Uncategorized

Focus.. and dresses.

“You must look at yourself first before you look at the horse. Focus on what you’re doing, and if it isn’t working- concentrate to make a change and see if it helps the horse understand” – Steve helping me work with Tigra on her upwards canter transitions. It’s amazing how much it can help to just take a second and completely focus on what your body is doing. Just a small change in your cues can help the horse, and you, immensely!

I’ve been riding 2-3 horses a day the past couple days as Kyle is away in Australia for the next few days. I’ve been working a lot with Tigra (LC Uphoria) a 4yr old TB cross mare. Steve was happy enough with my work with her to ask me to ride her tomorrow for some clients who are coming to view horses. I find her very easy to work with, maybe it’s because she’s very thoroughbred-ish and I’m used to that type of horse. I also do seem to have a touch with chestnut mares. I rode another 4 yr old chestnut mare, Suzie (LC Umhlanga Rocks) today. This was my second ride on her, and everyone who passed by me when I was working with her said the same thing.. “You look SO good on her. She moves perfect with you! Wow!”. I also rode Tilly (LC Funny Lass), a 7yr old who has lots of talent. She’s been ranked highly in all her age divisions so far (stats are on the website www.lchorsefarm.com). She was a very fun ride, mostly because she’s the first “mature” horse I’ve ridden and I didn’t have to worry too much about her freaking out if a leaf moved on a tree outside the ring.  I ended up riding ChaCha (LC Talent), a 5 yr old mare, as well last minute.

Saturday night we decided to go into Auckland to watch the semi-final match between France and Wales. We got dressed up in our “french” attire and supported France as two of the girls here are French.

Yeah, we went for the glowing blue horns. We got lots of cheers from other french fans and even people supporting other teams were impressed. I have to say, I fell a little bit in love with Auckland- the tiny bit that I saw. It’s a very cool city and I can’t wait to explore it more.

Here are some more lessons I’ve figured out.

  • Car parks close at 12am. And by close, I mean close. Your car is locked in, and you can’t get to it. Now this isn’t a big problem if the number on the sign for security is the right number. But if it is the number of the wrong company, and they don’t have any  numbers for anybody who can get your car and it’s 2am, raining, and you know nobody in a big city- it’s kinda a problem.
  • Taxis are a blessing.
  • Being tall is really handy when you’re trying to watch rugby on a giant tv screen in a public place!
  • McDonalds is just as good, if not better here.
  • Doing anything on three hours of sleep- especially work- still sucks here.
  • Rugby fans love blue glowing devil horns. Who would’ve thought.
  • Riding 2-3 horses a day hurts..
  • As do electric fences. Especially when they hit the right spot and you can feel them travel through your body and shoot out your foot. It still hurts… 5 hours later.
  • Apparently, Canadian accents sound like Texan accents- at least that’s what the kiwi imitation of a canadian sounds like.
Next week I leave on Tuesday to go to a 3* show in Hastings (approx 7 hours away). We’re taking 10 horses and staying there until Friday. I’m mostly excited about having two 7 hours trips in which I can sleep. Maybe it’s just cause I’m very sleep deprived while writing this. If I didn’t have to do night check tonight- I’d be in bed right now.. it’s 7pm.

“My favourite thing is to go where I have never gone”- Diane Arbus

I’ve been thinking (be scared) a lot about how much some people can have such a huge impact on our lives. This thought brought me back to a day that seems so long ago, but one that has always stuck with me. It was the day I stepped onto McMullan’s property for the first time.

I used to think of this day as only an insignificant childhood memory, but looking back on it now- I don’t see how it could be insignificant. Mom and I used to bike down our road, often to the railway tracks so i could find rocks to collect and keep forever and ever. As everyone knows, railway tracks are the BEST place for rock collecting. We lived on the same road as McMullans, and whenever we drove past their place I would stare wide-eyed in wonder at the pretty horse place- and ask if we could go see them. Them being the pretty horses of course. I must have been 5 or 6, very young anyway, before I had begun riding. But back to the rocks..

