Variety is the spice of life they say. If that's true, I really think I've had enough of curries.
Drove to Dunedin this morning, abandoned mum and dad and went shopping. Good times, wandering round town listening to Kora, chatting to sales assistants. New clothes! Stoked! It's been a while... Hooray for a paying job finally!
Met up with mum and dad for lunch, sat in the sun in the octagon drinking coffee and eating good food, then more wandering around town. The wind was howling a gale but it was a good 30 degrees out... Celcius that is.
Met up with mum and dad again around 2pm. Went up to the crematorium. Dear grandpa arrived in his home made coffin on the back of Kelly's ute. This is the first “funeral” I've ever been to. It consisted of saying hi to my aunt and two uncles, passing the hugs around. It's the first time we've all been in one place in probably 6 years. Then we backed the ute up to the back entrance of the building (grandpa wanted nothing to do with the chapel.) Slid the coffin off and onto a funky motorized table on wheels. Had a chat to the dude working there and watched him open up the kiln and scrape the remains of the last occupant to the end (I saw the head of a femur and half a pelvis still intact) Then the funky motorized table thing fully HURLED the coffin in and sparks flew everywhere until the door came down again. We all peered in a tiny little window on the side at the flames. Auntie Alison took bunch of photos of the whole thing. Everyone had a bit of a weepy moment, more hugs were shared around, then we all got in various vehicles and left. The whole event took twenty minutes. Max.
Mum and dad dropped me back in town about half past three. and I walked up to Fix to meet Tama, a guy I dated for a full three days in 2004. By this I mean we had coffee a couple of times, then he asked me to the movies. The movie was so boring we made out the whole way through. That was Friday. By the following Wednesday he'd stopped speaking to me entirely. This is the first time I've seen him since. Got take away coffees and sat in the park talking for ages, then decided it was too hot and migrated to the pub. Mmmmm Emersons Pilsner. Yum.
Said goodbye around quarter to six and walked back to the other end of town for dinner with the family. Amazing food, good wine, excellent company. (yellow fin tuna steaks. Roast pear, bacon and walnut salad. Italian chocolate torte, macchiato, chardonnay, shiraz.... you get the idea.) Apparently some guy my mum worked with when I was a kid told her I was a Mystic. Cool.
Sat in the back seat on the way back to Lawrence, with my knees pulled up to my chest, staring at the scenery flying past with tears dripping off my chin. Didn't stop crying the whole hour and a quarter long drive. Laughed at myself for being a melodramatic emo kid. You ever get that? Where some part of you is so full of feeling, and another part of you is looking at your behaviour and thinking, “well Fuck this is stupid.”?
Uncle Jack is staying with us. Mum gave him his Christmas present already. An Inflatable leek. He loves it. Yes, my family is WEIRD. Really. (This is the man who gave me two dog bowls with my name on the side in big pink letters. He'd asked me what I wanted and I said, “something I've never had before.” I guess I should be thankful he didn't go with his first suggestion: "How about an octopus down your trousers?" Another year he gave me a block of chocolate and “something to eat it with” - a teaspoon.) No, he's not crazy, he just has way too much fun with life. He is a librarian with a semi automatic rubber band gun.
In summary:
Shopping! YAY!
Funeral. Suck.
Coffee date! Yay!
Dinner. Lovely, but uncomfortably tense and emotional.
Drive home. Sad as fuck.
Tea and inflatable Leeks! Hysterical!
... Can't I just have good days and bad days? These frequent emotional ups and downs are getting too much for me.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Nov 15
Sometimes I twist myself up in knots because I know there's so much I'm capable of doing and yet I have trouble getting off my ass and DOING it.
Sometimes I think I've spent too much of my life with my nose in a book and I've missed something... Something that would make being with people and feeling like I belong even a possibility. I'm good at first impressions, I can be charming and kind and friendly and flirtatious... But I have trouble keeping it up. Maybe its just that at the moment I'm forced to study and eat and live with a bunch of people I wouldn't otherwise associate with.
