More mayhem & madness

This post is a bit later than usual because I was busy being deceiving and conniving for the last week or so, but more on that later.........


I forgot to mention in my last post that I went to the doctor on the Monday after Stradbally to get my nose checked out. I was mostly worried because I did break it last year and had surgery on it, so I wasn't being a complete hypochondriac. After work I went to A & E to get x-rays etc. I went in after half 5 and I was seen at 10.....they didn't x-ray me, but said it wasn't broken. On an evening where I was completely exhausted, a few hours in A & E was the last thing I needed. But sure look it, it's not broken, wahoo!

The boys and I had a few days holidays and recovery. The crap weather continued, rain, wind, miserableness...... I put them out to a new field with grass up to their knees, so they were pretty happy. Pena and Pablo were happy to see them back. Pena was at the dentist while we were away, so he'll be ready to go to work this week. Pablo has been enjoying his freedom because he's impossible to catch. But I moved them back to beside the house last night, so his work life begins this week.

Four horses of the Apocalypse

Keeping fit

Something tells me he'll be a jumper!

King of the herd

The weather improved and I was guilt tripped into riding again. I hacked out Fred on Friday & Saturday evening. Gotta keep his fitness up. Rusty visited his girlfriend along the way and decided he'd come home after me 😠
I left CC off because he deserves it and fitness isn't an issue for him.

I had to work on Saturday - no rest for the wicked. The weather was of course fabulous 😞 When I got home I washed the jeep. I never do it and it had bird shite on it ( I hear that's bad for it), and I was getting bored sitting out in the sunshine, I prefer to keep moving, rather than just sitting there ( or I'll fall asleep, which leads to getting burnt). I waited until it cooled down a bit and then went for a hack on Fred. We met loads of tractors on the road, busy time now with everyone trying to get their silage/hay cut.

Would love to go in to the river now

Hacking selfies

I decided to (attempt) get the bbq up and running. My cousin called in on his way back to Dublin from a crazy assed cycle around the Burren in ridiculous heat! Groom-in-training (GIT) came over for tomorrows show. I managed to get bbq working and we all enjoyed mini burgers and pork chops and chips, and maybe a few beers.... Cousin gave GIT some photography tips, so expect even better photos here! 😁😁 #nopressure

He just loves the camera!

Got into the Irish Field!

As soon as he sees the camera, he's straight over!

Big BBQ or small burgers?!

What a fab day!

Sunday, was like Saturday, an absolute belter of a day. A day where you get your bucket and spade and go to the beach. Not a day where you sit on a horse for 3 hours and get dehydrated......
Myself and GIT went over early to the show (minus horses) to watch the primary class and see my friend Lyndsey in her first show on her new horse ( he didn't touch a pole and did fantastic!). GIT took pics and I took videos. We'd Rusty with us, who decided to make a short appearance in the arena just as Lyndsey was beginning her jumping - you can hear me giving out to him on the video 😆

Up, up and away!

Then it was home, get changed, leave Rusty to chill in the shade and lock 'n load. We were back with plenty of time. CC was up first in clear round. He had one down and did great. Then a quick tack change and Fred was up. At this stage, I was beginning to feel the heat, but not too badly. Reapplied the suncream on my face, few swigs of water and off we went. I think Fred had 2 down, but still happy enough with that.
Fred was up first in the actual competition, because I had the two. When I went to warm up for it (baring in mind I'd been on him while I waited for clear round to finish) and I started to rise for trot and my legs nearly buckled under me 😳 I didn't trot for too long needless to say. The heat and sun had really hit me and I was not at all bothered about the competition anymore. We had one down in our first round, which was unfortunate and then we both just took our feet off the accelerator. A few down in the 2nd round but we got home, still attached and he did try. He was fecked and so was I. Only difference was, he was now finished and I had to tack up CC. So I really didn't give a crap for CC's round. We'd a quick warm up and went in. He did great, he had one down in each round but that's all. I can honestly say it was one of the hardest competitions I'd done in a long time. For some reason I'd only toast that morning. I threw a banana down my throat at some stage and did drink water, but not enough. I was dehydrated, hungry and tired (not even like the Snickers ad because I didn't have the energy to be narky!) And having a half tonne horse under you, does not help the situation. I was glad to survive and delighted with the two boys.
We got home and thankfully Mammy had the dinner ready, so the food situation was quickly rectified. Then we heard the harvester in to cut silage, so we all went down for a gawk at that. It was some monster of a machine! It had 3 mowers on it, mental!!
After that myself and Rusty had a power nap. I'd had enough sun for one day. When I got changed out of my show gear, I saw that the short sleeve shirt had left an imprint on my arms. Literally. I was a nice tomato shade on them. Farmer tan central.

Game Face

Super shiny

EEEEkkkkk

Go Fred!

Poor CC!

Quick hose down

What's that mammy?!

The look of relief at being finished!!

What time is it?!

The beast!!

