PONY TALES; Winter Riding

 

Winter can be a challenging time for equestrians. Everything takes so much longer, from de-icing the car before you can drive up to the yard, to tacking up with fingers that are already frozen.  Yet, despite this, autumn and winter are my favourite time of year to ride. Part of it is the nostalgia of my teens when I worked at an equestrian center. The winter days were short and cold, the work was twice as hard and very heavy, but there was always a tinge of cosyness about the yard during the darkest time of year, as we huddled together in the tack room for hot chocolate, or worked up a glow laying down fresh bedding in the stables to keep the horses warm and snug.  The camaraderie was strongest during the dark of the year. With show-season over, old rivalries faded and frenemies became friends once more. 

 As the weather has been either cold and frosty, or wet and stormy for the past few months, its gets harder for me to drag myself out of bed in the morning and drive up to the stables. I know its going to be hard going, with the ground either too frozen or too boggy to do very much. We don't have an indoor school where I ride, so we are always open to the elements. Difficult going can make things difficult for the horses too and they will often trip over the frozen ridges -  or their own feet!  If you've never sat a horse when it trips, then the best way I can describe it to you is to say: its that feeling you get when your feet slip out underneath you on an icy day, but with a much bigger drop to the ground and the possibility of your mount landing on top of you!  Your heart leaps, your tummy flips over and its difficult not to tense up in anticipation of a fall, but of course, that's exactly what you shouldn't do.  You need to stay relaxed and trust that your horse will find his feet again, which they generally do. It takes a lot to knock a horse off his feet. 

Isn't he a beautiful boy?!

Riding out in a storm can be quite daunting and ponytails are a must for both horse and rider so that we can see where we are going!  Horses hate the wind, so when I was riding during storms Isha and Jocelyn, it was quite tricky to keep my mount nice and calm. From a horse's perspective, the trees become shaking scary giants and there are lots of puddle monsters just waiting to get him! The familiar world becomes a scary place to him, the shelter he would normally find in the trees has turned into a fearsome forest, offering no shelter at all. 

It can be tough to keep them from bolting, shying or generally playing up, but they aren't being naughty. They're just being horses. You need to build trust, so that your horse knows you will keep him safe in the storm and that you won't ask him to go through any puddles that have monsters lurking in them! A steady hand, a firm leg, a good seat and a very soft voice are all required. Singing can also help. Nervous horses love a good lullaby! It soothes their troubled spirit. 

The woods at this time of year is always a delight.  On frozen winter days it can be like riding through a winter wonderland, when the trees have been silvered with hoar frost and each blade of grass is picked out in silver-white. Everywhere you look, Jack Frost has made his presence felt, decorating the trees long past Yuletide.  Your breath clouds in the air, mingling with that of your horse and the chill puts roses in your cheeks as you ride.  

Its important to dress for the weather though, as you can get quite frozen in the saddle. I always wear thermal jodhpurs and thermal socks at this time of year, as well as my Holland Cooper riding gillet, under my red equestrian coat, plus base layers beneath.  Layering up is the best way to keep warm, especially if you are out hacking, which doesn't work up as much of a sweat as when you are schooling your horse and doing flat work in the manege. It goes without saying that you should always wear reflective gear, especially if you ride on the roads. Wearing the correct gear is important, as they are the tools of the trade. Yes, equestrian gear can be expensive, but it is an investment in yourself, in your sport and most importantly, in your safety.  

Equestrian gear has come a long way since I was a girl when everything was ugly, in various shades of mud! Now you can find lots of pretty things to wear when out riding, from pink reflective vests - mine says Caution girl with a whip up here! - to riding hats that have glitter panels down the center - mine is all black with a black glitter panel that sparkles in the sun.  

I just recently treated myself to a new dressage whip too, which is silver with a spiral of diamante all the way up the handle and a silver top. I'll use this to tap on my boot and the sound sends the horse forward. It is not a weapon of punishment - unless you happen to be a flasher in the woods! Then I'm gonna swipe you with it!  (TRUE STORY -That actually happened to me when I was eighteen and riding alone in the woods. The flasher jumped out of the bushes, opened his coat with a scream and he was naked underneath. He grabbed my leg and tried to pull me from my pony, Misty, so I whacked him round the face with my whip. Misty barged into him, knocking him off his feet, then she reared up and galloped off, carrying me to safety. I reported him to the police at the first available phone box. Gosh, phone boxes! Remember those?)

The point is that winter riding becomes much more pleasurable when you are wearing the right gear, because as the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. If you and your horse are dressed comfortably for the season, then there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy winter riding, just as much as summer hacks. You just have to put a bit more effort into getting dressed in the mornings. 

