U.H.R.I.

Stands for Unidentified Horse Related Injury. I think all of us who spend much time in the company of horses carry at least one U.H.R.I. on any given day. Bumps, bruises, grazes from non-specific equine calamities with the lovelies themselves, or with their accoutrements, including wheelbarrows, pitchforks, water buckets and the like; all can be walking into, tripped over, or cause a spook that leads us back to the horses, their big dinner plate feet and ability to chin you when you least expect it.

I've got one of those today, only it's not unidentified. An encounter with a sticky gate as I was taking Max to his field. It's always a bit tricky to open, especially with one hand. Today, the spring and a washer shot out with force, and the handle itself whacked into my wrist. By the time I'd stopped saying "ow!" and had a look, it was already swellng and changing colour. Since I can type less than an hour later, I don't think it's broken.

Managed to shut the gate with just the handle thing stuck through, and took spring and washer to YO's husband, who is the one who fixes things. Actually, saying I can type, just beginning to feel it's quite painful to type... Ow again.

Fairly successful afternoon with Max. We went back into the school for some walk and trot work and as he fought me at turns, we ended up doing loads of figure of eights at trot. He really handled them well and seemed quite eager in his response to this new thing. Not really new, but we haven't done it in a while, or concentrated quite so much on repeating the exercise on both reins. I faked him out a few times so he wouldn't just get the hang of where to turn and anticipate. He started paying attention and reacting very quickly to my direction, which was achieved with very little pressure indeed. Very nicely done!

At the very end, I took off his saddle and we had a few turns at trotting bareback. I just wanted to feel his muscles working under me and concentrate on really getting the feel of moving with his body.

He'd worked up quite a sweat and was tired of all the trotting, so I cut the bareback excersise short, took off his bridle and sat on the bench so he knew it was OK to roll.

A quick sponge down before the field, a small pear as a parting gift and then "whack" U.H.R.I. (the "U" in this case, standing for "unexpected").

Time for frozen peas for my wrist, and chocolate for me, I think.