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DIARY
ODYSSEY LOG - Week 4
Updated 9th December
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| Week Four: |
Penkridge - Chelmorton |
Rest day
Monday 10th September
Changeover Day. Jerry arrives for the week and we say goodbye to Dave and Supermouse, both of whom have earned a tidy sum in sponsor money.
Kaan likes Rodbaston College. He has a barn to himself, but there are horses just across the road and he feels secure. Always fascinated by something new, he is delighted with the automatic water dish, and drinks far more than he needs while contemptuously kicking shavings into his untouched bucket. Turned out to stretch his legs in the indoor school, he gallops and bucks then settles to rest in the centre, where he can admire his reflection in both mirrors at once.
Sabrina Way to the Blythe (near UTTOXETER, Staffordshire)
Tuesday 11th September
Gill:
Driving the van today, having just seen Jerry off (after one of his trademark peanut butter and marmalade sandwiches for breakfast) on the leg through Cannock Chase and up towards Uttoxeter.
We have a potential saddlery problem, in that the hair on Kaan's back is beginning to rub a little behind the withers. Jerry's changed the adjustable gullet plate in Kaan's saddle to a wider one and we bought a numnah thicker than anything in the reserve box to compensate for the extra width.
Jerry's had a wonderful ride through Cannock Chase to the gates of Shugborough Hall and stopped by some marvellous grazing which Kaan enjoyed for an hour or so before going into his box for a further rest.
In the afternoon the sun comes out, I meander along through some very pleasant Staffordshire countryside, crossing an re-crossing the canal and watching the narrowboats, At Hixon, I make a detour to avoid some narrow lanes and - lo and behold - along comes Jerry behind me, having accidentally come the same way. He has news of some terrible terrorist attack - something about aeroplanes crashing into the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre. No doubt we'll hear more about that later.
To Rocester
Wednesday 12th September
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Jerry Watkins, Manager of Friends of Bristol Horses and formerly of the Royal Veterinary Corps, where he looked after the Akhal-Teke stallion presented to John Major
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Yesterday we went through some really wonderful country - Cannock Chase and Shugborough Park, passing in front of the fantastic Shugborough Hall before leaving the estate on a delightful little castellated bridge. Most of the mileage was off road, although there were several gates and some electric fences to circumnavigate. We met some horses en route, not many, and Kaan passed compliments with them; we just trotted on through and all was well. The weather stayed good - it was actually very mild and on one or two occasions I really got quite hot.
Today the forecast is for changeable weather. The route is mainly road, but looking at the map, it really does look quite attractive - not quite as spectacular as yesterday, but still a lot of fun, I'm sure.
The only concern is Kaan's back - he is showing the beginnings of a saddle sore. We've treated it by cutting some holes in a numnah, which seems to be offering some support but it is causing a little concern.
There's some rain coming along now, but we're not disheartened. Still pushing on. All going well.
Uttoxeter Races
Thursday 13th September
Uttoxeter Races. Kaan gallops twice past the stand, with Jerry resplendent in Turkoman costume; then stands like an old donkey in the box behind our pitch just down from the finishing post and hard by the rails, while six sets of horses thunder past two or three times just yards away.
The rain pours down and he stall remains under plastic; not a single item sold all afternoon. But the racegoers passing our stand on the way to the exit are generous. 'Spend your winnings here!' bellows Jerry from under his woolly telpek. Bless them, they do, to the chagrin of the poor St John Ambulance man collecting in the crowd a few yards downstream.
Rest Day
Friday 14th September
Ray Smith, horse whisperer and healer. (Ray came to treat back trouble in a horse belonging to Jennifer Woffenden, our current hostess near Ashbourne; then, hearing about Kaan and his journey, very kindly offers to check him over.)
I'm a Romany horse whisperer. A horse whisperer doesn't just do the behavioural side of problems with horses,; we do healing with horses. The only thing we don't do is farrier work or dentistry work. We do things like muscle/joint/back problem, arthritis, navicular, laminitis - you name it.
My great-grandfather used to work with shell-shocked horses from the First World War, it's been all through the family. My eldest daughter is going to follow me - she's at the moment at Bristol training to be a vet. She's got these gifts as well. Just hope it doesn't corrupt her, thinking the 'normal' ways! (Ah the moment I'm working on the hip - there's a bit of stiffness there.)
90% of my work is horses, but I do work with other animals, for every horse you see, there's another animal with a bad back or arthritis. I do occasionally work on people as well. Bones is bones - it's the same principle. I've worked with people with M.E. My professional qualification is, I'm an RGN, but I've always done this - on the alternative side, though we don't class ourselves as alternative, as we were here before the vets!
My partner is a shaman - she practises North American Indian shamanism. We go over to America and do demonstrations over there. It's amazing how similar what our people have been doing is to what they're doing.