I'm looking forward to riding out in the woods with my friend soon too. We haven't hacked out together in a long while because she now has a young child, so she doesn't have as much time for riding as she once did. We used to ride out together all the time and it was great to take the horses up through the woods and have a good gossip along the way. Horsey friends tend to have a strong bond, as they are the only ones who truly get it. They understand that you'd rather spend money on new jodhpurs than a meal at a fancy restaurant, or that hacking in the woods and cross country is better than a gym membership. They get it, because they are exactly the same.  There is a shared understanding of the love of horses, of the sport and of how tough it can be at times. 

Riding isn't easy. It might look easy, but it's really not. Its so much more than a workout. It takes a lot of strength, courage, training and practice, not to mention compassion for your mount. You have to learn to see the world through their eyes. You have to throw your heart over the jump first, so that the horse will follow it. That takes bravery and trust on both sides. Its a partnership, a duality. I cannot ride without the horse's consent. He is bigger and stronger than me and if it came down to a battle of wills, he would win! If he doesn't want me on his back, he will give me a flying lesson! 

By the same token, the horse cannot stand his ground in the face of fear without having trust in his rider, because his natural instinct is to flee from anything and everything that scares him. He needs the reassurance of his rider to let him know that everything is okay - its just a leaf, a squirrel, a bit of litter. He needs his rider to tell him that there is no monster in the puddle, only dirty water - and he can handle a bit of dirty water, because he's a big brave boy! 

Today was cold and damp and the ground was muddy and full of puddle monsters, so we just did some flat work in the manege. I don't mind doing flat work and I enjoy making pretty patterns in the sand. We did pole work without stirrups too, which I really enjoy as it strengthens the core and deepens the seat to make the rider more secure in the saddle. This kind of training is essential in preparation for jump work come spring. Of course, in winter, schooling helps to keep both horse and rider fit. I'd be lying though if I said I wasn't looking forward to springtime when the ground is softer so that I can start jumping again. I miss jumping and I'm eager to get that flying feeling once more! For the time being we're doing a lot of flat work, pole work and pacing out, ready for the jumps to go up as soon as the ground is ready and its safe to do so. 

There's nothing quite like sitting a horse over show jumps! The slow-motion lifting of the forelegs, followed by the strength of the hind quarters thrusting beneath you and powering you both off the ground; the the moment of suspension when you are flying through the air directly above the jump itself, concluding with the thud of the front hooves hitting the ground first and the hind legs gently coming to rest behind, before the gallop onto the next fence. Its exhilarating and scary and such a wonderful feeling.  Jumping is the thing I miss most during the frozen winter, but I know it won't be long before we're tackling the fences again and I can't wait!

It was a lovely ride this morning and I enjoyed myself very much. On the way home I stopped by the yarn shop and finally managed to find some army green wool for Kermit, and some more Air Force blue too, so I'll be busy with new needle-craft and Flying Fashions projects for the next few months. 

In the meantime, after a day like today when its so cold, wet and windy, its always nice to get back home from the yard and jump into a hot shower, before settling down with a cup of tea, ready to get some writing done. Riding has been a part of my life for forty years and I plan to keep at it for as long as I can, even into my dotage! I might not always be jumping, but I hope that I will always ride and be around horses. It is such a privilege to spend time with them. They are my very first love and well worth the aches and pains equestrians have to endure. You know what they say - hold onto what makes you happy...and if it tries to buck you off, hold on tighter because the very best seat is always on a horse!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

SLIPPERS AND SKATES; Swan Lake

 

Last night, as the temperature plummeted to -2 to -3 degrees, my mum and I got all bundled up in faux fur coats and hats and went off to the theatre.  We had tickets to see Swan Lake and we have been looking forward to it for months now.  In the past couple of years we have booked tickets to see Swan Lake twice, but both times the performance was cancelled, firstly due to covid, then secondly because it was the Russian Ballet who were not allowed to tour the UK after the Russians invaded Ukraine.  So it was something of a relief that this performance actually went ahead! 

It was well worth the long wait. Swan Lake is my favourite ballet of all and I have seen it a few times. In fact, I try to get tickets whenever it is performed in my home city as I just love it so much. In my opinion, it is the very best ballet there is. You can't beat the classical ballets and Swan Lake is the best of the best. I also like that this particular ballet has different endings, so you never know which one you're going to see. The performance last night featured the original variation, where the Prince kills Rothbart, thereby breaking the spell and allowing Odette a happy ending. It was simply beautiful and I had tears in my eyes by the end. 

