New Year and Christmas!!!!!

Feeling unwell I left for the Netherlands on the 22nd of December, I stayed at my grandparents house till we would return to England on the 2nd of January. I was totally against going there, I mean one and half weeks without riding, no Sophie, no yard, no horses!!!! I mean that's torture, for me anyway.

At my grandparents house I found out I had grown four and a half cm in four and a half months!!! I mean that's a centimeter a month!!!

Anyway, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, because I was left alone most of the time and went to my cousin's house for three days. Which was great because she is HORSE CRAZY as well!!!!! She is unfortunately a year younger then me so I'm about a head taller (which I always tease her about.) Christmas wasn't bad and mum even gave me a surprise that she had arranged for me to ride at a nearby pony club where I had learnt to ride. Which to be fair wasn't to great, I would much rather ride Sophie in England where all my friends were. I mean the pony I was riding wasn't to bad, but wasn't great. Sophie would have outrun the pony without even sweating.

We arrived back at about 10ish at night after 13 hours sitting in the car and waiting on the ferry, and we were all drained of energy which definitely doesn't occur often with me. So we all went straight to bed.

I was up early for one reason only, SOPHIE. Mum wouldn't bring me just yet because she was still tired so it was about 11:30 by the time I was at the yard. I was really Hyped up and running around. Katie rode Sophie first and jumped for about 20 minutes while I tacked up George, I bought George over to the school and Katie just had to get of Soph and get on to George. I rode in Katie's saddle and I didn't even have to change the stirrup lengths, my legs are as long as hers!! Katie jumped George as well, and while George caught his breath I took Soph over them as well. I was rubbish probably because I hadn't ridden in such a long time. I gave Sophie LOADS of sweeties and lots of hugs.

 I found out that Chloe Solomou had fallen off Houghi twice yesterday whilst jumping at a show jumping competition, so she was having a lesson with Naomi. I must have just missed it but she fell off again today and hurt her ribs. Fortunately she carried on and punished Houghi by cantering round for ages and then jumping him over and over again.

ILL AGAIN!!!

I'm ill again with a fever and am not allowed to come out of bed, I haven't been able to ride Sophie in days and wont be. I'll soon be going to the Netherlands and won't have been able to see Rosie or Sophie before I go.

Tuesday.

I saw Rob and Naomi today, I was surprised they were still there at 4:36 (exact.)  Rob hadn't swept up properly so I told him off and did it for him, I got Sophie ready in Record time. She let me get on today which I was very pleased with, her canter felt really weird at the beginning but towards the end I got used to it again. She went really nicely and didn't spook of anything, I rode about 30 minutes then untacked her and gave her loads of sweeties.

Sunday.

Dannielle and I helped Naomi put up some poles for her and Orange in the small arena, I've never seen a jump SO HIGH. It looked like it was about 1.30m or even higher!!

Then Rob had a sit on her which she was not too happy about because she thought she was going in. Rob had her on a strong contact and tried to do straight lines and keep his right hand up, Naomi only said to carry on for about 10min but he went on for about 20. When Rob came off he didn't have to do anything, I took Orange and untacked, fed and rugged her for him. I also fed George, Val and Brownie without having to be asked! My 'friend' Hannah said she would come up on Sunday, but she didn't I was really annoyed. But I still rode Sophie in the big school after lunging and played around with a few trotting poles. The next day at school I asked why she hadn't came, I'd thought she had forgotten. But she said "I couldn't be asked" (couldn't be bothered enough- for any non-young folk! :) That made me really angry.

Weekend!

Sophie was shaved AGAIN on Friday, she's half bold but looks really smart. I started to feel better as the weekend approached, miraculously :) I still had to take a paracetamol at the yard though, still was quite warm with a major migraine. I pushed my way past it though and helped Naomi all day, the school was booked for an hour because there was a lesson going on, so I had to wait for a bit. I lunged Sophie first for about 15-20mins, she was going really really well until I went on and then all of a sudden every thing was so SCARY!! she didn't settle so I decided the best thing would be to stop for the day and just try again in the big school tomorrow. For Sint Nicholas last week was a big box of sweeties for Sophie from Grandma and Granddad, so she had quite a few of those. Well when I say a few...

ILL.

I got loads of presents on Sunday, I got a book called secretariat, Take That and The Wanted on CD's which I am listening to right now, awesome speakers to play the CD's on, and a pack of playing cards with pictures of horses on them.

Unfortunately I got a fever on Sunday evening so I stayed at home and didn't ride on Monday :(, I made a start at tiding my bedroom though. (I know my mum was sooooo shocked when she came home!!!!) I also hung up about thirty horse posters that I took out of my magazines. I'm staying at home today as well and I'm not sure I can ride today either, I'm planning to finish my bedroom and finish hanging up my posters.
I think the people that make the posters are sooooo mean!!! They put two different pictures on both sides of the poster and now I have too choose which one I prefer, I usually choose which ever one has the most or cutesiest horses on it.

I hope I'll be well enough to ride this afternoon, my parents are working so I'm home alone.

Dannielle can unfortunately not share Sophie with me, so I'll be putting up leaflets in the local post offices.

Sint Nicholaas.

I rode with Rob on Thursday, it was great service! He picked me up from school at 3.15!!! Then took me straight to the Yard. It was great, we were still able to ride in the light. Because the schools are frozen we went out to the field, and walked for a long, long time. Rob showed me reign back, and we did lots of agility stuff that Jane had set up a long while back. Sophie is great at the slalom and has no fear. Sort of.

Because it's too frozen I haven't been able to ride too much the past week, Sophie was very bouncy and full of energy on Saturday. Wendy came in as well and thankfully Houghi was very well behaved. Wendy advised to do lots of three loop serpentines, she said I could go in front for a while and then we would swap and she'll go in front for a while. It certainly worked and she soon and her head down and was very relaxed. She didn't like being behind Houghi and Houghi didn't like being in front because he started to go really lazy, he's too much of a gentleman to be dominant. So Sophie went in front again and was very well behaved, it's good to practice my steering. It was all going great untill.

There was obviously something REALLY SCARY at E and we were about to go right and she dropped her right shoulder and went sharp left I think I was saved by sitting at that moment (we were in Trot.) I think that if I would have been rising at that moment I would have been on the ground. We had a good look at the scary E and walked for a while, we decided to stop because she had been very good before that unfortunate shock. I'm sure I missed a heart beat, it was very sudden. Wendy was VERY happy that Houghi hadn't bucked unlike last time.

Dad got a lot of pictures of Sunday (Today) I rode Sophie for only a short time, she was so much better behaved then on Saturday. I put up the tiny 2ft Christmas tree at the Yard and decorated it with lights and tinsel, there was a very cute stuffed toy like whiskey I hung up at the very top, like the angel that is usually there. Dad had to put a HAPPY CHRISTMAS lights at the top of the picture and noticeboard. Plus IT'S SINT NICOLAAS, I'm Dutch so that means Sint Nicolaas is today. The 5th is presents and the 25th is a huge family get together for us. We'll probably open our presents in an hour or so. Florian (My brother who is at hills road and who is 17!!) has to finish his Physics before we can start ripping the wrapping paper off.