I got an A5 for Biology 1A, which is classed as excellent :D

And I may have a date with Snake Boy next week :D

That is all for now *bounces off*

Might as well just put this in here....

Ranger has decided to become incredibly annoying.  Again.  Background is that this is a 13.2hh HighlandX who's probably about 450 to 500 kg atm, and has the shortest, thickest neck I have ever seen on a pony.  He's strong, and he knows he is.  And he's started breaking away from Aileen (my 13 year old sister) when she's bringing him in to ride.  The first couple of times Willow wasn't coming in, so we thought he was just being stubborn about leaving her, but he's doing it even when I'm bringing Willow in.  He's not in pain or anything, he's just learnt that he can do this.

The running away is enough of an issue, but what's really worrying me is that he'll kick out at her when she goes to get him.  He's short and stocky, but he can spin insanely fast so will go with the back legs, or he'll half-rear and kick out with his front.  Which is quite clearly dangerous and is going to result in Aileen being knocked out, or worse.

He only does this with her really.  Ok, if my mum was getting him in he'd do it with her as well but that's a different story.  Me and my dad very rarely have a problem with him. He can reduce Aileen to tears being an idiot, I walk out and he stands there while I catch him, wrap the lead rope round his nose and drag him in.  If he was mine (ignoring the fact I'd have kicked his ass before it got to this stage) I'd be getting him in with the thickest gloves I could find and with a dressage whip hidden behind my back.  If he did get away from me and his legs went anywhere near me I'd be after him with it faster than you can say "don't you f***ing DARE kick me!!!!" (which I tend to shout at him a lot).  I should point out here that I would never normally do this with a horse doing this.  But if you're ever in the area feel free to come meet him, it is genuinely the only thing that would sort him out.

There's a couple of problems with the whole thing though.

1)  He is Aileen's.  And she is a LOT more attached to him than I am, and so tends to be a bit less strict (less mean is probably how she'd describe it, but I'm the one he leads for and doesn't even think about trying to bite...in fact, out of the four of us I'm probably the one he resepcts most).  No excuse as far as I'm concerned, if Willow was doing that she'd have her ass kicked as well.  Not that she would get to that stage.  I am softer on her than with most horses, but she knows when she stops doing something.

2) I'm a good bit stronger than her.  She's about an inch taller than me (yes, I'm being outgrown by the girl that's almost 5 years younger than me...) but probably a stone/a stone and a half lighter.  (I like to tell myself that it's all muscle, but really I need to head down to the gym.  Which I will.  Next week.  When I'm well and don't have exams hehe)  It's a lot harder for her to do what I do and dig an elbow into his neck when he's being stupid and twist it so that he can't go anywhere.  If she was a few years older I'd tell her to get in the gym and build some muscle, but at 13 she'd only end up injuring herself.

If it was any other horse, I'd just say that for a couple of weeks me and my dad would be the only ones taking him in, get him behaving, then go back to normal.  But all that would happen is that he'd behave for us then go back to this when Aileen started doing the full time handling again.

So what would you guys advise?  Louise (our instructor, who knows and loves the ponies, has a 15.2/3ish who does the same thing and looked after them when we were in London for a couple of days) has suggested both a bridle for leading him and a pressure halter of some form.  Bridles don't work, he can still pull away and he's on something like his third set of reins because he keeps breaking them doing this...  But a pressure halter might work.  Again, any reccomendations?

Reading through this I realise that some of the things I do to him do sound quite harsh.  But he's ~16 now, he knows he's strong and he has no qualms about using his size and weight to push people around.  He's definitely not scared of me, but he damn well respects the fact that I am the boss and do not take any of his shit.

Go to iTunes or whatever you use, and put it on random. Write your favorite lyrics from the first ten songs it goes to...if it is an instrumental track or in a foreign language you don't understand, skip it and choose another.

Ten Things You Want To Say to Ten Different People:

1) I'm...sorry.  Just that. Not that it means much.

2) I need to see you more! We have such uber-fun it's ridiculous!

3) Thank you.  You've dealt with waaaay more than I have, and you still make me feel like my "poor-little-rich-girl" moments matter.  :)

4) Just hold on a wee bit longer.  It's all going to work out for you, which is brilliant *grins*

5) I don't know how you do it, but you can make me smile just by looking at me. And that is SUCH a good thing!

6) I really don't want to meet your friends.  Sorry, I just can't do it.

7) I can't wait for the day I get you out my life.  Just...stop it already.

