Good things come to those who wait!

Its not often riders of any age, level or attitude can say that another fall off their horse was a 'really good thing'.  Don't think me mad - it was a couple of weeks before I saw it quite like that!

It was a Thursday November evening - i'd not long been back in the saddle after fall no.1 (but who's counting)!  It happened suddenly as with all falls, one minute we were walking calmly on a  long rein, next she was vertical, spinning and rearing.  I remember panic stricken thoughts "not my ankle, not my ankle" before hitting the ground - back first with a pain searing thud!

It was some time before I could move in the dirt of the menage floor.  Others were there to help and capture Grace. No need to re-visit the memory in detail (not good sports psychology) - as this time no A&E visit.  I do recall being full of intention not to let my husband find out i'd fallen off again although how I planned to cover it up wasn't clear.  Rubbing horse linament into my back was the first step and my sincere thanks to a fellow livery for slapping it all over me - right down to my underwear!

Within a few days another livery's trainer walked onto the yard.  Almost as soon as I saw her I knew I wanted her to help me with Grace.  I had a plan!  The horse needed riding.  I couldn't ride.   I needed a replacement jockey.  SJL entered our life. 

I never had to think before, about how i'd feel having someone else ride my horse.  I welcomed it with open arms.  The horse needed exercising or would be dangerous for me to re-mount when I was ready.  I kept remembering Tom's words to me "this is a competition horse".  I still had no idea what that meant but consistent ridden work was probably part of the picture, and something I was finding hard to achieve.

Within 3 weeks of SJL coming to ride 3 times a week and me lunging her inbetween the benefits to me were clear.  It was great to see my pretty horse working and moving nicely.  It was morale boosting to have list 2 judge praise the horse's movement, relaxation and work attitude.  It was confidence boosting to see the horse 'behave' - no rodeo shows or circus tricks.  I was able to learn how to ride her by watching not doing - and it felt right.

"Good things come to those who wait" my mum always said - I think im earning credits on the waiting game score!


 

Silver linings!

3 horses; one nearly 17hh, young and new to me, is a challenge to care for with a full time job WITHOUT crutches so grooming on my hands and knees in week 2 of ownership of Grace wasn't quite the picture I had imagined for us both.

However, every grey cloud has a silver lining as they say.   Unable to weight bear or ride, I set about learning to understand my horse from the ground. 

The next 3 weesks as my ankle began to return to human proportions and flesh colour - we worked one legged on the lunge.  Granted I got dragged and pulled around a bit.  Only to be expeced as we had a lot to learn in the art of communication.

Quickly I bought myself some Lunge lessons from my trainer to help me understand how they do things on the continent and the sounds Grace was most likely to understand.

I learnt to watch her movement, read her facial expressions and most importantly figure out when she was genuinely confused, versus 'having a laugh' (at my expense).

Insight no.1 about Grace - she is very willful, determined and will bully me If she can.  

I hadn't planned a second tumble from Grace (but more of that later), nor a second phase of 'no riding' however it seems life long learning could be an early theme for my love affair with Grace.

It's now June.  I haven't ridden for almost 6 weeks.  Fortunately im not injured.  This pause in our mounted work is a result of very poor feet.   The  last 90 days has been the ultimate test in what's most important to me?  Short term or long term?  Following the crowd or finding my own path?  Believing in logic and 'experts' or taking 100% accountability for the welfare of my horse and listing to my instinct?

I decided on March 20th 2012 to take a risk.  Of course the only risk is one of being "wrong in the pursuit of doing what is right"  - I can live with that - but that wasn't exactly how I was feeling in March this year...

Insight no. 2 about Grace... her young body bounces back to health with such speed it has left experts and I gobsmacked!  Thank you Grace for showing me to keep the faith!

Ride 1, Fall No.1...

Imagine my joy, its been 10 days of owning my beautiful big Grace.  We've groomed, chatted, walked back and forth to the field, and done not much else.

Week 1 - The dentist came and found my poor girl had a big old mouth ulcer on the inside of her left cheeck (glad I know as this will need a few days to heal). 

Week 2 - Saddler arrived.  Good news, the saddle will fit (the benefit of a balance saddle system). That was all I needed.... the offical 'green light' to now get on and ride for the first time since buying her.

1.30pm the saddler left.  I tacked up.  By 2.15pm it was 'light's out' and I was injured!  I got on my girl and in less than one minute found myself sommersaulting into the air, right ankle sticking in the stirrup and ending up under neath a bucking bronko.

Shaken and limping badly I took her back in and brought her out again for a lunge - If only i'd done that BEFORE I got on!

