equinesforlife's blog

So it's been a long while since I've been on here, sorry! I've been very busy riding!!! Yes, I'm working on my freestyle and I am now confidently riding on my own in the round yard and paddock. Archie has been perfect, of course, so I decided to take him to the recent play day where we played online which was awesome, and then i hopped on for 20 min in the arena where other people were riding and playing online, Archie was so good, a little more animated but my confidence is such that I was okay with that.

On Saturday I drove to one of my agistments to pick up my friends float for a horsey play day. I hitched up all by myself for the first time. Took half an hour, you know, because of the angle of where the float was parked and i've only have my 4WD for 2 months so yeah, I'm sure that's why it took so long :o) Then I drove over to my other agistment to get my horse Archie. I loaded him on my own, which I've done before, so he was perfect. I drove by myself over an hour to a friends place, which was my first visit to her new home.

One month on from Fast Track and still the learning continues. I can't believe how much I picked up without realising it. Now when I play with the boys I find so much of what I was doing before was only just the tip of the iceburg.I now have the knowledge to build and expand upon what we're doing together, and my horses are loving me for it! I am stimulating, intersting and fun!

So here we are nearly half way through the first ever Aus Fast Track!!! Wow what a journey. It's crazy how much you learn about your horse and more so what you learn about yourself! The emotional ups and downs can be tough to weather, the WEATHER can be tough to weather too- all ovewr the shop. There are 23 of us, from 18 to 60+ i'd guess (no names as I may go missing in the night lols) Noah is so much more cahllanging that I imagined he could be, and no matter how competant you thik you are at home,.

So less than three weeks till we make our cross country trek from Adelaide to Wilton. Wow this has gone so quickly, I feel like I need more time but at the same time I can't wait to get there. We have a brand new tent, new float we've renovated, new clothes, new tack, renewed enthusiasm as it approaches. But my Pony is getting sick of working and is playing up in even the simplest games- especially circle. He tries so hard to focus with some things, and focuses way too much on how to get out of others!!! But I guess that's why we are going- to fast track our progress.

Right now as I write this I am battling to keep my eyes open. It has been a very stressfull and rest-free holiday season so far, and today didn't make things any better. Archie somehow got his lower jaw stuck under his chest strap on his rug. He tried backing up to get out of it but it was stuck fast behind his eye teeth. He then realised he'd put his leg through a fence and then tried to go forward, cutting his scarred leg (minor cut) and ripping a big hole in the fence.

So back from holidays, which was a disaster but won't belabour that. Noah has started intensive training in the run-up to Fast Track. He's coming along well, he picks things up so quickly but goodness it's hard to get him to focus on anything for more than 5 minutes! Extreme LBE! Like a toddler on pure red cordial, he is so intense all the time! I love him dearly but how to get his focus long enough to refine our tasks?

In a word Hellyes! It's confirmed, position at Aus 2011 Fast Track, Funds, Transport, Time off Work- Noah and I are on our way to achieve the dream. Me, my crippled legs, and my 10.2 pony will be burning it up in 6 short months, better get cracking! I think today is honestly the best day of my life- I am proof that there's more to horses than riding, so so much more and I look forward to sharing the joys of Partnership all over SA. This is just one more step towards that goal. OMG I am just ecstatic!

Even in this foul weather you can have the best moments with your horses- today was the single best day I have ever had with my pony. 

Today exactly one year ago I was heading from home near Adelaide down to where my lease horse was kept, over 90 km away near Normanville. I did this every weekend that I could manage it, it's a long drive, and often the weather was crap or I couldn't afford the extra fuel, or I had other responcibilities that kept getting in my way. It was difficult having him live so far away, meaning I would have to suffer up to a month without visiting, but at the time it was necessary.