Runneth over

Well my cup runneth over this weekend. My Riding Club family have given me such a boost. So did Buddy.

It’s been a fab weekend. I’m still beaming from yesterday’s clinic. Being able to get back out jumping definitely filled me with joy.

Last night, I had a lovely dinner with Nicola Wilson, Simon Grieve and most of the Carleton Committee. It was great to catch up with them. So many laughs over great food. Very much needed.

Today, I was driver and support crew, heading to Wakefield Stud for Nicola’s second clinic of the weekend.

There are times when organising clinics like this seem a very daunting and thankless task. Seeing the smiling faces over this weekend, makes it worth it. Very proud to have played a tiny part in it all.

I know that this week is going to be tough as I head back down South for my Mum’s funeral. This weekend brought tears to my eyes, a smile to my face and more memories for the archives.

Unscripted

Today saw a spontaneous pony party when I got a call this morning. A friend was having a tough time. So I suggested she came over with her horse for a ride & talk. It was such a lovely day, so good for the soul.

We were out for nearly 2 hours wandering round, putting the world to rights. Even saw a beautiful rainbow as we dodged the showers.

We had a slight issue when we got to a bridleway that runs across a field. The field had been freshly ploughed so it was really hard to see where the path actually ran.

I thought I’d worked it out as I’ve used the bridleway many times. All was going well till we hit a rather deep bit and poor Buddy started to sink!

I honestly thought he was going to fall over. Thankfully he saved himself and we made it across. Guess I didn’t quite get the path right. Who knows?! Even when we looked at the bridleway path marker, it was hard to see where it was.

By the end of the ride, we were all smiling. Sometimes, you just need to talk it out. Maybe I should add ‘ride & talk’ to my rider confidence coaching offerings.

Mums

Today isn’t one of my favourites. Mother’s Day is a bit of a weird one for me. For many reasons. But we all have our stuff, right?! Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful that my Mum is still here. I know so many people who’ve lost theirs. It’s just tough.

Mum is now in a nursing home. It’s sad, but totally the right thing for her. It’s a massive change for my parents. They’ve been together since 1966. That’s a long old time.

I haven’t had a chance to go and see her yet. I will. Hopefully she’ll be in good spirits.

It’s been a weird week. I feel like I’ve fallen into an episode of EastEnders (or should that be PipEnders) with the twists and turns. Nothing I can’t handle of course.

As we were out for a hack, I saw my first lamb of 2024. It was all legs! Another Mum to be celebrated.

So tonight I raise a glass to all the amazing Mum’s – past, present or future. You’re amazing.

Oxygen

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for me for many reasons. I found out that my lovely next door neighbour died. He was 98 so had a really good innings. Still made me sad as he was always so cheery. And he didn’t get to see his new roof.

I’ve been spinning lots of plates and some are really wobbling at the moment. Yesterday took its toll too. I missed my Mum’s 80th birthday lunch today. I looked at so many different ways to get there. But it wasn’t to be.

Sometimes you have to admit defeat. I was reminded today that you need to put your oxygen mask on first. So today I rested and took Buddy out for a really long hack. That’s the best way I know to recharge my batteries.

I will be OK. But right now, I’m struggling with a few issues. I will get them sorted. I always do. Thankful to have some wonderful people in my corner.

Horse girls

This might have made me laugh just a little bit too hard when I saw it.

There are lots of advantages to being a horse girl. We’re made of tough stuff. We rarely cry when a 600kg lump stands on our foot, bites us or barges us out the way. We’re stronger than we look as we manhandle straw, shavings and full wheelbarrows about. We also have the ability to switch from a whisper to a roar in a heart beat (usually when our dearly beloved horse is misbehaving).

We can spend hours outdoors at the yard. And literally pay people to judge us.

We seek each other out. We recognise each other (and not just by the smell or the random bits of hay in our hair).

I’m sure there are many more too. But one thing is for sure. We get shit done and don’t take any in return.