related businesses.
I built a website (this is a LOAD more work than you might think!) and set up my online presence (website, Facebook, Instagram, fundraising page) a couple of months ahead of schedule.
I launched my fundraising for Love Your Sister (1.5% of my goal achieved to date – a long way to go yet to get to my target of $53 300!).
I’ve been learning to trim horse hooves! Never-ending gratitude to Jade Meadmore for her knowledge and patience teaching me (and to my horses for their patience with my super slow and currently still very awkward trimming ‘technique’!). If you need a trimmer for your horse- Jade is your woman!
I had my own photo-shoot with the horses with the fabulous Lisa Sultana from Digi Foto. Who’d have thought I’d ever want a photoshoot?!
I’ve been working with both Dusty and Tyson on their individual training needs (groundwork, float training, ridden training)
I lost 17kg in 2018 (most of that was in the first half of the year, but it’s still something to celebrate after stacking on a shed-load of weight over the past 10 years with being unwell. I hope that I can lose another 15-20kg in 2019).
I’ve gotten fitter and stronger! I’m back running, swimming, and riding lots. I’ve also started a bit of boxing, which I am loving. I have a lot of fitness goals to achieve before I even set off on the trek.

Pack Saddling Workshop 2018

Knowing me I’ve probably forgotten a heap of stuff (like the countless hours of logistics, 12-page Consumer Affairs forms, and other boring necessities), but that’s still quite a good little list I’ve managed to get through over the past five months (while also working one full time job and two casual jobs at the same time!).

So, 2019 is now just a heart-beat away. The next 15 or so months until I leave are going to be very busy (a terrifying understatement!). I will be sitting down over the next few weeks to literally plan out every weekend and spare moment (I don’t have much time with working approximately 50 hours a week), as I have more to do than will fit in to 15 months!!! (And there I was originally toying with the idea of leaving in 2019 – amateur!).