I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t into horses!  My family weren’t horsey, my Mum had ridden a little and even loaned a pony for a while but even she would describe herself only as a ‘competent novice’.  However, I just always knew that I had a future with horses even though I didn’t know exactly how this would turn out I just knew

 

I started riding lessons at a local stables, which I loved but I could never get enough and a 1 hour lesson a week just wasn’t cutting it.  I think I was 11 yrs and had been badgering my parents relentlessly to have my own pony with no success. Then a miracle happened, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I had a childhood blanket (that’s all the details I am giving!) and my Dad nagged and nagged me to get rid of it, then he made a life changing statement…”get rid of that blanket and I will buy you a pony”.  My mum looked on in horror as without hesitation I replied ‘OK!’ and put the blanket in a drawer.

 

Welcome to the family Gwen, a 13.1 Welsh section C pony.  Gwen was AMAZING, I learnt so much riding and caring for her, made so many friends at the DIY yard she was kept at, joined The Pony Club and did all the rallies and camps,  I spent a lot of time falling off and getting back on and made so many happy memories.  I will always be so grateful for Gwen and all the opportunities she opened up for me that I would have missed out on if I had chosen a different hobby.

 

I had Gwen full time for 3 years and then the time came that sadly comes with all first ponies, I outgrew Gwen and needed a bigger pony so I could further my riding.   I couldn’t bear the thought of selling her so we needed to find her a loan home.  My Mum had been volunteering at a local school, Chailey Heritage Foundation, in their therapeutic riding department and they were on the look out for a pony.  Gwen went along for an ‘interview’ and passed with flying colours, so she moved to Chailey’s yard to live with another therapeutic pony and help the children and young people there.

 

What a rewarding few years she had at Chailey, she learnt how to stand at the special mounting block so the children could be hoisted onto her back and she never put a foot wrong, she loved all the attention when the children groomed her and would stand for hours to be petted.

 

Gwen is now 21 years old and is currently on loan to another very lovely girl who lives locally and is helping her learn to ride.  I hope she can stay there for as long as possible as she is very happy!

 

What a truly special pony Gwen turned out to be.  I have been so lucky to spend so much time with her and the end result is of course MOCHARA!  Chailey Heritage are MOCHARA’s chosen charity and I am so proud that we were able to sponsor a box for them at the London International Horse Show at Olympia last year.

 

Keep an eye out for my next blog “Hippotherapy, what is it?” where I will try to explain a bit more about Gwen’s time working at Chailey Heritage.

 

What I Pack in my Lorry: Eventing Edition

I can’t quite believe the time has finally come to write this blog… my plan was to have it written before the first event of the season in March but of course our Event season has been significantly delayed due to the Corona Virus. Four months later than originally planned but many of us are heading to our first event of the season THIS WEEKEND! As many of us are out of the ‘Eventing routine’ I thought I’d create a checklist to make your life a little easier when it comes to packing the lorry or trailer. Along with all of the typical items you’d expect to see (saddle, boots, body protector etc.), I also asked you guys for some of your more obscure suggestions via Instagram. So here goes… be sure to print this checklist so that you are as organised as you possibly can be for your first Event of the season.

 Good luck!

 

Travel

Travel boots

Tail bandage/guard

Travel rug

Leather headcollar

Haynet (& spare)

 

For the rider

Hat (& hairnet)

Gloves

Show jacket

Stock shirt

Stock & pin

Boots (& spurs)

Breeches (& spares)

Body protector

Air jacket

Stop watch

Whips

Number bib (& pre-printed number)

Cross country colours

Cross country app (or wheel)

Dressage test

 

For the horse

Dressage saddle (& girth)

Jump saddle (& girth)

Bridle

Dressage & jumping bits

Breastplate

Martingale

Neckstrap

Numnahs

Jumping boots

Cross country boots

Tape

Fly veil

Ice boots (& ice) /cold water boots

Polos or treats!

 

For the lorry/trailer

List of your times

Map & directions

Passport

Tack cleaner

Stud kit (studs, tap, nail, magnetic dish, WD-40)

Cooler rug

Lightweight waterproof rug

Towels

Water buckets (sponge, sweat scraper)

Mounting block

Lunge line

Hole punch

Skip & fork

First aid kit

Diesel! (don’t forget to fill up!)

 

Grooming box

Brushes

Mane/tail brush

Detangler spray

Baby oil (& towel)

Spare plaiting bands/thread

Fly spray

Hoof pick

Hoof oil

 

Instagram suggestions

Apple juice to put in the horse’s water if they don’t drink

Loo roll!

Rescue remedy

Lucky socks

Camping chairs

Plasters

Mini whiteboard to write down times

Note pad for walking the cross country course

Wilberry wonder pony to take cross country

Suncream (for a rare sunny day of Eventing)

Bottled water or Lucozade

Lots of snacks

Money for buying lots of photos

A SENSE OF HUMOUR!

