I don't know if I ever actually mentioned this on the blog, but I'm a published writer...or columnist anyway.
I have always written the odd article, for the newspaper or the Kaimanawa heritage Horses magazine. But for the last six months I have had my very own collum in a glossy, nationally distributed magazine. I can write to my hearts content about my wild horses, and people somewhere, not just my mother, actually pay to buy this magazine and read my work. Well to be fair not just my work, they have heaps of great articles, but still my writing is in there.
The magazine thats published my work is New Zealand Lifestyle Farmer, and being a farming girl, I used to read this each month like a bible, even before I wrote for them.
Secretly I'm more pleased about the fact that I have my writing published, than I let on. Because now when people ask me what I do, and then smile politely when I tell them I work with horses, like they think "oh how cute a girl that still hasn't grown out of the playing with ponies stage of life", I can now add on the I'm a columnist in a magazine, and that seem to at least convince most poeple I'm somewhat more grown up and professional.
So thankyou very much to Lifestyle Farmer Magazine for giving me the chance to have my work published
Also doubly exciting today, the KHH magazine came out, this is a publication dedicated to just the Kaimanawa horses. It's always great to read and see all the pictures of other people horses, and this month is filled with cute foal pictures of the babies ffrom this years muster, as well as having an article in it that I wrote about my trip to Fiji.
So there you go I can now say I'm a horse rider and a writer.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Half marathon
Compression socks, the kind you use on long haul flights, are my best freind this morning. They at least ease the pain to one part of my body. My fingers are okay, so I can still type, but the rest of me is suffering, a lot.
Yesterday I ran 21kms, in under two hours. This is the longest I've ever run, my training, which was very limited, consisted of a few weeks of short runs, the longest being about 5km. I was going to be happy if I ran 10km, that was the goal. 10km plus finish the race....
But I have a small personality flaw that sometimes gets me into trouble, I'm quite competitive. I'm not even neccassarily competitive towards other people, but push myself.
So when I made it 7km I thought "well I'm a third of the way there, don't stop now" by 10km I decided I was going to run the whole thing, and I did. Typing it is a whole lots easier than runing was, but somehow I pushed through and ran 21km.
I felt pretty good yesterday, I was still walking, managed to go to the celebratory party in the evening and Genrally had a great time.
Then I woke up this morning. I wasnt sure if I ran or had been dragged behind a bus for 21km such was the pain. Every little movement hurt, and standing up I felt I had no control over my legs they were so jelly like.
But eventually one foot after the other I'm up and moving around. I've been to feed the horses, done my chores and the more I move, the more I feel I might survive and don't need to be curled in a fetal position on the couch.
Better yet, thanks to all the sponsors I think I even raised a it of money for my charity Kiwi Care Team. Which makes the pain all the more worth it really. As well as all the people who put on a green singlet and ran in support of Kiwi Care Team.
Also despite all the pain I'm am impressed with myself, which doesn't happen often, 21km in under two hours, I didn't know I even had it in me. Good little feeling of acheivment to ease the pain.
Hopefully by tomorrow il be back riding again, as all the horses need to be worked.
Thanks again to all sponsors here's the proof I ran 21km...
Lastly thanks to my freind Eliza who ran the marathon with me, good teamwork I think keep each other going the whole way.
Yesterday I ran 21kms, in under two hours. This is the longest I've ever run, my training, which was very limited, consisted of a few weeks of short runs, the longest being about 5km. I was going to be happy if I ran 10km, that was the goal. 10km plus finish the race....
But I have a small personality flaw that sometimes gets me into trouble, I'm quite competitive. I'm not even neccassarily competitive towards other people, but push myself.
So when I made it 7km I thought "well I'm a third of the way there, don't stop now" by 10km I decided I was going to run the whole thing, and I did. Typing it is a whole lots easier than runing was, but somehow I pushed through and ran 21km.
I felt pretty good yesterday, I was still walking, managed to go to the celebratory party in the evening and Genrally had a great time.
Then I woke up this morning. I wasnt sure if I ran or had been dragged behind a bus for 21km such was the pain. Every little movement hurt, and standing up I felt I had no control over my legs they were so jelly like.
But eventually one foot after the other I'm up and moving around. I've been to feed the horses, done my chores and the more I move, the more I feel I might survive and don't need to be curled in a fetal position on the couch.
