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The Island Project DVD

After a year of planning, a month having the most incredible adventure and now it is finally here The Island Project full story is out now! (Just in time for Christmas!) Each project becomes a journey that you go on both emotionally and physically, it is the most exciting feeling to get to engage in something totally all encompassing. Now I can share the passion, emotion and compassion needed to survive completely alone with just the ponies for company.
One thing I have learnt over the years is that deep down in your heart if you have a goal, you can achieve it. Just getting to this point has been incredibly hard, way harder than I ever imagined but I have experienced more incredible moments with horses than I ever dreamt possible.
I feel it is my goal to help and encourage others not by simply talking about something but by actually following my dreams if this can then sow a seed of inspiration to someone else which is sometimes all that is needed to transform dreams into reality.
Thank you so much to all my sponsors and to everyone who followed me daily as I ate eel, sea urchin gonads and taught myself how to start a horse with nothing. I hope you all enjoy the DVD!…Let me know! Thanks again Em xx

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Homeward bound!

Feel like such a girl since I came off the Island, I can’t stop crying. I honestly didn’t know it was possible to cry for multiple reasons at once!…so happy that it happened….so sad that it’s over….so proud of those 6 amazing Connemara’s! Exactly 48 hours later we are boarding a bigger ferry, nowhere near as cool this time, homeward bound.

Dolphin escort

At 9:15pm last night (Sunday) the amazing guys from Clare Island Ferry Co. (O’Grady’s) came to collect the Team and I with a Dolphin escort as all 6 Connemara’s stood calmIy on deck, I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect end the to the most incredible adventure!
Thank you so much to everyone for following……loads of love from Em, Nahla, Atlantis, Evenos, Echo, Comet and Calypso!
5:25am this morning….I have an idea!!

Make the most of every second

Island life – determined to make the most of every second I have left here..not sure Evenos is taking quite the same work ethic! Lol Wet and windy start but then it has cleared off to be the most beautiful evening. I decided I would make a sea food platter (not that I have a lot of other options!) I found a Sea Urchin, which was definitely a culinary first for me! I managed to catch two dog fish when I went spear fishing, they are my favourite! Adding a few lovely Prawns, Cockles, muscles, and Dolce sea weed I was onto a winner. I figured I had too much food so left Jeremy a surprise by the drop box when he came to collect the cards today! I really feel that not only have I been excepted by the horses but by the nature of this island. When I first came I only saw one level, now it’s instinct to know where to go to get the different food, water, shelter etc We are all happy here. 😊

Feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning

Feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning, as I only have a few days left of this totally incredible adventure. When I first started training horses it was big news to back a young horse without ‘breaking’ them either physically or mentally. Being feisty and independent I chose then not to follow anyone’s method but to learn from the horses and to enjoying finding my own way. I am not going to say it’s always be easy, I can still see that last tear hitting the table when I lost Becks and had broken myself in nearly every way possible.

Nearly 2 years ago I brought my first Connemara, I fell in love with so much more than just the breed. Last summer I came up with the idea of ‪#‎theislandproject‬ to keep pushing not just my own limits but the limits. I honestly had no idea if it really was possible to start a horse completely at Liberty, to have a horse except being ridden understand aids without ever using a saddle / bridle / head collar or neck rein to help, whilst they are roaming totally free in their home environment and I’m trying to survive alone. This is undoubtedly the best experience of my life, I have and am still loving every second. Nahla, Atlantis, Comet, Calypso you guys have played your parts perfectly, I am totally honoured to have you by my side, Evenos… What can I say other than wow you have blown me a away with your brilliance, Echo my little friend you may have come a little later to join the party but now I am so happy your part of our team.

Matter of right and left!

It’s matter of right and left!!  Had a perfect Sunday, finally I get a rest from the rain, still very cold with strong winds. Mr Evenos is starting to get his left and right que (He’s clearly not dyslexic like me!!) Echo is coming along now, I asked him to lay down on command which he did really well, I felt so proud of him as things don’t come as easy to him, but I knew the moment was there so I was happy to ask, he is a lovely chap who is brilliant regardless..along with his other island friends! I also got to talk human!!! Jeremy had a visiting order to come and film some of the horse stuff for a couple of hours a day for the last week so I can share my adventure with you all a bit better as my four legged friend like to destroy my camera with out a guard! Jeremy isn’t helping me and no he isn’t brining me any food etc (you can probably tell I’m loving island life and am very happy, I don’t need anything more than I have here with me!) I can’t believe it’s the last week now!

Nettles for dinner!

Winner winner, bread, fish and nettles for dinner!! Lol 🙂 on the assumption I couldn’t get any wetter out of the water I may as well enjoy being in it! Had an awesome time spear fishing this morning, then did the ultimate survival thing (even girls can!!) and made a fire from mostly peat that I had dug up and dried yesterday and a few bits of drift wood I collected from the shore line, my pebble bread oven cooked like a dream in the peat embers! Totally loving island life, even when it’s far to wet and windy to work with the ponies they still come and hang about for a while.:-)

Moving House

Moving house…I woke up with the wind howling around the tent and decided that I needed to make island life more exciting. I now officially live in a cave! Thanks very much to Horseware I have made myself a fully waterproof Rambo Bivy bag…as I was on the girly stuff, (sewing my bivy bag) I thought I would add some lovely pics of the flowers too. 😊 the sun has come out a bit this afternoon so we are all happy!

I actually caught a fish

Wooohoooo I ACTUALLY caught a fish…..and not just any fish….a flipp’in SHARK!! (Well..a Dog fish 😉) the little guy was my first catch, poor chap had big ideas for one so small, then he was the bait to catch dinner!
The ponies landed themselves a fine catch today as well, (they had been eating some of the ferns, I was worried they might be hungry, I came back to find a big pile on the beach!) so we are all eating well tonight!

Island life

Island life- “tuff” day yesterday it was cold, wet and very windy. My tent leaked like a sieve (in fact I think a sieve would be more useful) and I got girl flu!  So the ponies and I did sweet f’a! I woke up this morning and told myself to snap out of it, poorly or not I am only here a month so don’t waste a second! I set myself a challenge to traverse the island at sea level which was really fun. This afternoon i played with the ponies, I taught Evenos to lay down when I asked him too (so I could stop having to try and be athletic and jump!) he is a total genius!! It really is something special to take a pony (or horse) who knows nothing and teach them loads of cool stuff!! ‪#‎loveit‬ Just cooked a meal, on tonight’s menu we have large prawns, (not sure how large before they count as king) Clams, Cockles, rice with fern tips (the tips are peppery so make the rice a little less boring) and Eel #2 which are very tasty once you have caught the slippery little sucker!!