Pumpkin's Progress

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Take two!! Sorry for the size 0.0

Tuesday, 23rd January

I fractured my 5th metatarsal on my right foot (my pinky toe bone, but further up). Luckily I didn't need a plaster or boot, so I am only in a bandage. But I can't ride for at least 6 weeks, which totally sucks, because my plans to get Pumpkin underway and fit have to be put on hold again. I can't even walk yet, so no ground work for a week :( I just came back from Dubbo for 10 days, so I was keen to come home and start riding. My sister and a few friends should be able to come around and start things up though.

School starts again in a week. Final year. Woo hoo!! Hoping it won't get in the way too much with riding, but it is all about time management. Which I suck at, but I'll work on it. Haha.
Anyway, there will probably just be photos of Pumpkin eating grass for the 6 weeks or getting dressed up. Highly unexciting. Sorry about that.

Happy horsing!

Wednesday, 30th January

School started 2 days ago, and it has been the most uncomfortable weather. The strong (up to 120 km/p/h winds) remains of a cyclone recently came through, taking down 6 major trees on our property and 2 fences. Pumpkin now has no paddocks so he has been wandering freely around the property for the past few days. Needless to say he has been very happy with these arrangements. The humidity (83% today) has been killing everyone. And thanks to being in Grade 12, today we had to go to assembly in stockings, thick shirts and skirts, and a blazer. Yuck.

This foot is killing me. Still 5 weeks before I can ride, but I have so much I want to get started with! At least I am off the crutches for the most part.

In my last week of boredom, I started to draw horses. I am pretty o.k. With how they turned out, considering my last attempts at horse drawing were.. not that crash hot. I'll have to scan them on, so the tonal values will be lost :( C'est la vie.

I was also skimming through some of my photos of jumping competitions, so I thought I would upload a few for some enjoyment. Nothing professional, but they turned out well clarity wise. These are from the Gatton World Cup back in August, so enjoy!

Sunday, 3rd February

We (my Family) spent all weekend clearing up the the trees that came down from the storm - 6 almost down, 2 to go. My foot is now this annoying little pain, which isn't too bad, but not ideal.

Dad fixed Pumpkins gate to the back paddock yesterday morning so he has been back in there. I managed to get out and lunge him today. I let him have a free run first because I am not sure if my foot could handle anything overly stupid from him while on the lunge line. I did a lot of transitions with him, getting him to start using his hind end. At the end of the session he was starting to show some progress, which is great. I lunged him a little again this afternoon and he had a few nice moments in the trot which only lasted for a second, but he still has to build the muscle to work through his back longer. Hopefully I can make this a daily thing and start getting him super responsive and working nicely before I am in the saddle.

I think that is it. I am on the wrong computer for scanning those drawings, and there are no new photos of Pumpkin.

Have a fantastic week :)

Sunday, 17th February

Not much in the way of exciting news. Pumpkin did cut the back of his rear left pastern a week or two back, so he had a few days off, but that has been healing nicely. He has started to shed his summer coat making way for the colder seasons which is disappointing.

Lunging has been going well - over the past few days he has been gathering the concept of moving forward with energy. We had some amazing walk to trot transitions last time with him really using his hind end to get going. Only 2 more weeks to go until I am allowed to ride!

His fence in the front paddock is up now, and he is so happy to be back in his usual area. He hasn't been coming up for breakfast or dinner, which is highly out of character.

I also have photos from this morning of him coming in for his work. Don't mind his huge belly 0.0 I don't know where it came from.

Have a good day!

He's sooo cute! But my what a big belly.. I guess that's where all the carrots in the village have gone!

Goodness yes! Everyone from the neighborhood comes and feeds him. That and with around 3 months of no work - ta da!

I also managed to grab a photo of one of those drawings I was talking about eons ago. I am not that happy with neck/head. I darkened the image on the computer so you can see it better, it isn't this dark in real life.

I quite like it :) I don't recall if you drew this?

Yes, I drew it maybe 4-5 weeks ago?