Monday, July 23, 2012

One Week to the Next

  • We have had a couple of grass fires in outlying areas that have taken days to get under control.  Although there have been promises of a reprieve from the 34C temperatures we have had for weeks now, the occasional grey clouds never amount to anything. Everything is crispy.  LA's mother, who has lived on the property since 1961, says she has never experienced weather like we have had recently. 

  • The beginning of June, I strained my back quite badly....badly enough that there were times I had to sleep in a chair because I couldn't get in or out of bed.  It was worth it, though.  :-) It was caused by a great riding lesson that included poles.  I was planning on taking the summer off from lessons (too hot!!), so I just stopped a little sooner.  About 3 weeks ago, I started riding again.  I needed assistance getting up, and I only lasted short periods of time, but it felt good to get back in the saddle.  I managed to get Gem up to a lope a couple of times and I was very pleased with myself.  Funny how quickly your confidence and endurance diminishes when you haven't ridden in a few weeks.....

  • Just over a week ago, LA convinced me to have Gem put out at night and brought into the cool barn during the day.  DH is still out there with him.  Now for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that Gem is a bit of an escape artist.  He is not afraid of the electric fence and has proven that a few times nowInitially, I wasn't fussy on it, but with the heat we have been experiencing I decided to give it a go.  It seems to be working out OK.  The downside is that when I see him to ride, he is full of beans and is anxious to get out of the stall.  Not a great combination when when you are trying to ease back into riding.  :-)

  • I bought my Australian stock saddle.  I put it together last week and tried it out on Friday.  Everything is quite stiff yet, so I won't be taking it out on the trails until it's broken in. I am having difficulty in getting the girth as tight as it should be.  It is sooo much lighter than my Western! I love the seat of it - the cantle is quite high and helps support your back and it's very comfortable.  The knee pads keep you in position.  It will take some time to get used to the leathers and I am definitely going to swap out the stirrups - I find them a bit small.  

  • DH's Mom just got back from a dude ranch adventure.  She went on her own.  She has ridden most of her life and this type of holiday has always been a dream of hers.  She was in the interior of British Columbia and said it was the best vacation she had ever been on.  She was there a week, along with 40 other people.  Every day there were trail challenges - riding up mountains, crossing rivers, stony paths, deep brush.  There was lots of galloping and she jumped a log....at a gallop....this was her first time jumping!  The place was a first class resort and very well managed.  The horses were terrific and the food amazing.  She made lots of friends.  She said that she learned soooo much from the rancher and the professionals that took them on the day excursions.  Some of her observations hit really close to home for me.....but I will share them in another post. 

  • Jean made the decision last week (I admit that I did push it a bit) to get a professional trainer involved with Stu.  It's a hard pill to swallow, but she has come to the realization that perhaps she needs help.  I am very pleased that she has made this decision.  She met with a trainer that LA recommended and they had their first session last Friday.

  • A few weeks ago, I sent an email to a local Hyundai dealership enquiring about the delivery wait for a red Veloster.  Dealers around here are only getting a few of these cars and they are sold practically before they arrive.  In my email, I said that I was interested in a base model, I wanted an automatic and I wanted it in red.  No one replied.  :-( On Saturday, My Husband and I were out shopping and he started talking about my need of a new car and he suggested we swing by the Hyundai dealer to look at the Elantra as an alternative.  As we were sitting in a floor model, I mentioned to the sales rep that what I was really interested in was the Veloster.  He said that he had one on the lot that was sold, but if I wanted to sit in it I could....yes, please!  He returned with the keys and as we were walking to the car, he said he was mistaken....this car was not sold; it was their 2013 model that had just arrived.  My heart skipped a beat.  As we walked closer, I saw that it was red.  My heart fluttered.  When I got in, I noticed it was an automatic....  I asked if this was the base model - yes it was.  My heart jumped.  So, I bought my car on the weekend!  No waiting, no fuss.  In fact, the car was so new to the lot that the price had to be verified. How weird that My Husband would suggest going to the dealership on Saturday and that the car had just been delivered and was exactly what I was looking for.  It was meant to be!!  
Have a great week!!

22 comments:

  1. Okay, you're not going to believe this but I just wrote a very long comment then went to click on the Veloster link to see the car and lost the whole thing. Thought I'd tell you this in case you get two comments from me that are basically the same. So here goes again...

    We've been dry here too until a few days ago when we got some rain, hope it heads up north to you soon.

    Sorry to hear about your back injury, that's always so painful and affects everything we do. Glad you're feeling well enough to ride again.

    Maybe if you lunged Gem a little before riding he would use up some of his excess energy. We were also doing night turnout but the weather is getting a little better so they're back out during the day.

    Your new saddle sounds terrific. Good luck with it. The worst part of a new saddle is the stiffness. I use Lexol before every ride in a new saddle and it seems to help it mold to your shape as it softens up and makes it not as slippery either.

