Bizzeeeeee

I am so busy at the moment - my feet are not touching the ground!

I am working much longer hours again, not quite full time, but nearly, so that is good.  My head is nearly ok, so the meds are nearly right at last.  Hunter has gone to be sold.  My son has all but given up riding, so looking at things realistically, I couldn't give either horse the time they both needed.  My heart is always with Lara, so Hunter has to be sold. My degree course is going well - taking up loads of my time as I knew it would.  But it's really enjoyable, so that's ok.

Nearly Christmas - could really do with another week to get things ready, but don't suppose that'll happen!

So for Christmas I would like some time doing nothing please :)

Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year

A Day Off....

I'm having a day off today.  I have been working reduced hours as much as possible since the accident, but I've got a proper, whole day off today.  I've been up to see Hunter this morning.  Katherine came up with me and we took him into the school and did some stuff with him.  He was very chilled and lovely. Groomed him and turned him out again, and now I'm just faffing around doing a few bits and bobs.

I need to look at the next activities for the course - I know I have to run a film off using a brief of 'A Day In The Life' and I have arranged to hire out a darkroom so that I can process the film and print it (that'll be next week).  I also have to write a word document and get it uploaded and I will try and get that done this evening.

Best get on....

Sue x

It's started

My degree course that is.  I am officially a student.  I have done the Induction week and week 1 so far and it has already got me hooked!  I have even dug out my old film camera from the garage (it's nearly 30 years old and has been in storage for over 15 years), popped a new battery in it, and it seems to work!  Well, it's making all the right noises.  We will see when we get the film developed if there are any light leaks...
Lots of work - I gave myself yesterday off as a treat - but that's ok as it's something I enjoy.  Just hope I am saying the same in 3 and a bit years!
Doctor has changed my meds again - headaches not improving so we are attacking them full on now.  These tablets are making me so tired, but at least I am sleeping now so that is better than being tired and not able to sleep!
Horses both doing well.  Have ridden Hunter quite a bit and am nearly ready to trot him again.  Parelli seems to be paying off in spades.  And I have been riding Lara loads too.  Love her so much.
Back to bed now - too tired to do anything else
Sue x

One day to go.....

.....til I begin the Photography course proper!  I have been doing the induction course for the last week - it's really to get you used to how the site works and also getting used to putting time aside to do the work.  I'm excited, but nervous too.  I'd really like to see what the first module has in store...

In other news, oldest son has a job :)  He's temping in an office up til Christmas.  So pleased for him.

I have ridden Hunter a few times (and I'm riding him later today).  He's being a little star and seems so much happier and very relaxed.  Lara is looking great too.  I have been riding her quite a bit which is lovely.

Doctor is changing my meds around again - not currently on anything specifically for the headaches, which is not good.

And the weather seems to have changed - really feels like autumn now.

Tired dot com

Still so very tired, still not sleeping very well, still getting bad headaches...

On a bit of a downer at the moment and feeling sorry for myself.  I had thought the new meds were helping, but after a week or so the headaches were coming more frequently than before, and more strongly.  I've been reducing some other meds which have been helping me sleep, so now although I am so tired, I just can't drop off.

I'm back to the doctor this week so hopefully she will adjust what I am taking.

Younger son is back at school now after the summer break.  Year 10 so it's the beginning of his GCSEs .  Hoping he will just get on with the school work and fingers crossed that it'll be uneventful!

Horses both doing well.  Hunter has very obviously been beaten in the past and he is terrified of the farrier.  So we are working on his confidence with having his feet touched.  It was so awful to see him so scared but he is trying so hard to trust us.  You can see it in his eyes.  He knows we wont hurt him but the memories must be there still.

I have been debating whether I am capable of a photography degree.  I did start one, well started a module which could have  (should have) been the start of a degree, but "life got in the way".  I have been looking again and have found a part time distance learning one which looks good.  But with my head I'm not sure that I could do it.  Really need a course in self-confidence I think....

Sue x

No change

Things are pretty much the same.  Still hot, although not as hot as the end of July.

We had ten days in Malta which was lovely - hot and relaxing.

While we were away there were some pretty big thunderstorms, which means that at least there is some grass in the paddocks :)

Lara is looking good, you wouldn't know she had had such a bad winter to see her now.  Fingers crossed it continues...

Hunter is still his usual adorable self.  Scared of everything despite being 16.3hh.

Migraine-headaches are still with me.  I have just gone on to some new meds which we hope will help.  I'm so sensitive to noise when I have a headache now, I realise how lucky I have been not to have suffered from these before.  Once we get the balance of meds right I'm hoping it won't be too much of an issue....

Sue xx

Don't Panic....

...there's nothing to worry about. The neurologist said that he is happy that there's nothing sinister going on, and that I just need to rest and not overdo things.  He also said that TBIs can lead to occurrences of migraines even in people who have never had them before.  So if my current meds don't help, then there are other meds I can try.

