June - Coping alone

Luci enjoying a peaceful moment in the stables

With Manjeev still in the US, I’ve had to manage everything by myself. By ‘myself’ in Asia is not the same thing as in western/richer countries because I do have plenty of help. I have the grooms at the stables who do a great job with the horses and take care of the dogs. I also have a wonderful lady who comes home to clean the flat, so no, I’m not really by myself. However, I’ve had to take on a lot of the responsibilities that Manjeev had, including going to the stables mornings and evenings to check on everything. It involved quite a bit of driving and some weird hours to beat the heat.

It’s taken a while for others to adjust to the fact that Manjeev is not around. We’re often together so I’m regularly asked where he is. We joke that our neighbours in the colony probably thing that he’s left me and we’re divorcing.

I am enjoying doing things at my own pace, which is different than Manjeev’s. I like to be fast (he says ‘rushed’) and so I’ve been, well, I guess rushing around for the past month!

Luci & Rey started stick and balling

We’ve been trying to get Luci to stick and ball for a while now. She started off really well last year and we got greedy and pushed her too much and she got upset. We gave her some time off and just started again, this time with a much gentler, slower approach. We’re not yet on canter but she’s been fantastic on walk and trot!

Libbie passed out in the stables

Rey is a very brave and desensitised horse. She couldn’t care less if anyone is swinging anything around her head. She’s been struggling with balance, however, as she learns to use her legs again after doing too much rewal (an unnatural gait that is popular with Marwari horse owners). She trips a lot and even fell once, but we are confident that she’ll soon get used to using her feet properly again. 

Libbie from below

Fostering a baby pitbull

I’ve come to think that my default mode is: slightly overwhelmed. I was doing fine (or so I thought) and a friend of mine from the local NGO Friendicoes called asking if I could foster a 6-weeks old pup that had been rescued from some dog fighting gangs. Of course (OF COURSE) I said yes. On day one I took her to the stables and she ran out of her crate to be stepped on by Libbie (complete accident, neither I nor Libbie saw that little thing). 

Shelty & Laila

I’ve already been in and out of the vet almost every day this month because our other dog Shelty has had some injuries, including a bad bite from a local dog. And then Laila the Great Dane managed to hurt her toe. I’ve been going to the vet with three dogs! Even the vet is tired of my visits. He said “Myself and the staff are really wondering how you manage to get all your dogs injured.’ Guess what I answered: “Well not all the dogs, considering I have 3 more that are doing well this is only 50% of them injured.’ He wasn’t impressed and I left, feeling very offended.

Nothing beats having a Great Dane to lean on

Puppy love