8) I know why you left, but that doesn't change the fact I feel like you abandoned me.  You love it so much, and I wish I could have that :(

9)  I miss you!! School was so much fun with you :D

10) I have no idea why you put up with it.  But I'm really grateful that you do.



Nine Things about Yourself:
1) I hate using the phone.
2) I'm really OCD about numbers.
3) I can't picture myself in the future.
4) I love to sing, even though I know I can't.
5) I can give decent advice, but won't follow my own.
6) Christmas songs make me disproportionately happy.
7) The Breakfast Club makes me cry, when Brian admits why he's there.

Eight Ways To Win My Heart:
1) Like animals.
2) Don't judge me.
3) Have big brown eyes.
4) Don't complain when I sing.
5) Dance with me.
6) Don't let me walk all over you (it makes me feel like I'm turning into my dad).
7) Give me a reason to trust you.
8) Have my sense of humour!

Seven Things That Cross Your Mind Alot:
1) "I want to go ride"
2) "Why am I bothering?"
3) "I could do with a hug"
4) David Tennant/Dr Who
5) Music
6) What my hairs doing
7) Whether I should go to ExCos

Six Things You Wish You Never Did:
1) Failed 6th year
2) Settled for Glasgow
3) Picked ExCos
4) Started doing silly things
5) Gone to Lomond
6) Lied

Five Turn Offs:
1) Beards
2) Not liking animals
3) Neddishness
4) Shit taste in music
5) Fatness

Four Turn Ons:
1) Nice hands
2) Brown eyes
3) Musicalness
4) Sportiness

Three Smileys That Describe Your Life:
1) :'(
2) :D
3) :|

Two Things You Want To Do While You're Alive:
1) Go skinny dipping
2) Dance outside at night

One Confession:
1) I constantly feel like I should make the way I speak less "intelligent" than the way I was brought up.

Shit.

Fuck.

Bugger.

Damn.

Friends are friends.  They stay that way.  Especially when you know it can't last.  And when they have girlfriends.
And when you think you've found your soulmate.

Shit.

Fuck.

Bugger.

Damn.

Soooo....what's been going on recently then.

Uni's still shit really, I just can't be bothered with it.  In fact, I'm currently meant to be writing a biology lab report. Pahahaha that's not going to happen any time soon.  Bleugh.  Though the Darwin's Dilema went pretty damn well :) The other side started arguing a point that was helping us...very odd.

Rev on Tuesday was gooooood.  Somewhat drunken.  Drunken enough that I ended up in bed with Paul. Hahahaha that is worth the look on people's faces :) Didn't go down particularly well the boy the next day mind you. All sorted out now though.

I'm off to London tomorrow for my dad's OBE getting. I have a loverly dress that makes me feel like Dita von Teese, which we all know is a good thing. I am missing the good excos lecturer though, and my chem lab. Poor Calum...who's he going to copy now hehehe. 

Calum. I would have to make friends with someone as close to my perfect guy as there is...he's got a girlfriend so it's fine, that bridge will never be crossed and everything will be fine.  Still have to get him drunk at some point though, mainly for the hilarity that I've heard it creates.

I really should go do some biology....

First off, I'm ill.  In that horrible way which really needs a good couple of days in bed, which I can't take.  So bear in mind that I'm trying to sort all this out whilst coughing like I've got a 20-a-day-habit, sniffing like I'm on cocaine, and totally unable to breathe in a manner fit for the general public to be exposed to.

Uni.  Well.  My timetable doesn't work.  There is physically no way I can do Chemistry and Astronomy and get to all the lectures/labs.  So tomorrow is going to be spent running around campus trying to find people to help me fix it.  I might try to get into the Exploring The Cosmos lectures till it's sorted so that if I can't do Astronomy I won't be a week or so behind.

I'm seriously starting to think there's a conspiracy against me at this bloody place.  Obviously they have better things to do than worry about annoying one first year, but nothing seems to have gone smoothly.  Anyhoo, let's not dwell on that too much....

Willow bucked tonight! Bloody funny actually.  I was riding her bareback as usual, cantering round happily.  She decided she wanted to tank off and it got to the stage where you just know that she's going to buck and you might as well let it happen instead of fighting it.  So off she goes, just the one, sending me onto her neck.  I'm actually quite impressed with the way my seats improved, two weeks ago I'd have been off!  As soon as she realised I was say on her neck she stopped dead and went into giraffe mode.  Funny as!!  We had a trot round then ended it there, she doesn't get to canter if she's bucking, not without a saddle anyway!

Anyway, I feel horrendous, and need a bath so I'll be back tomorrow!