In years of traveling and moving from one school/city/country to the next I've gotten far too good at letting go. Letting go of stuff I don't mind, chucking stuff out can be cathartic. Its the letting go of people that worries me. I'm not usually good at keeping in touch with people after I leave a place. I just... let them go. All the same, there are some I can still call, after a year or so and know I'll be able to crash on their couch or sit down over coffee and talk for hours with ease... Maybe I just let go of the ones that don't make the grade. i don't know. But I don't fit easily into any of the groups of people at school. I get along with everyone OK, but there's the group of hot blondes who laugh at everything and I never seem to get the joke (I'm beginning to think there isn't one, they just laugh lots to look cute and disguise their complete lack of intelligence), there's the group of average people that I can have a laugh with and who ask me the answers to all the assignments (I don't mind helping, but for fucks sake I don't ask to cheat off your papers, why would you ask to copy mine?? Sorry, pet peeve there.) And there's the one or two girls who spend all their available time getting drunk and secluding themselves in their rooms with their boyfriends. All of these people will bitch constantly behind each others backs when given the chance, and that's something I've tried so hard not to give in to. I don't see the point. If I have a problem with some one, I work it out with them. telling everyone else I have a problem isn't going to fix it.
Oh shit, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it? Whoops. Though, it is kinda therapeutic, I'll give it that.
Sigh. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it feels a whole lot like being in high school- being surrounded by people and yet feeling alone and like you didn't really know who you were supposed to be... i don't want to blunt who I am by trying to fit in, but damn it's lonely being me in a crowd of people who still want to be carbon copies of each other.
Guess I'm still trying to find the place in the world where I fit.
Home can be such a foreign concept.
On a lighter, but possibly more frightening note, people are making rude jokes about me today. Apparently I look like a rape victim. Damn bruises! Have been asked by all three of the hostel supervisors if everything is ok, have I been in a fight? Oh my God! What HAPPENED?!
...Damn horses.
Sometimes I think I've spent too much of my life with my nose in a book and I've missed something... Something that would make being with people and feeling like I belong even a possibility. I'm good at first impressions, I can be charming and kind and friendly and flirtatious... But I have trouble keeping it up. Maybe its just that at the moment I'm forced to study and eat and live with a bunch of people I wouldn't otherwise associate with.
In years of traveling and moving from one school/city/country to the next I've gotten far too good at letting go. Letting go of stuff I don't mind, chucking stuff out can be cathartic. Its the letting go of people that worries me. I'm not usually good at keeping in touch with people after I leave a place. I just... let them go. All the same, there are some I can still call, after a year or so and know I'll be able to crash on their couch or sit down over coffee and talk for hours with ease... Maybe I just let go of the ones that don't make the grade. i don't know. But I don't fit easily into any of the groups of people at school. I get along with everyone OK, but there's the group of hot blondes who laugh at everything and I never seem to get the joke (I'm beginning to think there isn't one, they just laugh lots to look cute and disguise their complete lack of intelligence), there's the group of average people that I can have a laugh with and who ask me the answers to all the assignments (I don't mind helping, but for fucks sake I don't ask to cheat off your papers, why would you ask to copy mine?? Sorry, pet peeve there.) And there's the one or two girls who spend all their available time getting drunk and secluding themselves in their rooms with their boyfriends. All of these people will bitch constantly behind each others backs when given the chance, and that's something I've tried so hard not to give in to. I don't see the point. If I have a problem with some one, I work it out with them. telling everyone else I have a problem isn't going to fix it.
Oh shit, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it? Whoops. Though, it is kinda therapeutic, I'll give it that.
Sigh. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it feels a whole lot like being in high school- being surrounded by people and yet feeling alone and like you didn't really know who you were supposed to be... i don't want to blunt who I am by trying to fit in, but damn it's lonely being me in a crowd of people who still want to be carbon copies of each other.
Guess I'm still trying to find the place in the world where I fit.
Home can be such a foreign concept.
On a lighter, but possibly more frightening note, people are making rude jokes about me today. Apparently I look like a rape victim. Damn bruises! Have been asked by all three of the hostel supervisors if everything is ok, have I been in a fight? Oh my God! What HAPPENED?!
