no infection

in my hands.... they were SOOOO hot and SOOOO red, and I hadn't been feeling well, i eventually took myself to A & E. they took bloods and checked and there is no infection, thank goodness, but the dr agreed i did the right thing to go given recent medical history.....as i said to her, if my horse had this degree of heat i'd be digging around for the abcess!!!!!

so never actually got to see molly today, bad mummy.... but she'll be find, if vaguely miffed as she does know my normal time to turn up...

balance saddle

the person in the stable next to me has a new saddle, a balance saddle; i am so pleased, it was one of those situations where one didn't know what to say. So she had me take some photos of the horse's withers and we're going to update regularly to see the changes as hopefully he will now develop some muscle and finish up with the back he shouldhave. we agreed that too often people say a horse is high withered, when what they haven't realised is that it has atrophied due to an ill fitting saddle....

molly got fed and turned out again before the rain came on again which it was supposed to and finished up not doing.

my hands are very hot.

i think i'm allergic to something at the office, which would be very tedious...

my hands

are getting better i think but the weather is still pants....heating on at the end of June phooey!

no rain!

and the sun got out as we got to the yard, although it was nippy. only having one car between us meant at least i had partner's help at the gate. She got fed and turned out again....we were COLD. But I'm really pleased with her leg. and I'm pleased i didn't cave in to any temptation to rug; she was fine and would have ended up overheated today....(just because i was cold doesn't mean she was...)

the car isn't mended; the part was supposed to come, but it was in sheffield and sheffield is closed because of flooding....

if the weather improves and my skin improves i'll hope to start doing something by the end of the week.... but since we're going on holiday a week monday i'm not sure how muchpoint there is in doing huge amounts in the time left! may be better to leave Moll until after my hols....

the weather

is disgusting, howling gales, torrential rain - in yorkshire more floods, man dead (foot trapped in storm drain i think....) boy missing cars floating away, houses under water....we're lucky here not getting that where i am.

went to see molly when partner came home - they were at the far side of the field in the field shelter, so i just left her to it...if i'd got her in it would have done more harm than good, as she'd have had to be rugged to wick the water away and keep warm, better off out where she can move if she wants to etc and has the company of the others.

doctor doesn't know what's wrong with me and i've to ring him on wednesday as he's trying to see if my hospital appointment can be expedited...

video edit magic is good and capturing from my analogue camcorder - but, didn't get the sound even though it was supposed to...

90 years ago today

my mother was born, and she had a party today. a fair amount of family and a load of friends, about 50 to lunch; more were expected for tea, but i had to come away as i was getting very very itchy and had omitted to take lotions & potions with me. it was too warm in the building once everyone was in...

catching up

with someone who doesn't post on EE anymore .... just realised, and this link to her blog was posted

http://www.angelfire.com/me/innisfailte/anxire/

very pleased to see that!

and i've just realised i didn't say anything yesterday, how remiss!

the car broke down - keys stuck in ignition when i pulled up at the yard, called the AA out, i need a new whotsit, entire new unit in fact, had to leave the car there overnight with the battery disconnected, jump start it this morning and take it to dealer, they can't do it until tuesday anyway......and it's going to be pricey - i could have spent less for a different part, but that would have taken 2/3 weeks even to arrive!

and i've bought some cotton gloves from the chemist so am sitting here with cream all over my hands and gloves on top, the thought being that'll help....

and it's tipping down, loads of thunderstorms etc. if there's a dry patch later will go back to yard and check molly out

thunderstorm

saw the fork of lightning about 2 seconds before the roll of thunder, so it was directly over the yard...and it was teeming......warm, but teeming...

5 minutes work

my legs/feet were hugely better, i could get my boots on without everything feeling all horrid, so i did 5 minutes in the arena with her. Her leg doesn't look as though it's going to be busting open again, so I decided the concerns about possibly getting arena in the wound are over.

she was a bit gobsmacked.

we seemed to remember what we needed to remember.

