Horses and stuff
Gah, it's been ages since last update. Too much stuff has happened! Cannot remember everything. Will just have to try.
I visited Turku two weeks ago for Linda's birthday party and a lovely party it was. Gathering on Friday, eating and drinking, and Juha had been imaginative with present wrapping (present consisted mostly of shotglasses). Evening was spent sitting at the table with the food and chatting. Good times.
I spent the week alone at home, mostly watching the 3rd season of Lost, I think. One evening I went to shop for riding shoes (jodhpurs) and mini-chaps from Stockmann and found some nice ones, but they weren't cheap. I spent about 110 euros and now I'd better use them at least semi-regularly. Will probably start riding in Turku in the autumn or something.
Joe visited me and Jutta a week ago and I went riding with Joe on Saturday and Sunday. It was the fence-jumping course we got in via my job. On both days we had a bit of theory first and then riding. We got to brush the horses and saddle them all ourselves. Dude, I was slow, but that's all right. Hadn't done that in a long time!
I had a brown mare called Elli. She was very nice, but also very sensitive of her mouth, like I found out the hard way. The teacher mentioned that she has a scar in her mouth and that I should be gentle, but of course I didn't get it completely immediately. Elli was like an angel until we got to the jumping part. She wasn't lazy and she did everything I asked her to do, but she was of the opinion that I held the reins too tightly while jumping. I probably did. Had to try to persuade her to jump after that. Hard work and I very nearly fell off once. I was a bit down after the lesson, makes one depressed to notice the lack of skills, but I vowed the next day would go better. It did, and I was so glad.
I had the same horse again and this time I rode her to the fences with very loose reins. Every time she tried to go past the fences on their left side, and often she managed it, but if I got her to approach the fence properly she jumped over it. I had to be constantly alert, but that was all right. I surely learned something and the teacher praised me at the end of the lesson, said that I had ridden very well. Probably I hadn't, but there had been development and I was able to make the horse trust me. On Sunday I left feeling much more happy.
Joe did very well with her horse. It looked like she had no problems at all. Ah well, maybe one day I'll do better as well. :) My thighs ached the next three days and my back is still sore. Riding is a wonderful way to exercise.
Okay, that was it for the last two weekends. Have to make a separate entry about London, Equus and Lord of the Rings. Also, I haven't done the meme I've been tagged to do.
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EDIT: Oh, right, we also went to see Spider-man 3 with Jutta and Emily a week ago. It was wonderful in its badness. I haven't laughed that much in a while. Recommended as a comedy.
I visited Turku two weeks ago for Linda's birthday party and a lovely party it was. Gathering on Friday, eating and drinking, and Juha had been imaginative with present wrapping (present consisted mostly of shotglasses). Evening was spent sitting at the table with the food and chatting. Good times.
I spent the week alone at home, mostly watching the 3rd season of Lost, I think. One evening I went to shop for riding shoes (jodhpurs) and mini-chaps from Stockmann and found some nice ones, but they weren't cheap. I spent about 110 euros and now I'd better use them at least semi-regularly. Will probably start riding in Turku in the autumn or something.
Joe visited me and Jutta a week ago and I went riding with Joe on Saturday and Sunday. It was the fence-jumping course we got in via my job. On both days we had a bit of theory first and then riding. We got to brush the horses and saddle them all ourselves. Dude, I was slow, but that's all right. Hadn't done that in a long time!
I had a brown mare called Elli. She was very nice, but also very sensitive of her mouth, like I found out the hard way. The teacher mentioned that she has a scar in her mouth and that I should be gentle, but of course I didn't get it completely immediately. Elli was like an angel until we got to the jumping part. She wasn't lazy and she did everything I asked her to do, but she was of the opinion that I held the reins too tightly while jumping. I probably did. Had to try to persuade her to jump after that. Hard work and I very nearly fell off once. I was a bit down after the lesson, makes one depressed to notice the lack of skills, but I vowed the next day would go better. It did, and I was so glad.
I had the same horse again and this time I rode her to the fences with very loose reins. Every time she tried to go past the fences on their left side, and often she managed it, but if I got her to approach the fence properly she jumped over it. I had to be constantly alert, but that was all right. I surely learned something and the teacher praised me at the end of the lesson, said that I had ridden very well. Probably I hadn't, but there had been development and I was able to make the horse trust me. On Sunday I left feeling much more happy.
Joe did very well with her horse. It looked like she had no problems at all. Ah well, maybe one day I'll do better as well. :) My thighs ached the next three days and my back is still sore. Riding is a wonderful way to exercise.
Okay, that was it for the last two weekends. Have to make a separate entry about London, Equus and Lord of the Rings. Also, I haven't done the meme I've been tagged to do.
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EDIT: Oh, right, we also went to see Spider-man 3 with Jutta and Emily a week ago. It was wonderful in its badness. I haven't laughed that much in a while. Recommended as a comedy.