...Damn horses.
Nov 13
So, Today was my riding assessment. Re assessment. Whatever.
I've improved beyond belief this week. I really have. But I am such a fucking pussy! I want to beat myself over the head with a rock. Or hit something. I am so frustrated. So angry at myself. I know I have fuck all experience, but confidence is the ONLY reason I failed today. I asked Kevin what I could improve on and he said my position is really good, my seat is excellent, I ride the horse really well. I failed because I psyched myself out. That's all.
Which is maybe really good, it means I CAN do it. I am capable. But at the same time it makes me SO DAMN ANGRY! All I had to do was DO it and I was too chicken shit.
How do you get brave? How does it work? I want to ENJOY this. I do enjoy the jumping bit, once I actually get over myself and do it. And I did have a bunch of small brave moments today. Nearly vomited while warming up. Made myself do the practice fence in cross country anyway. I get so scared before I start. I don't know what it is that scares me, only that actually pointing the horse at the jump is the scariest thing in the world and it is SO hard to make myself do it. Had to keep going cos I knew if I stopped I'd never get started again. But I MADE Tom jump the first part of the combination after he ran out and took out the jump stand with my knee. Ouch! Made myself jump the roll top for the first time. And again. And the Pallisade, after Tom refused. Jumped the drop for the first time, and then staying on and getting back under control over the rough ground afterwards, bringing him back and jumping the last two fences. My hands didn't stop shaking until 1800. That's three hours after I got off the horse.
I guess in the end, it's not my fault I have so little experience. And I have tried my heart out this week. But I am such chicken shit and I hate hate HATE it!
So I sat on the floor of my shower and cried with frustration, and laughed at myself at the same time for being so pathetic. And I want to smack the shit out of something. Why are emotions so confusing? Could I not just have one at a time??
And now I'm going to eat chocolate and drink and hope I feel better soon. My whole body aches. My left knee is still hugely swollen, I ripped the skin off the inside of it when I fell yesterday. I have bruises all up and down my arms. I still can't sit comfortably on my right ass cheek. My right knee is still swelling up after I took the jump stand out with my kneecap this morning, all the muscles in my shoulders and back and neck are tight and sore, pretty sure I got whiplash from falling off Thursday.
Yeah, I feel like I tried DAMN hard. Just not hard enough.
I've improved beyond belief this week. I really have. But I am such a fucking pussy! I want to beat myself over the head with a rock. Or hit something. I am so frustrated. So angry at myself. I know I have fuck all experience, but confidence is the ONLY reason I failed today. I asked Kevin what I could improve on and he said my position is really good, my seat is excellent, I ride the horse really well. I failed because I psyched myself out. That's all.
Which is maybe really good, it means I CAN do it. I am capable. But at the same time it makes me SO DAMN ANGRY! All I had to do was DO it and I was too chicken shit.
How do you get brave? How does it work? I want to ENJOY this. I do enjoy the jumping bit, once I actually get over myself and do it. And I did have a bunch of small brave moments today. Nearly vomited while warming up. Made myself do the practice fence in cross country anyway. I get so scared before I start. I don't know what it is that scares me, only that actually pointing the horse at the jump is the scariest thing in the world and it is SO hard to make myself do it. Had to keep going cos I knew if I stopped I'd never get started again. But I MADE Tom jump the first part of the combination after he ran out and took out the jump stand with my knee. Ouch! Made myself jump the roll top for the first time. And again. And the Pallisade, after Tom refused. Jumped the drop for the first time, and then staying on and getting back under control over the rough ground afterwards, bringing him back and jumping the last two fences. My hands didn't stop shaking until 1800. That's three hours after I got off the horse.
I guess in the end, it's not my fault I have so little experience. And I have tried my heart out this week. But I am such chicken shit and I hate hate HATE it!
So I sat on the floor of my shower and cried with frustration, and laughed at myself at the same time for being so pathetic. And I want to smack the shit out of something. Why are emotions so confusing? Could I not just have one at a time??
