Busy Busy Busy (Pic heavy and loooong)

We have been very busy!!!!! I have been sick, just with a minor touch of flu but it meant I ended up taking a total of six days off work as I didn't want to 'share' it so Spyke had a bit of a holiday. Then the weather turned to custard so he hasn't had much work this week either.

Last weekend was very busy. Saturday was actually fairly quiet, which was nice but Sunday was FULL ON!!!! In the morning I helped Martina to wean Badjelly. It went very well and everyone was pretty well behaved, which was great as I know that Martina was stressing a bit about it. Straight after The Great Weaning I took the girls to the forest for a walk and on the way back I helped Kristina to build her yards. The wood was really, really heavy and we did a fair bit of hammering. I came away with a couple of blisters. Just as we finished (at about 4pm) Martina turned up and asked if I could help her rug the horses. I was pretty tired by this time (having just had a week off work sick) and still needed to exercise Spyke so he would be sane for our lesson the next morning. So Martina said to go and ride first. I popped into Kristina's house and when I came back out Martina had gone. I had decided while in the house that I would rather help rug before riding as once I had ridden I knew that I would find it difficult to head back up to Martina's. I figured she must have gone back to her paddock so I went round there. She was nowhere to be seen and in my stupid tired state I stupidly decided to just rug the horses on my own.

Java was fine, I just threw her rug on (fully supervised by Jelly) then I caught Jelly and tied her up. I have rugged her several times before so I wasn't really worried. I put the rug over her but when I went to do up the leg strap she whipped around and booted me in knee. Wench!!!!! I found a stick (very light and breakable) on the ground and whacked her on the leg with it which gave her a bit of a surprise (it really was a stick that would not hurt her in ANY way). I took the rug off, let her go, got a standard (to make my arm a bit longer) and made her keep her distance from me. She whipped around and kicked out at me a couple of times but with my 'long arm' there was no way she was going to get me. Anyway, after that I was a bit sore and also couldn't face going all the way home to change into jods so I just lunged Spyke and then had a really good melt down!!! I was sooooo tired, it had been such a loong day and I was really nervous about the lesson, especially as I hadn't managed to work Spyke as well as I wanted and he was quite full of spring grass so I had a REALLY good cry. I also felt really bad but I had to tell Martina that I can't help her with Jelly any more as we just don't get on. :-(

Monday was another BIG day. I had a lesson with Tracy Page in the morning. It was GREAT!! Spyke was very good. We had one bogey jump that we had a lot of issues with but we got it right in the end. Tracy really liked him and told me that I definitely should do Show Hunter with him. After my lesson Kristina had a ride on Oscar who was just brilliant.

Next on our agenda was to take the horses up to Kumeu Grain so they could be guinea pigs for trainee vet nurses. The boys were sooooooo good. They were examined from head to foot by about 6 people each. They had their temp taken, their respiratory rate, their lungs were listened to, as were their gut sounds and, of course, their hearts. They were then used for bandaging and trotting out practice.

After being guinea pigs, they were sedated and had their teeth done and then their manes pulled. They were a bit gobsmacked I think but they were such good boys all day.

On the doggy front the girls have been invited to take part in a stage production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe so when I'm not working or riding I am with the girls at rehearsals. They are going to 'pull' in the White Witch's sleigh which should be a laugh.

This week Spyke has managed to get coverbound (tangled in his rugs 'cos he keeps breaking them) THREE times!!!! And has had to be rescued by strangers. Plonker!!!! He is now in a canvas so he had better not wreck that!!!!

Today it was really, really wet all morning which was an EXCELLENT excuse for a lie-in. :-) The boys had their feet done and then Kristina went and had a lovely walk in the forest. I was able to ride the entire ride on the buckle. Spyke is SUCH a nice horse. This weekend coming up we have our next novice dressage challenge and opening night of the play so this week is going to be INCREDIBLY busy with riding and rehearsals every night!!!! Wish us luck!!!! :-)

Durn it, pics are a bit big so bits are missing.