BUT the one thing we can't get yet is stand still so i can get the tack sorted out BEFORE we work.... she'd behaved herself with max in that context, as she wasn't in teh arena, she was in a field she hadn't been in before.... mmm.

andyway, i was pleased, left right, backwards.

i need to work on my technique, but she was doing what i wanted and when she didn't i got her to do it.

but I do think our arena is going to be a tad small for longreining....for that you really want your circles larger than the 12' rope will allow, but widthwise, that's about all there is....

nuno oliveira

someone on EE found this:

http://nunooliveira.artblog.fr/

shoudl be good once we struggle through the french & possibly other languages.....

Molly's wound is still looking good, and the slight swelling is reducing.

my hands spend the afternoon being bone dry and cracked, and my feet were swelling on the way home, so decided to bin the plan to work her and continue looking after myself.

the new cream is working, but not convinced about it on the back of my hands.

the doctor

said he didn't think i have an infection, and gave me a new prescription for the psoriasis. i have to go back the week before we are due to go on holiday (france.....)

i was even able to get my boots on without feeling all icky....

shame about the rub at the back of my heel, but progress!

as for molly's wound that's looking huge amounts better. if i can get my long boots on tomorrow night, and her wound continues good, she might find herself doing some ground work tomorrow night!

it was supposed to rain so i didn't hang the washing out. of course, it didn't rain....

a rest

for me anyway. partner did as promised and didn't require me to move furniture or whatever, and came and helped with Molly.

having had a discussion with the chemist yesterday afternoon (that is to say, the pharmacist..) i decided to try the corticosteroid on my hands... it works. so i expect teh doctor to prescribe something along those lines tomorrow.. shoudl have got a prepay thingy for my prescriptions!

molly's leg is looking good. it got a bit of a wash off tonight - getting the gunk that was left from the dressings off, rather than the scabs, which can stay till they're good and ready to come off by themselves!

molly is better than me

her leg is healing nicely. she doesn't want me to wash the gunk off (wasn't planning on taking the scab off, that can continue as it is for the moment i think) but there's some gunk where the dressing was. and she didn't want me to blue spray it. she's got so into moving over when i go to her back end whilst holding the rope that she thought that was what i wanted her to do. heyho. julie had to hold her head.

but i decided i don't want to work her in our arena until the leg is better healed than it is! our arena is so deep that if i wear short boots i get a boot full of arena. so if a horse is working in there you get a lot of crap kicked up - crap that you don't want getting into and affecting wounds on legs.

would be better if i could use the mares field, but can't as of course the mares are in it! shame as it's nice and flat!

as for me - my feet are hot. my hands are hot and dry. i shall be pleased to get to the doctor on monday. i can't even wear my short boots comfortably. socks were not a good idea.

still raining

teeming down in fact; i did think about keeping her in , but decided against; it will stop.

the leg got blue sprayed again. I'll have a good look at it in a dry spell tomorrow. should be OK, and she's still sound. and the good thing about this weather at least it keeps the flies off.

when i went to get her - picture, at the other side of the field from where we get them in, there's another small gate - horse width, could be opened from horseback, but no one goes that way - leads to the 20 acre... some dummy had left it wide open! so i went round to check that all the mares were present and correct. if i knew who'd done that....

she's acquired a nick on her flank, probably from hoolying yesterday.

I'm back to the doctor Monday; I'm starting to wish I'd insisted on an appointment earlier this week, but it seemed a lot better and since I'm not off sick and therefore prefer to go at a time that minimises time out of the office.....

jean did you read my reply to your comment on Wednesday....?

she's home!

philip brought her up during the day and left her with a haynet! bandage off, blue spray on, the wound is hugely better, he said more blue spray and she can go out, so after a mouthful of tea, out she went to hooly about with the others. largely "whey hey, she's home"

they say it might stop raining mid weekend so i do hope so.... had too much time off since last tuesday!

wagon mended

at last - so all being well, molly will come home tomorrow.

concepts - pressure and release, just as they do themselves with each other. the horse resists the pressure, it's harder on her, she gives tot he pressure gets release from it it's therefore easier for he to do what's asked than anything else.