The performance was given by the Varna International Ballet, which originated in Bulgaria, I believe.  The costumes were obviously diaphanous and to-die-for gorgeous. The staging of the ballet was quite ethereal and imaginative. They had a huge screen as the backdrop on which were projections of a lake under a full moon, with swans flying and gliding along on the water. They also used a pretty pale blue-tinged lighting system and a fog machine, to give the stage the illusion of misty water. It was like gazing into a Scottish loch at twilight - so magical and enchanting.

Odette/Odile was danced to perfection by Martina Prefetto who spun like gossamer, gracefully casting a spell all of her own.  The handsome Prince Siegfried was danced by Vittorio Scole and I was quite swept away by him. In this performance, the Prince is reading a book of fairytales about swan-maidens, so when he meets with Odette and her swan-maids, he is open to the magic she brings into his life, despite the difficulty of the curse that is laid upon her.

My favourite part of the ballet is always the swans and the Lake scenes. The sight of so many ballerinas all dressed in feathers and tulle, standing en pointe is like a vision from the Otherworld. Of course there is the iconic pas de quatre, or Dance of the Four Little Swans, which is well-known and very beautiful to watch. In this Varna variation however, there was also a stage full of black swans too and they looked amazing! I don't recall seeing this before in other versions of the ballet - usually all the swans are white, with the exception of Odile, most famous for her 32 fouettes.  Seeing so many black swans dancing in formation was breath-taking and not something that I will ever forget. It was just so surprising and I love it when a Company do something a little bit different to a well known ballet, and make it work so well.  So although it isn't part of the original ballet, it made sense that Odile would also have her own black swan-maid companions. I loved it!

It was an amazing performance. I did manage to get a couple of video clips, including the ensemble of black swans, so you can see it for yourself on my Twitter. My mum and I came out of the theatre smiling from ear to ear and not even the freezing weather could dampen our spirits. I got a program and some lovely souvenirs which all have a swan theme - a pretty silver hand mirror bearing a white swan on an icy blue lake, a matching pink blush compact featuring pink swans and the matching White Swan eyeshadow palette with white swans on the top and pinky-nude eyeshadows inside. All very pretty and whimsical additions to my vanity and lovely reminders of a fabulous, girly night out. They will give me a little sprinkling of the Swan Queen's magic each time I do my makeup. 

And now its time to hibernate and start writing my next book, but for tonight I'm going to snuggle down by the fire and watch my Black Swan DVD, to try to prolong the exquisite enchantment of the Swan Queen and her sacred Lake.  If you ever get a chance to see the Swan Lake ballet then I urge you to go. It really is the most beautiful ballet in the world, in all its variations. It should be on everyone's bucket list. 

Serene Swan Blessings 

Marie x 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Wintering Begins

 

It's 11.30 on a Sunday night and I have just delivered my latest book to my publisher. I have been working on this project all through the Christmas and New Year period, so I am ready for a little rest, before I need to start the next book. 

Winter is meant to be a time of rest, of slowing down and hibernating, yet for many of us it is one of the busiest times of the year. If you work in retail for instance, or hospitality, or in one of the emergency services, then there is nothing slow and restful about this season at all. The darkness and the cold just make everything seem like more of an uphill struggle.  That's why its more important than ever that you learn to keep winter in a cosy way whenever you can.  Incorporating pockets of cosyness into your day, especially into your working day, can help you to get through the difficulty of working in the wintertime. 

I touched on this last year in my Winter Blooming post, but it bears repeating, because every winter is different. Some years are snowy and bright, others are damp and dismal. Each one brings its own challenges and stress.  Being a chionophile I love it, but I know a lot of you don't. People often take the time to turn their home into a cosy retreat during the darker months and this is especially important once all the Yuletide decorations have been packed away.  Your home should be a haven, a warm shelter from the cold, a comforting space of peace and joy and relaxation.  

But what about your car? How cosy and peaceful is that after you've spent twenty minutes clearing off the ice and you are making the journey into work? When I worked at the vets, my twelve hour day started quite early, so it was frequently cold and always dark in the wintertime. I tried to make my car a pleasant place to be - to give it some hyyge! Often I would eat my lunch in my car, because I just needed to get out of the workplace and enjoy some much needed silence and solitude. So I made sure my car had all that I needed, including a warm blanket to snuggle into. This helped to make the most of my very short lunch break, as it was the only break we got during such a long day. 

Of course I would take a book to read, but I also had other bits and bobs tucked away in my car too. Little things that could make my lunch break as pleasurable and restorative as possible. For instance, the vet practice where I worked was right next door to a fish and chip shop. I know - lethal! Occasionally I would treat myself to chips for lunch, so I kept a small bottle of Henderson's Relish in my car, to splash onto my chips. I also had a little bottle of pumpkin spice syrup that I could add to the coffee I bought.  These were simple little things, but they made the day a bit nicer and made my lunch break into more of a treat. Sometimes, my mother would come down and meet me and we would have a picnic lunch together, in her car or mine. She would pack up a picnic basket with goodies and we would catch up. This gave her a little outing in the middle of the day and provided a lovely break for me in the middle of my shift. 