I can remember this day like it was yesterday. The sun was bright, and it must have been late summer because I remember the dust every time a car rushed past. Along our way down Verley Road, I spotted a riding crop on the side of the road. This short stick fascinated me, and I can remember picking it up and never wanting to let it go. We decided to take it to the horse farm at the end of the road to see if somebody from there had dropped it while riding. I was finally getting to go to the horse place!! I’m pretty sure I asked Mom at least 10 times if I could ride a horse. She, of course, couldn’t give me a definite answer. Nevertheless, maybe I would get to see a horse. We approached the house and I vividly remember a large bumble bee buzzing behind the screen on their door, and gripping the crop tight in my hand. I also remember the old fashioned knocker on the door. I was a very shy kid, so when the door was answered by Charlene- I definitely didn’t say a thing. I just held up the corp to hand to her, and thought hopefully that maybe, just maybe, I’d get to ride a horse in reward for finding and returning this stick. Or maybe they’d let me keep it! No such luck. Only a kind smile and a thank-you. Isn’t it funny how some things stick with us?

I remember being told that only much older girls rode there. It would be many, many years before I went to McMullan’s Stable again. But I never stopped staring in from the road at the front paddocks lined with white fencing, and the jumps set up in the field during the summer. All those years driving past, wondering what it was like to be one of the “older” girls who got to ride in there. Who would’ve guessed that I would become one of those lucky few. I loved that place before I even knew the people who owned it would become some of the most important people in my life. Certainly two people I hold a great deal of respect for.

I don’t think I’ll ever lose my awe and wonder for the people who ride there, and especially not for Charlene and Mike. I always feel my best when riding in that arena. A certain atmosphere surrounds the stable, that I haven’t found in many other places. And now, even half a world away, I can close my eyes and be there. Smell the dirt of the arena, hear the wind blowing against the doors, see the faces of my two beloved coaches, and feel the rhythm of my horse- like a heartbeat. I can’t help but smile every single time.

Kiwi Moment #…?

Survived my first day back at work after spending the last 4 days lying in bed being sick. I was very light headed all morning, but after about 11am I started feeling much better and got some of my old energy back. We had a pretty quiet day today too, that helped. The most excitement we had was bringing in and changing rugs for the three days of rain we’re about to have. It started pouring about 6 tonight and isn’t supposed to stop until Thursday. Yay spring time!

About 4:30 we got a call at the barn from the yard manager who had gone home earlier saying that his sheep had gotten out and he needed us to come help him chase them back. So at 5 he picked us up and off we went to herd sheep. In a storm. With a crazy bird stalking/attacking us. On a giant hill. Sheep make up for their stupidity by being adorable. And so soft. We eventually got the sheep back, after Alan had been attacked by the bird and I almost fell down the hill… numerous times. Balance is awesome.

Top 10 lessons learned so far:

  1. Teriyaki sauce goes in the fridge after being opened, not the cupboard. Unless you enjoy dying.
  2. Grocery shopping for the first few times without a parent or any sort of guidance is often confusing and frustrating. And more expensive then necessary.
  3. Going to bed at 8:30 isn’t a bad thing. Ever.
  4. Kiwis love Canadians. Especially when they lose by 30 points to the All Blacks.
  5. Don’t act too shocked when you see a cat inside the pub. It’s normal.
  6. Rub A535 is never a bad purchase. Especially when you’re me.
  7. Never be afraid of Plan B. Or C. Or D.
  8. If you can light a fire, you will be valued in any house hold with a fireplace in any country where it’s cold, damp, and rainy.
  9. Don’t act on the dreams you have when you’re sick.. they rarely if ever make any sense and should be ignored upon awakening.
  10. Make friends with everyone you can. You never know who you’ll need on your side, or when.
I’m sure there will be many more where those came from. It’s only been a month after all!

Daily Routine/ Horse Physio

I’ve had a few people ask me what an average day for me is like (Mom), and request that I write about it on here (Mom). So here it goes, the average day of a groom at LC Horse Farms for your reading pleasure.