The Rominies (we spell it with an 'i' - it's the right way) originally came from Peshawar in India. When (I love to say it this way) the people in this country were picking ice out of their hair and living in caves, we were silversmiths, goldsmiths, the Artisans of Asia. We had streetlighting, we had pavements, paper money. There's still a tribe of us in India called the Banjara. It was the Visigoths then the Mongol hordes that drove us out of the north of India.
We've always had this affinity for animals, particularly horses. We don't see a horse as an animal, we see it as a part of the family. We also say there's no such thing a as rider and a horse - we believe it's the one animal, and one brain's connected to the other brain through the spine - like an interface with computers.
I've been working on his (Kaan's hip) - there's a bit of stiffness there. There's nothing wrong in his back - he's got a back like an ironing board; anyone who says that this breed's got a weak back, they should see this horse's back. As for the rubbed bits, this'll increase the blood flow - you see how the flesh is changing colour? In the next 24 hours he'll probably have a good clearout ('cos I'm on tape, I said it politely). It's just toxic energies. He'll probably be a bit thirsty as well. His back should be OK - this'll help start and speed it up.
Ray kindly offered to give a demonstration of his techniques with the proceeds going to Odyssey funds. This is reported here.
Fundraising at ASHBOURNE MARKET then riding ROCESTER to ASHBOURNE
Saturday 15th September
Gill:
I can't believe I'm sitting here behind a stall in Ashbourne market at a time when I'm normally out for the count. The other stallholders have obviously been there for at least an hour, as they are perfectly organised with tables piled high.
The weather is lousy. every time we think the sun's coming out, black clouds follow and out come the covers again - just like Wimbledon. Kay Holt, from Derbyshire M.E. group, who has kindly organised out slot, brings us coffee from a nearby stall and we huddle under the portico of the town Hall, trying not to lower the tone too much as the first of the day's wedding parties arrives. I only hope this is all worth it!
TISSINGTON TRAIL and HIGH PEAK TRAIL to CHELMORTON near BUXTON
Sunday 16th September
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Patricia:
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I'm Patricia, M.E. sufferer for twelve years and recovered enough to take up horse-riding three years ago, the theory being that I could use four legs to do the country walks I am now unable to do with my own. Roger, my husband and full-time carer, brought me to meet the Odyssey people and Kaan. The weather smiled on us as the scenery was beautiful but we were sorry to hear of Kaan's back getting rubbed.
Jerry and Kaan meet Roger and Patricia Dye
Leaving Ashborne northwards, Kaan travelling up the Tissington Trail. This is a converted disused railway which was the Ashbourne to Buxton line. It passes the exposed limestone plateau, where grassland has replaced former heathland, and is now a haven for wildlife and a source of enjoyment to walkers / cyclists and horse riders. When the Black Death was rampaging the area, the village of Tissington escaped because of the clean water supplied by its wells. In gratitude to God, the villagers dress the wells with flowers depicting biblical scenes each Ascensiontide.
Jerry:
We've been on the Tissington Trail now for about five miles. Oddly, I'm on foot, leading the horse because he's had problems with his back - this niggling rub which has been going on for several days. Because of this it's been decided to alternate riding with leading to release the pressure from his back.
Fantastic weather - delightful clear skies. Kaan's been very well behaved the last couple of days - really settled into it and enjoying it. The only thing he does is, every time he sees some horse dung he feels obliged to stop and sniff it, to savour it, and decide who's gone before him. This is something that stallions tend to do!
Yesterday we only did six miles. This was for two reasons, firstly to rest the back and secondly because we were at Ashbourne market, spreading the good word.
The Tissington Trail heads from Ashbourne up through the Derbyshire dales. There are quite a few people en route - dog walkers, mountain bikers and dyed-in-the-wool ramblers. It is very civilised - all made up and signposted, with little gates. When we go through those, Kaan has quickly grasped that they're weighted, and if he pushes them with his nose, they open gently for him. So there's no necessity to jump off and start struggling with badly hung gates, which is a real joy because there's been a certain amount of that on the route so far.
We've just had another back-check and it's not looking good - the rub has progressed. It's a bit disappointing. We've re-tweaked the saddle and added more padding, and we'll have to see how that looks at the end of the leg and make a decision then. From now on, I'm walking - that is me walking and leading the horse.
Clare Lyon, Loosehill Farm, Peak Forest, Buxton, Derbyshire:
I first heard about the 2001 Odyssey for M.E. from Lynda Easlop who had offered to put them up in March but due to F&M the Ride was postponed and rescheduled for August and September. Lynda was unable to help out in September so I offered to help out.
On arrival on the 16th September, Kaan arrived with rubbing to his back so to enable the ride to continue, I offered my 14.3 Welsh Arab mare, Amber, for the Ride. Amber is a typical Chestnut mare but has been a real star to even go in the horse trailer.
Good Luck to everyone who is involved in the 2001 Odyssey for M.E. with the rest of the sponsored ride - keep up the good work.
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