And now I'm going to eat chocolate and drink and hope I feel better soon. My whole body aches. My left knee is still hugely swollen, I ripped the skin off the inside of it when I fell yesterday. I have bruises all up and down my arms. I still can't sit comfortably on my right ass cheek. My right knee is still swelling up after I took the jump stand out with my kneecap this morning, all the muscles in my shoulders and back and neck are tight and sore, pretty sure I got whiplash from falling off Thursday.
Yeah, I feel like I tried DAMN hard. Just not hard enough.
Monday, March 7, 2011
It's been HOW long??
So, I have neglected this blog disgracefully. I have been writing in the mean time, it just hasn't been posted here. I'm thinking I can post some of my various long winded emails/diary entries/rants here as a reminder to myself what the last few months have achieved. After all, no one HAS to read any of this :)
Nov. 9 2010
Saturday afternoon is my re-sit for my riding practical. At least this time I have a whole week of one on one jumping lessons with Bridget. And actually getting feed back, thank God. The last instructor wasn't particularly helpful. She'd just get you to jump that. and then that. and then the other one and if you didn't fall off, she'd make them bigger and make you do them all again. Didn't really learn much. Certainly didn't learn to ride the horse very well. He operates on different principles than mine. On Harry, if you drop your reins and stop asking for anything, he slows down and stops. On Tom, who I'm riding in the assessment, if you drop the reins and stop asking for anything, he goes faster and faster and faster and faster... He also throws tanties every now and again.
On Friday Anna was mounting and was just throwing her leg over his back and he freaked and took off, bucking and pig rooting. She landed behind the saddle and he went faster, jumped over the second part of the double, an oxer, backwards. Anna lost her reins, he took the two strides and went to jump the first part of the double as she bailed. She landed in the jump, broke one of the rails even. They're pine, about 6" diameter. Tom was freaked, she was freaked and she has a really amazing bruise across her lower back now, about kidney height, where she hit the rail. Ouch.
This is the horse that ran over me when I came off and fucked my back last term. So I'm (understandably, I think) nervous about riding him again. Every time I ride him, it's either the day before the assessment (Oh shit, Tansy's never jumped more than 65cm, quick, put her on Tom and make her jump a meter.) The day of the assessment (don't freak out too much, it only determines whether or not you get into Advanced and get to be here the rest of the year.) The day I crash and wind up in the hospital with a concussion and nerve damage in my lower back ("if you get tingling or numbness, call the ambulance: If your spine moves further you may never be able to walk again.") The day before the Advanced assessment, (oh, that's right, Tansy hasn't ridden in weeks, has only jumped twice since the last assessment and she has to jump a round of 1.10m tomorrow. Chuck her on Tom, we'll work it out [See facebook profile photo, that's my first attempt at 1.05m. The day before our assessment]) and the day of the assessment (with swine flu, couldn't walk a straight line, fell off twice god damn it. But did jump the meter ten and got best marks for striding through the double and the related distances anyway. Hah! )
After that I couldn't physically get out of bed for the next four days, and I've ridden 3 times in the 5 weeks since.
So now when I look at this horse I get nervous. Like, full on freak out, shaking hands, pale as a ghost. I got on anyway. Tried to relax, cos he picks up on it when you're nervous and that freaks him out even more. Anyway, we were doing Ok on Monday, I was cantering around the arena in my jump seat, (ass out of the saddle, leaning forward a little, balancing on the balls of your feet and letting the horse really move.) We were just coming up the the big arena doors when a flock of birds shot out under Toms nose. He spooked sideways, chucked his head in the air and slammed the breaks on. I toppled forward and landed sitting on my ass in front of him. Not really hurt, but gave me a hell of a fright. And I don't know if it works the same for everyone, but for me when I get a fright I cry. Not big nasty wailing crying, but can't stop the fucking tears from streaming out of my eyes and my lip wobbles a bit. Hate it hate it HATE it. Can't stop it from happening though.
