What's made you smile today?

A lovely conversation with one of my sons who is at uni in Aberdeen this evening. He's had a really tough year due to many factors, but he's so happy now it makes me teary in a good way :)
 
I unlocked the shipping container to get pony's tack and there was a poor, cold fluffed up robin on the floor who must have been there over 24 hrs with no food or water. It didn't want to fly so I tried to catch it thinking I'd warm it up at home overnight however I couldn't but me chasing it for 5 minutes seemed to get the blood flowing enough to take off, it had an hour of daylight to feed. I'm so pleased as I was going to be lazy and not lunge pony, don't think robin would have survived another night :)
 
Oh .Count Oggy that made me want to cry not smile, brought back memories of having to rehome my daxi as a child when we moved abroad

It wasn't sad at all, he would have been quite young when I got her and the dog had more or less moved out of her own accord which was why they rehomed. She was just roaming and doing her own thing all the time. We ended up having a big reunion with his older brother and mother later. They were just delighted she was still so well in her old age.
 
I smiled today when my new rescue horse had his feet trimmed for the first time by my farrier. I'd gotten quite worked up about it as the horse has been a bit clueless with feet picking out, but he stood quietly and happily whilst the farrier's apprentice trimmed away and remarked on what great feet he has.

I smiled again when one of the donkeys went missing but was found in the end bay of the field shelter (which is the rescue horse's section of field shelter) munching away happily behind the fluffed up pile of hay I'd put out for the horse. Being 10hh has its advantages sometimes, but all good things come to an end and I ushered him around to his boring old dinner of barley straw.
 
Got to the yard and decided to lunge fatty boy, went to get him and the young lad who's learning to ride on him was about to get on. Saved me a job in the near dark lunge pen (ménage is lit) and has made the lad's day, his mum said.
 
I had a lovely mutual grooming session with my very cuddly box rest boy.

Then to top the evening off got on the 4 year old for only the 4th time and he stood like a rock at the block and was ever so good!
 
We've been doing a lot of work standing in the saddle, working on my balance. Today I actually managed to canter a full 20m circle without needing to sit once to regain balance! We also did some pretty amazeballs walk/canter transitions.
 
This fellow.

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He's new to the retraining programme. He seems to have adopted me as his favourite person. His first morning here (last week) was a bit overwhelming for him - it was very busy, lots of people, strange horses around him, new stable, he was trotted and cantered up in the round yard for a lady who'd come looking - all very different to his quiet field. After he'd been shown I took him for a wash. I tied him up in the wash bay and asked him if he was going to stand quietly for me, and he dropped his head right down and gently pushed it into me for a cuddle. And just stayed there. He needed a bit of comforting and reassurance, poor thing.

Since then I've been making a point of spending time with him to help him settle. Today we stood in his stable together for about half an hour like a couple of horses. He had his cuddle, there was mutual grooming (!), we just quietly hung out together. Such a lovely nature. Whoever gets him will be very lucky.
 
He'd make me smile too, what a lovely horse.

I'm smiling today because my ridiculously backward, spooky and immature six year old went to the farm ride yesterday and finally seems to have discovered the joy of forward movement. We even jumped a few tiny things! Well, i jumped a few tiny things and he jumped a few things that were three or four feet high :). But the long canters were the best. Big smile on my face.
 
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I smiled when I got to ride my horse today. Haven't been able to the past few days. Only did walk as it was dark and he was unsure about the arena being lit up by lights. Plus it then started sounding like someone was setting off fireworks not too far away. But he was very well behaved still so I was pleased. :) Small steps but we are getting there.
 
my mare deciding she is going to start coming to call yesterday and today.maybe i can get some nice boots instead of cheap wellies she she keeps it up as i wont have to go in the muddy fields to get her :) :)
 
After the really unkind reply I received on this forum on Friday which had me in tears for most of the afternoon at work, I arrived home after going to the gym on Saturday to find this lovely memorial my partner had done for me, some lovely flowers in a wooden box my partner had made and put up on the trellis with the name plate from my stable that my Dad had bought me back in 2004 when Bailey first came into my life.

I also hung the lovely photo my Mum had found for me at her home. I'd had it framed years earlier and she gave it to me earlier that morning to cheer me up. They are both very special people whom I love very much.

For every unkind word or spiteful jealous remark there are hundred more nice people who care. It really meant a lot for my Mum and partner to do this for me because on Friday I was feeling very down. I miss Bailey so much and for people to question my care and love towards my horses is unfathomable.

I appreciate the support and PM's I have received too on this forum. One day bullies will become a thing of the past. x

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In spite of my not very good riding, me and my PRE have discovered the beginnings of passage! I can't stop smiling... look out Valegro! Actually, Valegros title as wonder horse is quite safe. Most of the time my PRE's legs go round like an egg whisk, and lengthened trot strides are non existent , but he's very good at bouncing up and down....so I'm happy!
 
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