Day 25

Me and Humphries on Monday

Went over to Dromiskin to see Humphries yesterday afternoon. Things looked very peaceful in the field as I drove up. Megan, Cheyanna and Cori were walking quietly down to the lower field and Sky was walking over to Humphries. He seemed a little wary of her, but she was very affectionate towards him. Michele was riding J.B in the arena, so I popped in to say hello to her and watch her riding. J.B was very fresh from all the box rest, but he looked really smart in his lovely new black saddle and black bridle. He was giving Michele a lot of trouble, pulling on the rein and holding his head crooked. Humphries came up to the gate and looked over at the arena, so I went into the field and said hello to him and gave him some carrots. Harry was over in the yard as well. Eithne had left her over for her lesson, but she didn't have a riding lesson this morning and she hadn't collected her. I put up some cross poles for Michele and she got J.B going beautifully over the jumps. Then I helped her fix up the stable for J.B and held him while she saw to his cuts and then we went home. Ruffles, the peacock, was displaying to the goats in the yard and it was beautiful to see his magnificent tail in full display, and to hear the rustling sound that his feathers make when he vibrates them. It is a pity he doesn't have a peahen to see all the display. I forgot to take my camera over today, which was a shame. After the horses, Michele and I went into Horseware and she bought me a lovely bag for my grooming kit and a really cool buff scarf, which is very versatile, as well as a cool green rain jacket for herself and some nifty leather cleaning goodies.

Day Four

Humphries and Sky

Things seemed to have settled down in the herd today. There was no objection from the other horses when I took Humphries in from the field. I took him into the stable and gave him a perfunctory groom, and he was very good. Then I wormed him and he couldn't have been better. Finally I tacked him up. I was rather inept, as it has been a long time since I tacked up, but he tolerated me and with some help with Michele I got the job done.

The mounting block

I put on my hard hat and gloves and led Humphries out to the mounting block. Michele held him while I tried to get on. It was a little low, so we improvised one out of chopped wood near the arena. With Michele's patience and eventually Madeline and my mother's help, I tried for two hours but, disappointingly, didn't succeed.

Me, tired and disappointed

I untacked Humphries and led him back to the field where, once again, he wandered off without any hassle from the horses. Then I led Cori from one stable into the other with the intention of grooming him and tacking him up for Michele, who was going to ride him. However, he played up a lot and wouldn't lead into the stable. He was preoccupied with getting back to the horses in the field and he was wound up. In the past I would have got scared and angry, but I realised that Cori was anxious, so I kept my cool and got him into the stable. Michele took him into the arena then to do some work with him to calm him down and it was going well, until it started to rain heavily, so she left him back out to the field (not with the horses) and we cleaned out the stables and went home.

Ruffles the peacock