By 5pm I was in A&E with an ankle the size of an elephants.  School girl errors can be costly - in my case 5 months of ankle pain when riding, weekly physio (lots of painful ligament rubbing), crutches and trainers instead of kitten heels!  Yuk!

As I said; a valuable lesson learnt! (I hope)

'Right' isn't always your friend

Anyone know how it feels to want so desperately to set someone up for success?

I want Grace to be given every chance of a happy, comfortable, safe life with me.  We will be together till the end, so there's no rush.

On arrival at the yard everyone was dying to know when would I be riding her?  I replied not for a week or two.  I had a plan - whenever I moved my horses to another yard (or bought a new horse) the first rule of thumb is time off!  The "settling in" phase is important to me - ethically, logically and emotionally for the horse. Ive always felt it is important they get used to their new smells, neighbours and routines.

I also had a few health checks to be arranged: dentist and saddle fitting all before I would be throwing bits and saddles and 10 stone of my body weight into the equation.

So, I got used to her and her to me.  We spent time together in the paddock, stable and grooming.

My husband even visited "did you mean to buy one so big?" was his insightful observation!  Oh! How did that happen - I didn't notice....

The good news was that we were on track.  Her teeth were sharp and she had an ulcer on her left inside cheek poor lass.  Bonjela and a Dentist and that problem was fixed!

The day came when her saddle was given the OK and I could get on!  Now how my common sense exhibited thus far failed to stay with me an hour longer I'll never know.  My saddler left the yard at 1.30pm and by 5pm I was in A&E at reading hospital.

It happened all so fast (of course).  One moment I had mounted.  The next I could feel her arch her back once - then again, and suddenly she sprang in the air like a rode lamb bucking and I soared through the air - trapping my right foot in the stirrup.

Getting up was only mildly painful.  Walking was agony.  However, the horse couldn't be left on a bad note, so somehow I caught her, hobbled us both back to the stable, put lunging gear on and then lunged her for half an hour on one leg!

If only I'd thought of lunging her BEFORE I got on after giving a fit, young athletic horse 2 weeks off! School girl error of humungous proportion!

What were the sellers magic words to me during the entire trying process?  "She's a competition horse Debbie" - whatever that meant! Well, I just got my first taste of what that meant - and I won't be leaving anything to chance again at least not while im on bloody crutches!

Fate!

I first met Grace in August 2010.  She was living just 3 miles from my place of work for the last 5 years.

She was 6. From Holland. Was not advertised for sale but was for sale - ready to start her dressage career.

I returned home form meeting her (expecting her to be above my budget) and told my husband that "she was exactly the type of horse he would have bought" - perfect. Solid, Reliable, Ready for the job.

I wasn't overwhelmed but then 'perfect' isn't overwhelming is it? Still, she didn't leave my mind.  So i arranged to re-visit her and take my riding instructor with me.

In the car, driving up there, I said the famous words "i'm not wed to this horse - my mind is open so if she isn't right for me let me know"

An hour later looking at the Disney style beam across my trainer's face told me all I needed to know.  On our way home her words were "I wish I had the money to buy her".

I arranged the 5 star vetting.  I couldn't be there as I was away.  The results were given to me by phone.  All good except she failed one flex ion test and has crappy feet.  Long story short I arranged to have hocks x rayed by a local vet.  The nightmare began.

My Vet went away so when I got the results I sent them to the vet surgeon.  The junior vet read them and called to say they were the hocks of a ten year old horse not 6 year old!  Shocked, upset and horrified, I really didn't know what it meant or what to do next. 

My vet wouldn't be back for another week. The horse was about to go to Addington Sales on Friday if I didn't want to buy her.  Time wasn't on my side.  Never good for such a big decision I know. Equally, I didn't want to lose the horse.

i spoke with the vet who took the x rays and was told that they saw nothing adverse.  I called a friend to see if their vet would take a look - they said they would then changed their minds.  I was feeling desperate and sad and worried - all the joy was ebbing away.

Eventually I got my vet's practice to seek a second opinion.  They promised a reply by Thursday before close of business.  At 6pm Thursday I had heard nothing.  I was angry, fed up, and trying to think clearly.  My gut was stuck and didn't know which way to take me. 

I picked up the phone to call the seller and began to dial.  As I did the phone rang and it was my vet with the second opinion - giving me the all clear!  I hung up and have never called anyone so fast in all my life.  I confirmed I would buy her and then made the second call to the breeder in Holland. 

I felt elated.  I felt destiny had offered a kindly helping hand.  I believed (and told my friend Sue) I could trust the horse.  Trust I would (but nice to have the medical back up).

It was that night that I could feel the blog beginning.  Over the next week I told myself not to be arrogant.  who would be interested?  Of course, it turns out that I am and that is all that we need sometimes.  Well, we shall see....