is it spring already?!

what gorgeous weather we've had this weekend! Sadly my cold is STILL lingering, actually lingering probably isn't the right word as it hasn't gotten any better over the week! Marcus has caught it now too poor little sausage, and I'm very thankful for a lull in work right now!

Dragged myself outside yesterday afternoon and grabbed Smokey out for a ride. Still a bit slippery in the paddocks due to the good frosts we've been having, so after a wee trot out, I took him for a walk down the dead end road... led him first, then hopped on him down by the neighbours place and rode him back up. Stopped at a loooooong puddle at the road/grass edge and after a bit of coaxing he decided he knew I wanted him to go forward at it, but it didn't mean he had to get his feet feet so he jumped it! Our first jump hahaha.

He has another loose milk tooth too, directly above the bottom one he's recently lost, so will soon be down to one milk tooth top and bottom on that side and still 2 top and bottom on the near side.

Today Mac came out for a ride first, off we went down the road, then back up the road and up onto the Main Rd. Traffic was very light so he was pretty chilled out. Up past a 3 yr old slightly feral colt and then down a side road to do the wee wooden bridge. Mac has been over it before but not for about a year I suppose. He stopped, he went backwards, he said nah ah, until the 2 ponies on the other side of the bridge watching him were brought into the conversation. It went something like this...

"Wow, those 2 ponies aren't going to be hugely impressed by the big wimpy stallion Mac who's scared to go over the bridge are they?!" (Yes Mac thinks he's ALL that, particularly after just going past the feral boy) no sooner had I said that to him and urged him on and hey presto over the bridge he goes hahahaha.

Got him home and took Smokey out again. Down the road leading him (he has been rather upset but the horse who was currently in the yards beside the road when we've been down there a couple of weeks or so ago) couldn't have cared less today, so hopped on down the end of the road and road him back up. He grew about a hand as he stopped to look at the horse in the yards leaping around, but trundled on happily. Hooked on the lead rope when we got back to the gate and took Smokes the same route Mac had just been, just leading him out to see how he was in the traffic. All good, not a care in the world. No hesitation at the bridge, just followed me over it. So all in all, very cool, calm and collected!

And then did a very unofficial measuring of him with the new weight/height tape, and he is currently just under 14.1hh, so hopefully he'll grow just a little more yet!

Mac, when he could be convinced the tape wasn't about to eat him, is pretty much bang on 15hh which is what I thought he was. Will have to drag Roger out for a measure too!

And that's about it, hopefully I'll shake this cold soon!!! and not get any more for a year, that'd be nice too!

and what a lovely surpise! a day of firsts...

it was gale force winds out there today and somehow I'm catching another cold! grrrr so it was going to be a lazy day of do nothing...... but!

Lunchtime and I got a phonecall from a 'neighbour' 10kms up the road asking if I wanted to go up for a ride. Well Maccy Boy LOATHES big winds so I jumped at the chance of saying "I'll bring Smokey!!!"

Off we went, got there and off the float, he was looking around but nothing too exciting. Then Brian on the tractor came past with a front full of hedge trimmings, aaaah no big deal. Saddle up and go up to the hitching area where Pauline and her young girl from next door are saddling up too. Smokey really wanted to say hi to the young guy (his age) still in the paddock but was very well behaved. Mounted up and away we went.

Thru a nice big stream, a bit of coaxing needed and he decided if he could drink it it must be OK to walk through hehehe. On off up into the forestry where we aimed up a hill and had our first canter! Trotted past a scary tree and another canter. Got to the top of the hill and there was another one! Another canter, another scary tree, another canter LOL. Up the top of that hill and he needed to catch his wind so the rest were walked up. On our way way we encountered a fallen tree that was supposed to be a jump test, but it turned into a "I can walk over that hairy tree mum it's OK". Up the top of all those hills it was time to head back down again, so a photo opportunity came up when Pauline hopped off (sorry Pauline it was on movie mode but it would have been a good photo!)



and we walked them all down the looooooong down hill (save the young ones withers). On the way down was another fallen down tree, which the short boy COULD have squished under with me but the other 2 hadn't had to do that so he decided he didn't have too, so we had to slide off the edge of the track and get around the end of it.

Down the bottom and another photo opportunity of me on the boy, and once we got him to stand still (I got on it must be time to go!!!) we got a few cute photo's shame they didn't really show off the countryside and the amazing views.

