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

Some photos...

...from my recent photoshoots






These are of Jade and Baz. He was so gorgeous and a pleasure to be around. Really sweet and he kept hanging his tongue out of his mouth





This is Magpie, also known as Mr Pie, from a shoot I did with his owner Yvonne. Absolutely stunning cob, with bags of personality, and as steady as you like, although he wasn't keen on the sound of the camera shutter!!

Sue x

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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

It was all going so well.....

I had Hunter in the indoor school as planned and had the saddle and bridle all ready.   I did some Parelli with him which went brilliantly and then he got spooked by a noise outside .  And we couldn't calm him at all.  So we took him back to his paddock and I did the only thing I could - burst into tears.  You see I want a horse that I can hack on, and know that when I am on him, everything will be fine.  What was explained to me yesterday, though, was that Hunter will be that horse, it is me that needs sorting out!  He is scared of lots of stuff (Right Brain Extrovert) and his first reaction is "I'M OUT OF HERE AND QUICK".  So I have to learn to be the calming one, to say it's ok because I'm here, and you really don't need to freak out cos it'll be fine.  I need to show him that I am the leader, and he needs to accept me as his leader.  Cue more Parelli .....

So yesterday, Andy from the yard who has been doing Parelli for years, very kindly offered to help me in the school.  He watched me with Hunter and explained what his reactions were all about.  And that was only on the walk down from the paddock to the school.  Yes Hunter was scared, but Andy earned his trust and even his friendship, and it was fascinating to watch.  Andy demo'd some of the 7 games, and then I had a go.  Some success, some not so successful, but he was giving me the confidence to try.  And Hunter was fabulous.  I really felt like we were learning together. By the end of an hour or so I could drive Hunter to a specific place in the school, for example the mounting block, and then get him to stand still by it and also to touch it with his nose (playing "sniff it"), and then move on to the next place, say a tarp on the ground, and to place a foot on it.

I got tangled up in the rope, I dropped the carrot stick which Hunter then stood on so I had to "porcupine" him to move his foot.  I even got a knot in my unknottable carrot stick!

It's amazing what you can learn about a horse by observing him too.  We had already learnt that he
had probably been ear-twitched due to his reaction when we first tried touching his head.  But gradually he came to accept us gently touching him and we have also discovered his itchy spot at the base of one of his ears.  Rub that spot just right and his head drops and his eye rolls and I swear he smiles !

We also learnt yesterday that he has probably been whipped quite severely in the past as he was terrified of the carrot stick.  But gradually and gently he is learning that we are not going to hurt him with it, and he accepted it, slowly at first but then more and more, as part of the Friendly game

So from a starting point yesterday morning of "I'm not sure that he's the right horse for me" I now know that I can become the right owner for him.  It's all about seeing things from his point of view, understanding him and gaining his trust.

Andy has said he will continue to help me with him on a weekly basis, and I will continue to practise and to build the relationship with Hunter as much and as often as I possibly can.

Sue x