pressure can be visual as well - e.g., waggle the rope about to make her back away from my space (horizontally not vertically)

so to have her go right, point right holding that arm out gentle pressure to take her that way; if she decides no she's going the other way, circle the end of the rope applying visual pressure as well and she'll move away from that..

and if you're able to move their feet about where you want, you get them to do what you want -

end result you get their respect, they know who's in charge in the relationship

when i get the vid from the camcorder sorted it'll be better sound...

one more

movies at last

all 5 minutes each....

video

is finally coming together.

i have had to upgrade the software that came wiht the camera to edit that video, and buy separate software to capture the camcorder stuff (it's an analogue camcorder). The man in the shop said the bought software would play with the stuff from the digital camera, but he was wrong! dammit.

currently uploading one to photobucket...

molly still away

the wagon still isn't fixed.
an opportunity to prune the clematis and mow the lawn, but an opportunity i could have done without.... ah well.

and i couldn't get through to the doctor's at all, every time i rang it was engaged, which is unusual..

and partner isn't home yet.... wasn't aware of there being anything on tonight...so a bit concerned...

bramham

yesterday we went to bramham horse trials, about 1 hours drive, to meet the friends who molly's been staying with. this was after we'd spent 4 hours in the hairdressers! (end result looks good, but does my head in being there that long! at least there's good books to read!). had a really good afternoon - was annoyed i didn't have my shorts as it turned into a gorgeous day when the forecast had said it would be horrid!.

got there - 2 30 in the afternoon! - and they wanted to charge us full price to get in. was going to just drive straight through but rang mate who said park up in lorry park next to them and their friend's wagon - so did that! spent not TOO much money - found some 30' long lines for £20 the pair which was good, and a new straw hat which i need in the sun and of course had left mine at home! so now have two summer hats, which is good! partner well happy; she'd thought it was some local poxy event, and was very impressed to find that whilst not as big as burghley/badminton it is a proper job!

didn't walk the course (too late really, and my leg not really up for that yet!) but they have a big screen next to the showjumping (international showjumping as well).

plan was, go back to friend's put molly in wagon and fetch her home.

saw molly go in wagon, we set off first and never thought about the fact that philip was revving the engine. got to yard, waited and waited, partner went to macdonalds at 10 pm ... i was to take away by 11 had them in every ditch between here and there ... rang the police from home .. no reports of anyting ... drove back down. wagon still parked where it had been .. molly back in field ... house all dark .. came home....

the brakes had failed on the wagon; they thought they'd texted me from cell phone but that text still hasn't reached me... my texts didn't get to her.... mobile signals all down as well.... aargh. and they'd only just gone upstairs so i could have knocked and spent the night there......partner thinks they could have tried harder to get in touch but i'm not sure what more they could have done when their landline has been down for weeks (landline supplier being pillocks and not sorting that out!) so i'm knackered and they're knackered.

they're going to borrow a trailer later and bring her up this afternoon...

bad news from the yard

one of the horses died tuesday. apparently, it was found covered in cuts in the middle of a lot of collapsed fence. that was the message i got this morning. the more likely story this evening is that is collapsed intot he fence. apparently it suffered so much muscular damage to its back end that it was physically unable to get up; it also lost a tooth...? owner's to take away of course - an ex jockey, damn good rider, got a lot of time for him....

the good news - a 12' training line for gbp 15, between 10 and 15 less than most places online, from a nearish tackshop where i called onteh way home tonight.

molly's coming home tomorrow night, after we've all spent the day at bramham horse trials.

early tea

because molly's on her holidays and i was home, we had actually had our tea - including pudding!!! - by 7pm!!!!!