I rode CC in my new arena on Wednesday as I was bringing him for a lesson on Thursday with hardcore instructor, so I wanted to do a bit with him. We had a few arguments, but all was good by the end. My legs were killing and he was sweating. It was so nice to ride in the field. I've decided that I really need to strengthen up my legs, so I text my friend who is a gym bunny ( which I take a lot of delight in slagging him about! He just misses having a horse really). He suggested lunges and squats. So I did a few lunges, only a few mind, because I didn't want to have super sore legs going to my lesson tomorrow. Well that was wrong........very wrong. I felt like my muscles were ready to snap on Thursday. So I did a few stretches to help alleviate the pain. Will have to leave the lunges till next week 😐 Fitness fanatic I am not............

Post exercise snackage

On Thursday we headed off to hardcore instructor. He was actually quite chilled. The field time had suited him. Towards the end we tried a draw rein on him, through the flash. It worked really well and he really started using himself behind, so next on the shopping list is a set of draw reins.

They have it hard

I'm too cute

When grass just isn't enough

To return to the start, the deviousness and conniving.......I  was out on a hack pondering and planning, as usual. When you have the best Mammy in the whole wide world you can take if for granted that things being done is a given; lovely dinners and superb baking.......etc. So, a few weeks ago I thought to myself wouldn't it be nice to throw Mam a surprise afternoon tea party? To try and thank her for all she does for me and the boys (and maybe get a free pass on the cleaning for awhile........).
Then a few days later whilst out hacking Fred, I met one of Mams friends and said it to her and gave her a date. Well, I guess that's that so. I've invited people now, I'll have to do it.
That was the June bank holiday, and then I'd Stradbally. So I did zilch bar tell my sisters in that time line. It didn't help that Mam was on babysitting duty the week after Stradbally, so her phone was in Dublin along with the numbers of all her friends. I did a bit of snooping along the lines of facebook and managed to invite the rest of the gang.
Next up was food. I made chocolate biscuit cake last weekend, to see if I could, and we all taste tested it. Not too shabby. I made some more during the week and quickly hid it in the freezer so they wouldn't attack it. I also had to try and clean on the sly. I had GIT help me out with some of this, along with flower picking and dessert making Friday night. I sneakily told Mam that my friend was having an afternoon tea party on Sunday and would she help me make scones, which turned into will you make scones please. Which she did - for her own party, unbeknownst to her. Hilarious. Lyndsey also contributed. As well as Mams friends. We were all set for a sugar bonanza.
Daddio was only told Friday evening, in case he let it slip. Sister No. 1 was set to whisk her off Saturday morning, to return Saturday afternoon for a surprise I'd told her I had organised ( so that she wouldn't plan something else, she's a very busy woman and it's hard to know what's going on half the time).  Sister No. 2 was waiting in the sidelines to help clean and get the house set up, along with her kiddies. Sister No. 1 was slow to get her out of the house, but eventually they got on the move. We all swooped in. All hands on deck. I felt like Mrs.Doyle making a million sandwiches. Guests were told to come the back way and everyone arrived roughly the same time, which was perfect. We were on drinks duty when my nephew came screaming down the hall; 'They're here!!! They're here!!' I didn't believe him and went up to check and met Mam at the front door. She was saying hello to my niece and was slightly confused as to why she was there, then saw me in a dress ( seriously unusual ) and said 'what's going on??' I just shoved (literally) her in through the door where everyone was and they started singing 'Happy Birthday'! Boom, completely shocked. Mission complete.

Flower picking!

Cutting fruit

The scones Mam made 😎

Our masterpiece!

That evening, when the guests had left, it was quickly back in to the duds and off to wash horses. I only managed to get Fred washed, so I rugged them both and put them out. I was very tired and had hit a wall. Had about 4 hours sleep the night before, for no apparent reason. Was up watching E! at 3am because I couldn't sleep, and watched the Lions lose that morning 😬Then it was all go, all day.
I decided I'd just get up early and plait and wash.  Of course I didn't account for my nephew having nightmares and talking in his sleep all night. So it was another sleepless night. 😩


I was up at 7 and washed CC and had to wash some of Fred again because he rolled. Painted their nails and plaited Fred. I'd have to do CC at the show. We hit the road shortly after 9 on route to Athlone agri show. CC's very first show last year.
Fred warmed up lovely. We'd a canter up the hill and he let out a little buck, a reminder that I hadn't ridden him all week. He was perfect in the ring and behaved beautifully for the judge, but it wasn't our day in the show ring, andI was too tired to care.

He was happy enough to get back in the box and I set about doing CC's plaits. He was practically falling asleep and was lovely and chilled when I got up on him. He wasn't antsy and had a lovely trot. But then after a while he started to get anxious and we were back to normal, not standing, tense, etc. Just in time for our class. Wonderful. I didn't expect him to place in the class, but it would have been nice to have him more relaxed. I am really starting to get frustrated and feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. I don't want to take it out on him, but I feel like shouting at him WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG???? He was ok in his in-hand class and took him a rosette for that.
Once that was over we hit the road. All of us delighted to just get home.

When he was chill bill

Myself & Caroline

That post plaited look!

Time for grass

L'oréal cos he's worth it!

The sun sets on a long weekend.......

And that has been another hectice week in The Irish Horse Life. Why do I do it to myself? Because life would be boring otherwise.......I think.......hmmm......