Author: langlep

So 2020 was going to be my year. The year I got my life sorted after being served redundancy notice from my job in November 2019. The year I ticked off more things from my horsey bucket list. The year I got my mental health back under control and reduced stress in my life. I had a plan. And it was a good one. Then the plan changed dramatically on 2 January. I came off my horse at speed and broke my ankle. Badly. Like all good equestrians, I got back on and rode back to the yard, sorted Buddy out and then drove myself to A&E. That’s where this journey really began... I was sent home from A&E and told to crack on, only to receive a phone call later to say they’d missed a fracture (and a rather serious one at that). Whoops! So fracture clinic on 3 January, surgery on 5 January and home to recover. I started this blog as a way to chart my recover back to the saddle. As I cleared clinics and competitions out of my diary and wondered what the next few months would bring, it's been a safe space for me to say how I'm feeling. The new plan was to get a new job, to keep Buddy is kept ticking over and recover from my injury. Another good plan! I didn't expect a global pandemic, lockdown and all that happened in 2020. This blog has changed over time but it's continued to be my safe space to share the things going on in my life, with Buddy and the cats. Enjoy!

Poppies

Spotted these beautiful poppies across from the lorry this morning. What a glorious sight to bring start the day.

Two brilliant lessons today. First up a play on the XC course. Buddy was full of beans but jumped everything I asked of him. Really pleased with him.

After lunch, it was course jumping. Again, Buddy was up for it. He felt so balanced. We even got complemented on the quality of our canter. Something that rarely happens.

Buddy can be a bit of a mixed bag. When it’s good, my goodness it’s good. Today was very, very good.

Diaphoretic

This is the face of a rather sweaty Pip! And that was after I’d stuck my head under the tap. It’s been a tad toasty today. Not sure who sweated more – me or Buddy!

Two cracking lessons down. Lots of electrolytes and fluids down too. Buddy has found a new favourite snack: recover mash! Though he looked like he was wearing most of it by the time he’d slurped it up.

Finished the day by giving CPR to the shower plug hole to get it to drain. Thought for one moment I was going to flood the place. That wouldn’t have been a good look. Neither was the colour of the water when I’d finished in the shower.

Have I mentioned I love camp life?

Photo fail

I thought I’d try and take an arty photo of our boys in the forest. Ended up perfectly framing Katie between Buddy’s ears.

Couldn’t help smile. Well smile even more. It felt good to be back in the forest ready for another training camp.

Of course I might regret that statement after sweating my backside off tomorrow. I packed so many extra clothes. Unlike last time, it’ll be for sweating rather than shivering.

Oasis

I had breakfast and lunch al fresco today. My garden is usually a little oasis of calm. I love sitting listening to the birds.

Not today. Today there was a lot of noise. Seemed everyone was using the nice weather to get out in the garden too. There was a cacophony of lawnmowers, power tools and even a chainsaw!

If you can’t beat them, join them eh! I resisted the urge to join the noise. But went and did some tidying in the borders instead. The ivy had gotten a little out of hand on the back fence. So it needed a good cull. Still got a way to go with it though. It’s looking much better though already.

Comatosed

Hugo gave me a fright when I found him comatosed in the conservatory earlier. He was out for the count. I wondered if he’d overheated at first. It was pretty warm in there. Cause that’s cat logic. It’s a nice sunny day, so let’s go and sit in a glass box!

Thankfully he was OK. Just very tired from a heavy night of sleeping. I wish I could sleep like a cat, I really do.

KitKats

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. But I do love a KitKat. They’re in my Top 3 chocolate bars (after Double Decker and Twirl). So imagine my joy when I went for a meeting with one of my clients and not only did we have KitKats with our coffee, she gave me these bad boys!

It’s a bit of an in-joke as we categorise issues in number of KitKats it will take to solve. I’m very tempted to recommend this system to the UN. Pretty sure it could take off.

Unsettled

I’ve felt very unsettled today. And quite emotional. I know what’s going on so that’s good. I’m working through some deep rooted stuff. Always exhausting. So I did what I always do when I don’t know what to do. I went to see Buddy and took him out for a hack.

That was after I put the magazine I’ve been working on to bed. A phrase I love on many levels. I think it’s so cute that it goes to bed. Not a clue where it comes from. Probably something to do with the old printing presses having beds where the typeset sat. Anyway it always makes me smile. As does finishing the magazine.

Buddy may have bitten off more than he could chew on our hack today. Even when I’m feeling low and emotional, he lifts my mood and makes me laugh. Although he did look like a redneck with cleaver hanging from his mouth.

Resilience

I thought I’d lost this Lily. It was one that started to regrow after the heatwave last year. Then got battered by the frosts and snow. So happy to see it survived. It’s about half the size it would normally be. But it’s still there.

Talk about resilience!!

Bressingham

Today Colette took me to Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens for my birthday outing. It’s become a bit of a tradition now to visit a garden for our birthdays. Thankfully there are lots of gardens for us to visit locally.

First trip here for both of us. I’ve seen the sign on the A140 as I’ve been driving past. It’s a lovely place to stop at.

The gardens were stunning. Very varied and lots to admire. We walked over 2 miles round them. Then we popped into the museum. They had a train carriage where they used to sort the post. And a Dad’s Army section with lots of memorabilia from the show. It took me back to my childhood growing up watching the show.

I love it when you find a gem of a place to visit.

Rollin’

Took Buddy down to the Hall today for their clear round SJ. I put him in the 80cm and 90cm as he’s been jumping so well lately. It was his first 90cm course in a competition-like setting, so thought I’d see what he made of it.

Once he’d gotten over his dislike of the bright pink pig fillers, he ate up the jumps. Frustrating cause it’s not like he doesn’t jump pig fillers we have at home. But they are a different shade of pink, so guessing I need to up the pink-factor.

No clears, but I went with the aim of having fun and using it as an educational round. Big ticks there! He made 90cm feel small. He’s getting stronger and stronger (in a good way).

Just need to recreate it in competitions now. Buddy loves his post wash down roll too. Thankfully he was more elegant jumping the jumps.