    The dude ranch vacation does sound wonderful. It's one of the things on my bucket list. Someday...

    I'm happy to hear that Jean enlisted the help of a professional. It might be a hard pill to swallow but we all need help sometimes and a different perspective might help. Good luck to them both.

    Congratulations on your new car! That was a stroke of luck they had exactly what you wanted right on the lot. It WAS meant to be. Have lots of fun with it.

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    1. We had a storm roll in yesterday afternoon, Yipee! Not nearly enough rain, but at least it's something. Lunging is a good idea to get help with Gem's energy, but to be honest, I would be nervous about jerking my back - I am not great at lunging. :-) Thanks for the Lexol tip. A dude ranch is on my bucket list, too.... It was fate, for sure! That car was meant to be mine!

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  2. I want to hear more about what you think of your Austrailian saddle. I bought one a few years ago, but haven't tried it out yet!

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    1. I am hoping to pick up some replacements stirrups this week. So far, I love the feel of the seat. A barn mate, who's family used to have polo ponies, told me that they only used Australian saddles when training green horses - they were comfortable and you stayed in them! :-)

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  3. Boo fires and hurt back.

    Yay riding again, new saddle and meant to be new red car!!

    That dude ranch vacation sounds marvelous - looking forward to hearing more.

    Jean is doing the right thing consulting a trainer. A horse Stu's size needs confident early training experiences. It will help Jean's confidence too.

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    1. I am very excited about my new car! I pick it up on Friday!! Working on the dude ranch post.... :-) I totally agree with you regarding Jean working with a trainer and I know it will be good for her too.

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  4. Glad you are back in the saddle again!
    Congrats on your new car.

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  5. Awesome about the saddle and the car. I hope your back is 100% soon. I recently hurt mine after falling from my horse but its cleared up now.

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    1. Thanks, Ruffles! I saw the pics of your fall...you took quite a tumble! Glad that you are feeling better.

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  6. Stop hurting yourself, kay?

    Tell Jean it's okay to get some outside help, I've done it too :)

    And now I want to go on a Dude Ranch adventure...

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    1. Good grief, Girl. I seem to be the walking wounded lately! But I am a tough old bird. :-) After listening to DH's Mom, I sooooo want to go on a Dude Ranch adventure!!! A bunch of us should get together and go! ;-)

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  7. Well Im glad your back is getting good enough to get back into the saddle!

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  8. I love posts like this -- just catching up on life! I'm glad you love your new saddle; I do hope your back gets over the strain soon. I am so envious about your new car, too! (I drive a '95 Chevy; but I need full-time work or a lottery win (lol) if I want one.)

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    1. '95 Chevy?? Wow, you must take care of your car! I had my previous car for over 10 years, so I am going to feel the pinch now that I have to start payments again!! :-)

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  9. The weather all over seems to be really strange; the amount of rain we've had, people keep saying they've never experienced anything like it. But finally, a week of unbroken sunshine. Wishing you some cool, wet weather.

    Sorry to hear your back's still hurting, but glad that you're riding again; take it easy though, don't strain yourself.

    The saddle sounds good, and being lighter that'll be better for your back too.

    Dude ranch ... I've always wanted to give that a go, even before I started riding lessons; who knows, maybe one day when I'm too old to care about being embarrassed but not too old or they'll have to strap me to the saddle ... hmm, there's a thought ...

    So glad Jean has decided to get professional help with Stu; its a hard thing to do but I'm sure it'll be all good in the long run.

    New car!!! Yaaaayyy!!! That is THE best example of 'meant to be' I've ever come across! My car's red too :D Can't wait to see a pix of your's (hint-hint) xx

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    1. I am looking forward to trying my new saddle again this weekend. If it works the way I hope, I will be able to sit like a potato and be secure. :-) I will absolutely post a pic of my new wheels!

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  10. This summer is ridiculously hot all across the country. If we don't have rain then we're baking to death.

    I hate doing up the english girths on the Australian saddles, I just can't do it anymore. I can never get it tight enough on them. My dad actually tried to change the girth on my sister's aussie saddle to a western cinch....do not attempt that. She can no longer use the saddle because of it.

    In my opinion, there is nothing better than riding a horse out in the mountains/wilderness. I think everyone should try it at least once.

    That's great that Jean was able to recognize she needs help with him! The idea of training your own horse is great, but the reality is, it's one of the hardest things to do.

    Congrats on the new car!

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  11. It's cloudy today, but I am not holding out much hope of rain. :-( I have to admit, I am struggling a bit with the Australian girth. I just can't seem to get the right leverage to do it up tightly. I am sure it just takes practice. :-) It's on my wish list, btw, to ride in the wilderness and enjoy what nature has to offer.....

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  12. I love your car! I think it is so very cute!
    I hope your back bets stronger and less painful each day!

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    1. Thanks, Dreaming. I love my new car - it really moves!!

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