I also liked to keep a motivational book in my car, ready for those days when everything felt like too much and the job was getting to me. It's not easy working in an environment where you see animals being put to sleep on a daily basis, or where certain people are on personal power trips.  Sometimes you need a mental health boost. I kept The Concise 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene in my car at all times during the years I worked at the vet practice. Not only did it give me a mental boost, it helped me to deal with difficult colleagues and served as a reminder that I was only passing through the vets anyway. It was just a student job. It wasn't my long term destiny. I was meant for a different path.  Reading the nuggets of wisdom in Greene's book helped to keep me sane and focused on my true goals, rather than being side-tracked by the people who wanted me to train to be a vet nurse and RVN. That was never my ambition, so I didn't let them sway me in that direction. 

I kept pampering items in my car too. A luxury hand cream, a bottle of perfume, a nice lip-gloss, a hair brush, a hair fragrance mist, a nail file. All these items were little things that I could use to take care of myself in the midst of a hard day's work. Roll-on essential oils that can be applied to pulse points are also a good idea - especially lavender for calm and serenity! 

I also had a small notebook and pen in the glove compartment and I would use this as an emergency journal. If I was cross or out of sorts with someone (which happened a lot during the pandemic!) I would journal out my stress and irritability at lunchtime. This enabled me to go back into the office with a clear mind and a clean slate. I felt better, not because the situation had resolved itself, but because I had siphoned off the negative emotions and pinned them down on the page, instead of allowing them to circulate in my mind and ruminating on them. 

All these little things helped to make me feel better about the fact that I was vastly underpaid, under-valued and extremely overworked, as so many people are these days. I am thankful that I now work from home as an author, but I still feel for my former colleagues and those who are in a similar situation. It's not easy to make a living these days. In some sectors, it's very, very hard and in my opinion, twelve hour days should be illegal! 

I have spoken about the musical ritual I had when I got home each night in the Winter Blooming post, so I won't repeat that here, but I also had another ritual too.  When I got home in the evenings, I would turn back my bed, light a scented candle and hop in the shower. After my shower, I would put on a long Victorian nightgown, make a cup of hot chocolate and settle down into bed to watch a period drama series. Each night  would watch one or two episodes by candlelight, and I would make a point of telling myself;

"This is my real life, not the vets. That's just an interruption of my life. This, being at home, surrounded by lovely things and enjoying my own time. This is what really matters. This is where I belong." 

It may sound silly, but re-affirming your life in this way and telling yourself that where you are currently, is not where you plan on ending up, is very powerful. Linking that affirmation to something tangible, such as my period drama ritual, means that you are reminding your subconscious of your goal each time you engage with that thing, be it a TV show or a hobby. Two seasons of The Spanish Princess and four seasons of Reign helped me to work in an emergency pet hospital throughout the pandemic and beyond, without losing my mind or the will to live! They also gave me something to look forward to at the end of the working day.

Not all of these ideas will fit into your life or your working routine, but I hope that there is something here that you can try to see if it works for you. Perhaps you can adapt some of them, or come up with other ways to make sure that your work this winter doesn't prevent you from enjoying the season. Yes it can be hard to endure, and for those of you who love the sunshine, going to and from work in the dark will take its toll on you. Hopefully, these suggestions will help to put a spark of joyfulness into the mundane. 

As we head into the gloomiest months of the wintertime, with all the brightness of Yuletide behind us and spring a long way off, this is when the art of wintering truly begins. You need to take extra special care of yourself, particularly if you are going out to work in harsh and stressful environments. 

For me, this means that I will be prolonging my Christmas until the end of this month! Because I worked through it again this year, I have decided that although the tree is down and the decorations are packed away, I am going to spend January watching festive films, burning my Christmas scented candles, reading snowy books and enjoying all the festive treats that I haven't consumed yet, such as chocolates, mulled wine and spiced gingerbread hearts. 

It won't be long until I have to begin writing the next book, for the mid-February deadline. I also have to make preparations for university too. They have sent me the Required Reading list and so I have ordered all the text books and recommended reading from Blackwells, and I will need to start swotting again soon. 

But for now, I plan on enjoying a New Year festive break of Christmassy films, books and foods that will prolong the Yuletide season that I have just missed out on, due to a tight January deadline.  However you plan to spend the darkest months at the beginning of the year, remember that hyyge is your friend! And so am I.

Serene Blessings

Marie x