Well howdy pardners - no I have not sat watching John Wayne movies all day - I went riding this morning (a horse!) for THREE hours no less. The equine lady, two girls and moi went on this ride and it was a glorious way to spend a day (I had housework waiting LOL). I had offered to go with one of the Brs to help plant 10,000 trees but there was no room in the truck and after getting out of bed at the crack of 7.30am, going for a ride was the next best option. I rode Chance, a palamino about 15 something hands high. Caught him and got him ready no worries, then it was time to get on ..... (does this horse make my bum look big!!!!) I did try throwing my leg vertical towards the stirrup but even with my generous jeans on (LOL) somehow my spring seemed to have sprung and I was not getting much off the ground. One of the girls (bless) held the horses head whilst I squeezed the horse between a trailor and a fence, then used the trailor to launch myself on the back of the hapless beast. I am thankful to say, I remained seated. We set off down the drive, out onto the road (with only one pigjump) and headed towards Wandalgu. Not far down the road we turned into a wheatfield and then rode round the edges through a flood plain (whilst crossing the river bed I spotted what looked like a miniature pied stilt, about 4" high running along the sand)and went to the Old Campsite. This is where the original tent school was built in 1928. It burned to the ground in 1930 and the boys then moved to the current site. There are still stones laid out in squares where the tents were pitched, a well, a rock where Mass was held and what looked like a huge tripod for cooking. We rode out of the campsite, crossed the road onto the other side of the farm and rode through more wheat fields (along the sides of the fields), through scrub and to the cemetary where three boys are buried. More fields and then back past the piggery and to the yard where I managed to dismount, staying on my feet this time - and managed to walk straight away. My knees and ankles were giving me gyp over the last 1/2 hour and there were nether parts of me that were feeling a touch tender but I was very pleased with myself indeed. We hosed the horses off, gave them a feed and then had a bite to eat ourselves. The Equine lady wanted help to hold a horse while she dressed it's leg after a nasty injury when it scrapped a good amount of skin and flesh off it's right, front foreleg last week. Good oh, I said, and offered to help. I did say I would not look, just be at the business end but as I had to turn the beast at one stage, my eyes glanced down and not good. We moved from the yard into an open concrete floored shed to put the dressing on. I was still holding the horses head when I felt as though I wanted to throw up. I was being spoken to but the voice sounded from far away, and I thought I was going to faint. As the last piece of bandage was taped on, I dropped the lead, and had to move and lean over a wall. I managed to get my jumper off and then the cool breeze and a sit down on some hay restored my equilibrium.
Me on Chance earlier in the year!
I walked home and crawled into bed as by then I was feeling cold and just wanted to curl up and sleep which I did for about an hour. I was still not feeling wonderful, so had a hot shower and walked up to the WM's place for dinner and felt much restored after a coffee, and a drink of water. I think I must have been dehydrated and my face is pink from the sun (heh, heh) so I got a bit burnt as well. Not something I expected to happen in winter LOL.
Luckily I came right in time for dinner - roast pork and NINE vegies no less (inc spinach from my own garden!!!!), followed by steamed pudding. In between we watched the Olympic updates and news so saw something of the spectacle I missed last night. Saw a couple of Aussis do well in their swimming heats, rowing, volley ball and equestrian. Saw nothing of NZ so will have to go to NZ Herald to see how we are doing. In between we played several games of BUZZ and for the first time, I won 2/3. A good night all in all LOL.
Am going into Gton with the WM's family tomorrow to watch the boys play football, take the girls back to school and to get some groceries. Hopefully it will be another fine day - it was 22o in Gton today on the WA news and we are always a few degrees warmer here. Spotted ants in the house today and there were a few flies about whilst I was riding. Will be getting more ant baits etc tomorrow.
3 comments:
Glad to see you have managed the equestrian gig without too much damage to your vitals.
Now... regarding the news about the olympics... try www.tvnz.co.nz then keyword olympics, and then you will be able to keep up to date. NZ has been doing very well, so far in rowing, Mark Todd, so it is a good start. I think it was a frost this morning, very very cold after the wet wet wet. Snow on the Desert Rd, so enough said.
Have an early trip to Pukekohe in the morning, my top dental plate has cracked, and cant wear them. Probably have to have new ones, ugghh.
love and hugs, Mum
Glad to hear you and horses both survived the experiences. There's a strange shiny object in the sky today - rumour has it, it could be the sun, although it hasn't been seen for that long that no one can remember what it looks like. Am doing loads of washing to celebrate being able to use the outside clothes line at last.
Re ants - try tumeric as per Laura's recommendationin her recent blog. I'm testing the theory at the moment but not sure if it's actually working or if there are just no ants about at the moment. (My snake repellent has worked a treat- have never seen one here in 24 years - heh heh.
Great photo of you on the horse - sorry to hear you had a weird experience though! I sometimes get that happening to me too, not nice at all.
We've managed to catch lots of NZ events here - I suppose because TVNZ is priveleging them over others lol - our flatmate Emma has an old schoolfriend (emma twigg) who won one of the rowing heats. Even managed to see some cool gymnastics! Cheers for the steamed pudding recipe, it is miraculously sunny here but when it inevitably starts to rain again I'll give it a go.
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