The human element of a horse and rider combination still hopping hedges in style with a combined age of 90, having twice been faced with potentially career-ending injury, has shared her story to show what is possible.
Sue Payne, who turns 65 this year, and Louis who turns 25, are regulars with the Coakham Bloodhounds, 12 years after he was “written off” for eventing, and eight years after Sue was told he was unlikely to jump again.
The pair have been together 20 years; Sue told H&H 2025 is a year of “multiple milestones” for them. Sue bought Louis as a five-year-old to event and as an all-rounder. He was “really quite wild when he was young”, she said, opinionated and sharp, but he evented from 2007 until 2013, until Sue noticed some issues.
“I’d go to an event and he might go clear showjumping, then I’d have to pull out of the cross-country; the ground wasn’t suiting him,” she said. “Then he’d go lame in front. We had all the scans and never got a conclusive diagnosis.”
Realising that Louis thrived on soft ground, Sue and her farrier shod him slightly differently, and he was in pads for a while.
“We almost went back to basics and now he’s absolutely fine,” she said. “I’ve got a great farrier, and realised that he’s just not a horse for hard ground so instead of pushing it, once he was sound, I switched to hunting, and I don’t even test it any more; as soon as the ground gets hard, he doesn’t do much, then I pick him back up again.”
Sue said she and Louis enjoyed their hedge-hopping, until he injured a hind tendon eight years ago.
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“He was 17 so I thought he’d never come back,” she said. “I was told to forget about jumping again, and he didn’t owe me anything.
“Then, after a while, it became clear that he was being a bit thuggy again, and charging around the field. His scans were fine, everything had healed. My vet, Karen Coumbe, said ‘I think he’ll be all right’.”
Sue did another long year of hacking and slow rehab until, aged 20, Louis was back to full strength.
“The lesson for me is that a scan can show something has healed after a year but it probably needs another year to get to full strength, and you have to feel your way according to each horse,” she said. “But at nearly 20, he was able to do it all again, which was a win for everybody. They can surprise you – and he’s the most amazing horse.
“He can be very strong, and can be challenging, but I think all those horses of a lifetime can be. And he’s so kind; he might buck, but if he feels me slipping, he stops and scoops me back up!”
Sue said she sticks to smaller hedges owing to the previous injury, but that Louis is thriving in his work and simple routine, and she knows he will let her know if he is not happy. And she wanted to share his story to show that even if a horse cannot do the job for which he was intended, there are other ways both horse and rider can still enjoy what they do.
“I think this may help others consider other jobs for their older horses,” she said “I hope it may also demonstrate to people how much our horses are loved and cared for.
“And one reason he has been able to do it is Karen’s input and my really good farrier – they make all the difference.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
