End of NaBloPoMo

Phew.
Made it this year, one post everyday for November. Slightly less painful than having your boyfriend do Movember. Much easier than NaNoWriMo. Vaguely more fun than-
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, Transgender Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the information).

It has got me into the habit of blogging daily. Sometimes the subject matter has been a bit sparse, but I did it. And it has made me realise how keeping a journal of your progress, happenings and thoughts is both theraputic and cathartic.

PS I was joking yesterday. I think.

For sale - 1.5 horses + gear

"Penny" 20-ish bay stationbred mare, 154 cm.
Barefoot, easy-doer, tends to be cranky, snarls at other horses but hardly ever bites. Fantastic all rounder, has competed in Preliminary (Level 1) dressage, Pre-training eventing, show jumped to 1 m. Two years running was Games Day Champion and obstacle course winner. Participated in NZ Riding Clubs NITE 2009, team placed 4th overall, 1st in cross country, 2nd in quadrille, 4th show jumping. Now starting to stiffen up, requires expensive HA joint supplement, massage, frequent chiropractic adjustments. No longer happy jumping and seems to be going through menopause - wildly fluctuating heats, mysterious swelling and personality changes.

(Half share) "Max" 7 year old smoky dun stationbred approx. 156 cm
Barefoot, easy-doer, sweet tempered if a bit dim. Started but very green, not in work due to stifle injury.

Plus Astil double horsefloat, covers, halters, bridles, other gear etc. Wintec saddles - 17 inch/43cm Pro Dressage saddle, 17.5 inch/44 cm 500 dressage saddle and 2000 GP saddle.

Rider giving up with a broken heart and smashed dreams.

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...

Having no jump in your hind quarters

My beloved Possum is really starting to show her age. My lesson last night was an effort to try to sort out the "wall of death" canter. Now that's all very entertaining, especially for onlookers, but not required in a dressage test.

Coach had a look at her warming up, and said "Hmmmm".

We trotted - another "Hmmmmm".
Then onto canter - not too bad, I thought, reasonably quick transition, correct leg, and cantering along without ripping the reins out of my hands.

"Hmmmm. Other rein."

This is the not so good leg, but again, trot, sit, sit, transition to canter, correct leg. Bit heavy on the forehand, but we are not exactly Grand Prix level.

"Hmmmm. So, how does that feel to you?"

Uh, oh. Now, I have been having lessons with H. for a couple of years now. She knows how much I hate being asked my opinion. I hate getting it wrong, it's just the way I am. I want to do everything right the first time. No matter that is nearly impossible with horses. Naturally, H. uses this to torture me. I mean, teach me.

But even I could tell that something wasn't right. I knew that on the weekend when I last tried canter transitions. H. then had a ride herself and tried a couple of things, increasing the contact, pushing her more together and I could see how little push she had in her hindquarters. As she has gone off her hard feed, she hasn't been getting her joint supplement for the past week or so.

The conclusion we came to was that she is seriously stiffening up and has lost the "jump" needed for canter. And that's probably why she is stopping at jumps too. Coach advised us to go out and just have fun at the ODE. Ride the dressage for accuracy and do as best we can without stressing either of us out. It's only a pony club test that doesn't even have a full 20 m canter circle so we should be able to cope.

But I am now having to face the decision - do I retire Possum? And what will I do with her then?

Tears and no post today

Sorry, it has been a bad day. Ending in tears.

I am applying some Riesling to help salve, but I'm not sure it is working.

More tomorrow.



If I feel up to it.

Weird and tingly Wednesday

I'm a scientist by training and inclination, so I'm not sure I believe in the supernatural. But there are some things that can't be explained by science, and so maybe there is more to the world. My current fav radio station does a section on Wednesday mornings where you can share your spooky stories. This would be my contribution-

I had never met a stallion in person. They just aren't that common around the horse world I move in. My coach had a retired dressage stallion at her place as his owner had moved overseas. We had jokingly talked about sending Possum to him to see if we could breed a great Kiwi eventer. I never took that seriously as I was having enough trouble with an older horse, let alone trying to take on a stroppy little warmblood.

I had been working crazy hours as we were flat out harvesting. Eventually I hit a wall after about three weeks without a day off. I got everyone up and running and gave myself the day off. On my way down the road, I decided to pay a visit to the stallion Limmy. I had thought I was going straight home for a sleep and some horse time, but something made me change my mind. Making my way up to the hills, rather than back into town, I had a lazy, picturesque drive through high country.

Having called ahead, I met H. my coach at the house. She led me to Limmy's paddock where the old boy was dozing in the sun. Lippizaner/TB cross, he was white-grey and speckled with chestnut freckles. He certainly didn't look like a savage dressage stallion and lipped at my proffered carrots with politeness. H. pointed out the lumps and bumps along his neck she had concerns about and mentioned the vet was visiting this week to check them out. We talked to him for as long as he was interested, then he wandered off to graze.

Impressed by meeting him, I thought I'd love to see him really move and decided I would have to come back to see him play with his paddock mate. A small part of me wondered what his foal would look like, with Possum as the mum. I made my slow, sleep-deprived way home somehow cheered by the experience.

The next day, they had to put him down as he was full of tumours.

I don't know what made me decide to drive the other way that Monday. Why I needed to meet him after hearing about him for nearly a year. But I am so glad I followed that impulse as it turned out to be our last chance to meet.

One month till Christmas Eve!

Wow, just four weeks to the Big Day. I had better get organised and figure out presents, wine, etc etc.

I haven't even thought about what I want to put on my suggestion list. But there were a few things in the latest catalogue:

• Roma padded jacket and saddle bag (already have the boot bag)
• IRH Pro Velvet helmet
• Dublin Airflow Body Protector

Of course, I do have other interests apart from horses. There is a permanently growing list of books. I wouldn't say no to a new laptop. Not to mention the ute for towing the float. (Well, a girl can dream, can't she?)

LOG: Walk roadwork for an hour + in bareback pad. Still spooky but controllable. Worked on relaxation and keeping her head down. She didn't spot the llamas, so that's a plus! Some short bursts of trotting (no stirrups!) - next time bitless, bareback and barefoot!