6:30 am- wake up and get dressed as quickly as you can to avoid the morning chill. Eat something, and by…

7am- be walking to the barn (a grand total of 25 ft away). Our first tasks in the morning are to feed (but usually this has been done by the head groom earlier); one person goes out to the ‘yards’ where there is another 10 horses to feed them, then we look at the turn out list and begin moving horses into the paddocks. To do this, we grab a halter and a lead rope from the tack room, go to whichever horse we’re turning out at the moment, take off their heavy overnight coat and the fleece underneath that and replace it with a outdoor blanket. Then their feet are picked and the halter is put on. This process is repeated until all the horses (9) are put outside to their allotted paddocks for the day. After doing this task, we move onto putting some of the remaining horses on the walker. 4 horses go on at a time- mares with mares, geldings with geldings, and studs by themselves. There are usually 8-10 horses that go on the walker each day for 20-40 minutes depending on if their being ridden or not. After the majority of the horses in the barn have been moved somewhere, the mucking out begins. There is approximately 20 stalls to be cleaned out. They all get one wheel barrel of fresh shavings put in after being cleaned- at least. Once the stalls are mucked, the barn is blown out with the leaf blower, then swept. The yards surrounding the stables are raked free of any excess hay or shavings and whatnot, and all the horses that are inside get a slice of hay. While all this is going on, Kyle and Megan are tacking up and grooming their own horses to ride. This brings us to..

9:30am (approximately)- The grooms take a coffee break. Yay more food!

9:50am (approx.)- Back to work. Usually by now the head groom has written up what she would like each of us to accomplish in the day. All the waterers in the barn need to be cleaned out, horses hand walked, horses tacked up for Kyle/Megan, different rooms cleaned, various horses bathed/brushed/brought in/etc. Each of us is assigned different things to get done before or after lunch. After each horse is ridden, they need to be hand sponged to remove any sweat marks and then left to dry before you can groom them and put them back into their stall. Their feet are picked when they leave the stall, when they come back from a ride, and when they come in from the paddock. There are to be no sweat marks from the bridle left over on their head, or girth area. If the horse is sweaty after being ridden, it’s bathed. Each groom usually gets assigned 1-2 horses per day to ride or lunge or both. This fits into our assigned tasks.

By 12:30 (usually ends up being at least 1pm)- all horses (including the outdoor ones) should have been fed their lunch (once slice of hay and grain), the feedroom and tack room swept along with the cross ties and wash stalls. Once the barn is organized and clean, we go for lunch (sometimes to the beach) until..

2pm- This is a continuation of the morning tasks. Riding, grooming, cleaning, organizing, grooming, bringing in horses, cleaning horses, taking off blankets, putting on different blankets, etc etc. Myself and another groom have recently been given the job of horse  ‘physios’. Between the hours of 2pm and 4pm we each have 7-10 horses to massage and stretch (about 15-20 minutes is spent on each horse). These are the things we focus on in that time:

  1. Mouth exercise- Use on of three points- top gums, tongue or lower gums. They should be fighting and moving their mouths in a variety of directions, follow the movement with your body, do not block if they want to turn one way or another. Alternate the side of the horse you stand on every other day. Grinding teeth is very good! 45 seconds. This helps the horse to stretch out the muscles at the top of their head, neck and in their jaw.
  2. Massage TMJ joint (along the jaw bone and down the cheek starting under ears) 30 secs each side.
  3. Head on shoulder- Place lower jaw of horse on your shoulder and let them drop their weight on to you. Do not pull their head down. Alternate sides every other day. 30 seconds. This stretches out the muscles up their jaw and down their neck.
  4. Cat Claw down neck muscles (1 min each side), and down shoulder muscles (1 min each side). The horse usually tells you how hard to press based on their reaction. Grinding teeth and moving head lower to the ground in a relaxed manner= good. Pinning ears, tensing, and eyeing you up = bad. Each horse has a different preference. This brings circulation to the muscles and removes any toxin build up.
  5. Fetlock stretch- hold foot up like picking out hoof, holding just the toe. Fell where the horse wants to put this and t hen hold 45sec each side allowing gravity to stretch the muscles gently down. Will work first in lower leg, then upper leg, then shoulder, wither, and into back.
  6. Shoulder stretch- gently pull horses leg forward until extended straight, hold the toe of the hoof just off the ground (5-10cm) and let gravity pull the weight down and stretch itself (45sec each side).
  7. Upper Shoulder/Neck Stretch- Gently pull leg back until hoof vertical, then keep hoof 5cm off ground and let gravity stretch travel through the forearm into lower neck.
  8. Wither Stretch- Gently put finger nail into girth area under stomach pushing up until horse raises it’s back through it’s withers, hold 2sec then release. Then go to wither and run fingernails down spine to push muscles back down. Repeat 5x. With this and the next stretch, be aware the horse will think your finger nail on it’s underbelly is a large bug and will try and kick you off. If possible, keep the pressure on until they put all 4 feet on the ground and then release so they learn that kicking doesn’t equal you buggering off.
  9. Back Stretch- Gently push fingernails into middle of bottom of stomach until back noticeably raises. Then move to top of back and run fingernails alongside the spine to push back down gently again. Repeat 5x.
  10. Croup Massage- Cat claw through croup muscles (top of butt). This is a very sensitive muscle on a lot of horses, so adjust pressure accordingly. 1 min each side.
  11. Croup Stretch- Run fingernail down side of croup gently (you’ll know the trigger point when you find it) getting horse to raise it’s pelvis. 5x each side.
  12. Hip Massage- Toughly run fingers in 30cm circle around hip joint. Direction very important, the top of circle should always go towards the tail (with the hair). At the top of the circle, the horse should drop down through hip, at bottom should be lifting hip. Repeat 5x each side.
  13. Hind leg forward stretch- same as front shoulder stretch except using back leg.
  14. Hind leg reverse stretch- Same as upper shoulder/neck stretch for front legs.
  15. Tail Stretch- Pull tail gently straight back from horse for 5 sec, then release quickly and watch ‘shockwave’ travel up horse’s body- note where it stops as that is where there is still a muscle block. Repeat 3x. This is a big evaluation for where problems lie for future sessions.
  16. *For mares only* Ovary Pain Release- ‘punch’ horse from shoulder to hind quarters everywhere to reduce sensitivity, then pat (watch for grinding teeth or a deep breath to show release of tension (actually works- who knew)). Repeat 3x each side. Find the last rib, massage with gentle cat claws down the rib to stifle area. 20sec or until no discomfort. The connection between the last rib and the hip is what causes pain and inflammation. Notice the inflamed band across the upper stifle in horses that are very sensitive- this is often mistaken for a muscle. Often one side will be bigger then the other.
Some horses really love these sessions. Other, more sensitive ones, you have to make sure to adjust for. This is how I got double barrelled in the side the other day. Mares don’t always appreciate that you’re trying to help them. Luckily she only got my leg and hip, and not my head or ribs.
This process takes us till 4pm, when we begin the supper routine. The horses in the yards must be fed, all the horse inside given hay first and then their grain (third serving of grain for the day), their blankets for the night put on, and the windows in their stalls closed. Then the barn is blown out and swept again, the feed room swept after all the feeds are made for the next morning, tack cleaned, tack room swept, cross ties swept again along with wash racks. We’re supposed to be done all this by 4:30. That never happens. Hopefully we’re done by 5, but more often then not it’s 5:30. Especially now since the owners son comes out to ride his two horses under the supervision of Kyle only at 4:30. And God forbid he have to tack up or untack his own horse. So after everybody is in their stall, with their food, tucked in for the night. We head out too. And then come back for night check between 8:30 and 10pm. Then we’re done until the next morning. Finally.
This whole schedule gets upset on weekends during shows of course. I won’t go into detail because I’m much too exhausted to type it all out. Usually two people are left home to do all of the above (there are usually 4-5 of us working), while the other two are at the show. For shows close to home where we switch horses during the day, one person rides in the second truck to switch. This is supposed to run smoothly, go to the show grounds, unload, reload, come home. But the show is always delayed, or the wrong time always given, so usually it ends up being, drive 1-2 hours to show grounds, sit in the horse van waiting for 1-3 hours, unload, reload, drive another 1-2 hours back. That was my day today. Thankfully tomorrow only one load of horses is going, so we avoid that gong show.