 

I should have started these blogs a few weeks ago but I think the first few weeks were a bit of an adjustment period during which I had to find ways to fill the time that I would normally have spent riding, training and preparing for competitions and actually competing.  Unfortunately I think I filled a lot of this time with the wrong things, ie snacking and feeling a little bit sad about all the horsey time I was missing! (my yard has temporarily closed and I have not seen Buddy for about 6 weeks).

 About 2 weeks into lockdown I quickly realised that if I continued like this I would not be in any shape to ride or compete if and when we get the chance this season and I needed to do something about it.  My healthy programme started…

 Every week I tried to find new ways to exercise and also experimented with healthy snacks, I am going to share some of my recipes and exercise ideas starting with these yummy raspberry, banana and oat cookies:  100% healthy and 100% tasty!

 

TARA’S RASPBERRY, BANANA AND OAT COOKIES

100g porridge oats

90g plain flour (or gluten free flour)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

28g melted coconut oil (melted butter also works)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

120ml honey

50g raspberries

1 banana

Handful of raisins (optional)

 

In a bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg and vanilla extract. Then stir in the honey.

Add in the flour mixture and stir. Then add a mashed banana and fold in the raspberries.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes and cover with cling film.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Drop the mixture into approx. 15 rounded scoops on the tray and flatten slightly.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Leave to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Once I started eating better it was easier to motivate myself to exercise and the first thing I committed to do every day was go for a walk with my dogs.  I’m really lucky to live near the Ashdown Forest in Sussex (home of Winnie the Pooh) and it has actually been really fun trying to find new walks.  I highly recommend the Runkeeper app which is free to download and measures how far I walk or run every day and really helps keep me motivated. 

If you don’t have walks or parks near you it’s still possible to walk anywhere and once you get started it is really addictive.  If you need some inspiration here are a few good reasons to get outside and get moving:

  

1. Get up early and start the day with some fresh air (I get out as early as possible so I have the rest of the day free to concentrate on work).
2. Take some time away from work, screens, social media and watching the news
3. See other people (from a distance of course), it’s amazing how everyone has more time to say hello and how many people who don’t normally exercise have used their exercise time to start walking
4. Top up your vitamin D, great immune booster
5. Phone a friend and see how they are doing, bit tricky when you’re walking uphill

 

I hope Buddy appreciates all of this when I get to see him again.  More recipes and tips coming next week…

It’s finally time to meet the Mochara models (horses too!) - We asked our models to tell us a little bit about themselves, their horses, as well as what they love about a Mochara shoot day… I think it’s particularly important to mention that all of our models are friends of Tara’s and have previously never modelled before, the pictures still look amazing, regardless!!

 

Anna Martin - @anna.martin.eventing

My name is Anna Martin and I am 16 years old. I am currently studying in Lower sixth at school and I would love to study Business Management at University. In the first shoot I did with Mochara, I used Classic (Sannanvalley Classic), my 12 year old, coloured mare who I compete at BE Novice, our best result being at Badminton in 2018 where we finished 7^th. Sadly I outgrew Classic (I am very tall) and she is at her new home where she is teaching another girl the love of Eventing.

I also used Jester (The Court Jester) who is a 14 year old, chestnut gelding that I have owned for 2 and a half years. Unfortunately, Jester broke his pelvis around 2 weeks into owning him and had to have 8 months’ box and field rest as a result meaning that we have only done one full season of Eventing together. My best result with Jester was coming 9^th in our first Novice at Farely Hall on my birthday. Jester doesn’t like to stand still during a shoot and has a habit of begging for treats by holding his leg in the air (very irritating but makes for some great photos!). During our second shoot I borrowed my mum’s 17 year old, grey gelding, Harry, who was the perfect model. We also took a few photos with my new mare Peggy (Golden Power) who I hope to compete when the season resumes. She is very beautiful but also wasn’t a fan of standing still for photos.

 

My favourite Mochara products are the baselayers, especially the navy one. They are very smart, such good quality and can be worn as casual everyday riding tops or as competition wear. I love how relaxed and fun the shoots are and the photos are always amazing! It’s quite the family affair as my sister is the photographer!

Don't forget to tag us in your photos for a chance to feature on our pages, we love seeing all our clothes in action!

It’s finally time to meet the Mochara models (horses too!) - We asked our models to tell us a little bit about themselves, their horses, as well as what they love about a Mochara shoot day… I think it’s particularly important to mention that all of our models are friends of Tara’s and have previously never modelled before, the pictures still look amazing, regardless!!

 

Millie James - @millie_james__

My name is Amelia James, I am an 18 year old Event rider who has just finished school at Westonbirt. I have plans for a gap year filled with horses and travelling before planning my next stage in life. 