Better yet, thanks to all the sponsors I think I even raised a it of money for my charity Kiwi Care Team. Which makes the pain all the more worth it really. As well as all the people who put on a green singlet and ran in support of Kiwi Care Team.
Also despite all the pain I'm am impressed with myself, which doesn't happen often, 21km in under two hours, I didn't know I even had it in me. Good little feeling of acheivment to ease the pain.
Hopefully by tomorrow il be back riding again, as all the horses need to be worked.
Thanks again to all sponsors here's the proof I ran 21km...
Lastly thanks to my freind Eliza who ran the marathon with me, good teamwork I think keep each other going the whole way.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Mongol madness
I have something to share with everyone, a bit of news I've been keeping quiet, but now the cats out of the bag, so to speak.
In August next year I will be going to Mongolia. Not just a little touristy holiday, that's not my style. No, I'm racing 1000km on horseback, riding semi wild traditional mongolian mounts, with no set route, or road to follow. There will be blood, sweat and tears, but 'No Pain, No Gain' is fast starting to become my motto. This isn't just a race but is labelled by some as "the world's toughest horse race"', the infamous Mongol Derby. Tough for the riders, not the horses which you swap every 40km.
Why? For a good cause of course, to be part of it you have to be, as well as crazy, willing to raise money for charity.
This suits me just fine. When i went to Egypt in march of this year, it changed my life, I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I have always been passionate about animal welfare, and well animals in general. It's how I ended up training wild horses , because I couldn't see them to go to slaughter? But Egypt made me realize I wanted to do more than that.
The Mongol Derby, is also something I've had on my wish list for years. The logical next step after working with wild horses, is riding semi wild horses across a country that has the most ancient ties to the early domestication of equines, right? Plus riding that distance, with no roads, literally across the wilderness is something that appeals to the very core of who I am, something I'm drawn to like a magnet.
So I entered the race, made it through the interviews and got selected as one of the first thirty-five participants offered a spot. I can't even express how excited I was, when I got accepted, barely sleeping for days.
There are two charities I'm raising money for, one is Kiwi Care Team this is who I have been to Egypt and more recently Fiji with, as a volunteer. I'm am fiercely passionate about the work KCT is involved with. I have seen things so horrible traveling with them it breaks your heart, but have also seen how a little bit of help in the right direction can change things for the better.
As a non-profit organisation KCT works to provide education and training for local people in developing countries who rely on working animals for their livelyhoold, to help ease the suffering of the animals, and demonstrate better animal welfare techniques that in then make the animals more profitable for the people. Emergency medical aid is also provided, and the team work with local vets
and charities to provide ongoing solution after we leave.
Cool Earth is the charity nominated by race organizers that I'm also raising money for. They are helping saving the world rainforests, to inhibit the rise of CO2 level and prevent climate change.
Again another cause I beleive in and is for the good of all of us, living on this planet
So I have set myself a goal $10,000 by August next year when the race begins, all of which will be split between Cool Earth and Kiwi Care Team. This is going to be a huge challenge for me, a race to train for, a buisness to run, wild horses to be tamed, and now a fundraising campaign to get underway. But we only live once and we might as well be busy.
So I set myself up a fundraising page
https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/Mongolderby2013 and now I want you to help me help save the world in 2013. Donate, share, give me ideas, encouragement or inspiration, whatever it is I need your help! A little goes a long way
In August next year I will be going to Mongolia. Not just a little touristy holiday, that's not my style. No, I'm racing 1000km on horseback, riding semi wild traditional mongolian mounts, with no set route, or road to follow. There will be blood, sweat and tears, but 'No Pain, No Gain' is fast starting to become my motto. This isn't just a race but is labelled by some as "the world's toughest horse race"', the infamous Mongol Derby. Tough for the riders, not the horses which you swap every 40km.
Why? For a good cause of course, to be part of it you have to be, as well as crazy, willing to raise money for charity.
This suits me just fine. When i went to Egypt in march of this year, it changed my life, I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I have always been passionate about animal welfare, and well animals in general. It's how I ended up training wild horses , because I couldn't see them to go to slaughter? But Egypt made me realize I wanted to do more than that.
The Mongol Derby, is also something I've had on my wish list for years. The logical next step after working with wild horses, is riding semi wild horses across a country that has the most ancient ties to the early domestication of equines, right? Plus riding that distance, with no roads, literally across the wilderness is something that appeals to the very core of who I am, something I'm drawn to like a magnet.
