Hay fever and Horses

To say I have been absent here would be an understatement.  It's been over a year since my last post and that was a review of 2023!!

What's happened since then? Lots I'm sure.  I'll keep it to the highlights and lowlights (well basically the stuff I remember!).  As per usual, the struggle through winter was pure hardship.  Working full time and having horses is another form of torture in winter, especially with no arena. You spend your days mucking out and feeding, with very little riding, who has the energy after all you have to get done.  

I started back competing with Cu Chulainn in spring.  Unfortunately now my nearest shows are the guts of an hour away. I used to have 2 different SJI leagues within 5 minutes of home, I was spoilt. We tipped away jumping and getting lessons. 

Fred was a very good boy and let my niece learn to ride him. She loved it. Misneach started training, took to it like a duck to water. I haven't had anyone on her back yet, but it's early days. I brought her to the Clare agricultural show and she travelled down all by herself and was excellent there all day, as it was a long day. All the horses had a visit from an equine dentist who I'd seen at a talk by the Westmeath Irish Draught branch. Cu Chulainn had one dead tooth in front and poor Fred had two extra teeth that had to be removed, as well as another one because it was rotten. He was knocked out and woke up with a lighter mouth. 

In June I went to the Doolin folk festival for one day for my friends birthday, but didn't drink because I'd entered a show in Glenamaddy the next day. Unfortunately, I had a terrible night's sleep because I knew I had to get up at 5 to go home, collect the horse and go to the show. I woke up tired, which isn't great and continued on from there. I got to Glenamaddy and first up I was in the amateur class. We went clear in the first round and were through to the jump off. I practiced turns in the jump off which we'd been doing in lessons, but had 2 down. I made the turns, but didn't support him. I was in the 1.10 class later on. What I should have done was have a power nap, because I almost felt drunk with the tiredness. My reactions were off and I didn't feel great. But no, I powered on. Stupidly. Had a heavy fall in the 1.10 on the second round of the class. Knocked myself out for a few seconds and hurt myself pretty badly. My hat did it's job. Cu Chulainn stopped and I took him back to the box, untacked him and sat in the jeep. I didn't remember doing that for a while. Everything was like a bit of a dream. My coach Seamus was there, but I was wondering if I had dreamt that. It felt like my amateur class from earlier was a dream. First aid was wonderful and completely on top of it. Watching me throughout the day. I was also on the phone with my friend who's a doctor. I couldn't drive home, so someone drove me and the box home, so thankful to them for that. I did go to A & E to get checked out and got some heavy dose meds. I even took a day off work! I went to the pool every day twice a day for the week after as there was a show coming up that I really wanted to go to, but alas that didn't happen. I was back riding but I couldn't ride properly and it was a while before I jumped again. First place I jumped was back in Glenamaddy. 

Life took a bit of a turn the end of July and my Dad ended up in hospital, 6 weeks after an operation he'd had. He was in hospital for all of August and never left. As a family that August was one of the toughest things we have ever endured. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by us all, something that hadn't happened in over 20 years.

Whilst Dad was in hospital I got an MRI done and it turns out I had slipped a disc in my fall. Oopsies. Also explained a LOTTTT. To get a bit of headspace in August I brought Cu Chulainn to Flowerhill for a spin. I never really do much when I'm riding by myself but we still had fun. He jumped everything I asked and gave me exactly what I needed. I did the Ballinasloe Agricultural Show the end of September and won the working hunter. He was so well behaved. I was sooo rusty with my jumping because I was so out of practice and it's a very small arena.

Ahead of Christmas I knew I would be off for 2 whole weeks so I decided to see if I could foster a dog from a charity. I contacted Madra and spoke with Louise. She explained that they'd probably send puppies as they'd be easiest to get on with the menagerie of animals I have. I was delighted, because if there was more than one I wouldn't be tempted to adopt them. I didn't tell many people I was doing it(especially my mam!!). I've learned it's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask permission!! Louise sent me a picture of who I'd be getting. It was just one puppy, an 8 month old collie bichon frisé cross. As soon as I saw the picture I thought, oh crap. This is dangerous. I drove 2 hours to go pick up Rufus. He was very wary of Cuan and didn't want to let him near him. By the time we got home to my house he was less defensive and grew more comfortable as the day went on. Needless to say my mam had a shit fit when she met him, and then was cuddling him 10 minutes later! After a week I got a call to say he had been booked by someone. I was completely devastated. He had quickly come to be part of the family and survived the Christmas with 5 dogs and many many visitors. As luck would have it, that home fell through and I quickly made sure he would be staying permanently. First failure of the year, fostering! Rufus and Cuan go to my mam's on the days when I'm in the office. They are quite the trio out there and keep Rusty nice and fit with all their playing. 

Storm Éowyn January 2025. Who else felt like they were in the Wizard of Oz about to be blown away? WHAT. A. STORM. Absolutely unreal and catastrophic to the landscape at home. Luckily all of our houses were undamaged. I had no electricity for 2 days and no water for 3. The no mobile reception was the weirdest thing I felt. You couldn't check in on people or get updates on things. I am forever thankful that I decided to leave the horses out. I had planned on keeping them in and had all the haynets filled, but decided last minute that I didn't trust the roof. I was right not to, as some of the roof landed in the stables and the rest in the yard. All of the older sheds at home lost their roofs. A week later the horses moved to my house, where I had new stables built. Finished just that week. 

Winter 2023/2024 I didn't ride Fred much and it showed. He lost muscle and looked every bit his age, so this winter I decided he was getting the attention. Cu Chulainn can just tip away, he keeps his condition pretty well now. Having them at home and the mornings getting brighter really helped with getting to ride more. 

From January to end of March I found myself constantly having a cold which was very draining. I eventually got my bloods tested and I was low in iron. The cold was replaced with hay fever once the weather changed. Hay fever, my old nemesis. Easter weekend I was completely flaked from it. I got new medication today so fingers crossed it works.

Between the colds, hay fever and tiredness from both my jumping has suffered. The more tired I am, the more negative my head gets and the doubts don't creep in, they march in. Even in lessons my ability to concentrate and focus has been affected because of the low iron, which has all helped to deplete my confidence levels. Show nerves get even worse. Easter weekend I competed at the 90 and 1m. We came 2nd in the 90 which was great, but had 4 in the 1m, even though I actually think I rode better. I had to have a power nap between classes?! Today I entered a 1m and 1.10 class, but I ended up withdrawing from the 1.10. A combination of reasons really, a perfect storm. But I think listening to my gut was the right decision, because I don't want a repeat of last year. Cu Chulainn was a little bit off when we got there. We jumped the 1m and it went fine, 1 down, but otherwise ok. He did feel a bit tired, which could have been the warmth or the fact that I didn't get to ride him all week. We also have our first riding club show tomorrow so I didn't want him to be tired. And then, I felt the 1m was meaty and that I wasn't fully ready for the 1.10 yet. It could be PTSD because we haven't competed at that height since my fall, even though I have jumped it in lessons. 

So the aim for the week ahead is to ride him Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and hopefully have a lesson Friday. My coach Seamus is excellent and if I won the lotto tomorrow I'd still be going to him. Unfortunately other people have also come to realise how good he is and now he's having to go abroad to coach his clients because they're doing so well they're riding internationally! So he was gone for all of April. My aim going forward is to do more lessons, get that confidence back. I know we can do it.

I also need to focus on flatwork for the next two weeks as we are going to be part of a dressage demo! Exciting!!

RIP Dad