Racedog

Yesterday afternoon, after a busy day cleaning the apartment, me and Bella went out for a bike ride. I didn't know what hit her but she was craaaaazy, running like she was late for the last meal of her life.

We went so fast that there was no time to catch us on camera. Instead we had a small photoshoot during a pitstop.

Mr. Bike seems a little tired.

After the pit stop I thought we would relax a little but Bella took off like a rocket and my leisurely afternoon bike tour was like a thundering race down the homestretch. Bella didn't even have time to bathe in the awe people we meet have for her shoes.

When we got back home in record time Bella's victory lap was a little lacking:

Gimme a sec here!

Of all the things we conquered, the new blue shoes were the true victims of Bella's terriorism on the track:

 

From riches to rags?

Afterwards, I felt I had to get to the bottom of this transformation Bella took from a terrier to a greyhound. 

Is the furry Lady a greyhound in terrier disguise??

I soon realised that while I had been cleaning the whole weekend a certain someone had been taking advantage of the iPad. I carefully peered over the edge of the sofa to oversee what Bella was looking at inbetween her naps.

Ponies??

Then it suddenly dawned on me that this was Belmont weekend where Union Rags won with a photo finish! Bella had secretly been following the Triple Crown trail without letting me in on it. Sneaky little iPad stealing dog!

Union Rags's Photo Finish

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

After Eight Years

I've been feeling heartsick lately, especially after returning from my holiday since a big decision awaited me. It has taken me over two months to bring myself to make this decision, hoping I might find other options. Most recently things have happened that render other options impossible.

That's why today I finalized the arrangements and my horse will be put down next Tuesday.

The final straw was that he collapsed from under his own weight on Easter Sunday. My friend was there and she said she has never seen anything like it. He was running in a paddock when he crashed really badly, so badly that he lay flat on his side after the fall. Whatever has been causing him to stumble in perfect condition is just getting worse, he stumbles some every time I exercise him. Stumbles in good conditions with only his own weight to carry.

My horse, whose name is Nökkvi, is the first and only horse I have had the pleasure to own. I have gone through so much of my life with him. It has, in fact, been my entire adult life. He has taught me so much about responsibility, persistence, training, companionship and not to mention my own personality.

However, I think he hasn't been well for a long time. The stumbling has been persistent for a few years now with no solution despite my attempts to find a cause. Now he seems to be detoriorating something awful. He's not safe to ride anymore and if he gets any worse I fear he may be a danger to himself. He already seems to be.

I don't really know how or what I'm feeling exactly beneath the numbness. I think this is the best I can do for now:

:(

Took a Little Tumble

I spent a little extra time in the riding arena after riding class last night to try to figure something out that's on a test we will be taking. Riding in a large circle, my horse stumbled badly and I was thrown into a somersault off of him. I can't describe in full earnest what sort of horrible thoughts went through my head when I was with my head pressed to the ground and my body weight pushing down on my neck in a strange twist as I was still falling -causing my neck to make some awful cracking noises.

I had a small shock then and there and at first I just grasped my neck with both hands and didn't dare move. Slowly I figured out that I could move all limbs and at that point I simply started crying. Out of relief, perhaps.

After waiting into the night, my X-Rays came out clean and I seem to be lucky to get away with whiplash injuries, mainly a stiff sore neck and some pain.

About my riding, I don't know. I have had recurring thoughts for some time that my passion for it is gone. Yesterday my friend who came with me to the ER was urging me to try to get back in the saddle as soon as I can. It's a well known mantra to step right back into the saddle after a fall to help get over the fear before it has time to build. I got really upset just at the thought of it and am now upset just thinking about it. Falling through my horse stumbling has been a fear of mine for several years now and I've managed it so far. Now that I've had this experience I just don't know.

Is it strange that I am also really annoyed about me not being able to work on finishing the agility jumps I've been making and painting for Bella as I had planned? At the ER I kept thinking about how I was losing valuable painting time!

Even Pirate Dogs Have Weaknesses

Winter continues here in Iceland and the snow has returned. I am continuously sick and it is getting more than a little annoying. During the snow free days this week with perfect weather and me doing alright I had planned on going out for the first bike ride with Bella this year. To my disappointment, the tyre tube exploded and I had no extras. Argh!


