Just had to share

These two images made me laugh so had to share them - I claim no copyright, so please don't sue me!

Hopefully those are legible and I don't get into trouble for using them!

I also have to share the following words of wisdom offered to me by C, who has been thanklessly helpful in keeping me on track and motivated (her and everyone who reads this blog/ my updates and offers comments and criticisms alike - everything helps!)

This is all part of the learning curve and this too shall pass. Training works as follows:
1. Your attention is drawn to a problem
2. You attempt to correct that problem
3. Someone that knows more than you do tells/shows you how to correct the problem
4. You attempt to correct the problem a second time, realizing how much you got it wrong in number 2 and realizing how difficult it is to do.
5. You look for a way to cheat (on purpose or not).
6. Someone draws your attention to the fact that you are "cheating" and you change the way you tackle the problem.
7. You solve the problem and feel comfy.
8. A new problem appears and you start from number 1 again.

I love the breakdown, although it does make me question my sanity in attempting to tackle those steps rofl! Especially after seeing them laid out in black & white like that!

I have found lungeing an invaluable tool since moving out here, I didn't do much of it when I was in Ireland as (1) I had more time to ride her and (2) we weren't doing the same work we are doing now days (read:rather we attempt to do now days). I find 20-25mins of good work on the lunge better than 45mins not concentrating/fighting with me on her back...may be the chickens way out but it works for me!
She had a wonderful session with the pessoa on Saturday evening, L was lunging at the same time as me and suggested we shorten the lines of the pessoa as K was naturally carrying herself better after the work we had been doing.
Kika's work ethic on the lunge line, whether in the pessoa or not gives me hope that all is not lost and that she does enjoy her work when she knows what is being asked of her...now to hone my skills and learn to be more clear with my instructions and hopefully we'll be laughing then!

Work has been a bit mental this week, we're down a member of staff due to medical issues and a lot of the work she usually does has come my way. While not complicated it is a lot more time consuming and requires considerably more concentration than what I am used to doing so by the time i leave the office at 5.30 of an evening I am wrecked!
I don't think it's fair of me to expect Kika to give me 100% if i cannot do the same for her in return, so when I'm not all there I don't ride.

Thankfully we managed to sort out a battery for the fencing and now have electricity going around the entrance and where Kika was making her escape from the field. We also got our hands on a couple bales of hay, so the ladies now have something to chow on and keep them out of mischief...although in saying that the muppet still managed to get at the area where we are storing abovemnetioned hay!
Not suprising really you'd think I would know better than to leave it within her sight and to not have electricity guarding it...my own doing really i guess!

So basically Kika is back being turned out again during the day, so i feel considerably less guilty about not having sat on her since Monday week! She spun in the walker for a bit last night and this evening I plan on lungeing her over poles as we haven't done that for a while and Wednesday is 'Jumping Day' at the barn (an external instructor comes in). They use an arena so liveries not availing of the jumping lessons (which we are not currently - may again some day) are limited in the space they have to work in. As I haven't ridden herself in a while, i prefer not to have a mahoosive audience and/or lots of activity in the arena at the same time as us, as i need to be concentrated solely on her so as not to afford her any luxury to mess and I find myself considerably less so when keeping an eye on other riders and trying to stay out of their way,

Yikes, there I go again waffling!
It's funny I always think I've nothing to report as haven't really been doing much...but when it comes to horses there is always something to say!