In 1966 Robert F. Kennedy delivered a speech that included the words
There is a Chinese curse which says “May you live in interesting times.” Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also the most creative of any time in the history of mankind.
We are certainly living in interesting times.
2020 was the year that tested us all, and exposed the gaping rents of inequality in the fabric of our society. But it has also been a year of great good, of uplifting stories, of ordinary people stepping up and doing extraordinary things.
For me it was a year of transition, of endings, a shedding of old burdens. As the last stage of the divorce process, I sold my field, the Nelipot dream, the organic enriched paddock paradise track system.
I now have no significant assets, but most importantly no debts, and no ties. Having no assets is a freaky feeling, especially in the UK where we are so obsessed with property ownership as a measure of social standing.
2020 was meant to be Rocky’s year. Well it has certainly turned out to be his year, in that almost my entire focus has been on Rocky and his health. He was scoped for ulcers in March, brought slowly back into work over lockdown, and then had his back x-rayed in September. This led to his spinal desmotomy surgery, and 9 weeks of rehabilitation from the ground, before we could even contemplate getting back on.
I love hacking my horses in hand. Cal and I did loads of brisk walking around the lanes when he broke his carpal bone as a youngster. A handy tip for those of you who have never been on the rehab rollercoaster: when a vet says 10 minutes of controlled walking in hand, do it on the lanes. For some reason, 10minutes of walking a fresh horse in an arena always leads to acrobatics, if not aerobatics.
Take them out on the lanes, give them a destination and a sense of purpose and interesting stuff to look at, and they find their forwards much more easily and throw in a lot less upwards. A pocket full of treats and a village full of obsessive gardening locked down retirees will lead to a friendly curious and bomb proof horse. Rocky the Labra-dude and I have conquered lawn mowers and jet washers and leaf blowers, as well as the usual dogs and bin trucks, on our in hand walking adventures.
The field sale, my mishap and Rocky’s surgery all seemed to happen at the same time. There was obviously something malicious swirling around in the energetic universe. I thought I had a sore calf, until I twigged during a leg massage that it was actually hurt more like a blood clot in my leg. I had been treating it with ultrasound, and the Arc equine, as well as stretches and ibuprofen, The pain in my calf kept getting better for a few days then coming back again. And by the time I noticed something was wrong, it had led to clots on my lungs as well.
I’m fine. I twigged in time. But the first couple of weeks on blood thinners were no fun.
Interesting times indeed!