Got back on. Can't get my right heel down now, it's swelling up pretty fast, think I must have twisted it somehow when I fell. So now I'm cantering around with tears streaming down my face, white as a sheet again and trying to smile and act like everything is all ok. Did go over a few jumps, felt really good, and at least when we're doing grid work he can't get too fast. Still, for the rest of the day really little stuff kept setting me off. The head of school asking if I was OK, for example. Or Nana giving me a hug. Suck. I hate crying in public.
Think it's a combination of being stressed out and scared and lonely and still in shock a little about Gordon dying. Oh, and Kala telling me right before my lesson, "well, if you haven't got it yet you're not going to learn it in 5 days." Gonna smack her in the face one day soon... Gonna feel SO good... Sometimes I hate that I think before I act. Life would be more interesting if I had just jumped the fence and broken her nose. She's already been threatened with expulsion though if she doesn't change her attitude, and I'm the "good girl" who doesn't drink, smoke, fuck, or disturb the peace in the middle of the night. Or so the general population of Telford believes. Hah. How people think I'm sweet and innocent, I will never understand!
Spent the evening Icing my ankle, (36 hours later It is an interesting shade of purple and about half as big again as it should be.) and secretly drinking tequila out of a water bottle. We're not allowed alcohol on campus, but I mixed Erica, Becky and Tessa mugs of margueritas and we sat around watching Harry Potter and drinking. Catherine, the hostel supervisor, asked me if, now that I was sober again, I'd mind working on her shoulder (the last time I had a go at it it was midnight and I'd just got home from a piss cruise to Tapanui.) I kinda blinked at her and was like, "um... sure, Cat. No worries." However, when I got back to her office she was gone. Thank God.
Nov. 9 2010
Saturday afternoon is my re-sit for my riding practical. At least this time I have a whole week of one on one jumping lessons with Bridget. And actually getting feed back, thank God. The last instructor wasn't particularly helpful. She'd just get you to jump that. and then that. and then the other one and if you didn't fall off, she'd make them bigger and make you do them all again. Didn't really learn much. Certainly didn't learn to ride the horse very well. He operates on different principles than mine. On Harry, if you drop your reins and stop asking for anything, he slows down and stops. On Tom, who I'm riding in the assessment, if you drop the reins and stop asking for anything, he goes faster and faster and faster and faster... He also throws tanties every now and again.
On Friday Anna was mounting and was just throwing her leg over his back and he freaked and took off, bucking and pig rooting. She landed behind the saddle and he went faster, jumped over the second part of the double, an oxer, backwards. Anna lost her reins, he took the two strides and went to jump the first part of the double as she bailed. She landed in the jump, broke one of the rails even. They're pine, about 6" diameter. Tom was freaked, she was freaked and she has a really amazing bruise across her lower back now, about kidney height, where she hit the rail. Ouch.
This is the horse that ran over me when I came off and fucked my back last term. So I'm (understandably, I think) nervous about riding him again. Every time I ride him, it's either the day before the assessment (Oh shit, Tansy's never jumped more than 65cm, quick, put her on Tom and make her jump a meter.) The day of the assessment (don't freak out too much, it only determines whether or not you get into Advanced and get to be here the rest of the year.) The day I crash and wind up in the hospital with a concussion and nerve damage in my lower back ("if you get tingling or numbness, call the ambulance: If your spine moves further you may never be able to walk again.") The day before the Advanced assessment, (oh, that's right, Tansy hasn't ridden in weeks, has only jumped twice since the last assessment and she has to jump a round of 1.10m tomorrow. Chuck her on Tom, we'll work it out [See facebook profile photo, that's my first attempt at 1.05m. The day before our assessment]) and the day of the assessment (with swine flu, couldn't walk a straight line, fell off twice god damn it. But did jump the meter ten and got best marks for striding through the double and the related distances anyway. Hah! )
After that I couldn't physically get out of bed for the next four days, and I've ridden 3 times in the 5 weeks since.
