7: Horse whispering (in English!)

---

---

Sorry for absence of late. But more of that in a later blog! In keeping with the fact that I've moved between two farms since I last wrote I thought I better write two separate blogs so as not to confuse matters.

In the latter two weeks of July, I stayed at Towada Horseback riding club in Northern Honshu. Much to my relief, I left behind the torrential typhoon rains. It was so nice not have to dodge people's umbrellas all the time. I guess it's all part of the Japanese experience! Talking of which, there was also a strong earthquake as I was travelling Northwards. You may have heard about it in the news as a nuclear power station at Niigata has had to be shut down due to leakage of radioactive materials. Well I was on a bus at the time and can unfortunately say that the earth didn't move for me! Mind you, driving along windy mountain roads in a bus isn't really where you want to experience a strong earthquake is it!

Due to the wonders of modern technology, my email to my next host hadn't got through so I spent the next 2 hours sitting at the remote bus stop by a lakeside, wondering where I might sleep the night if he didn't turn up to collect me. Using my phrasebook and mini dictionary I managed to write down, in a role-play scenario, the telephone conversation I needed to have with my host to explain who I was, and where I was so he could come and collect me. Luckily I was rescued by a friendly native who made the phone call for me. So a while later my host turned up apologising profusely for keeping me waiting.

My next challenge here was that I was to do my own cooking so first needed to go shopping. Great - I love shopping, especially food shopping! Hmm, not so simple! Imagine facing shelf upon shelf of different food products which not only don't look like anything you've ever seen before but any writing on the packaging is in complex Kanji characters! I stood no chance eating a healthy balanced diet that week!! Luckily the girl who had driven me to the supermarket was on hand to point out her favourite foods so I just bought those instead. I was surprised to learn that the Japanese really do love Cup Noodles and other freeze dried noodle meals. I guess it makes for quick and easy cooking! I did surprise my companion though when I picked up a cucumber and some tomatoes. She asked what was I going to do with them, how was I going to prepare them? I said I was just planning on eating them! She looked quite astounded!! I've since learnt that it's quite unusual here to eat veggies raw and unadulterated. If they're not cooked, stir fried or boiled, they're pickled or covered in a sauce of some kind.

Anyway, back to the horses. My task was to muck out ten stables in the morning before lunch. And then in the afternoon I'd be given different tasks to do. I guess that most of you would turn up your noses at mucking out. Luckily I've had years of practice and infact quite enjoy it! Here they use rice husks as bedding material which is not only very absorbant but super light, so mucking out isn't quite the back breaking task it is in the UK.

I enjoyed chatting to the horses (have I gone mad?) in English (or course)... it was such a relief to have a straight forward conversation after months of Japanese! But then again I have taken to talking to myself so I don't forget how to speak English!!! ;-)

In the afternoons I was given the task of training a troublesome pony which was great fun. The stables has two large outdoor arenas as well as being in great hacking country - forrested mountains and canals all around. I also discovered that the owner of the stables has a passion for the Camargue (S France) where horses roam wild in the wetlands. When he learnt that I had worked there he was so excited and I immediately became his best friend! He then took me around, showed me the sights and took me on some great treks.

By my second week there I'd been promoted to helping to teach riding to children! Tricky with my limited Japanese !! But I soon learnt some vital words, and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves! I was presented with a bouquet of flowers a few days later as thanks for teaching... I was so touched.

I also got to help out at a local horse show where the stables was doing a display of Western style riding. I was official photographer that day so have hundreds of photos of the occassion should anyone wish to sit through them!

I was so sad to leave the stables after just two weeks. I'd had a great time, met some lovely, kind people and of course had practiced my English with the horses! When I get a chance I'll upload some (no, not all, you'll be relieved to hear) of the photos I took.

---