So I entered the race, made it through the interviews and got selected as one of the first thirty-five participants offered a spot. I can't even express how excited I was, when I got accepted, barely sleeping for days.
There are two charities I'm raising money for, one is Kiwi Care Team this is who I have been to Egypt and more recently Fiji with, as a volunteer. I'm am fiercely passionate about the work KCT is involved with. I have seen things so horrible traveling with them it breaks your heart, but have also seen how a little bit of help in the right direction can change things for the better.
As a non-profit organisation KCT works to provide education and training for local people in developing countries who rely on working animals for their livelyhoold, to help ease the suffering of the animals, and demonstrate better animal welfare techniques that in then make the animals more profitable for the people. Emergency medical aid is also provided, and the team work with local vets
and charities to provide ongoing solution after we leave.
Cool Earth is the charity nominated by race organizers that I'm also raising money for. They are helping saving the world rainforests, to inhibit the rise of CO2 level and prevent climate change.
Again another cause I beleive in and is for the good of all of us, living on this planet
So I have set myself a goal $10,000 by August next year when the race begins, all of which will be split between Cool Earth and Kiwi Care Team. This is going to be a huge challenge for me, a race to train for, a buisness to run, wild horses to be tamed, and now a fundraising campaign to get underway. But we only live once and we might as well be busy.
So I set myself up a fundraising page
https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/Mongolderby2013 and now I want you to help me help save the world in 2013. Donate, share, give me ideas, encouragement or inspiration, whatever it is I need your help! A little goes a long way
Friday, November 2, 2012
Shy boy
Shy Boy was beautiful, he looked every inch the wild stallion stepping off the stock truck. Long thick mane, forelock covering his eyes, a way of holding himself that set him apart, and a deep rich mahogany coat of hair.
He was a challenge though, wild as wild, and terrified. He would see a human and try to climb the 6ft fences to get out of there, you didnt even have to be near him or even looking and he was trying to flee in terror. He attacked all the other horses too, some kind I'd insecure defense mechanism.
Yet the day we pay t the halter on, or the second we put the halter on, he changed. He melted, he literally breathed a sigh if relief and stopped trying to flee. If a horse could talk he said 'okay I know your not trying to hurt me now, please please can you take care of me, I'm so very very lost'
He never once pulled on the rope or tried to run after that, and within an hour of being haltered he was home. He just wanted to be shown the way . Like someone who newly found religion to lead them from darkness, he just wanted something to follow so he ddnt have to be scared anymore.
So shy, yet so desperate to please. We just named him the way we described. him 'shy boy'.
Well Shy Boy went off to his new home and now five months later I went to see him. He looks amazing. Fat glossy, yet still with his look of the wild. His owner has done a fantastic job, and is a good horsewoman, the special little horse couldn't have gone to anyone else
It is so exciting to see, I always love the transformations.
Currently Miro, Sonny and Oscar will be staying with there muster mate, for a few weeks of extra grass, and gelding. Was nice to see the reunion and plenty of greeting and games were had, in the way only the kaimanawa's know how.
He was a challenge though, wild as wild, and terrified. He would see a human and try to climb the 6ft fences to get out of there, you didnt even have to be near him or even looking and he was trying to flee in terror. He attacked all the other horses too, some kind I'd insecure defense mechanism.
Yet the day we pay t the halter on, or the second we put the halter on, he changed. He melted, he literally breathed a sigh if relief and stopped trying to flee. If a horse could talk he said 'okay I know your not trying to hurt me now, please please can you take care of me, I'm so very very lost'
He never once pulled on the rope or tried to run after that, and within an hour of being haltered he was home. He just wanted to be shown the way . Like someone who newly found religion to lead them from darkness, he just wanted something to follow so he ddnt have to be scared anymore.
So shy, yet so desperate to please. We just named him the way we described. him 'shy boy'.
Well Shy Boy went off to his new home and now five months later I went to see him. He looks amazing. Fat glossy, yet still with his look of the wild. His owner has done a fantastic job, and is a good horsewoman, the special little horse couldn't have gone to anyone else
It is so exciting to see, I always love the transformations.
Currently Miro, Sonny and Oscar will be staying with there muster mate, for a few weeks of extra grass, and gelding. Was nice to see the reunion and plenty of greeting and games were had, in the way only the kaimanawa's know how.
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