I was lucky enough to be whisked off to the heat and amazing beaches of Cuba by my husband in January. Can you believe I was actually resistant to this as I couldn't stand to leave the horses? Once there, I realised just how much I needed the sun, sea, sand and almost continual sleep. It was beautiful. There were pelicans flying between us, clear, warm sea and weather that was only ever hot. There was also a man who just endlessly turned up with cocktails - handy!
My dilapidated shoulder and damaged coccyx ( or as like to call it, my tail) sun bathed everyday to sooth themselves and I actually did not have to limp from bed each morning or look like I was 90 getting up from a chair!
Imagine the shock to my tail and shoulder as well as the rest of me, when we landed in Manchester to -3. Not a very pleasant welcome. Cue the start of the worst winter weeks yet this season. If it hasn't been forzen solid, its been freezing rain and plenty cold enough wind with added high gusts to keep the horses extra special sporty since my return. Every year, I dislike February the most and a bit more with each anniversary. It is a mean month however short it claims to be and I just do the minimal possible in terms of outings and plans as the month usually ruins them. Its the 12th now, so nearly half way through and the reason I am able to sit and write this much overdue blog is because I went out bright and early to school away only to be met by ice and a frozen arena with all the horses looking at me as it to say "don't you dare take rugs off.....". The yard pigs got up for an hour at 7am and then squealed until they were allowed back to bed at 8am. One of them Paloma has literally buried herself in her straw bedding and if you approach, rumbled like a volcano about to erupt.
Schooling still needs to go on though and despite the weather, I am managing to keep on top of all in terms of riding and pre season prep. Bambi and Damaskus have Lincoln pencilled to their diaries and the rest of the horses will carry on with BD and schooling at venues with a dash of BS chucked in until April time so there is plenty to do and lots of enjoyment being had in between weather winging.
Grumbling aside, I have a lot of fabulous horses in the stables and an amazing backroom team of trainers, owners and helpers at the moment and as such as Orange used to say...."The future is bright", if not the actual weather.
My dilapidated shoulder and damaged coccyx ( or as like to call it, my tail) sun bathed everyday to sooth themselves and I actually did not have to limp from bed each morning or look like I was 90 getting up from a chair!
Imagine the shock to my tail and shoulder as well as the rest of me, when we landed in Manchester to -3. Not a very pleasant welcome. Cue the start of the worst winter weeks yet this season. If it hasn't been forzen solid, its been freezing rain and plenty cold enough wind with added high gusts to keep the horses extra special sporty since my return. Every year, I dislike February the most and a bit more with each anniversary. It is a mean month however short it claims to be and I just do the minimal possible in terms of outings and plans as the month usually ruins them. Its the 12th now, so nearly half way through and the reason I am able to sit and write this much overdue blog is because I went out bright and early to school away only to be met by ice and a frozen arena with all the horses looking at me as it to say "don't you dare take rugs off.....". The yard pigs got up for an hour at 7am and then squealed until they were allowed back to bed at 8am. One of them Paloma has literally buried herself in her straw bedding and if you approach, rumbled like a volcano about to erupt.
Schooling still needs to go on though and despite the weather, I am managing to keep on top of all in terms of riding and pre season prep. Bambi and Damaskus have Lincoln pencilled to their diaries and the rest of the horses will carry on with BD and schooling at venues with a dash of BS chucked in until April time so there is plenty to do and lots of enjoyment being had in between weather winging.
Grumbling aside, I have a lot of fabulous horses in the stables and an amazing backroom team of trainers, owners and helpers at the moment and as such as Orange used to say...."The future is bright", if not the actual weather.