Sunday, 28 September 2014

Sunny Sundays

I took the opportunity today to ride with Natalie. We did the same as last time - quick school then headed up to the back. This time we walked around the racetrack with a small trot near the end, then headed over to the dam for a play.

Natalie rode the two of them through the dam. I took some video. First up is Gracie - note how cranky she is about the water splashing her in the face on her second go around.



Be warned, I swear at Gracie in the beginning of this video. She was rubbing her head on me.


Allie rolled in the mud AGAIN with me! I thought I had her, we were walking forward but nuh. She has finally discovered the joy of rolling in the mud and I couldn't stop her. And I spent an hour and a half cleaning my saddle before the ride too. Witch.

It was an awesome ride. The weather was stunning and warm, the ponies were happy (if a touch spooky) and we had fun.

Can't ask for more than that on a Sunday.

Concentrating on her tootsies.



She's looking FIIIINE

These are video stills, obviously.



Zoomy pony






Friday, 26 September 2014

Juggling

After Val's lovely post about horse time post-baby, I've been thinking hard today about when I want to return to riding and in what capacity after I have the bub.

My situation is that I can't keep my horse at home right now. We are paying off our first home and we won't have the chance to buy or rent property in the near future. I do have her on agistment 20 minutes away with great facilities... if you keep racehorses. There is no arena. There is another agistment less than 10 minutes away (35 minute walk) that has great riding facilities and fencing but is rather pricey. I'm hoping to keep her there and possibly do one feed up a day to help reduce costs.

But... when can I ride? I will have a little person who needs me to be there most of the time. I won't be returning to work for at least 12 months, possibly more. However I hope to pick up some easy weekday trims that I can bring baby to (i.e. local quiet one or two horse trims that will take an hour max).

I've been reading and researching what other new mums do with their riding. I've heard about women who only ride if the bub is looked after by someone else (partner once or twice a week, or their mums, or child care). Other mums put bub in a pack n play and pop them next to the arena while they ride and if bubs cries, they hop off, tie up the horse and tend to bub. Others leave bub in the car with the AC or heat going the whole time they ride. So much petrol! Others again try to time rides with nap times.

What do I think is OK? I would love to ride 3-4 days a week. Maybe using a combination of bringing bub (depending on weather), leaving bub with Andrew, family or friends. I'll probably bring bub to do chores as incan easily make feeds and  pick up poo with bub in a carrier or settled in the shade in a pram.

I'm fully aware that the child will be demanding and that I will have to drop everything when s/he needs me. I also know that I could end up with a colicy baby or one who has lactose or allergy issues or who can't sleep or would otherwise be difficult to manage and I will deal with that as best I can if I have to. BUT I also believe that bub needs to fit into our lives, not just us change our whole lives to accommodate bub. I have to get some pony time in. Regular pony time. I get that I need to be flexible and if bub is sick I will just have to leave Allie not worked but if I can manage a routine where I cover all the baby's needs plus get out to the horse once a day and ride 3-4 times a week we will all be so much happier. I would LOVE to be able to get out to just one show late next year. Just one. Maybe even a baby little eventing show?

Andrew is reluctant to give me much on this. I know he won't want to be left alone with bubs multiple times a week while I'm off riding, even if it only totals 3-5 hours a week. But to be honest, although he will be working full time, so will I - full time doing baby stuff, house stuff (ugggghhhhhhhh I am the opposite of a housewife), blah blah blah. I will need the time with Allie. I get that I can't expect him to look after baby solo every single day as soon as he walks in the door while I zoom off in my jodphurs and ride. It's not every day that I'm asking. Once, maybe twice a week on weeknights, then for a couple of hours on either a Saturday or Sunday morning. If he didn't make more money than me it would be him staying home to look after bub!

Any advice/opinions/words of wisdom? Am I expecting too much? Am I expecting too little? I am not afraid of hard work. I've waited a damn long time to get out and ride this horse properly. I can make this happen with the right planning and the right support.

On a side note, Timehop tells me that today in the 1yr anniversary of Allie going lame when she broke her leg. She's been out of work for 12 months.

Ugh.

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Got Me Back

You guys.

I've got ME back again. It feels amazing.

I'm finding joy in the little things again, multiple times a day, like I used to. An awesome old song on the radio, my big round belly jumping out of time with my own heartbeat, my pony's dapples blooming in the springtime sunshine.

I feel like Lisa again, with a default happy that is the underlying emotion in my life.

Life really is good. I just forgot that for a while.

Sunday, 14 September 2014

We rode Allie today!!! She was super forward, quite rushy, but tried super hard and listened. She had a lunge first, then we hopped on.

Natalie rode first, just walk and trot. When she was listening to Nat, I hopped on. It felt amazing to sit in the saddle again.

After I did a little toodling around, we got Gracie out and went for a little walk/trot up the back. We found a dam that wasn't muddy around the edges and let them have a play. Gracie rolled and I laughed my arse off at Natalie with her wet boot! Then, after a while, Allie stopped pawing the water and she rolled too! I had to hop off, and the witch refused to get up out of the water! Eventually she was done, my saddle was muddy, my socks were wet and we were both laughing in stitches. It was like in the old days when we were kids. We did some trot sets through the water for about 5 mins, then headed back home.

Both girls got a wash, my saddle had a quick clean, and now I'm exhausted but so happy.

Have some crappy video stills from my phone.

I am ENORMOUS. I'm in the white shirt. Nat's in the blue.

Sunday, 7 September 2014

Joey

Picked up this little man yesterday! He's a little sooky, poor thing. Very good in the crate, didn't make a peep all night.

Do you think I should change his name?

Monday, 1 September 2014

Spring

Time for my obligatory first day of spring post.

In other news, I didn't ride my horse all winter. Not once. :(