Busy Days

It seems I've had another long break from blogging - I seem to have been so busy, I hardly even get a lunchbreak at work sometimes. 

We've been busy with non-horsey stuff such as, my family thinking it would be an excellent idea to sell our folding camper six weeks before we are due to go on holiday in it.  The idea was to buy a caravan with the money from selling the camper.  Good idea in principle but not so easy in practice because caravans tend to be more expensive than folding campers.  Still, we managed to find one in our price range (just) and brought it home to store at mum's house (thanks mum!).  Of course, on closer inspection when we got it home we find out all its little faults and foibles.  Its a good job my other half is very handy and knows lots of other handy people.  Work has started to get the caravan in shape for our holiday in Cornwall in August.  Next we had to buy an awning so another search of Ebay ensued.  Awning is now bought - check. 

Of course in the process of inspecting and buying these things a fair bit of mileage was clocked up on the old Pajero which drinks diesel like its going out of fashion.  This has had an adverse effect on my bank balance and the decision has been made that I can no longer afford to run the Paj.  Its costing me over £50 a week just to get to work and back and I could halve that with a more economical car (and pay another livery fee instead!).  I'm gutted about selling it but its just too thirsty.

The question now was what to buy.  As far as I'm concerned I'm not too bothered, my only stipulation is air conditioning - the climate control in the Paj is so good I would really miss it now.  I don't know if any of you have children but my two (15 and 20 yrs respectively) are very particular about what wheels they are seen in.  No mere Vauxhall Astra or Ford Focus will do for them, oh no - buy an Audi A3 mum!  Yeah, right, like that's going to happen! 

Having trawled Ebay and Autotrader I think we've reached a compromise with a Peugeot 206 - around year 1999-2000.  It's a little smaller than I would have liked but it seems to have great fuel economy and it looks cool enough for the kids.  Now I just have to find one thats cheap enough for me to afford to buy and sell the Paj.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

The Lovely Pajero

Update on the horsey situation next time.

New Yard, Fresh Start

Riding in the menage (yes - menage!  Posh or what!) at our new yard.  Santana has been superb since we moved.  He's really settled in well and I feel so much more confident riding him now. 

In this first pic he was doing that lovely typical Welsh Cob trot - really active and moving beautifully.

                                

Canterrrrrr !

Someone should remind me to look up!

I put him in his stable one day (a novelty in itself) so that we could go and move the electric fencing.  I only made a very small paddock at first while he got used to his new surroundings, but now that he's eaten everything in sight its time to give him more space.  One small problem - he's a little itchy so while he was in his stable he was busy rubbing his backside against the front wall and managed to push it out and pushed out the bolt holding the door closed.  Disaster I hear you cry!  But no .. I had already thought of this eventuality and in true Worthy End style (my old yard) I had tied up the door with a clip rope.  His bid for freedom was foiled!  In truth I don't think it would even have occurred to him to escape, but just to be on the safe side my very handy other half has strengthened the front wall with a nine foot post bolted to the floor and roof beam so hopefully we won't have any adventures of the escaping kind in the future.

Back to Blogging

I've not blogged for ages now for several reasons.  After the various life changing events which have affected me recently I just haven't had the heart for it.  Everything seemed so small and petty in the whole scheme of things and really not worth recording. 


However, I feel as though I am now starting to come out of those dark dark feelings and look to the future.


I have made a HUGE decision, to move my horse to another yard.  Reasons:-


1.  Money.  It is a completely DIY yard but I can keep him out 24/7 over the summer which is what he's used to anyway.  It is half the cost of where I am now until winter when I'll need a stable as well but even then the rent will still be cheaper.   I'll need to buy feed (which I do already anyway), bedding (shredded paper, free from work, maybe mixed with some shavings) and hay at £3 per bale from the yard.


2.  My daughter badly wants a pony of her own since her Section A, Catrin, was sold when she grew out of her.  Although she has been able to ride almost whatever she likes on the farm and train up the youngsters, its not the same as your own and I can understand her feelings.  We will look for a loan pony for her maybe over the summer and in the meantime she can ride Santana.   She also has several friends already at the yard we're going to so I'm sure she won't be without a ride.


3.  The farm has lost much of its magic for me since Tom died.  I love the rest of the family, but it was Tom we were working with every day, Tom who we looked to for support, Tom who gave us the confidence to do things we might otherwise not do.  I think the time has come for us to move on.


In the meantime I've had lots of problems with Santana.  Looking back, ever since I broke my wrist last year I don't think I ever re-gained my confidence properly.  This obviously transmitted to Santana and he also lost confidence.  Falling off twice over the winter just compounded the problem.  He would spook at the slightest little thing and charge off like a freight train at top speed.


We decided to start Santana's training back at the beginning with lunging and teaching him voice commands.  We changed his bit from a Wilson snaffle which is surprisingly harsh, but which he didn't respect at all, to a rubber mullen mouth Pelham.  This has given me a lot more control and I think we are starting to understand each other a little better -  I don't hang on his reins in a constant state of panic and he doesn't charge off on the slightest whim whenever he feels like it.


I've spent a lot more time with him on the ground talking to him while grooming and all that sort of thing.  I think we are now back on an even keel.  I think he likes me again and I feel that I can hack him out without fearing the worst.


There is a lovely outdoor menage at our new yard and lots of riding on the farm so I'm really looking forward to it now that I've made my decision.  I've had lots of wobbly moments about whether I've made the right decision, but I can't wait for it all to be sorted now.  I've bought some electric fencing to make a paddock in the section of field which I've been allocated, so I can rotate the grazing within my area.  It should arrive this week so we'll go and set it up one evening.


Moving day is next Saturday ...*gulp*