So now when I look at this horse I get nervous. Like, full on freak out, shaking hands, pale as a ghost. I got on anyway. Tried to relax, cos he picks up on it when you're nervous and that freaks him out even more. Anyway, we were doing Ok on Monday, I was cantering around the arena in my jump seat, (ass out of the saddle, leaning forward a little, balancing on the balls of your feet and letting the horse really move.) We were just coming up the the big arena doors when a flock of birds shot out under Toms nose. He spooked sideways, chucked his head in the air and slammed the breaks on. I toppled forward and landed sitting on my ass in front of him. Not really hurt, but gave me a hell of a fright. And I don't know if it works the same for everyone, but for me when I get a fright I cry. Not big nasty wailing crying, but can't stop the fucking tears from streaming out of my eyes and my lip wobbles a bit. Hate it hate it HATE it. Can't stop it from happening though.
Got back on. Can't get my right heel down now, it's swelling up pretty fast, think I must have twisted it somehow when I fell. So now I'm cantering around with tears streaming down my face, white as a sheet again and trying to smile and act like everything is all ok. Did go over a few jumps, felt really good, and at least when we're doing grid work he can't get too fast. Still, for the rest of the day really little stuff kept setting me off. The head of school asking if I was OK, for example. Or Nana giving me a hug. Suck. I hate crying in public.
Think it's a combination of being stressed out and scared and lonely and still in shock a little about Gordon dying. Oh, and Kala telling me right before my lesson, "well, if you haven't got it yet you're not going to learn it in 5 days." Gonna smack her in the face one day soon... Gonna feel SO good... Sometimes I hate that I think before I act. Life would be more interesting if I had just jumped the fence and broken her nose. She's already been threatened with expulsion though if she doesn't change her attitude, and I'm the "good girl" who doesn't drink, smoke, fuck, or disturb the peace in the middle of the night. Or so the general population of Telford believes. Hah. How people think I'm sweet and innocent, I will never understand!
Spent the evening Icing my ankle, (36 hours later It is an interesting shade of purple and about half as big again as it should be.) and secretly drinking tequila out of a water bottle. We're not allowed alcohol on campus, but I mixed Erica, Becky and Tessa mugs of margueritas and we sat around watching Harry Potter and drinking. Catherine, the hostel supervisor, asked me if, now that I was sober again, I'd mind working on her shoulder (the last time I had a go at it it was midnight and I'd just got home from a piss cruise to Tapanui.) I kinda blinked at her and was like, "um... sure, Cat. No worries." However, when I got back to her office she was gone. Thank God.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Summer!
So, got up early today, went out and did the milking, walked the cows right down to the end paddock and watched a plane take off over my head. Sherry's place ends right at the end of the invercargill airport runway. It was only a pencil plane, but it made me wish I were traveling again.
Got to Ainslies and fed the pigs, let the chickens out... etc etc.
Took Harry out for a ride. Oh wow :D We had a small argument again regarding the desireablity of standing about eating vs actually doing some work, but once we got going it was awesome :)
Went round the block to the left. Walking on the road for the most part, with some trotting on the verges close to home. Cantered on the long streatch by the first corner.
To begin with I felt really insecure, Harry's gaits aren't what they could be, they throw me out of the saddle a little too much. So I flopped about and felt like my legs were swinging wildly and our transitions were a mess...
We did it again anyway. And again. and then cruised for a bit enjoying the sun... And then had a lovely long open streach and went for it again. And by the end of two hours of this my legs felt ok, I was balanced, Harry was cantering reasonably nicely and not falling over his forehand so much, and my posting trot was actually keeping up with his sewing machine.
All in all, a wonderful success!
Got to Ainslies and fed the pigs, let the chickens out... etc etc.
Took Harry out for a ride. Oh wow :D We had a small argument again regarding the desireablity of standing about eating vs actually doing some work, but once we got going it was awesome :)
Went round the block to the left. Walking on the road for the most part, with some trotting on the verges close to home. Cantered on the long streatch by the first corner.
To begin with I felt really insecure, Harry's gaits aren't what they could be, they throw me out of the saddle a little too much. So I flopped about and felt like my legs were swinging wildly and our transitions were a mess...
