Grubby kids, chubby ponies.

Nearly time for the change! I have three weeks left at work and was home at the parents place this weekend with an interview lined up at a riding school. All sounds good! So the plan is as of January 2007, to be training towards my Level 1 instructor's licence. Brilliant!

Was hoping for full time work as am used to twelve days a fortnight of work, each around ten hour days... Now this one is generally going to be weekend work, maybe a weekday here and there... but not enough to keep me busy; even if it will be days full of grubby kids on chubby ponies!

So am standing in faith waiting on another job possibility that can fill in my week days, still be about working with horses and earn me a reasonable income. Big ask? You bet! All things are possible, though.

Have been thinking lately about doing a massage course in relation to horses, so once I've done a bit of research, will add a post about this and possible places to do so; although for now the focus should be just the Level 1, I think! Will be enough to keep me busy over the next 18 months or so... with South Africa in between - brilliant!

"All I need to know in my life, I learnt from my horse: Great legs and a nice rear will get you anywhere in life. Big, brown eyes help too."

Comfort Zone? Bah!

I'm a restless kind of person - unless I'm working constantly and learning new things, I get really anxious about the use I'm making of my time. The breeding season is coming to an end and yearlings are next on the list for the Thoroughbred Industry.

Of breeding, yearlings and weanlings, the mares and foals are definitely my favourite and with the most variety, I believe. I love this time of season as it covers so much on the care of the horse - medications, feeding, foaling down, getting mares in foal, bandaging, breeding.

But, upon the arrival of the other six months of the year, I find myself with heaps of extra time, a pretty set routine and not a lot looking like it'll help me with my goal to become a horseriding instructor and teaching other kids about horses.

So - I'm going for a change of scenery - yes, again! Currently, I'm looking to move back home for awhile and have started the search to work in a horseriding school, gain experience in relation to riding and teaching and hopefully get practical tasks from my instructors course marked off. Now that that's the plan, I'm getting impatient again! Also got the added fun of finding agistment for my gorgeous festively plump gelding.

Anyone that knows of agistment around the Cheltenham area or of any riding schools that are looking for an extra hand, I'd love to hear from you!

"All I need to know in life, I learnt from my horse: Ignore cues, they're just another prompt to do more work."