More pics and something to test your observational skills!

Now for the test of your observational skills ... why are her ears back in this photo?

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My car accident

Which, unfortunately, has put paid to me riding for a while :(

Was on my way home from the yard today when a drunk driver pulled out in front of me. I hit him side on and completely totalled my car :(

They didn't let me see it (I couldn't anyway) but the front of the car was pushed right back to the dashboard. They wanted to take the top off but I wouldn't let them (that car is ... was ... my baby) though they did have to cut my clothes off which didn't cause quite as much trauma!

Anyway, I was immediately put in a collar, on a back slab with my head completely immobilised and carted off to the hospital. Thankfully it's not half as major as it first seemed (apart from my poor car) but I'm extensively battered and bruised, had to have my knees patched up and may have broken ribs. They didn't want to x-ray me because I already work in x-rays and even if they confirm it they won't do anything about it.

I can't walk at the moment because it's too painful on my knees and my chest is very sore and I'm pretty convinced that my ribs are bust. My neck and back are very painful too :(

My brother, mum & niece came to the scene to pick up the shopping (one of my other worries!) and to see where they'd taken me. The car was so bad that my mum broke down on the spot but as my brother pointed out to her I was very lucky to have come out of it by looking at the damage.

Am back home now feeling very sore, can't walk, can't laugh or breathe deeply and feel very dizzy a lot of the time. Apart from that I'm fine :)

My name is Saffy and I'm a kleptomaniac

I'd been watching someone else's lesson for about 20 minutes while she had a snooze, came back to the yard to find that she'd unclipped herself (don't know how) and was 'on the missing'.

Looked in the feed bin area, she wasn't there, hadn't got a clue where she'd gone. Someone shouted that she was over in the other stable block. I went over to find a very pleased with herself looking Saffy heading towards me with a Waitrose carrier bag dangling from her teeth ... in said carrier bag were apples that she'd stolen from one of the other liveries.

At least she has standards (Waitrose carrier bag) :)

One thing is for sure is that life is never dull with Saffy around!

Some photos of the mare with, ahem, 'character'

Awwww ... mum ... but the grass is better here!

She likes her food!

Come on mum, hurry up, I want my dinner

The day after ..... a step forward again

I tried to reschedule my lesson as there were gales, driving rain, you name it but my trainer was already out and about so that little ploy failed miserably.

Now our school is open to fields on two sides and open onto a 'stack yard' which is open to fields on the other (with the YOs horses in!). Add in trees along one of the sides and you've got the biggest recipe for disaster that there ever was. The trees were blowing and making one hell of a noise. Each tree had it's own microcommunity of what sounded like a tornado. There was NO WAY on earth that Saffy was going to behave.

But she did :)

She not only behaved but she didn't bat an eyelid even with the wind up her tail, in her ears and battering us about. She didn't even toss her head around. My trainer said "I want one like that" as she was just so well behaved. Not only well behaved but worked beautifully, even doing the lateral work Let's just hope that she stays like that :D

Here's her dozing after an Equine Touch body balance

August 2006 .... 3 steps forward and 1 step back

She was going well despite having not been ridden for a week (I was in London all week then moving at the weekend). She started with a 'dog stretch' (think front legs stretched in front, leaning RIGHT back onto her hind legs) though not while I was on her but went quite well in the school even doing a few teeny steps of leg yield

The next day, however ... ok, it was windy and raining ... it was like she'd been wound up and let go. She trotted around like she was on a mission, nice rhythm, just like Spotty Dog! FINALLY got some good work out of her (including better leg yield) but left canter for another day as I didn't fancy speeds approaching the sound barrier
There was a pigeon on the fence looking at us, unfortunately it was next to the 'spooky tree'. She was fine, ignored the pigeon, but then it decided to fly off making the MOST noise possible! Saff did extended trot for a couple of strides and then settled down again quite quickly (thankfully).

After her 'clockwork toy' routine on Thursday I decided to get her on the lunge on Friday. She wasn't naughty but she was up for it BIG time. At one point she was doind a 20 metre circle in GALLOP! Yes, true gallop. She was completely controlled and obviously just wanted a blast.

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