Musical Soiree

Sounds posh doesn't it, but really just a bunch of people getting together to make music and drink lots of wine!
Ricky organised it at her place and we were treated to piano solos, duets, choral works, light opera and an impromptu jazz session at the end of the night when the wheels were well and truly oiled.
Ricky's been on at me for ages to do a little something with  piano and sax, but, apart from not wanting to subject the listeners to my ramblings, the thought of performing in front of that lot freaks me out just a tad.
Ricky has her friend staying with her who's a pretty good pianist and composer, so I've dragged the sax out of it's case (where it's been sitting for the last few months) and we're going to meet up for a session later in the week.
Feeling a little bit under the weather this morning, ahem, perhaps a little too many 'verres du vin', and it was raining so put the horses out and spent the day getting my playing muscles in order and finally got around to replacing the keyboard in my french laptop for a UK one. It's not that I mind using a french keyboard it's just that my other laptop has a UK keyboard and to have both is just confusing for the fingers!

Pineau in the sunshine

A good session with Remy in the school, working on the lunge, lots of softness and stretching, interspersed with some pole work. Then a session with Bonbon , the same exercise, on the circle, good forward walk, stretching forward and down, even bend. It's always been obvious that she's much more supple than Remy and it really showed today. She got it almost immediately, her inside hind coming through and under really nicely. She was a bit twitchy, think she might be coming in season, but she was such a good girl and remained focussed.
Had a lovely afternoon with Ricky playing music, drinking pineau and sitting in the glorious sunshine.

Giggling like kids

Had a good day out yesterday, lunch at Trudi's with Bev. We ate and chatted a lot - very enjoyable!
Today, same again with Remy and Bonbon, a good session with Remy, moving shoulders and then quarters, a little reinback and a short lungeing session on each rein. Bonbon continued with her lunge training and she's pretty much got it at walk and halt transitions.
Spent this afternoon at Ricky's playing, giggling like kids and drinking afternoon tea with dutch cookies.

Corky rides

I took Remy for a walk along the lane and then up to the school this morning. We worked in-hand , concentrating on a nice, forward, but not rushed walk stride with a relaxed neck. I moved him around the school, using the sides of the arena and then bringing him off onto a circle and when he was balanced and soft, asking for some lateral steps. He was very responsive on the left rein, but more resistant on the right, and I massaged his neck until he relaxed and gave me a more genuine inside bend. I was really pleased with the session and we finished with some free play over the poles.
While I was in the school with Remy, Jim took Bonbon for a walk around the yard and garden, and then I tacked up Anky and we went out for a hack with Jim and Obi.
I had a musical afternoon at Ricky's which I enjoyed very much. Her family are over for a holiday, and after an hour or so sitting and playing by the pool, Ricky's daughter and two grandchildren, Gwen and Chris came  back with me and helped with the horses. Corky was a star as she was petted, groomed, and then ridden around the grounds.

Home from the hospital - again

After another scare, and spending the week in the hospital, Jim is back home. It appears that after the last operation, a small piece of plaque and a blood clot had blocked a vein in his heart. It caused a lot of pain and his blood pressure shot sky high, but after lots of tests, the doctors seem to think that everything is now under control and are treating it with medication. It was really scary for both of us, he's spent a month out of the last two in hospital. and we're both hoping that things are going to be better now.
I got back to doing something with the horses today, a short session in-hand with Remy and a ridden session in the school with Anky.
Remy was quite upbeat and forward today. Good for the lungeing, but a little too distracted for the in-hand. I had an extra ten minute session on the yard this evening,working on the basics, and he was wonderfully relaxed and focussed, it was a good session and  I don't feel quite so worried now that I'm confusing the s**t out of him.
I've borrowed a Suber Pad to try with the new Lexington (really got it for Remy, but used it on Anky today) so we'll see how it goes. 
I'm a bit down after the events of the past month or so. After the initial relief of Jim being ok, I'm now feeling very tired. I think it's carrying over to my work with the horses and as always when I'm unsettled I'm starting to doubt myself and my abilty to train them, especially my very impressionable, precious young horses. It's a big responsibility...........
Ricky came down this afternoon for a chat and to arrange our musical afternoon next week, she came down on her new bike :-) She's over sixty five, a lttle dynamo and I love her to bits.

A musical interlude.....

.....over at Ricky's today. We always have a good laugh when we're playing. We didn't actually play much music today but we had a good giggle!! The sun came out just as I was leaving home and when I got there she was preparing her pool for action - she's optimistic!! She keeps inviting me round to swim in her pool, insisting what good exercise it is. Well I can't swim, but I do like to go round to play in the pool and for the chat and drinks! Preferably when the sun's shining!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Riding? What's that???

Ok, another day and still no riding. First thing was to get Remy out for his session, it was bright this morning, but icy cold and blustery. All the horses were a little edgy but I thought it would be good to see how Remy reacted to the conditions.  He was a little distracted  but stayed focussed and I was happy with the session.
It's Jims' birthday today and he was talking to his son in Australia on the phone , the weather had turned really grey and nasty, so I put the horses out and started mucking out the stables.
I had a musical afternoon at my friend Rickys' which I always enjoy, we played for a couple of hours and then chatted over a couple of glasses of pineau. She's determined to get me to play at one of her musical evenings - hehe, it's never going to happen!!
I've a free day tomorrow, nowhere to go, nothing to do, except ride, I hope!!!