It's still unbelievably hot at the moment.  In the 30s most days.  Loving it, but it means that the grass in the paddocks isn't doing much.  Poor Hunter has been on hay and hard feed again!  I think he only had about 3 weeks of grass in total.  I'm off to school him again later - husband and I schooled him over jumps at the weekend, after doing a bit of Parelli.  He loves to jump and needs no encouragement.  I simply stood in the middle of the school and told him which way to go !

All I want to do though at the moment is go to sleep

xx

Hot weather

The hot weather has arrived at last.  It's fab but the paddocks have little or no grass in them so Hunter is back on hay!  He's doing brilliantly.  We've done the 7 games, so we are using them in the school to move around objects and people and the like.  Not long before I will be riding him again - yay!

I've ridden Lara in the meantime - even had a lesson on her today.  It was great, one of those lessons where it all clicks into place.  I was so happy!

I have to go to the neurologist next week - my headaches are still troubling me.  Especially when I'm tired, and I also find my words get muddled and I get very forgetful.  There's probably nothing wrong - just making sure.

xx

Still progressing

Hi

Not been in for a while.  Nothing has changed really, although my husband is a year older.

Still getting monster headaches, so I have had to increase my meds.  Now that is fine, but the meds make me sooooooo sleeeeeeeepy.

I've been to the physio and have started a course of acupuncture to try and relieve the pain and stiffness and mobility problems in my left shoulder.

And I am trying to work more and more.  My work has been incredibly tolerant of my absences since my last fall, and I am trying to be in the office more now, although balancing that against the headaches is quite stressful in itself.

I have continued doing Parelli with Hunter.  We have gone through all seven games, and are now trying to make these more interesting by adding objects!  Today we used the Big Green Ball, which didn't faze him one bit !   I am loving building this relationship and you can see the trust growing each day.

I have also had some orders from the photoshoots I did recently, which is always good for building your confidence.

Onwards

Sue x

More headaches...

...and they are not going away.  I have been given some new meds to take to help with the headaches, but they haven't kicked in yet.  I am sleeping sooooooo much at the moment too.  I am due back at the doctors in a couple of weeks, and if they haven't subsided I will be asking to be referred for a further scan.

Parelli is going well. My study buddy Andy is a great help with just getting my confidence up.  Between him Katherine and myself, we have made some great progress.

But I had to have the vet out at the weekend for Hunter as he was showing signs of colic.  He seems to be improving now, but we are keeping a close eye on him.

Lara is doing well and looking fabulous, as always

I have had a couple of photo shoots recently, which have gone really well.  I have more lined up over the next couple of months, and an exciting weekend shoot which I hope will help promote my business.  Looking forward to it :)

Sue x

More Parelli ...

Yesterday we took Hunter into the school again for some more Parelli.  He got a bit spooked on the way down by various things, including a wheelbarrow, feedbag and a jumpy mare.  But with a bit of persuasion and by not rushing him, he got into the school.

Once there, my friend Katherine worked him for me, playing some of the 7 games, but concentrating mainly on the driving game and friendly game.  He was fab and really focused so at the end he had a good groom which he loves, and he strutted back to his paddock with confidence!

I really think the Parelli is the right way to go with him - I'm sure we will have setbacks, that's life - but he seems to respond really well, settles well and seems to enjoy the sessions so far.  Another session tomorrow and I shall be taking the lead for that one.

I should explain that Katherine works at the yard where my horses are liveried, and she also lives near me.  She helps with the morning feed and poo-picking for Hunter and helps me enormously with his handling.  She was also the one I came to rely on when Lara was so poorly recently.  She's a really good friend and is often mistaken for my daughter!

My headaches are still bad - I have one now which I've had since the night before last.  I'm still sleeping about 8-9 hours at night and usually another 3 or so during the day.  I've also lost weight - nearly a stone - which I'm not complaining about!  I'm back at the doctors on Monday so I shall see what she says.  I'm really hoping that she will give me the ok to begin working from home again, just a few hours a day to ease myself in gradually.

In the meantime I am making the most of being able to sleep as much as I can :)

Sue x

Bank Holiday Weekend...

...and the sun is still shining!

Yesterday Jono rode Lara for the first time in months.  We are getting her back into work slowly and he is the lightest one, and it's him she knows best so he will be riding her and gradually building her up again.  It was so lovely to see her being ridden, and on such a beautiful day.

We've been up to see Hunter this morning, he stood stock still while I took his rug off which is a first!

This afternoon I will be taking him in the indoor school again and repeating the Parelli games we did on Friday.  He did them brilliantly on Friday - really tried and was listening to what I was asking him.  I was so pleased I can't begin to tell you!  If we have another good session today, I am planning to ride him briefly, only in walk, which will be the first time since my last fall.

Stuart's airplane ( the motor glider) is all done now- it had a major service over the winter and has now got its C of A, so guess where he is now!

So I am relaxing with my feet up now, and looking forward to getting to the yard later.

Oh and I have two bookings for equestrian photoshoots which I am very pleased about.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday

Sue x

The sun is still shining....

