Tails From Provence

Flurry the Lumberjack

Flurry has a new career as a cheval de taillage.

MC and I went for a hack through the forest on Friday morning and cut back about 2km of trails. Both horses were superb, standing quietly beside as we cut branches back from the ground, with no tugging and hauling on the reins to graze – very un-Flurryish behaviour altogether! I’m convinced they understood what we were doing – they were both very good about positioning themselves under/beside branches for us.

I ended up tackling the higher branches from the saddle.

Flurry stood like a champ the whole time, even when Quieto was trying to get a reaction out of him!

We finished up in the lavender field beside the farm.

Well, we had to have a few lavender photos…

Here I am!

It’s been a hectic month, to say the least.

I may have mentioned a little while ago that there was a house move imminent.

Well, it happened, painlessly and efficiently, thanks to our fabulous notaire, Mrs Endurance. We’re now happily installed in the pretty village of Reillanne. In our very own home. Where we don’t have to pay rent (hooray!) and we can hammer nails into whatever walls we like. And it’s only five minutes from where Flurry and Aero live. Ideal!

Although the house is perfectly live-in-able, there is still some work to be done. And ultimately we hope to extend the living space by making a Granny flat in what is currently a garage and a store-room, so we will be busy. Anyhow, here are some photos, to give you an idea of how it looks at the moment.

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There’s also an office and our bedroom downstairs, which currently looks like a bomb hit it. Hence no photos.

Besides moving house, I’ve had a couple of Equifeel competitions. The Provence championships was the weekend after we moved. Preparation was consequently less focussed than it should have been. Even so, I was pleased to place fifth in a very strong Elite class, which was won by Emilie. Emilie is going to be the next French champion. Just wait and see. We’ll know in about three weeks.

Besides moving house and competing, I had my mother staying here for three weeks. We had a few outings, the most exciting being a trip to Chamonix to visit Tansy and Rowan.

Granny was amazing, and overcame her fear of heights to visit Parc de Merlet, a gorgeous animal park, which sits at 1500 metres.

She didn’t let her arthritis hold her back, either – we couldn’t believe how much she walked! And then I couldn’t believe how much she slept when we got home afterwards!

Besides moving house and competing and travelling around France with my mother, I’ve been working. I’m providing maternity cover for Alexandrine. Yes! There is a new little person living at the horse farm! And while she and her maman and papa get used to being a family, I’m up there for a couple of hours a day to feed, water and move horses around as necessary.

Besides moving house and competing and travelling around France with my mother and working, I’ve also been hiking and riding and looking after a holiday rental for some friends…

So yeah, like I said, it’s been a hectic month.

Training Aids

There was a time when ‘buying a new training aid’ implied that someone had arrived home with a leather contraption designed to lower the horse’s head, develop the topline, engage the hindquarters… you know the kind of thing I mean.

Something like this, perhaps.