It's that time of year again where we all say we are going to change so many things and that this year we will stick to our resolutions. It never happens. We know it never happens and yet we still set ourselves New Year Resolutions.
I have a few NYR's this year (well actually next year as it's only 8pm on 31st December). Some horsey, some not. But I'm only going to bore you with the horsey ones.
- I'm going to clean Lady and Dapper's tack more often. I'm aiming for at least once a month, increasing that towards summer when they are ridden more. Every time I go to do it, I put it off because it's gotten so bad but in actual fact when I cleaned one of Lady's saddles (She has 2. Spoilt horse) today, it didn't take long at all. And her other one is synthetic so that will defiantly not take long! The bridles may be another issue... I cannot remember the last time I cleaned them... When the weather's better I'm going to do some serious numnah and girth cleaning too as they're quite grubby and I figure if I start the new year with sparkly clean tack and numnahs, it's more likely to stay that way!
- Each and every time I ride in the school, I am going to go in with a goal of what I want to achieve in that session and I will not leave until I have completed it! All too often I ride in the school and end up trotting round and round in circles, thinking of something to do. I'm going to stop being so god damn lazy as well and use cones and poles and things to make schooling more interesting for me and the horses. I am going to stricter with myself as well as I feel sometimes I am holding the horses back (especially Lady because I know she has so much talent, I just struggle to dig it out sometimes).
- Lessons! I had a lesson on Lady a few week back and it really helped us. In the new year I want to continue having lessons (probably only once every 6 weeks as that's all I can afford and I only ride once or twice a week so we need time to practice what we have both learnt).
- (Clean freak alert!) The horses are going to spend 2012 SPOTLESS! (which may mean teaching Lady that the hose pipe won't kill her...) I spent an hour grooming Lady today before hacking out and I hate seeing people riding dirty horses. In the winter, I do sometimes ride in the school after only brushing their faces and where the saddle goes but when I hack out I do make more of an effort because I'd hate to think that people are commenting on how muddy they are. So I'm going to make more of an effort even if i'm not riding. Unfortunately at the moment I am extremely pushed for time so I don't have time to fight with Lady to wash her legs and feet when she comes in from the field but I am going to start hosing off her legs (even if I just hold the hose on her legs for a minute or so) to get her used to it, then by next winter, she will be easier to deal with. I also think it will benefit their feet greatly as they both have quite brittle feet which crack easily so I'm hoping that if I scrub their feet when I go up and put hoof oil on, their feet will get better and more importantly, their shoes will last longer!
I think that's it for the resolutions for this year haha. Let's see how they go...
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Thursday, 29 December 2011
YouTube Rant
*Stupidly long rant about anything and everything related to YouTube impending.*
Why judge? You cannot judge someone through watching a 3 minute video. Yes you are entitled to your own opinions, freedom of speech etc. but just take a second before commenting to consider the other persons feelings. Perhaps they're not the best rider, singer, guitarist etc. in the world but have you ever stopped to think that maybe they don't do it to be perfect, they do it because they enjoy it.
Another thing that really gets me is when people subscribe to someone but don't ever watch or comment on their videos. What's the point? I know I have subscribed to people in the past and not commented on their videos, but I have at least watched them! So many people subscribe to someone just to get them to subscribe back and it really annoys me. The horsey world on YouTube should not be about how many subscribers you have. No part of YouTube should be like that. I would rather have 10 loyal subscribers who watch and comment on every video than 1000 who never watch my videos. Yes okay, my videos may be shit, that could be why nobody watches them, but why subscribe to someone who makes shit videos?!
I think there should be a universal YouTube New Year Resolution stating that we are all nice to each other, nobody judges anyone or implies that they are any better than anyone else. And people only subscribe to actually watch videos! I could name you at least 5 YouTube channels on which I have watched every single video. It's not hard.
Rant Over.
Why judge? You cannot judge someone through watching a 3 minute video. Yes you are entitled to your own opinions, freedom of speech etc. but just take a second before commenting to consider the other persons feelings. Perhaps they're not the best rider, singer, guitarist etc. in the world but have you ever stopped to think that maybe they don't do it to be perfect, they do it because they enjoy it.
Another thing that really gets me is when people subscribe to someone but don't ever watch or comment on their videos. What's the point? I know I have subscribed to people in the past and not commented on their videos, but I have at least watched them! So many people subscribe to someone just to get them to subscribe back and it really annoys me. The horsey world on YouTube should not be about how many subscribers you have. No part of YouTube should be like that. I would rather have 10 loyal subscribers who watch and comment on every video than 1000 who never watch my videos. Yes okay, my videos may be shit, that could be why nobody watches them, but why subscribe to someone who makes shit videos?!