Molly's wound is doing really well, barely needs a dressing, and she was really good stood like a rock when it was changed last night - a vast improvement on tuesday morning, when she nearly knocked philip over, so a change for the better already!

trying to find a 12' rope - you get the halter but not the rope - and the price variation is interesting, from 24gbp + postage to 30gbp + postage...so i've got my eye on some on ebay....

longlining

these were off the digital camera; Max took some pics whilst i was longlining; no video of me doing this on this camera though and i haven't wrestled with the camcorder yet.

and the word is that her injury is healing very very well, philip's very pleased with it and thinks we'll be able to take the dressing off by the weekend when she comes home!

i think i forgot to say

I left Molly there for the rest of the week. They have a small injury paddock and friend's now fiancé (they got engaged Friday night.....) a horse vet said she'd be fine out, and they offered to keep her to the weekend. That is so much better for her, as at home there isn't that option - she either goes out with the herd, or she stays in, and she gets bullied sometimes so....

I suggested during the work that some of molly's issues may be to do with the few months box rest she had to have at 6 months old, thus missing out on the early socialising with other horses she should have had. Others will be to do with the fact that she is generally at the bottom of the rung in the field, is bullied, and therefore possibly thinks if she's bullied there, she'll bully me/people instead in a gentle sort of fashion (she's never been nasty, but never kept out of your space...). Max, i think, thought that was possibly right. Also agreed, I think, that there's something in her history I don't know...

anyway, i've bought the editing software - came in less that the price tag on the box! - so will slowly get to it all.

and my friends horse

which was rescued from someone's front garden!

this was her second session with max, and he was there for a refresher and work on some ridden issues.

she had a minor battle at the beginning, but the real revelation was something no-one knew was going to happen.

whilst my friend went to get her tack, max was just playing and got his lunge whip out ... and the mare went ballistic. had clearly been thrashed in a past life (and she's only 7). by the finish, she was accepting the line over her back, whirling round her head, being cracked on the ground beside her and not twitching. it sounds nothing written down, but it was a hell of a lot to see. no one hadknown as my friend doesn't use the lunge whip lunging so hadn't had a thought about it...

and it was all done without physical force.....

wow....

right left and centre....

yay ... she now goes right, left, back, forward, stands in her own space .... did throw her toys out very scarily at one point, but part of that was memory of the last time she was on the longlines ....longlining with the Dr Cooks BB, a new one for Max (her lip hadn't healed ...)

When throwing her toys out ... she threw herself to the ground ..... aargh..... then got up and got on with it properly! another advantage of a treeless saddle; the horse can do this with no harm to either itself or the saddle (or, if the rider happens to be on top, the rider either....)

lots of homework to do

and loads to digest, and HUMUNGOUS amounts of video to edit....(and thanks max for your help with that whilst i was working!) (my friends all left me alone when it was molly's turn, they'd all had to go back to work...)

I've got 2 1/2 CD's of yesterday morning, a teenager & her horse; 1gig of molly plus 1 1/2 hour of analogue video. i put the video on the mounting block, and the digital on the top of a jump post, and just essentially let them both run. so sometimes there's just a view of grass...

when it's all digested it'll all end up on here....with links to photobucket, but i think i need to buy some video editing software that will also take analogue

should have done this within my first 6 months of owning molly

yay!

thanks max....

max

this is such a worthwhile visit. Molly is being seen tomorrow, but I watched today; I said to him later, had I known then what I know now, he would have seen molly ages ago.

and Molly is realy chilled; she was a bit gobsmacked last night when she got puton the wagon at 21.50, but settled really well once she was offloaded and has been out inthe small injury paddock today .... and didn't have a radge that she was on her own... to be fair she could see other horses and some cows, but still.... well pleased.

and i've filled two 1G XD cards with movies so far. trouble is, there's not going to be anyone to film me!!!!!

longer walk out

set partner to take molly out for her bit grass; whenshe got back, she said she'd taken her down the hill! EEEK. but no harm done, still sound as a pound, and a bit happier i guess..

jean, you asked about my leg .. subsiding slowly!
partner reckons i should ride monday if needed. i'm not sure.... see how i am.

neighbours

are good to have.... julie and her husband (with suzie, the old mare with the nearly repaired tendon..) offered to take molly out .. thatlet allison off the hook, and molly got longer out.

the small holed haynet had collapsed on the floor... this is why i have small holed, when they rot, they can land on the floor with no damage to anyone or anything except themselves...

she's still sound.. shame about me!!!