Kia Ora

“I honestly didn’t realize how big a deal this trip was until a few hours ago. And after reading the kind words written in my ‘wisdom’ book- it all became much more real. I’m actually living out a dream of mine. This summer leading up to take off taught me so much about determination, and how far it can really get you- especially when you have the right people in your corner. The right people will show themselves when you invest completely in your own life. Your “team” is going to vary, depending on what kind of support you need. Also, there’s always going to be people who are behind you, no matter what, and people who sometimes are and sometimes aren’t. Embrace both. This summer I’ve made new friends, been reintroduced to people who I wasn’t close with before- but now have everything in common with, and I met myself. I look forward to building new connections and learning from new experiences. It’s a big learning experience just stepping away (literally, thousands of miles away) from all my supporters and all the familiarties of home. But at the same time- home is where the heart is, and my heart is in this journey.”

The above is something is an excerpt from something I wrote on the plane.

I MADE IT!!! I’m in no hurry to do that 14 hour flight again any time soon. Although, the flight attendants were awesome. And I was lucky that there was nobody directly beside me (plus I had a window seat) so I could sort of spread out while attempting sleep. Another thing I’m not wanting to do again anytime soon is spending 8 hours in Vancouver Airport. There is a limited amount of things to do.. especially when lugging around three heavy bags. They also do not make washrooms very accessible for people with luggage carts. That was a gong show. I spent a lot of time skyping Leah, taking pictures (of myself-see below)and staring at the ceiling in boredom.

But, finally, my check in gate opened, I got my boarding pass, and went through security. Then, I waited some more. Annnd more. Then it was time to go, I found my seat on the gigantic plane and settled in for take off. I spent a lot of time being amused and in love with the accents. I’m also pretty sure I’m the only one that was on that plane that wasn’t going to the Rugby match tonight. Though, as I hear from my new coworkers, we’re going to be watching said match at the pub tonight. I slept on and off throughout the flight. I also lived up to my expectation of being the crazy person crying while reading letters. Thankfully, I’m pretty sure the lady in my row didn’t notice. I looked out the window at around 4am and could see the moon reflecting on the ocean. That was cool.

We landed in Auckland just before 5am, and I got through security, customs, and everything no problem. The customs officer was very nice and only giggled a few times when I couldn’t pronounce certain names of towns. Kyle (my boss and rider for LC) picked me up, and after loading all my bags up I went to get in the car.. on the drivers side.. FAIL. That’s going to take some getting used to. It took about 20 minutes to get to Clevedon (not ClevUHdon like I was saying previously-thank you customs officer) where LC Horse Farms is located. I met the girls I’ll be working/living with- the headgroom (who worked for McLain Ward before this job) from Ireland, another girl from Ireland and another from France. I think I heard them say another girl is starting on Monday, and she’s also French. They are all super nice, and fun. I already feel pretty comfortable around them, which is good, cause we’re living together. We got to the farm just before 7, and even though they gave me the day off to settle, I worked the morning. Mostly cause I was wide awake and I felt awkward sitting in the house alone. After feeding, mucking, raking, and moving some horses out.. the lack of sleep had caught up to me. So, I ate some toast and started unpacking- which soon led to napping. The farm is gorgeous, btw. I won’t do it justice by trying to describe it cause I’m half asleep right now. So I’ll leave you with the promise of taking pictures asap!

Lake Okanagan Resort and Gerber Daisies

On Friday we moved up to the resort where my cousin Summer’s wedding was taking place. It’s definitely the nicest place I’ve ever stayed. Set right in the valley facing the lake, each chalet had private pools in the back. There was a golf course on site, along with tennis courts and many other activity options. When we got there Friday evening, we quickly hunted down the bigger pool at the central area of the resort and had a quick swim. Then we headed for supper at Vantage Point. Saturday we spent the morning poolside, relaxing and reading in the sun. Our pool apparently got it’s water directly from a mountain stream, as it was very close to freezing. I quite enjoyed the ice water, as it made my back and hip feel much better about life. Then we got all dolled up and headed to where the ceremony was set to take place on “the point”.

