Top Barn Challenge, The Lizard and Nurse Ratched - The Story So Far

 Well we are already in Week 4 of the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge.  One way to make January whizz by. And the weather has been kind.  Its barely rained here in Sunny Suffolk, and more importantly the wind has been elsewhere. Yes its been cold (many frosty mornings), but its bearable without the wind and rain.

And what about that Lizard??? Well Top Barn has an extremely helpful Monday Evening Session with a lady called Vee Sheers.  Its all about confidence.  And what happens when that confidence disappears. This may be caused by a fall for example.  Next time you go to mount, The Lizard rears his ugly head, tells you that you are in danger, and pushes the panic button, which causes the fight or flight response to begin.  Helpful for staying alive in truly life threatening scenarios like being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger back in the year Dot. Not so helpful when you know better, and yet The Lizard still takes over.  The Lizard conveniently forgets the thousand rides you have had with no problem, and only remembers the bad ride.

I had a long chat with Vee. I am not lacking in confidence. I will get on any pony without the slightest fear. Except Charlie.  In fact I am happy to get on. But Charlie also has a Lizard pressing his panic button. He panics when i am not by his head. Once he panics, my Lizard pushes the button, and i jump off.  This has been going on a while.  I constantly get to the point where we are are both happy with me riding him, as long as someone is by his head. Once he panics, my Lizard reminds me of the time he bronced me off.  With my Dodgy Lungs and Dicky Ticker, I don't want to repeat this.  As the former Queen of Bucking Horses, I was more than surprised when he threw me, and so my Lizard remembers this and pushes the panic button......Charlie is a danger when he panics!

Vee suggested I get outside help. So I contacted my old friend Marie to see if she could help.  She could!! And Can!! Marie and I go back to The Dark Ages. We kept our horses together for many years. She was a top show-jumper as a child, and has started (and bred) many youngsters. So last Tuesday she showed up to access Charlie.  As our long-reining is a bit iffy, she started there.  She told me that I cannot do enough long-reining to get him used to going it alone with me behind him. Following another horse he is fine, but alone? Not so good, unless your idea of long reining is looking at the horses face!  Marie took up the reins. Charlie said No. Marie very firmly said Yes Get On. A look of fury crossed Charlies face. Here we go. Then he thought about it and decided he best get on with it. An hour later and we were all exhausted!  So I have been practicing ever since, and he has been a star.  We also addressed the mounting block phobia.  Although I can get on from the ground, the mounting block is a no-go zone. Progress has been made.  I can't wait for our next session.

As well as this, Charlie and I have been fitting in Rhi's Randoms (various groundwork tests), trick training ( We have just achieved our Intermediate Trick Horse certificate from Horse Tricks 101) and filming a Groundwork Competition for Top Barn. I've had more trouble from the Pivo filming the show, than I have from Charlie and i getting it right.  Every time I think I have filmed a perfect take, I find the Pivo has wandered off to intently film a non-moving, non-horse-shaped tree!! After take 1003 I have submitted my much edited entry and the Pivo is now for sale on Ebay!! Its lucky it's not stamped into the ground, or thrown into The North Sea!!! So if anyone wants to buy a 'pre-loved' Pivo.....I have one for sale!

As if this wasn't enough to be going on with, I am still performing my Nurse Ratched duties for my Mum.  Although she is slowly gaining her independence, it is a slow process. However there is light at the end of the Tunnel. We went to The Hairdressers yesterday. And she was less out of breath than I was!  She is regaining her appetite and microwaving meals for herself. I suspect she is sick of my burnt offerings!!  I am in quite a routine now, up early, work Charlie, look after ponies, see to Mum, sometimes eat, and fall asleep sitting up watching Emmerdale!!

Come back next month to see if I am riding Charlie at last!

Listen To Your Horse, A Crazy Month and Top Barn Challenge Begins!

 OMG Its been a crazy month!!! At the end of November my 84 year old mother became ill.  We thought it was a chest infection, so being the only child I began visiting daily ( hour long round trip).  I abandoned the Show-jumping classes and just did The Top Barn Fancy Dress classes with Charlie. (We got a 5th and a 6th and received some massive rosettes).  Apart from that Charlie languished in the field becoming feral, while I raced around in Headless Chicken mode.

Then I lost the plot slightly and decided to take him to a Livery Yard and put him on full grass livery. It seemed the only option in my new Time Short Life!! Christmas Day I went to Mums, and 'enjoyed' a Pot Noodle for Xmas Lunch!  I've had some dodgy Xmas Dinners in my time, but this took the prize!  But, never mind. Boxing Day lunch was booked up with Mark The Mechanic and Part Time Horse Whisperers family at our local Sports Club.  But upon ringing my mum, I discovered she had collapsed and an ambulance had been called.  Lunch abandoned, I got warp speed out of the Astra, and arrived just behind the Ambulance, running up the stairs and bursting into the flat, gasping for air.  The poor Paramedic!!  He was just about to give me oxygen as well and book a second ambulance, but I managed to gasp out that I had a long-standing heart and lung condition, and I would be fine....eventually.  Having extremely low oxygen sats, Mum was taken to hospital with Blue Lights and all.  My life then revolved around a booked in visit with daily Lateral Flow Tests, for a week, until the Hospital suspended visiting.  Turns out she has blood clots on her lungs.

So the day came to take Charlie to his new home.  He has always loaded fine.  In fact any time we have had a trailer or lorry open, he has loaded himself just to check for food. He wouldn't load.  When I say wouldn't, I mean he violently refused, rearing, knocking me over.  He couldn't have said No more clearly. It got dark. We gave up.  When I arrived the next morning, Lu was curled up like a dog. Charlie was flat out, snoring and leaning against Lu. When they got up, I realised Lu had Colic.  Jo and I went into nurse mode, like a well oiled team.  A few hours later, Lu was feeling better and I went home, thinking.  I don't generally think much. I kind of Do, and sometimes React, but never overthink.  However my brain was in Full Thinking Mode.  I realised the Ponies had spoken loud and clear about my decision to move Charlie.  They were not happy. I also realised that I had had a knee-jerk reaction to the changes in my life.  I have always had a habit of doing a thing I call 'Chucking The Balls In The Air'.  When things change, I react without thinking and change everything, and see where the balls land.  It has rarely worked out.  So this time I followed my heart and Charlie's feelings....and we are staying put.

And so the Top Barn 12 week Challenge has begun.  2 days later my Mum was released into the wild.  As weak as a kitten, living alone, but apparently not feeble enough for any help.  And so I am again racing over to cook her meals, shop, clean etc. But I will not give up the Top Barn Challenge.  The answer has been simple!  Get Up Earlier!!!  Plan each day like a Military General. Forgo the PH induced afternoon nap. Ignore the Side Effects from my meds. Oh and ignore the state of the house (Its NOT the end of the world if I don't hoover daily...after all the doggo makes a mess daily).  I have in fact discovered if I ignore the Washing Up long enough that Mark The Mechanic and Part Time Horse Whisperer does it! 

And so the first week of the Challenge has gone surprisingly smoothly. Charlie has forgiven me for trying to move him and is entering into the spirit of the Challenge with enthusiasm.  We have mostly been working on the next Top Barn Competition, and re-visiting our trick training.  We belong to a Trick Training Group, Horse Tricks 101 and are completing our levels. Who needs Sleep?