What A Month

After 6pm tonight i should have a picture of samson. Everyone keep your fingers, toes etc crossed for me.

Was in Jollyes on saturday so will get a picture of our friends Dave and Emma put up on the site soon.

I have promised Dave that if i get a horse that he can come out and ride it as hes never been on a horse.

Im all excited, I would say by the end of October i will have my own horse!!!

Woohoo

UPDATE 18-9-06 (10.30am)

Ok just off the phone with the lady about the 15.3hh cob, hes called samson, and the woman lives just up the road in Ballyrashane. Its her 15 year old daughters horse and she doesnt ride anymore, yet she doesnt really want the horse to go.

So we are trying to see if we could work something out, maybe even keep him on livery up there for free if i let her daughter still ride him too. Only bad thing is that i will have to ask my instructor to come to coleraine to give me a lesson.

Apparently samson is used to being hacked out on the road, he was used to hack out on the main Ballyrashane Road, with milk tankers driving by.

Well keep fingers and toes crossed for me!!!

18-9-06 (09.00am)Ok have finally got around to updating my site, thanks to all my mates who have asked for an update.

Well have placed a few advertisements online about a horse, had a few replies and ive gone to see some gorgeous horses. Went to see a lovely irish draught cob type yesterday, but it was mental. Fine in the arena, but when asked to trot it would go straight into a collected canter, and when you brought it back, it would go straight into a walk again. Saying that, it could jump!

Took it out on the road and it shied at everything, started to get a bit dangerous so headed back to the yard, definitely wasnt for me and definitely not bomb proof, was like sitting on a spring.

Well went riding on saturday, kennys friend is starting a riding stable and he had an open day, of course muggins was the guinea pig, he was showing people what his lessons would be like. Well ive never ever mounted from a crate, either a chair etc, but was given a crate. Checked my stirrups etc and had put foot in the stirrup when the horse decided he didnt like the look of the audience, so skipped sideways,well i lost my balance, landed on myback in the middle of the arena. Was so mortified.

Lesson was going well until the horse decided that he needed the toilet, and boy did that horse go, was still standing around 5 minutes later lol. Anyway we started walking on and i lost a stirrup, just as we were passing the crowd. It was my own fault, but i was concentrating on the stirrup when someone in the crowd reached out to try and pet the horse and startled him, and i off I came. All i could do was laugh, especially when Chester (the horse) gave me a look as if to say "What the hell are you down there for". Well pleased to say that i got on again and finished the ride.

Going riding again this friday and ive had a call about a cob horse that im going to see this evening or tomorrow. Sounds lovely but not getting hopes up. My cousin works in CPhire so can lend a horse box ok, and got a stables all lined up were i can take lessons aswell, also nice private hacking area. Insurance for me is up and running, so just have to set one up for the horse when i get one. Im so so excited about it all, just cant wait!!!! Kenny can lend one of the stables horses and come hack out with me, and Amanda when you come over, we can lend one for you too!!

Kenny and me are currently decorating the house, well i was before saturday, so going to leave it a wee while, but we are getting a new kitchen and bathroom, also going to get a quote to get our garden done. Kiera has started digging, except she has managed to nearly get under the shed were they sleep during the day (they are in at night). Going to breed her in about a years time or so, dont want christmas puppies!

We got a 220 litre fish tank (very big) so selling our other tank which is only 2-3 months old! However dont want loads of tanks running. So if anyone wants it, let me know, its 120 litres, and its 4ft long. No stand as i need it for the new one.

Bought myself a new riding hat on saturday, its a skull jockey and got a cover for it. Had a velvet riding hat but gave that to kenny as i prefer the skull jockey ones.

Oh had to use a crop for the first time on saturday, kennys mate darren gave me a lesson before ones arrived and i was on this horse called doug who is apparently the slowest horse ever, well i had sore legs after riding him but was so great. Darren gave me a crop, and told me to give him a smack to wake him up. Well i gave him a tap lol, and i felt rotten, i immediately apologised to the horse, darren laughed, said im too soft and knows that when i get my own horse that i will spoil it (someone has to lol).

Did use it a couple of times but hated it, i felt like a right cow. Dismounted etc myself, got a hug from darren after riding chester, now would have taken him home, he was silly but not a bolter, so could put up with that - adds to the excitement!

Kenny and me had one heck of a lazy day yesterday, house was tidy so put my feet up and watch tv all day. Its not often i sit and watch tv, unless its a horse thing or CSI. The dogs were in all day and lay and snored on their big bed, although kiera found it more comfortable sleeping beside kenny on the sofa.