...and today's plan is to get Hunter in the indoor school this afternoon so we can work on the Parelli 7 games, then take him to his new stable (he's not been in a stable since I got him - he's had a field shelter in his paddock), and I want to get him used to being tied up outside the stable, and we will give him a nice groom.  He adores being groomed, so I am hoping that, although he may be nervous about going round to a new area of the yard, once there he will settle while we groom him.  This should make it a positive experience for him.  I'm not going to put him in the stable yet - I think that will be a step too far and will have a negative impact.

I've been learning about the Parelli way - seeing things from the horse's point of view - and it is so interesting.  If you have never heard of it have a look at Parelli.com and see what you think.   There is a guy at the yard where my horses are liveried who follows the Parelli Natural Horsemanship way, and it is fascinating to see the progress he has made with his horse.  A few of us are now doing this (I am the most recent addition so I'm picking everyone's brains) and it's a fantastic way to build a relationship with your horse.  I'm finding it particularly invaluable since I had my fall - I'm concentrating on groundwork now before I get back on him.

Of the 7 games, today I am planning (although this may change) to do : Friendly, Porcupine, Driving and Yo-Yo.  We've done these before, apart from Driving, so much of it will be reinforcing what we know and getting the understanding and relationship growing.

Looking forward to it :)

Sue x

And I'm back...

....after a little while!  It's a bit embarrassing just how long it has been since my last post.  Especially when I had undertaken to try and blog more often.  Ooooooops!

Well, the good new is that Lara appears to be ok.  It was touch and go for a while, and there were times when I thought we would lose her.  But she is still with us and looking (and behaving) like her old self.  Fingers still firmly crossed, but she's doing well.  She is back in the summer paddock with her mates and enjoying the sunshine.

I had another fall, off Hunter this time.  It was in the indoor school and he had stumbled in trot which had put me off balance, and then he threw a buck (we think the wind frightened him) and off I came.  His hoof contacted my helmet and I was out cold for a while.  Off to hospital in an ambulance and, 6 weeks later, I am still suffering with concussion.  When I'm ok I'm fine, but I get tired really quickly, almost without warning, and my headaches are monstrous.  I also get emotional - how wussy!!

But we are seeing lots of improvement, and I'm not so easily confused.  My short term memory seems a lot better now, but I can't remember much about the day of,or the week after the accident. There are also big gaps in my memory from before the accident.  Hopefully that'll come back eventually.

I'm now doing a lot of Parelli with Hunter, as I need to know that if he gets frightened, he's not going to freak out.  We have the makings of a fabulous relationship, and he loves being groomed which is lovely for bonding.  He's quick to learn, and my problem is that I need to be a step ahead of him which I'm not most of the time!  We will get there, it'll just take a bit of time.

Sue x

No rain forecast

...for the next few days.

We moved Hunter into a new paddock last weekend, and his field shelter is up.  He didn't go in it at all on the Saturday ( told you he is a wuss) so on Sunday we put all his feed in there.  His tummy won and now he goes in happily!

I've also started doing some groundwork with him, reminding him of his manners and to respect my space.  He's too big to be invading my personal space .  He's doing really well.  My friend is also going to do some Parelli work with him.  Andy is brilliant at this and I can't wait to get started.

Hoping to get some photos of Hunter soon - he is a beauty

Lara is off to the vet on Monday - sinusitis - she's quite poorly with it but we are hoping that it'll turn out to be a bad tooth causing the problem and that they can get it pulled and sorted soonest

Keep your fingers crossed pleas

Sue x

Not quite a size 8

But I am toning up a lot.  At least my jeans are now a lot looser than they used to be :)

Hunter is doing really well.  He still is scared of everything, a bit of a wuss...  But I have trotted on him, and had an unexpected canter, and we have found that if all else fails, talk to him and he understands !!  His field is a total bog, and as he is so heavy, he is muddy up to his knees.  But we are moving his paddock at the weekend and building him a field shelter too.  He's on DIY livery and I am learning so much about horse care.  It's a steep learning curve.  I am also developing muscles I haven't seen for years, and aching in parts I never knew I had.  It's been freezing cold recently, snow and ice, but it is lovely to be spending so much time outside, especially now I am working full time in an office.

Lara is lame at the moment - a bit of a concern as we have been so very careful with her.  Sure she will be fine but it's never nice seeing a horse poulticed up.

My friend who is at college doing Graphics has designed me a logo for my equestrian photography business.  It looks fab and I'm delighted with it .  Just waiting for her to send it through so that I can get it up on my website.  She is so talented that I hope she gets a career doing this.  I will pop details on here as soon as I can

I haven't done any shoots recently - the weather has made it difficult to plan anything (living in the east we do get the brunt of the cold), and I have been spending every spare minute with Hunter.  But I am beginning to try and raise awareness of my business now as spring is "just around the corner" haha

Right, enough talk of cameras, I have no cake but I will make some coffee

Sue x