Almost Over the Mountain... Now This!

It's getting tough now here now. I'm now aware of all my faults when I ride (which at moments, can seem like EVERYTHING!) and it gets very frustrating trying to fix them and make it feel right. It is so easy to forget how things were a couple of months though, so I always try to put things into perspective by just being thankful I can do an amazing shoulder-in and half-pass without the big struggle I had before.
And things have to get worse to get better, if I wasn't going throught this struggle with not only my horses but in particular with myself, nothing would ever change. It's like when I ride, Leonie always tells me to ask for more, ask for better, because that is the only way the horse can advance. Nothing happens when you sit there feeling comfortable - you need sweat, a sore bum, aching abs and working legs. It is the best moment when Leonie says "now you're riding like a German!" - Who me? Whoo hoo!
As I'm just seeing over the edge of the mountain I've just worked my way up to, I may have to make camp there for a bit. Miss Accident-Prone right here has gone ahead and hurt herself again. You all know about the infected toe which the doctors had to operate on right at the beginning of my time here in May. There was another incident which I didn't mention here because I did manage to ride through it... I was out in Hannover one night partying, and I managed to stab a piece of glass into my ankle. It was pretty deep and needed stitches, but I went to the doctor too late and it was already protruding flesh and weeping, so I was put on antibiotics. It was quite funny for the nurses to all be familiar with me and my foot, so much that one of them gave me her name to add on Facebook! There are some other issues too like my current four cold-sores all inside my nose (which bloody hurts!), a rash and a spider bite.
So this time, well this one hurt a lot more than those other few. Today I brought Chad into the stable after hosing him off, and as I walked him into the stable I began to undo his headcollar by the throat clip. But as I did, he tripped on his way in and pulled me forward with him with my finger stuck in the clip. It ripped right through my skin and left a big flap of it hanging and lots of blood. You always know its going to be scary when you don't feel any pain, but you're looking at a hideous wound... You know its going to hurt like a b*tch in about 5 seconds. And it did. Leonie had me put it under running water but the pain, the blood and the skin absoluteluy freaked me out and I turned completely white, not knowing whether I would faint or throw up.
Thankfully I did neither, and Leonie sat me down with a cold flannel on my head and put a bandage on it. Bless her she is the best in any situation! The doctors were closed this afternoon but I have to go first thing tomorrow morning and get a tetanus shot whilst I am there. I would put a picture of my disgusting finger up but I think it is a bit too much for my blog genre.
I'm hoping it won't be long before it heals, but I don't know because it is right in the crease of the finger and I can't close my finger down, as if I was holding a rein. I'm thinking positively though! Maybe I'll just have to ride with no hands... no doubt that will solve all of my bad habits.
It also means I can't help Leonie paint her new barn. I was there last night with her, Volker, Volker's brother and his girlfriend helping paint all the stable brick walls white, I was up the ladder and everything! I even got to wear a Teletubby painters suit ;) It was quite relaxing and made a change to my usual evenings spent in my hotel room. We painted from 4.40 to 10pm! I was looking forward to helping this evening too, as it's nice to be part of the process of building her new, much anticipated barn. Though somehow I think I found it hard enough to not get paint in places it wasn't supposed to be with full use of two hands, so I won't attempt a disaster by doing it with one...