sylvia stanier

a good day yesterday - for an 82 year old, she's very sharp, knew what the horses were doing behind her without looking....which considering she's a bit hard of hearing as well...

anyway, my brief thoughts/notes/report (this is getting pasted all over...)

firstly, no pics as whilst it was indoor in full sunlight, the light was behind the horses and very bright, plus it wasn't a photo opp sort of thing. secondly, didn't take hods of notes (i know some people did, though)

first session was just about muscle & nerve sites and where to touch the horse to have it move on /move sideways (clarified a lot for me!) - particularly that move sideways is leg a few degrees behind where it would be for forward. one horses with lines painted on it to illustrate.

second session was about reins (not tight, people!) and how to get e.g. turns with minimal aiding ...interestingly, turn on the forehand = outside hand ACROSS the wither

third session was q & a - what would Ms Stanier advise for x, y or z situation...

most important things, probably, basics should be right, minimal aiding, once your horse is doing what you asked don't aid until you want him to do something different (or he stops doing); learn your horses language; keep it short and sweet when teaching new.

abcess!

the horse I'm to have my lunge lessons on has one .... hope he'll be fine soon, he's a lovely boy and very good

a night off from swimming

a friend who's also a physio came to visit, we spent most time talking horses; turns out she used to keep hers at yard i'm on - time she went, partner home so no point going back out swimming or wouldn't have eaten until goodness knows what time....

pictures from yesterday

random sheep sculpture...




low force

high force - the river isn't full so this isn't as impressive as it might have been

the view from the top of the moor

walked too far....

went for long walk in teesdale - high force, then along the tops back and down to the car park - with partner's walking group - it was really too far for me, with the resutl that i didn't enjoy the last part at all .....

these things are much easier on 4 legs than 2 ..

mind, some of it was bridlepath, but the surface was awful, wouldn't have wanted to ride any horse on some of it!

float or not float?

so, that float .. by Wednesday, i could feel my neck frying and my shoulders seizing up = due to holding arms out in front of my on the float...

didn't swim last night (cos the mirror was coming) and tonight did without the float with much less grief from the wrist - in fact, practically none at all....

maybe it was the physio's touch yesterday morning?

anyway, the horse that i'm hoping to be lunged on should be ready for that this next week (given that it was a couple of weeks ago i spoke to RI, and she said a couple of weeks) so will ring her this weekend and see what the crack is.

planning on going to yard at weekend as well.....

mirror mirror on the wall

which is the quirkiest of them all?

i reckon, ours is...

edited to add after jean's comment, this pic is not quite as good due to having the flash on but gives a better idea of size


from cotfield mirrors in gateshead, great stuff.

and yes, that is a bit in there (the very first bit i had molly in that she hated) and our opera glasses and other bits of stuff of our own...

the wrist....

danni asked how the wrist is and when i'll be back to normal

don't know if it will ever get back to normal, they are not sure - physio should be pleased tomorrow as i can almost touch my little finger with my thumb, but still have no strength in the grip

don't know what the consultant will say when i see him - although interested to discover from looking him up that his main field is knees! you need him, Jean, not me, LOL - so I'll see how we go, but rather think i'd prefer a hand and wrist specialist!

i reckon i'll have to learn one handed riding and substantially improve my seat for the purpose

but one things for sure, my legs will be a lot stronger, swimming using a float for the hands makes the legs work harder, and it's amazing how much work the arms normally do when swimming

so that will improve my riding no end (so long as i don't end up with TOO strong a leg, LOL)

not going anywhere...

the low mileage car will remain low mileage at this rate - work, home, work home etc - it's not very far, 22 and a bit miles since Sunday...

extra tonight - i got into the changing room after work, ready for my swim, and found i had left my costume at home....

so went back after tea ....

want a horse, want to be fit to ride a horse ...tonight would have been good, cold but a full moon and no wind..

another thought...

swimming whilst using a float to prevent overuse of the wrist means that the legs & thighs are getting even more work - which will, one imagines, be good for my riding once i can get back on!

seriously, swimming using legs only is VERY hard work, it's amazing how much use one makes of ones hands/arms in the process...

a lovely day!

for a ride....

i almost wish it would rain i wouldn't feel so bad....

hugs for my friend

who is having to sell this gorgeous Friesian graded mare

If anyone knows someone looking and can provide a really good home for her...

i met them in Yorkshire a couple of years ago, she's a lovely mare, and owner is a lovely person

a second thought for the day

when i do get back to riding, i will be totally unable to have a heavy left hand, LOL

