Finally,

I get the pooter to myself.

Hunted again today, 3rd time this week.

If I said I was in dire need of arnica & a hot bath can you guess the next sentence ?


My Bathroom

That's right. Hi-speed dismount.

Ow.

No body protector of course.

On stones of course.

At the gallop of course.

It was one of my specialist falls that Cocky & Trudes will recognise.

We galloped down a huge 1 in 3 hill (soft grass)

I was slightly out of control.

We galloped thru a twisty, deep marsh. (soft mud)

I was slightly more out of control.

We galloped thru a stony, dry river bed. (hard, hard stones)

I was by now disobeying most of the known laws of physics.

I wanted to go straight on, Jess wanted to follow her buddies left.

We parted company.

I did one of those falls where you start to come off down the neck,
twist backwards, & the 1st thing to make contact with the ground is your backside
(oh well, plenty of padding) then followed up by your head which has assumed
the weight & physical properties of a water melon.

The only thing I did to redeem myself was to hang on grimly to the reins.

I have seen how far people have to walk on hunts to catch up their horse & it's not funny.

One of the whips, a very kind lady on a big chestnut mare parked her horse directly in front of Jess to help me re-mount. Jess was spinning on the spot, desperate to gallop after her friends, even if it meant being solo.

At the point where the whip asked me if I was ok I replied the way all stupid horsey people do when injured.

'Fine thanks'

I tried to re-mount & got as far as putting my foot in the stirrup. I then just stood there & wasn't sure if my legs were receiving the signal my brain was sending them. I wondered for a scary moment if there was something very wrong, then just realised I was still winded.I then did that sad hoppy thing & eventually hoisted myself in a hugely undignified fashion into the saddle.

So, the down-side is I am sure I will ache like a bugger tomorrow, especially as I forgot to bring my arnica.

The upside is I carried on jumping throughout the rest of the afternoon & didn't shame mysef by crying or refusing to play anymore.

(Cocky, I did a combination, both about 3'06" with just a bounce between, or rather Jess did, I just patted her gratefully as we came out the other side)

Big changes at the house tonight.

Vinny & Paddy have gone back to Christchurch tonight in preparation for flying to North Island for a hockey tournament next week.

Trish & Chris are going to watch them as of Tuesday onwards.


MY TRUCK

Tomorrow all the other kids are being taken by Chris (in my truck) to a place called Kowhai which is a residential riding school just outside Christchurch.

They stay there until next Friday. That means I get the place to myself on Wednesday & Thursday. I am going to spread all my stuff around & make an unholy mess !

Have to go now ... fish & chips & I haven't eaten since brekkie.

Will update you more in the next few days, loads to tell & foties too.

Big hug to everyone

Cx