In our Mochara shoot, Princess was chosen to model as my main horse Jennie was off work and looked very fluffy… Princess is a 6 year old mare who has previously show jumped to 1.35m. I took her to the NSEA championships as our first show together where she jumped double clears the whole weekend. Having never seen a cross country fence before, I’m really excited to see if she takes to Eventing.

I have owned Couraguneen Jennie for over a year now and we have evented up to Intermediate. Unfortunately, various injuries have meant that we didn’t quite get the 2019 season that we had hoped for, however I hope to finish the season by competing at a 3*, depending on when we get back out.

My favourite Mochara product would have to be the base layers (particularly the pink one). They have become an essential part of my everyday riding wardrobe as well as looking seriously smart when competing. These base layers fit perfectly, are made out of a high quality material and look stunning on; once you have one you’ll be addicted – I highly recommend.

I had the best time shooting for Mochara, despite it being very cold (Tara and I spent our breaks sat on the Aga in an attempt to warm up)! Jo and Nic from ‘Jo Hansford Photography’ worked wonders behind the camera, whilst Tara made me feel so welcome, as well as treating me with plenty of gorgeous goodies! The whole day felt very special and I feel so lucky to work with such a genuine brand. My favourite part about my shoot had to be hearing all about how the company started. I’m beyond excited to see what the future holds for Mochara.

Stay tuned for Meet The Mochara Models Part IV - Anna Martin

Don't forget to tag us in your photos for a chance to feature on our pages, we love seeing all our clothes in action!

It’s finally time to meet the Mochara models (horses too!) - We asked our models to tell us a little bit about themselves, their horses, as well as what they love about a Mochara shoot day… I think it’s particularly important to mention that all of our models are friends of Tara’s and have previously never modelled before, the pictures still look amazing, regardless!!

 

Tara Keoshgerian - @keoshgerian_eventing

I’m Tara Keoshgerian, 21 years old and the founder/owner of Mochara. I have recently graduated with a first class degree from Hartpury University where I studied Equestrian Sports Science, having previously studied at Mayfield School. I am now running Mochara full time and am absolutely loving it.

Muchwood Comanche (Buddy) is an 11 year old, chocolate dun gelding who I am Eventing at BE100/BE105. Together we have competed at Badminton Grassroots 2018 where we led the dressage phase. Our aims for this year include qualifying for Badminton 2021 and to compete at our first 1*, however this will all depend on when we are able to get back out Eventing. Buddy is quite the character, he was born to be a model and thoroughly enjoys being the centre of attention, doing a different pose for every click of the camera which makes for some absolutely stunning photos. For that reason, we plan to keep Buddy forever, he is far too special to us and has become the face of the brand!

Of course I love all of our products otherwise we wouldn’t be selling them but having said that, my favourite item would have to be the leggings, you won’t catch me wearing anything else! They’re perfect for every activity, whether that be riding, the gym or everyday wear #notjustforriders.

It’s finally time to meet the Mochara models (horses too!) - We asked our models to tell us a little bit about themselves, their horses, as well as what they love about a Mochara shoot day… I think it’s particularly important to mention that all of our models are friends of Tara’s and have previously never modelled before, the pictures still look amazing, regardless!!

 

Alana Sparrow - @alanasparrow_

Hi, I’m Alana, a 23 year old rider, coach and yard manager at Chelwood Equestrian. Both of my horses are owned by Rasshied Din:

Ardagh Aladdin (Robin) is a 7 year old gelding who I have evented up to BE100 with the aim to do 2* at the end of this year (depending on what happens with the corona virus). He’s quite an anxious horse but a brilliant jumper and loves to gallop. He loves cameras and most of all food – he makes a weird mooing noise at feed time that sounds more like a cow than a horse! Robin loves seeing his old friend and stable mate, Buddy at shoots.

 

Angels Spirit (Goose) is the ultimate grassroots horse, and together we won the Mitsubishi Motors Cup at Badminton 2019 as well as four South East Eventer’s League sections, plus being placed at every event that year. When I was given the ride on Goose the aim was to get her to the Grassroots championship at Badminton, so it was great to achieve that and more. Her collection of rosettes and trophies is quite impressive! Goose is retired from competition now and is enjoying gaining weight and living a very chilled lifestyle. She is the most loving, easy horse but last year when she started going to events with Robin she fell madly in love with him and started loading herself when she was being lead or ridden near the box – she tried very hard to load when I was on her having just come back from a dressage test at Goring, which took me very much by surprise!

 

My favourite Mochara products are definitely the baselayer/legging combo. The thick waistband on the leggings means that they don’t slip down, like most. They are seriously comfy for the whole day – teaching, riding and in the office. I also really like my black padded jacket as it provides a great layer for schooling in the winter without getting too hot.

I have loved getting some really amazing images with the horses during shoots and I especially like trying all of the different colours and styles of the lovely clothes. It’s really exciting to just be a tiny part of a new and exciting business.

