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stephbgI spent a couple of hours at the RDA today. I had a very helpful talk with the president, who told me ever so gently that everything works fine, and that it only takes a couple of weeks for new volunteers to get to know the horses, and that was OK. My experience last week (where there was a serious amount of confusion about who was who and what went where) was apparently unusual enough to warrant investigation, but otherwise I was encouraged to go with the flow. I learned more about the culture of the place, which is different to anything I've ever encountered before. My lessons in adaptation proceed, and today everything seemed more under control.
It amuses me (and let's face it - what doesn't?) that in a 24 hour period I performed my first laptop surgery, and bridled a horse for first time in decades. Watching other new volunteers being instructed I realised I recall more practical skills than I'd thought.
I encountered The Mystery Of Penny's Headcollar. Penny is one of the two small grey ponies at the centre, along with Silver. I'm not quite sure who is who, nor the grey pony about a hand higher than those two, but having been summoned to fetch Penny and Silver with another new girl, and failing to find Penny's headcollar in any of the expected places I was assured that she was wearing hers out in the paddock. Penny was not wearing her headcollar, so I brought her in with just a lead rope around her neck. Which was a bit wrong I know, but she allowed herself to be led, and I managed to discourage her from grazing with chin-tickling rather than heaving so I got away with it. I made it my mission to find Penny's headcollar, but I failed; it must be out in the field somewhere.
Today I also (with the kind permission of various horsies):
* Saddled, bridled, unsaddled, and unbridled.
* Brushed and scritched
* Caught and released.
* Spread hay
* Sorted out a minor mystery in the tack room caused, I suspect, by someone being too short to reach the top saddle rack.
* Moved buckets
* Learned where the manure goes, although I'm yet to shovel any.
* Explained (somewhat unconvincingly I fear in the eyes of the young volunteers) that I can't carry hay bales or full buckets of water. I shall have to watch myself carrying saddles.
I was useful and had a ball, and I did too much, but what a way to go, eh?
It amuses me (and let's face it - what doesn't?) that in a 24 hour period I performed my first laptop surgery, and bridled a horse for first time in decades. Watching other new volunteers being instructed I realised I recall more practical skills than I'd thought.
I encountered The Mystery Of Penny's Headcollar. Penny is one of the two small grey ponies at the centre, along with Silver. I'm not quite sure who is who, nor the grey pony about a hand higher than those two, but having been summoned to fetch Penny and Silver with another new girl, and failing to find Penny's headcollar in any of the expected places I was assured that she was wearing hers out in the paddock. Penny was not wearing her headcollar, so I brought her in with just a lead rope around her neck. Which was a bit wrong I know, but she allowed herself to be led, and I managed to discourage her from grazing with chin-tickling rather than heaving so I got away with it. I made it my mission to find Penny's headcollar, but I failed; it must be out in the field somewhere.
Today I also (with the kind permission of various horsies):
* Saddled, bridled, unsaddled, and unbridled.
* Brushed and scritched
* Caught and released.
* Spread hay
* Sorted out a minor mystery in the tack room caused, I suspect, by someone being too short to reach the top saddle rack.
* Moved buckets
* Learned where the manure goes, although I'm yet to shovel any.
* Explained (somewhat unconvincingly I fear in the eyes of the young volunteers) that I can't carry hay bales or full buckets of water. I shall have to watch myself carrying saddles.
I was useful and had a ball, and I did too much, but what a way to go, eh?
