This last week has been one of incredibly mixed emotions, and this is not an easy blog for Creative Clara to write. Devastatingly, Calum's elder brother Kevin didn't recover from the heart attack that he suffered twelve days ago, and he passed away on Thursday. He was such a kind, larger-than-life character and is going to be missed by so many people.
RIP Kevin, you are very loved by family and friends.
In spite of Covid-19, under the circumstances the hospital allowed visitors, so Calum took the week off work so that he could visit Kevin each afternoon. Baggy drove Cal there and then waited in the campervan with Pepper Pooch for Cal to come out. Well, more accurately, Baggy and Pepper slept in the campervan, until Calum came out! This is because Grotty Groom has been getting Baggy and Calum up at 5.30am each day, to get them to the yard for their 6.30am social-distancing-slot.
And yes Baggees, they have ridden every day (bar one), this week! There are many wonderful things about being around horses, one of the most powerful, being that when you're with a horse, somehow that is all that you are aware of - as such, they're amazingly calming animals to spend time with, and on such sad weeks as this one has been, are incredibly healing.
Grotty and Calum have been riding the Boys in the safety of the confined indoor school, which they're now so used to, that they're very relaxed in there! Although, as Calum is not quite as riding fit as Grotty, getting off can be interesting!
Baggy tried not to laugh too much, but it was hard not to!
Joey isn't always the most forward-going horse when he's in the school, which can be hard on the legs! Probably because of that fact, last Sunday Calum casually said to Grotty, "Why don't we ride them back up to the stables?" Baggy's heart rate instantly rocketed, but she agreed, as it's not as if the Boys don't have to walk up and down that track each time they go to the school.
Calum opened the school doors, hopped back onto Joey, and led the way up the track. Baggy started to sing to herself. They got to the stable block, and Calum and Joey kept going.
"Urrmm! Where are you going?"
"I thought we could just go and see the first bit of the hack - which way is it?"
"It's just round that way," said Grotty, trying to get Wesley to stop hopping on the spot, as Freda Fretter thought, "Yeah, through the scary yard, that they've never seen before, which has tractors and farm machinery and log piles and a manure heap, and, and, and all kinds of other horse-eating things".
Baggy sang some more, and got Wesley to follow a rather unsure Joey, who spooked as he reached the end of a large barn that sits next to the field. Now even Clever Bird isn't sure what happened next, but Grotty got all brave, and made Wesley take the lead! They only went a few yards, before heading back to the stables, but it was a start to braving it back out into the big wide world!
As Calum and Grotty were leaving the yard, Clever Bird finally realised that there had been a conspiracy!
"We hacked out!" said on over-excited Grotty to Pauline (the yard manager), "only a few hundred yards; but still!"
Pauline and Calum giggled! It turned out that it was all planned to get Grotty "out there" without letting her panic about it first. And it was a great plan, because each day since then, they have gone a little further, culminating today in a proper thirty-minute hack around the wonderful tracks behind the yard. And considering that a mere six weeks ago, Calum didn't really want Grotty to risk riding Wesley again, that is just wonderful!
The other beauty of being at the yard so early, is that Pepper can sleep in a cool Billy Bob Jalopy campervan, before they all head off to the beach...
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
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