happiness is riding a horse...

well, I'm overjoyed...being able to just ride my horse again after 5 months of treatment, then thinking I had to retire him - just to get back on that big black beautiful beast and see that trusty long shiny black neck, big ears out in front flicking around.
Bliss.. not a flicker of soreness in his back as I hopped on - just kept his head down, didn't bat an eyelid.

Autumn.....

It was chilly down the beach this morning. And dark. But I won't worry too much about jogging in the dark..alone..on the beach...[much] because at least this morning the stars were out, not dark ominous clouds drizzling on me like yesterday morning.
I went barefoot again this morning - oh what a revelation soft sand jogging & sprinting is in bare feet. Especially when the ocean is WARM...HUMID...luvverly..... but the best thing is how much more speed you can get through the soft sand in bare feet.
Just as long as nobody's left a lone dog turd for me to locate unknowingly. That is, until it's too late. But, safe for now.

Kado.... he's fine. trots up nicely..one could even hazard to say, he's sound..well, for now anyhow..until the next injury. Even stood looking unperturbed whilst i leaned all over his back too - almost like he wasn't going to bother freaking and exploding when i put a saddle and a foot in the stirrup. but that's another story for another day...

A wild animal sighted in my back yard

This is Suki pretending to be a predator in the jungle. Okay, so I have an overactive imagination.

Cars that make you panic

I wonder how many airbags have just gone off whilst people have been innocently driving along? As I was driving home along a windy street in the rain the other night, my ABS brake lights came on, then my airbag light started flashing, then settled to on... The rest of the drive was one of sheer panic as I was waiting for the time when the airbag exploded to save me from myself!

Running Barefoot

Next time I'm down the beach, I am going to try switching to barefoot in the soft sand... interesting article!
http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

Horses & Fools

I'm sure there must be some old wise saying by confucius - he who has bloody gorgeous black horse is bloody fool. Tonight, he's had a change of heart - perhaps he realised that in retirement he would not be rugged the minute it looked inclement and fed three times a day. Tonight he trotted up sound...not a whisper of lameness. So...let's just see what Saturday, then Sunday bring.... my farrier is due on Tuesday to take shoes off in readiness for retirement...or else..put new ones back on in readiness for work. Perhaps I should see what happens when I ring the saddle fitter - twice now I've had to cancel... can it be third time lucky?

I cannot believe how wonderfully lush it all looks out there now - just a few weeks ago it was tinder dry - now it's lush, long green grass, with full dams. Bliss.