Bella is getting the hang of the hind leg pivoting to the point that she has offered the behaviour a few times on her own with no prompting and no object on the floor. She is offering it pretty consistently with a book although she uses it less and less. It is rewarding seeing the work pay off.


At home, Bella is usually calm and quiet. There is however one or two actions here that really get her riled up, I was playing around with the camera around one of the transitions tonight. Below is a picture of Bella right outside the kitchen, watching what is going on there in the hope of getting something edible thrown at her.

Less than a minute later, the signs of distress are clear and she has moved to the living rooms, what's going on Bella...?

"I don't feel so good right now, what do you want with me?"

....

Ding! Ding! Ding! My fiancé cooking with the frying pan. Without a fail, it makes Bella go into hiding. I think it must be the noise or smell that makes her so upset. There was a time where I would try to coax her into being nearby but she still felt really bad so now I just leave her be. She comes back as soon as we stop using it and start eating. She does the same as soon as we start cutting onion. That one I understand well enough.

Finally, one picture of me, my horse and stepdaughter who participated in a costume competition. We found this ridiculously big sword that we just had to buy and she rode like a true skeleton knight.

Word of the Month is Busy

It's 13th of December already and I have no idea where time has gone! It's incredible how time seems to speed up the older I get.

We will be hosting a small birthday party for my fiancé's daughter next weekend so this week is planned for cleaning the apartment. Not to mention buying presents for the aforementioned daughter, one for her birthday and one for Christmas. It's difficult enough finding a single one!

Bella has been a little neglected lately and when we did go out to the stables two days ago she nearly got herself beaten up by my dog-savvy horse. I'm not sure if it's her being absent minded or too focused but she ran in front of him without taking a look and without hesitating or batting an eyelid he swiped his hoof and hit her in the head. It was a very soft blow since I had started pulling her back and my horse wasn't acting out of aggression. It was more like swatting a fly away. I don't think he takes my terrier very seriously (much like my fiancé then).

Anyway, I didn't get to go out for a walk with Bella yesterday as I wound up sicker and stayed at home from work. Then onight when I was wrapping up my to-do list I saw how Bella was lying in front of the door to the hallway and looked at me with her one eye as if she was the world's biggest victim. My heart broke then and I threw the wet laundry into my fiancé's arms and told him I had to take her outside just for a short walk.

As usual, going out late at night makes everything I tend to get absorbed in and think matters the most, it's all forgotten. We started running like idiots and then I went farther than I had planned and to where I could allow Bella to run loose.

Life's not bad. Tomorrow it's the stables again and this time make sure my animals don't try to hurt one another. My horse is unshod so I have actually been taking him on short walks for his own sanity. I would like to allow Bella to enjoy those as well but won't if she means to learn a lesson about respect for the big guy the painful way.

Horses and Agility

Today was one of my absolute favorite days of the year, the day my horse returns to the stables! I took Bella and the kids by foot, I forgot to take the time but it's pretty much just crossing one street and we're there.

Bella was very curious and cautious to begin with. She wasn't sure how to react and all the foreign smells were exciting. The horses were interesting as well, interesting enough to watch and assess.

Calm is what the mood was with the horses. Bella's behaviour was so good that they weren't bothered at all by her. The dark bay one is my Nökkvi, or Beast as I often call him. He is FAT FAT FAT.

Bella was very very curious! The horses were so calm that she let curiosity take over and went for a sniff of those big guys. It was all very exciting and different.

In the end she didn't care so much and went sniffing around in case she'd find something edible. The horses didn't pay her much attention, they probably didn't take her very seriously.

It was fun to see and of course I'm over the moon that my fuzzfaced horse is back. I have no idea how to get a saddle on him since he's FAT.


In the evening me and Bella went for our first open agility class. It was somewhat of an experience... it started so well and then Bella charged across the riding area we train in to where an Icelandic Sheepdog and an Australian Sheepdog were training. She ran half the course with the Icelandic one and after that first incident she must have charged across two or three more times to rendezvous with the Australian Sheepdog. Barking and behaving like an idiot (in my books). Oh the shame. Things would go really well and then she was off like a rocket.
We're not going to give up though, maybe someday she will make me proud when it comes to behaviour among other dogs. Even if it will be only once I will die happy!!!