We did it again anyway. And again. and then cruised for a bit enjoying the sun... And then had a lovely long open streach and went for it again. And by the end of two hours of this my legs felt ok, I was balanced, Harry was cantering reasonably nicely and not falling over his forehand so much, and my posting trot was actually keeping up with his sewing machine.
All in all, a wonderful success!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A slightly less successful day...
So Harry had his feet trimmed yesterday. I got on him this morning, ready for another lovely ride around the block and found out immediately that it was not to be. Walking on the grass? Fine, no worries, Happy as. The minute we had to cross a gravel driveway, or walk on the road to avoid it we had problems. Ie. He was not keen. At all. We went 50m one way, to the nearest driveway. Then 100m the otherway, to the next driveway. At which point we had a short argument over whether or not to go on the road for two meters so as to get to the nice long grassy strip on which to ride. The argument was solved when a small girl came out of her house and asked to pat the horse. I succeded in getting him onto the road to be patted, and then we went home and rode in the paddock. Ah well.
We rode for half an hour in the paddock, practicing accurate trot/walk, walk/trot transitions, and riding the corners with an accurate bend. We serpentined back and forth across the paddock at the walk... I'm not sure how straight our lines were, and the tempo was NOT as even as could be desired. We consistantly went faster and with more energy towards the fence behind which his friend was waiting for him. But hey, its a start.
So, this afternoon I led both horses on the tarmac 100m down the road and back again. They have both been in the paddock for too long, and the digital cushion that should be tough and shock absorbing is soft and spongy. As I understand it, the only thing that will improve the toughness and shock absorbtion of their feet is regular work on hard and uneven surfaces. Slowly at first. It may be that I lead Harry along the road to the grassy area, then ride that down to the arena for some work. the leading on the road will be good for his feet, and the work on soft arena footing will be good for both of us.
We rode for half an hour in the paddock, practicing accurate trot/walk, walk/trot transitions, and riding the corners with an accurate bend. We serpentined back and forth across the paddock at the walk... I'm not sure how straight our lines were, and the tempo was NOT as even as could be desired. We consistantly went faster and with more energy towards the fence behind which his friend was waiting for him. But hey, its a start.
So, this afternoon I led both horses on the tarmac 100m down the road and back again. They have both been in the paddock for too long, and the digital cushion that should be tough and shock absorbing is soft and spongy. As I understand it, the only thing that will improve the toughness and shock absorbtion of their feet is regular work on hard and uneven surfaces. Slowly at first. It may be that I lead Harry along the road to the grassy area, then ride that down to the arena for some work. the leading on the road will be good for his feet, and the work on soft arena footing will be good for both of us.
Monday, January 4, 2010
A wonderful morning!
So, it's overcast and windy and looks like rain... but I spent all of last night inexplicably sleepless and amused myself by imagining a wonderful ride, cantering along sunny grass verges and grinning from ear to ear as everything was perfect and Harry and I just flowed, balanced and collected, leaping with ease over small obsticles...
I have a wonderful imagination.
Anyway, the result of so many hours of positive thinking was to make me determined to get on and ride today, no matter the weather (a brand new New Years resolution probably helped too) And so I did.
And it was wonderful. Amazing. Harry was keen to get going, so we trotted the first kilometer or so and cantered the nicer patches and for once he didn't decide to stop at the corner and refuse to go forward. The only sad part was that by the end I was sweating profusely and he wasn't even damp! Guess the NewYears resolution about keeping up my weights and regular cycling is going to have to stick too.
I'm already dreaming about tomorrows ride...
I have a wonderful imagination.
Anyway, the result of so many hours of positive thinking was to make me determined to get on and ride today, no matter the weather (a brand new New Years resolution probably helped too) And so I did.
And it was wonderful. Amazing. Harry was keen to get going, so we trotted the first kilometer or so and cantered the nicer patches and for once he didn't decide to stop at the corner and refuse to go forward. The only sad part was that by the end I was sweating profusely and he wasn't even damp! Guess the NewYears resolution about keeping up my weights and regular cycling is going to have to stick too.
I'm already dreaming about tomorrows ride...
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