1/2 an hour a night

my thinking is, if I'm in the pool for 1/2 an hour a night, I'll be a bit better and do a bit more in that 1/2hour every night

so three nights so far, and it does feel better - doing a couple more lengths each night

actually, I'm quite surprised at myself. granted, it's not the biggest pool on the planet, but i must have some degree of fitness to do as well as I'm doing...

swimming!

i enjoyed that

the slightly open wound on my wrist was a bit stingy (did i say, i got an infection in the wound, caused by a stitch not dissolving? very painful getting it pulled out by the nurse yesterday!)

the wrist felt fine - i didn't over do it, in that i did some backstroke essentially just paddling with my hands whilst the legs did the work - and of course didn't go full pelt forwards!

i intend to try and keep this up .. but must remember a comb, and a second towel one is insufficient...(i always wrap my hair in a towel and didn't have one spare for the purpose..)

join a gym?

probably

there's one round the corner from the office which has a nice pool as well as all the other stuff such places doe

on a price comparison, if i join for their monthly fee i could swim every day after work for the equivalent of just over £1 a day, with no extra mileage involved. and if i wanted to do anything else as my level of fitness/recovery improves, that woudl be included in my membership.

the same at the nearest public baths just for swimming would be a good bit pricier, with added mileage and parking charges.

bit of a no brainer, methinks!

in the meantime, i had a court appointment today for an application i made on behalf of a client; i was in good time, but court was overrunning so much i ended up with a parking ticket! you can guarantee if i'd gone out to put more money in the meter, that would have been the moment i was called...

ok, pictures

nessie helping me hang the washing out the other day (not! she thinks that's a good game...)
my car



it's going back for a spot of minor work next week .... the area round the gear lever, that should be flush with the surface, isn't - i guess someone was working under there and didn't put it back.

i got back the rugs i'd lent out, too small for friend's horse, so went to yard to put them away, collected my bridlework which could do with a clean - probably should collect the roller as well, it seems a shade damp in the tack room!

great to be able to take myself out and about, even if it does mean i have to start doing shopping again - interesting, that, hardly did any since my accident...

hurray! car!

picked it up this morning, really enjoying driving it.

not quite as much passenger space as in the last one - the spec says 5 seats, but frankly, more than one adult in the back would be difficult, and that one would only really fit if front passenger seat pushed forward a bit!

but it's going to be good. it's quite high, so going to be useful for moving stuff about

will i keep it cleanish?

only until i get my next horse - and rubber matting has already been bought and installed! cloth car mats are hopeless when you're forever trailing mud etc into the car..

well exercised...

i got to the bus stop ...... and discovered i'd left my money at home! so had to walk ... 4 miles .... knackered now!

new car tomorrow.....

a first time for everything

a manicure!

because, of course, i can't do the nails on my right hand, due to not being able to use my left hand properly

and the physiotherapist was very pleased with my progress when i went this morning; next appointment a fortnight (because i have prior engagements next week when she's there, she works part time)

i don't need a riding school!

RI has access to a horse i can have lunge lessons on .. I've had lunge lessons on him before a couple of years ago, but didn't know if he was still available .. hurray!

so couple of weeks, probably....

can't wrap my head round

getting in the house not long after 5 and nowhere to go....it just feels odd!

rugs out on loan

Gaynor needed more lightweight rugs for Charlie, so she now has a loan of 4 of mine... she might as well try them on him, and even though he is a lot bigger than molly, height wise, he does have the odd one the same size so should be ok

it was the most miserable day, raining stair rods until about the time gaynor and i got to her yard when it started easing up and we finally saw blue sky - which was interesting, as the weather forecast had said it would be dry for 4, and no one thought it would dry up at all... but correct

partner spent most of the day outside in her waterproofs chiselling render off a wall...at least the wet will have helped that job!

mobility for me!

next saturday morning..

a Citroen C3, 1.4L automatic, really top spec, low mileage for age, only one previous owner, nice motor - not my favourite colour, but hey

i can't link to the advert, as by the time i got home and looked to do that, they'd taken it down!

and then i'll be able to make arrangements for lunging without having to rely on anyone else to get me there..

and MUST remember to ask physio about swimming...

re the motor...

much as i would like to go for the land rover freelander, think partner's right and can't really afford it ATM; so instead, will settle for an ordinary car, about the same age as the one I've got at the moment...

more depression, but that's the way it goes...