Next saturday would have been Kennys mum and dads wedding anniversary, so will be a hard time for kenny and his dad to get through. His dad isnt putting a christmas tree up this year, hard to believe that its been near 6 months already.

Kenny and me were married 7 months yesterday, time just seems to have flown by. Really love him to bits, and i know he was worried about me after i fell, and has been going on at me to buy a body protector. We are going to have a party at the rugby club on 17th February next year, we never had a reception because after we got married we went straight up to kennys mum, who was in belfast city hospital at the time.

I promise i shall update later on when i hear more about this other horse, however i am not getting my hopes up. All i know from the message is that hes 15.3hh and hes a heavy cob, with big feathery legs but they have been clipped.

I had got a call earlier last week about a gray cob, he was a sweet heart and we got on so well, was the perfect gent for me. However the owner changed her mind, she just couldnt part with him after having him for so long (totally understand) so started looking again. The horse was called william, he was 16.1hh and 18 years old. Hadnt been rode in 6 months, yet when i hopped on (1st one on him) he never put a foot (or hoof lol) wrong.

You can see a picture of him in my photo album

Back Again

Ok so a few of you have asked for an update on how the horse riding is going. Feel very relaxed with Jack, hes a good horse, seriously thinking of getting my own horse, or getting one on loan.

My dogs are doing fine, kiera is coming along great, when off the lead she will come back again, not that she goes very far from us. We havent tested her off the lead with another dog around, think we have a small way to go before that yet. Tyson is losing weight, we were told he needs to, but with his old age I cant walk him as far as I would like to.

My 4 african land snails are getting big!!! Moved them into a larger tank and they are loving it.

Have 2 tanks of tropical fish, and would love to get one huge corner one.

My cat got killed on the road a few months back, was very upsetting, and the other ran off at the same time, could have been that its saw the whole accident or it was injured too and went into hiding.

Kenny and me searched the whole area and rang vets etc, but no luck. Doubt I will get another cat, miss those two too much.

Jack

My husband Kenny has to put up with constant talk about Jack, however since he rode him himself, he can see why I would love to have jack.

I did ask Patsy and Terry if I could buy him but they dont want to part with him, however he will be mine come retirement - woohoo.

Jack loves nothing more than getting his ear rubbed, blowingup his nose (was told this is an old gypsy trick to calm a horse), after riding him I like to give him a small titbit.

He may be a big horse, but hes also got a big heart. A perfect horse for anyone to ride.

Update

Has been a funny month for us, rode Jack for the first time last sunday, since I had the accident.

For those of you that dont know what happened, well Kenny was parked and in the shop, I wasnt feeling well so sat in the car. Lady in a pretty new BMW reversed quite hard into our car, according to the Police she sent us back just over 3ft. Our beloved Escort was a write off, so had to go buy a new car.

The lady did admit liability which is a small blessing, however not before she tried to accuse me of being in the driversseat. I had my seat belt on at the time and because of this I injured my back and neck, however my neck is now fine, just wish my back would be the same.

Have managed to persuade Kenny to let me get a horse, have decided to get an older horse that will help with my confidence. Found that the riding was perfect for my back! However hurt myself getting up in the saddle.

Kiera is getting big and bad, the breeder thinks we should show her, however I think she needs more training yet.

Managed to raise over £2000 for the myeloma foundation, I really enjoyed raising money for charity, and I plan to raise money for several charities that mean something to me.

Later this year I would love to raise money for the RDA, they do a wonderful job in giving disabled adults and children the chance to go horse riding, and its great secret therapy for them too.

My Website

I have kept his ashes and all his things, including his favourite santa ball, has been placed in a 'Memory Box'. He was a great big faithful dog, and i know i will never own a dog like him again.

We did purchase his sister Kiera, i had no plans to purchase another dog after him, however as my husband Kenny pointed out, it was my last chance to own a dog that was a blood relative of floyds.

I also have another German Shepherd called Tyson, he is about 8-9 years old now, but he quite happily runs around with kiera who is only 8 months old. We rescued him from a security firm in Lisburn who didnt think he was vicious enough for to be part of their team. He was skin and bones when we got him, now we have been told that he needs to lose weight!

I foster dogs from several small animal shelters, some may not take too well to being in a kennel, others may have behaviour/obedience problems, or some dogs have been adopted and returned to the shelter for some reason.

If you would like to advertise your pet, then please feel free.

Jenny