An email from the new girls

"Hi Sharon

Just a quick note to let you know that Penny has settled in really well.  We have got her where she can get into the shade of the she oaks and she spent the middle of the day dozing in the shade.  The girls rode her tonight - just walking and trotting and she was great.  Even B. trotted her which was great to see!!

Thanks once again

S, B and K"

Isn't that nice? It certainly made my day and helped me to realise that I have done a good thing for Possum and those girls. I know if I were a teenager getting a new horse, I would certainly want it there for Christmas Day. There were many, many years when I rushed out on Christmas morning to see if finally Father Christmas had got me what I really wanted.

Well, I know better now than to rely on a man!  

Are we ready? Yes, we are!

Right, ODE tomorrow.

Dressage test learned. Yes, I know, walk at X, halt at G. Dumbass got that wrong last time...

Float hooked up, hay bags full, dressage whip at the ready (in case Miss P decides to be difficult)

Gear in the ute - 2 x saddles, bridle with multiple nosebands, saddle cloths, jumping boots, my boots, jacket/stock/cc jumper, back protector, helmet, jumping armband. Do I get brave and take the bitless bridle too? Or will that completely freak out the gear-check Mums? Can't remember the PC rules...

Food to take including bananas (potassium and carbs) lots of drink, chocolate for cheering-up purposes. May throw in a bottle of wine and/or the whiskey too.

Money, camera, phone.

There can't be much left in my house by now. Do hope the trusty Hilux will be able to move all of this plus slightly chubby horse! Toyota Power!
Will probably discover tomorrow what I have forgotten.

Already - don't forget the water container + bucket. Rescue remedy for me and horse. Carrots.

Right, will try going to bed now and visualising great things! Wish me luck...

Feeling Flirty

The old baggage is definitely in season. She was in the paddock with slightly longer grass yesterday afternoon, which is next to all four of the boys. When I went to bring her in she was covered in what looked suspiciously like goober marks. Sure enough, she had been flirting with the boys (all geldings) and even let Albie groom her for a while. Hence the goobers.

She is ususally a cranky mare and snarls at everyone, including me. But she is feeling very lovey-dovey, and is being so nice to the boys they are confused. Being geldings doesn't help as none of them know what the heck to do, but they are happy to hang out with her. It made me laugh to see her still snarl at the Dratted Pony (probably 'cos it's a mare too) so she hasn't had a complete personality change!

Where we're at

I started a post a couple of weeks ago after we had a disasterous day at the Top Score jumping. I couldn't finish it, so it's still in the drafts folder.
Suffice to say, my fears that my girl is getting past it are becoming real. We got eliminated in three of the four sections, and she is not a happy horse. So far we have had the chiro/physio and saddle fitter out, upped her supplements and started her on Devil's Claw.

I rode her last night and she was very bouncy and spooky, and seemed full of herself. That might be in part to the couple of days she has spent on the good spring grass, despite the toxin binder. Or it might be that she is feeling better and the additives are working. She certainly hasn't lunged at me trying to bite me lately, which is a good indicator of her temper!

My coach is finally back from the US, and we have a lesson/assessment on Saturday morning. I need to make some serious decisions about where we are going. I really hope we have at least another season together, but if she is not happy jumping, I will have to accept that and start looking for a replacement.

Don't get me wrong, she will have a wonderful life of standing in the paddock, eating, and going on gentle hacks. I'm not one to put a horse down because she can't do what I want her to do. As long as she is happy, she can be a paddock ornament. And someone has to keep that dratted pony in line!


THAT DRATTED PONY!

About Miss P.

My Possum is a dark bay mare about 18 years old. One of the dentists said some of her teeth look as if she were 20 and since I don't know much about her, that could be true.

She is what we call here in New Zealand a "stationbred" horse, which means a horse of no particular breeding, bred on a large farm or station as a working horse. There are several well regarded lines from around the country, St James in the South Island being one of the most famous. One of their horses, Vincent St James is a Grand Prix dressage horse who won several national titles. A stationbred horse is typically sturdy with good bone, a sensible nature and usually the ability to jump. That sums up this girl, a classic "good doer" despite years of rough life with badly fitting gear, ad hoc worming, eating blackberry and no dental treatment till she was 15.

Now she has a more pampered life. She has two vets, a dentist, physiotherapist, acupunturist, chiropracter and a barefoot trimmer. It has been suggested that maybe her owner is slightly OCD, but I believe she deserves the best that I can offer her.
And, what else would I spend my money on?

Possum

Miss Possum - late April 09

In her full, glorious winter coat. I don't know her breeding, but I would bet there's some pony in there. Once she's clipped, the thoroughbred head shows more.