I'm back!

I'm sooooooo sorry that I didn't get around to posting anything for a long time, because I have a lot stuff to do: homework, school, horse riding.

But at least I have done a lot work. I got better at riding. I now have two pairs of riding pants, a pair of riding boots, a helmet, and chaps. I had a pair of gloves, but those got lost, unfortunately, at the riding stable (so now I use normal leather gloves, which aren't that much different).

During my riding hour, 2 times a month, I am finally able to and allowed to gallop on the bigger horses (Highland, Genius). Before I had to gallop on the little ones (Fee, Gina, Blümchen), which wasn't so great. But I just like to ride, so in the end it doesn't matter on which horse.

Today I have time to blog because I'm sick and home from school. It's supposed to be spring right now, but instead it's snowing and raining. Since I'm out of practice, I think I'll end for now.

See you soon!
-- Natalie

New riding gloves

My uncles Steve and Barry both made a donation recently. Thanks! Part of the money I have used to get some riding gloves. But we haven't yet found inexpensive riding pants with padding all around (and not just at the knees), so we'll keep looking. If anybody knows where I can get good riding pants for not too much money let me know.

More importantly, I went horse riding a week ago Thursday. My dad found that there's an equestrian center not far from here and they offer riding hours for kids like me. After a while the woman there said my horse won't need a leash when I ride. That's good; otherwise it feels like a horse ride for babies. I got blisters from the reins, however, which is why I'm getting gloves first.

I can afford (and have time) to go riding every week or two. My friend next door is interested, too, and it looks like next week we'll ride together. But I hope that her horse won't need a leash.

Oh, I just noticed a mosquito bite I got is bleeding. I have to go take care of it.

OK, I'm back.

Today I made a bunch of window-art things for my bedroom window. Mostly butterflies and horses. I think that will make my room prettier.

That's all for now.
Love,
Natalie

I'm back!

We're back from our vacation. We figured out that my fish died while we were gone. So today we were looking for new fish and maybe a new aquarium. But we didn't get that stuff because it looks like it's more complicated than we though. We'll decide what to do by tomorrow.

At the airport I was going to get a magazine, one for little kids like I usually have. But we found a more serious one and I chose that one instead. It was a good idea because I learned a lot more.

Now that I'm back I hope to join a horse club somewhere nearby. My dad is helping me to find one (that isn't too far away). It looks there's one about 3 kilometers from here, which would be good so that I can get there easily. A woman is going to call us back about riding hours.

Today one of my friends called to ask if I want to be her badminton partner. I said yes. And she wants to ride, too, so maybe we'll do that together.

Bye, bye!

My family is going on vacation for two weeks before I start 5th grade in September, so I won't be posting anything for a while.

See you later!
Natalie

Thanks!

One nice, friendly man from Texas has donated $5.00! And my grandma and grandpa in America have contributed, too. I will save it to join the horse club where I live here. Any other donation will go for some riding clothes, which would be more comfortable than my school clothing.

Today in the morning I rode my bike to the fields behind our apartment. I can't see them from our window, and it's kind of far away, but somebody keeps horses uphill from here. When I got there one of the horses galloped to meet me, and made a friendly whinney. When I left, then it followed me along the fence. It was the pretty one that I like. Shiny brown with a lighter brown mane.

Love,
Natalie

Horse camp in the Czech Republic

This summer I went to a week of horse camp in the Czech Republic (my mom is from there). We were learning how to ride and to take care of horses. There were 12 children there. One day I was riding on Boris and he tried to buck me off. He does that to all of the children. But I tried my best to hold on. I held on so hard I got a blister on my finger; it was really painful.

My favorite horse was Connie. She gave me a lot of nose kisses. But the thing I didn't like was when she tried to eat my baseball cap.

There were not only horses there, there were also ponies, which we couldn't ride.

At the end of the week we got our diplomas. I got first place because I was the best rider and the best behaved child.

Here are a couple of pictures, taken by my mom on the last day of camp:



and



Bye!
-- Natalie

Horse magazine today

Today I used part of my allowance to buy a horse magazine, "Pferde; Freunde für's Leben". I got two wonderful posters with it. I also got four collector cards with it, so now I have 39 cards. Each card has a picture on the front, and on the back it gives something to learn about horses. It also came with three colorful pens, which I can use to write in my diary.

Since I can't get a pony yet, today my parents got me two guppies and stuff I needed for a fishbowl.

See you soon!
Natalie