The view was incredible, and the perfect setting for the wedding to take place! It was great to see this part of the family. Especially to meet little Sierra, who is two, but very  mature for her age. I say this because of numerous things she did over the weekend. The most memorable being at breakfast Sunday when she was asked what she would like to drink with her meal. Her first reply was “Milk, please!” but, after being told by the unsuspecting waitress that there was no milk today, and asked “Would you like orange juice, or maybe apple juice?” Sierra thought for a minute and then said, quite clearly, “I’ll have a beer, please”. This left our table in hysterics, the waitress in shock, and Sierra in giggles because everybody else was in a fit. This was one of numerous ‘Sierra’ moments.

After the beautiful ceremony by the lake, we headed back to our chalet and snacked on chips and salsa. Passed the time waiting for the reception, and then went and enjoyed delicious food and cupcakes at the reception and spent more time with great family. Summer and her new husband Casey both looked fantastic and I hope I get to see them again soon, which I probably will as my grandparent’s 60th is next summer.

On Friday morning Lyle and I went for another bike ride, this time in the valley around Coldstream. We biked for about an hour up and down hills, and along a busy mountain highway (I only almost died twice). It definitely loosened up my hip. Sunday I got the chance to try out tennis at the resort. IT WAS FANTASTIC. For sure going to do some more of that sport. For me it was like combining badminton and volleyball. I loved serving!! And, much to my surprise, my shoulder doesn’t even hurt after our morning playing. Yay!

We came home from the resort today, Sunday, and settled back in at Daryl’s. After supper and DQ ice cream cake (for my birthday, a couple days early), we squeezed 7 of us Rances into the hot tub. After sitting in there for a little too long, my muscles are now very relaxed. I’m kinda worried about how the good ol’ back/hip combo is going to handle my work in NZ. Only one way to find out! ;s

Mom flies away tomorrow morning- she’s been weepy all day. So I’m sure tomorrow is going to be an emotional gong show. I’ve stayed relatively calm and detached so far. I’m predicting I’ll be the crazy girl sitting in Vancouver airport stifling back tears.. or on the plane crying while reading all the messages written by friends, family, supporters, in my “wisdom” book. That might be interesting. We’ll see how calm I can stay, and for how long.

Anyway, here is a selection of snapshots from the weekend in the Okanagan. I would love to put them all up, but that would be A LOT of pictures. I went a bit snap happy. Enjoy!

Polka to the black eyed peas? Only my grandparents 🙂

Sunflower seeds

We’re on our way! The rest of the famjam arrived 15 minutes early, per the usual for any trip with grandpa along. We loaded up all our bags, included my supersized bag. Max the cat already tried to settle down in the van, hidden among the bags, but got bored and jumped out (thankfully) before we left. I scored the back seat in the van beside all the bags. Uncle Lyle’s and my bike are loaded on the back, much to my mother and grandparents worry, and the tales of cougars in the area we want to bike are spinning. After almost forgetting all my paperwork and passport, we were on our way!
It only took about an hour for the CBC radio to be turned on, and grandpa to break out his sunflower seeds. I passed the first few hours by reading “Open”, a autobiography by Andre Agassi. A talented athlete with a confusing and difficult life. I’m fascinated by this book, and have been able to relate to many points he makes about sport and life.
It still hasn’t hit me. That I’m moving so far away in a week. Right now it just feels great to be with my family driving across the country. Couldn’t imagine myself being anywhere else.
When we got to Moosejaw we checked into our hotel and then went to a tunnel tour, about illegal chinese immigrants in the early 1900s. After that we went out for Chinese food. Lyle and I went for a bike ride after supper, which was nice. Then I tried to do some strength stuff when we got back. I couldn’t get my focus enough to do anything.. It was frustration. My back was also more sore than it has been in a while.. Probably from how I was sitting in the van all day.. So I finished off with a bunch of stretches and packed it in.
Tomorrow we’re heading to Cochrane. Should be a fun day, again we’re running on “Rance” time.. So starting at 6am. Gotta love vacations.
More later!