Don't forget to tag us in your photos for a chance to feature on our pages, we love seeing all our clothes in action!

Part II coming soon - Tara Keoshgerian...

Thanks to everyone who sent questions in via Instagram...here are my answers, I hope you enjoy reading them.

 

Do you ride/do you have horses?

Yes! My horse, Muchwood Comanche (Buddy) is an 11 year old, Irish Sports horse, Chocolate Dun gelding. If you follow our social media pages I’m sure you’ll have seen lots of pictures of him as he’s quite the model and thoroughly enjoys posing for the camera during shoots! He’s a bit of a legend and together we compete in British Eventing. We competed at the Mitsubishi Motors Cup last year where he led the Dressage phase and we have also just qualified for the Pony Club Eventing Championships in August.

 

How old are you? 

I have just turned 21.

 

What does Mochara mean?

The name Mochara means ‘my friend’ in Gaelic. We thought this was perfect for our brand considering my horse’s name is Buddy. The name Mochara also sounds like a mixture of Buddy’s show name (Muchwood Comanche) and my name (Tara).

 

 What inspired you to start the brand?

 In short, I needed to decide what I wanted to do when I left university… I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to continue to my passion for horses so decided to combine it with my love for fashion…and so Mochara was born.

 

When did you decide to launch Mochara?

It has always been a dream of mine to start my own business but these dreams finally became a reality in December when I decided to create Mochara. It was a very long 6 months before Mochara launched as I was juggling being a full time third year University student with designing all of our products.

 

What is your favourite product so far?

That’s a very tricky one! Obviously I love all of our products otherwise I wouldn’t be selling them but probably the baselayers as they are so versatile…you can wear them whilst riding, on the yard, at the gym, on a run and even whilst skiing…the possibilities are endless!

 

Having said that, I literally wear my black half zip all day every day so that would have to be a very close second!

 

 

Will you be looking for sponsors?

 At the moment we are not ready to consider any sponsors or ambassadors as our brand is still very new. However, we will be looking in the future so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.

 

We get hundreds of DM’s regarding sponsorship per day and whilst we try our best to reply to everyone please understand that this is sometimes difficult.

 

What is your favourite thing about running your own business?

Definitely being able to ride in products that have been designed by myself as well as hearing your feedback and seeing pictures of you guys riding in our clothing.

 

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start their own business?

Honestly, just go for it! It’s a very lengthy process and everything takes longer than you expect but it’s so rewarding in the long run.

 

Where is your business based and do you sell online only? 

We are based in East Sussex and yes we are an online only retailer. However, if you are local to Sussex and would prefer to visit our office we are more than happy to accommodate you, but this is strictly by appointment only.

 

We are also planning on travelling to all of the big UK equestrian trade shows and will also be attending the NSEA championships at Addington in October where we hope to see many of you there.

 

Do you have any new products lined up to launch?

Yes! Our padded jackets will be available to purchase very soon. These jackets come in a very cute little bag so are perfect to carry around with you all day in case of a sudden change in weather (which we all know is very common in England!)

 

We also have a couple of new products launching in Autumn so keep your eyes peeled!

Hello everyone, welcome to Mochara!

I hope you love the new Mochara brand and website… it’s been an incredible journey from concept to reality and I have had to turn my hand to so many different tasks. I must admit that at times I worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew, but to everyone reading this, I must just say it’s all been worth it. I have always remembered the quote “don’t call them dreams, call them plans” whenever I wanted to give up!

I have managed to combine two of my passions: horses and fashion to create Mochara Equestrian. One of my main aims was to create a stylish yet affordable equestrian and active wear clothing brand. The name Mochara means ‘my friend’ or ‘my buddy’ in Gaelic and I am half Irish, so it seemed perfect considering my horse’s name is also Buddy. Buddy is quite the model and has thoroughly enjoyed posing for the camera during shoots and I very much look forward to sharing these photos with you.

As a full time student at Hartpury University, I often found myself struggling for time which resulted in me wanting to design clothing that could be worn for multiple purposes. Whether it be straight from the yard, to a lecture or to the gym rather than having to change outfits hundreds of times every day, there are more important things to worry about! To achieve this, our products have been carefully designed and tested to ensure that they are suitable for various activities. They are also minimally branded so you can wear them to the shops or to work… the possibilities are endless!

As a rider myself, I have a firm idea of what looks good and is also practical and comfortable – this means that each product has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets these requirements. It is the most amazing feeling training and competing in clothes that I have designed myself and I can’t wait to see pictures of you wearing Mochara products. Make sure to tag us in your pictures for a chance to feature on our social media pages.

Please follow our social media channels in order to stay up to date with all of our latest products and release dates. I am planning to add lots of new styles and colours shortly.

Love,
Tara x