Well it's been a while since my last blog … this year just seems to be flying by. Last night I had a look through a few old photos of the children and just cannot believe how they have changed in such a short time. This fact, and the dreadful weather at the beginning of the summer (always the weather) and a few other non serious, but mood effecting things, (mostly horse related) left me really fed up and down.
However as the sun came out this summer finally, my mood lifted as did my intake of vitamin D. Suddenly everything took on a new light and I was back in the game.
Enjoying some summer sunshine
Work has slowed down a little since Fontainebleau at the beginning of September. All the young horses go out on holiday for a well earned break and only those who came in a little later, or the older horses, are left on the yard. We have a few nice three year olds in for breaking , but it's very quiet at the moment. The best news of all and really exciting all of us, as the old Normandy wind has picked up, is that we are having a lovely indoor school built for this winter. It should make riding this winter a lot easier and will mean we don't lose so many days in work for the young horses. Franck did an amazing job this year, but the beginning of the season was that much harder, because of all the time missed during the winter.
Franck and Ingrid have also decide to have a lovely new indoor barn built along with 12 more stables. The concrete arrived last week, it was all very exciting, it's going to look great, and will help cut down on the toing and froing to the top yard. It sounds silly, but just to put five horses (top yard) in the walker (bottom yard) takes 35 mins (it takes 7 min per horse, we timed it!) we will be more productive. The fighting between the apprentices has already started as to who will get to feed and hay indoors this winter and who will have to fight the wind and rain with their wheel barrow outside! I see a Rota being drawn up!
Un p'ilot, having a homeopathic treatment for his cough, which made everything smell amazing.
He wasn't so sure at the start but soon got into it!
Fontainebleau didn't go exactly how Franck and Ingrid would have liked. One of the horses pulled a shoe on the last jump in the warm up, being a sensitive sole (pun) she didn't jump well and had 4 faults in the first round. The other five year old mare jumped very well, but unfortunately had the last fence down. One of the apprentices, myself and Francks parents where watching the live Internet feed at the yard and as the pole fell the poor apprentice who was sitting between Francks mum and myself,took the full brunt of our disappointment on both his arms.
The lovely 6 yr old stallion that Fanck and Ingrid had at Fontainebleau got sprayed with water in the warm up by an over zealous, tractor driving, official. He's not the best with tractors anyway, so being drenched by the water pump just did for him and he was so upset he just didn't jump, like he has done all season. However that is horses and as we all know there are great ups and massive downs.
Freddie (above) stared school this September and I shed a small tear, as he went off to Pre school, but it does mean that I will be able to back my lovely 3 year old, so this eased my pain. I took Muffin to Francks for a little free jump a few months back. In my head I had already imaged the music I'd put the video of her first jump. Something that would set the tone for a glittering career, obviously culminating (when she's older) of a montage of her best bits, first jump, through to the Olympics.
It was a little disappointing - she jumped – but it was only ok.
But I'm really excited to get going with her, every time I go to get her in the field , I just think, WOW, I'm biased but she's very beautiful. I will still set everything she does to music but it may need to reflect her personality a little more, at this point in time.
Muffin keeps just out of reach