I think there should be a universal YouTube New Year Resolution stating that we are all nice to each other, nobody judges anyone or implies that they are any better than anyone else. And people only subscribe to actually watch videos! I could name you at least 5 YouTube channels on which I have watched every single video. It's not hard.
Rant Over.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Bounty: 1996-31/09/2011
Bounty. He was my favourite horse ever. Yes I know favouritism and all that, but he honestly was. He could be an absolute angel or horse from hell but I still love him. I first met him in 2006 and began to part loan him on 23rd January 2010. I part loaned him for 7 months and they were some of the best (and hardest!) months of my life! He taught me so much and I enjoyed every second of it. Two of the most important lessons he taught me were to expect the unexpected and how to fall! I cannot remember how many times I ended up sat on the floor looking up at his cheeky face after he had decided he didn't want to jump. On 29th August 2010, Bounty moved yards due to a change in his owners personal circumstances. Unfortunately the yard he moved to was too far away for me to go 3 times a week so as hard as it was I had to say goodbye and move on. I was always welcome at his new yard and I went up and visited him a few times when we were passing. I will never forget the first time I visited him at that yard. It was about 2 months after he had moved and I didn't think he would recognise me. His owner gave me his headcollar and I went down to his paddock alone to catch him. As I was walking down the hill, I called out to him and he stopped eating and proceeded to canter over to the gate where he stood calling out to me until I got to him. I will never forget that moment. It was the first time I had felt a true connection with a horse.
On 31st August 2011, I was told the devastating news that Bounty had died due to a tumour in his stomach. The phone call came as I was about to leave my sixth form induction day. I was in shock. I had known he was ill and that things weren't looking good but nothing can prepare you for hearing the news that one of your best friends has died. No he wasn't human, no he couldn't speak to me and no I hadn't seen him in 6 months but I think that made it so much worse. I never got a chance to say goodbye. I used to say to myself that one day I would go and see him again but now it's too late. As soon as I saw his owners name appear on my phone I knew what she was going to say so I guess I was kind of expecting it but it definitely did not make it any easier. As I put the phone down I got up and walked out of sixth form and made for the stables. On the way I rang my mum to tell her the news and she was really upset as well. I got to the stables and went straight to his old stable and sat in there crying for many hours (even though there is now another horse in there!) I made sure I was gone before anyone else got to the stables because I couldn't bear to tell them what had happened. For the next few weeks I didn't feel like doing anything. I couldn't ride, I couldn't sleep and I was struggling to look at photos and videos of Bounty. I eventually forced myself to sit and look at every picture and video I ever took of Bounty and I think it really helped. He was an absolutely great horse and he taught so many people how to ride. He was, and still is, loved by so many people and he will never, ever be forgotten. Even now he's gone, he still continues to teach me things only he could teach. Not a day goes past when I don't think of him. I have a picture of him on my desk surrounded by rosettes and trophies we won together and it will never, ever move.
I love you forever Mr Bumpty. Sleep tight boy. Thank you for everything.
Bounty. 1996-2011 <3
On 31st August 2011, I was told the devastating news that Bounty had died due to a tumour in his stomach. The phone call came as I was about to leave my sixth form induction day. I was in shock. I had known he was ill and that things weren't looking good but nothing can prepare you for hearing the news that one of your best friends has died. No he wasn't human, no he couldn't speak to me and no I hadn't seen him in 6 months but I think that made it so much worse. I never got a chance to say goodbye. I used to say to myself that one day I would go and see him again but now it's too late. As soon as I saw his owners name appear on my phone I knew what she was going to say so I guess I was kind of expecting it but it definitely did not make it any easier. As I put the phone down I got up and walked out of sixth form and made for the stables. On the way I rang my mum to tell her the news and she was really upset as well. I got to the stables and went straight to his old stable and sat in there crying for many hours (even though there is now another horse in there!) I made sure I was gone before anyone else got to the stables because I couldn't bear to tell them what had happened. For the next few weeks I didn't feel like doing anything. I couldn't ride, I couldn't sleep and I was struggling to look at photos and videos of Bounty. I eventually forced myself to sit and look at every picture and video I ever took of Bounty and I think it really helped. He was an absolutely great horse and he taught so many people how to ride. He was, and still is, loved by so many people and he will never, ever be forgotten. Even now he's gone, he still continues to teach me things only he could teach. Not a day goes past when I don't think of him. I have a picture of him on my desk surrounded by rosettes and trophies we won together and it will never, ever move.
I love you forever Mr Bumpty. Sleep tight boy. Thank you for everything.
Bounty. 1996-2011 <3
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