Then it was head for home. Back through the stream, and down towards the house and float and we took the chance to get him to walk over one of Paulines jumps that was on the ground. "No mum, it's scary, don't make me!" as he's trying to turn away from it, but hey presto, if I can turn hin back he has lost and has to do what's asked (how easy is that!?!) so he walked over that nicely too.

Then into the sheep yards for his dinner while I went in for a cuppa and here's Brian still hard at work on the tractor and Smokey all alone without mummy eating...... what a good boy.

So a FANTASTIC day and passed all the tests with flying colours and I am just so so SO proud of my wee boy :o)

Bowen for Karma in Christchurch

was the aim of this last week. Marcus and I took a trip down on Tuesday since his tummy bug was well and truly over.

Karma got to meet Veronica and got a Bowen session on Wednesday and another one on Friday on the way back home.

Was lovely to meet Veronica myself and a very capable Bowen practitioner if anyone is wanting one in Canterbury!

Nice to catch up with old friends and to meet a couple of horsey people we haven't met before! Marcus was very well behaved and Karma Banana didn't dig up nana and granddads pristine lawn so all was good :o)

Home on Friday and on Saturday thought I'd better get on Smokey again. Had a nice wee ride on him and then took him for a walk down the road again (led not ridden) he was much better than the first time! Much more relaxed :o)

Play Time With Mac, lets push the communication!

So I rode Smokey today, a nice little schooling session for him and walked over the trot poles there, we did some "pick a spot and ride to it" and the first 3 Smokey aimed too but didn't want to "touch" the spot till I told him he'd get a piece of apple or bread for each spot hit exactly. We got up to 7 before I thought I'd better pull the pin in case I didn't have enough treats there LOL. Once we finished it was Mac's turn and he was a funny boy and was in a playful mood. So after 15 boring mins of schooling I decided to do the point and shoot with him too, he too needed a little bribery to be bothered hitting the mark, then we both got bored with that and I said lets do some transitions the same way then, well he wasn't concentrating nearly enough and we ended up doing a lengthened trot right down the paddock me laughing my head off and him thinking he was so damn fine and funny! So gave up on that one and asked if he wanted to aim for some points again, he wanted to be more in control so we reversed the roles.... he was to pick a point, I would then see if I could get it from him and would then look away so I didn't influence where he went and he would walk to the point. We had a ball, out just a tad on a couple but all those trees in the wind break look the same to me LOL. Just a great fun, play session, was lovely!

Just what I needed!

Marcus's tummy bug continued for a while! We've now been 36 hours since the last messy session so hopefully it's gone! So after having canceled our lesson on Tuesday for him, I booked it in for this morning and it was a good one! :o)

Went out this afternoon and thought I'd better do some work with Smokey so while the float was hooked up we did some float loading, then gear on and long reined him up the paddock and back at which point Pete arrived home from work so Marcus climbed the gate and went back inside and I decided to jump on the wee poppet. So, how long has it been? About a month? As expected, he was a star, didn't set a foot wrong, very willing, moving nicely, so finish and trim those long feet up!

Sooty the little black goat had a partial foot trim a week or so ago but was still walking like a cripple so caught the fat brat tonight (she HATES her feet being trimmed!) and did hers while I was in the foot trimming mood, no rot thankfully and pretty brutal with the trim so hopefully she'll feel happier in a day or 2 hehehe.

And now back into work, no sick child, no broken sleeps to change beds, we're away laughing again! :o)

gosh winter and an energy ebb

... and I guess too many late nights don't help! Had dressage on Sunday, nice attitude from the boy, very happy with him and think the tests on a whole were better than last months (although the marks were a wee bit lower this time round). Very happy with him and the vids of them.

Smokey has just lost a wee baby tooth at the front, little gappy smile he has now LOL. He's been a good boy and I just threw the covers back on them 1/2 an hour ago and got a big smoochy hug from him instead of the usual mouthiness, was a very nice hug.

Work is ticking along, nothing hugely exciting to share there, no new things or techniques happening.

Marcus had his first every tummy bug on Saturday night which resulted in me being very tired for dressage and him staying at home with daddy! STILL tired now, would love to crash into bed at 6pm when he will be but have work to get done... no rest for the wicked!

But winter can be beautiful even if cold and wet....

There's snow in them there hills!