One week on

While we were away, the dogs have obviously spent a lot of time in the fish pond. I haven't checked to see if there are any fish left but it must be time to increase the water level when Shorty gets in!

So I am suffering from trek withdrawals, well thats my excuse. For so long the trek is such a huge focus in life. Getting a horse fit (and myself) takes up lots of time and then it just stops with a bang.

This morning I managed to unpack my clothes, bad aye, and yesterday I washed some horse stuff. Finding it hard to be motivated.

Summer is not as good as I had originally thought. A few rubbed areas developed on top of her shoulders again where the hair is coming away. While its not a super major, I obviously can't put a saddle on while the skin is so pink and hair still growing. Really frustrating and its now making me question Summer as a long term prospect.

I keep thinking, just one more year and she will have finished growing and hopefully settled into some sort of a decent shape that actually fits things. Is she really cut out for the type of riding I enjoy? She gets better with time but still is questionable around tricky spots. I saw an ad for a horse during the week that says quote"You could invade an european country on this horse" end quote.
I want a horse I could invade a european country on! But I can't imagine life without Summer at this point.
Cruise was such a horse. Tougher than tough. Not everyone 'got' what Cruise was about, but I did. And you just have to look at him in his retirement (just along the road) to see how tough that old horse really is. With all his lumps and bumps, and scars and twists but he is still looking as good as he possibly could look.

In other news we called the vet on Friday to Cliffie. It was shocking to see him with 2 horribly swollen eyes. Poor old boy has had tumors for a while now but they haven't bothered him. I thought he may have an infection as the swelling had happened so suddenly but no, its the tumors. They are huge. Shane also pointed out the ones in his nasal passages which we hadn't really noticed. They are obviously growing rapidly too now. So we are preparing for his ending. Today we will give him a bath and pretty him up, he loves attention and being groomed. And then this week the digger will come. Inthe mean time he is being stuffed full of apples every time someone see's him.
Frank is going to miss him. Cliffie is Franks guardian but we have notice recently just how Cliffie is not taking part in things any more and spends all his days sleeping in the sun.