Another Trail

Linda and I took Allie and her new cutting horse Connie up to Mulgoa yesterday. We mostly walked, just up to the look out and back.

Allie picked up a stone and sooked about it the whole way home after I flicked it out of her foot. I'm going to order her some boots next payday I think. She didn't have any bruising from it thankfully, but she lost confidence in the rocky footing, thinking she would pick up another stone. I was a bit bummed about that but she was a perfect angel otherwise.

Connie is Linda's new cutting horse, and we don't think she has been off property in the last 7 years except for competition. Linda thought she would be hot, but she took to it like she did it every day. I also got to have a quick ride, and it was cool and bizarre at the same time! To stop, I had to pick up the reins directly up, push my left hand on the pommel, and put my legs on! It was tricky, let me tell you!! We quickly swapped back but I am glad I got to have a little walk and trot on Connie. :)

So now you get a few crappy iphone pics of Allie and I at the lookout.

She has a lovely tail.

I was a bit worried about that ledge - I didn't dare go any closer!

Word of the Year

Fenway over at Brays of Our Lives is asking what one word we would apply to 2011 and what word shall be our mantra for 2012.

2011 was a tough year for me, but not by any tangible means. I have had office politics drama at work for the later half of the year that really got to me deeply. I have had 'adjustment' issues at home and the long cold wet winter that turned into a wet spring and then a wet summer really limited my riding. I lost my dog Chakra to cancer after about 2 or 3 months of knowing she would need to be put to sleep soon and that haunted my every thought. We had a vet bill from one of my animals every single month, and I am not talking little ones either. $500 minimum most months, more like $1000. The credit card is maxed out and I'm stressing a little about money because while we are comfortable, we certainly are NOT moving into a home we own ourselves any time in the foreseeable future.

2011 was just a crappy year by Lisa's standards, but I guess it was just life putting a bunch of things in one little space for me to deal with.

My 2011 word is Tough.



I am hopeful for 2012 - starting to claw my way back up again. The rain is clearing up and I am able to work my horse every day. The office politics have calmed down and I have made myself a harder shell so it just bounces off (easy to say when I am on two weeks holiday but anyway!). Home life is getting even better as we are making a bigger effort to understand one another. I no longer even have a dog so there will be no worrying there. My riding is getting better and better each ride and so is Allie. Our budget will actually start to work if the animals just keep themselves out of trouble for a few months, which they will if they know what is good for them!

I have some half formed riding goals in my mind right now. I hope to compete in an intro dressage test and I'm going to join an adult riding club in the first quarter of the year. I'm finally going to register my horse and join the EFA.

My 2012 word is Hope.

Allie Trim

I trimmed Allie today - if you are interested, pop on over to my hoof blog to check out the pictures and the write up.

Sneak peek of pretty feet!

Trail!

Linda and I took Allie and Hoodie up to Mulgoa for a trail ride. It is AWESOME there!! Lots and lots of hills, with plenty of varied footing including sand, little rocks, big rocks and boulders! Allie did fantastically and I rode her totally barefoot (no boots even) and she was careful with her feet but still trotted out sound crunching the smaller rocks and only had difficulty with the big rocks understandably. She got straight on the float no worried, travelled the 15 minute float ride like a champ, got off the float quietly, tied up out of sight of Hoodie and was calm. During the ride she was rock solid, no spook in her at all!! The whole ride was on a loose rein except when she was trotting along in front, then I just had a contact.

We even swapped for a little bit and Hoodie was so cool! Super keen and loved cantering up the hills. Allie was a bit pooped and just stopped on Linda at the bottom of a hill with a "no thanks" kinda attitude but she was a trooper and kept on keeping on.

Totally awesome day! Will definitely be going back again as it is so close to home!

(Edited to add a photo of me on Hoodie. Isn't he spunky?!)

Phew.

So it is 2.40am here in Sydney and I am in bed about to go to sleep. All is quiet and well - the local fireworks weren't too bad (i.e. they didn't go on very long, maybe 30 seconds?) and the horses were fairly quiet in their stables. They basically stood stock still trembling and jumping a little bit at the bigger bangs. They are now chilling out in their stables like normal.

So happy new year everyone!!


What a relief.

The Plan

Above is our plan for New Years Eve tonight. Specifically, avoiding what happened last year.

This year, the girls will be locked up in their stables (where they have spent the night for the last week), sedated, and out of sight of the fireworks thanks to our nifty blue tarps. They will also have some loud music playing from the radio to help drown out the noise.

We can not go through what we went through last year ever again. This will be my NYE every year for the rest of my life. Overkill? Maybe. But it is not worth the risk. Not one bit.

The neighbours had a couple of fireworks last night (maybe 3?) but they were over very quickly. The girls were already stabled away and they were fine. But that loud booming noise - it makes Nat and I feel like throwing up everywhere. I got physically sick and felt exactly like I did last year when we heard them last night.

Last year when we drove in the driveway and saw the fences down, was the absolute worst moment of my entire life up until that point. Then it just got worse and worse as the night drew on. We stumbled through the spider riddled bush looking for any sign of them. Calling, screaming, hearing hooves and soft neighs in our heads but thinking it was real. I even remember thinking "even if we find them dead, at least I know where they are".

When there was a car accident around the corner from my house about a half hour after we got home that night and I thought the horses caused it - cop cars everywhere and the cop I spoke to couldn't tell me what was going on. I swore I heard screaming horses and I envisioned my girls trapped between a car and a tree. It was really just the cop car radios distorting voices but it was all I could do to stop myself from pushing past them and running to see.

Hours of trudging through the bush, calling to them, praying to God, bargaining to just help us find them. Many many friends coming to help us look, some with their horses, some people I had never even met before, in over 40 degree (104 Fahrenheit) heat, all helping to find our mares.

And then the relief, when I thought all was lost, the relief when Andrew called me in hysterics telling me he had found them and they were safe (albeit cut up, thirsty and hungry).

Never ever ever ever again.

A little less sticky

A little update on the Allie cantering issue - we have right canter under saddle now. Just. I am working my butt off with her on this. Natalie has been lunging me while on Allie so she at least understands what it is I am asking of her - this seems to have done the trick. We have had a couple of off lead under saddle canter circles too. She picks up the correct lead to the right about 90% of the time.

Her left canter is depart is lovely and the left canter itself is pretty good too - balanced and light.

We are getting there. :)