Johno and ‘The Blind Chick’ | Brand
Johno and ‘The Blind Chick’
Reviews
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25.01.2022 Message from the blind chick Well firstly I would like to thank everybody that sent me a message or posted on Facebook with a support and encouragement with my lack of confidence I am sure with time this will just be one of the little glitches and hiccups in Johno and my journey I have endeavoured to have my phone read me a couple of books that are meant to help you with anxiety and fear and lack of confidence I must say these have not been a massive success great ideas b...Continue reading
24.01.2022 Message from Johno Wow what a spectacular day here in the southern highlands such a beautiful day Also have had a visit this morning from my wonderful Farrier Matt builder Bec and I have new shoes on... Have had some really wonderful training sessions over the past couple of days with a wonderful coach Jos My body is so soft and elastic so enjoying the rides and learning so much Only two more sleeps until the blind chick will be here and then I will be heading home on Friday As much as I am looking forward to going home with the blind chick I am going to miss all my wonderful friends down here at Fay and Joss place Being down here in still so much calm in confidence truly a beautiful magical place to be all the horses are just calm and placid and very happy Well hoping everybody is having a wonderful day and that you are all safe and well sending loads of love and hugs Johno
24.01.2022 Message from Johno Oh my heavens such a beautiful spring day here at home. The blind chickie has taken all of my rugs off and I can feel the sunshine on my back. The blind chickie whispers in my ear that my wonderful craniosacral therapist Tanya is coming to visit today after my long trip home yesterday. Mmmm that sounds great will be able to stretch out all of those little niggles from standing all day in the float which for me at 18.3 hh is not the best for the body ...Continue reading
23.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a very hearty good morning from a very chilly Southern Highlands a little bit nippy this morning and I hear there is a cold front coming through so it is gonna get colder But my morning has started beautifully with a beautiful smile and a carrot and my brekkie from the wonderful Fay...Continue reading
23.01.2022 Message from Johno Okay its another one of those long post one of those grab a cuppa I thought on this rainy day I would like to share with you a little b...it about my blonde chick and her story Well the blonde chick was born in a lovely country town called Mudgee her mum and dad Mary and John lived on a lovely farm in the hills around Mudgee calledKaludabah The blind chicks dad was the manager of the property in fact it was two properties joined together and it was 21,000 acres When the blind chick was born everything was hunky-dory as soon as the kid was old enough like three-year-old she worked out if she was far away from the Homestead on a Sunday she didnt have to go to church quite a heathen child really so she was off and about at three the station has kept a good eye on her all the time though so someone always knew where she was off on her pony At this stage no one at all worked out that the kids had eyesight problems she spent most of her time on horseback and they have two beautiful brown eyes to watch for the blind kid and keep her safe No one thought much about the fact that as a little one she spent a lot of time running into table legs chairs etc The wheels really fell off the car when the principal at infant school called her mum and dad up and ask them to come in for a meeting she had something serious to discuss with them Mary and John went into the meeting and the principal proceeded to tell them that the child had an intellectual disability wow parents were concerned where the hell did this come from With that a whole heap of tests were done on the kid Tesmore test then someone thought to send her to an optometrist check her eyes out well G whiskers guess what the kid couldnt see much at all So needless to say Sue Ellen did not like school very much definitely wasnt the a grade student left school in year 10 her mother insisted she do a secretarial course at tase which she did under sufferance wow who would want this blind chick as a secretary ha ha So things mosey along as per usual so well and working on the farm with her dad she was in seventh heaven every day on her horse mustering nosing around the hills it was just perfect it was I Dilick someone wrote the script just for her But like most things that are degenerative they sneak up on you and you have no idea when she was about 19 she went to an ophthalmologists down in McQuarrie Street and he said quite bluntly if there is anything you would like to do do it now as you will be totally blind very soon holy cow Batman panic buttons what do we do now thought the blind chick Now a little bit about this degenerative thing it is a disease called retinitis pigmentosa Sue-Ellens mum Merri has it and it is only in the girls side of the family Sue-Ellens brother Pete does not have it which is wonderful Her sister Lizzie also has the disease but Lizzie has been fortunate as in it has not progressed as quickly So the blind chick in a mate travel for a couple years doing itinerary at work picking grapes tomatoes farm sitting going out to deserted island in the Whitsundays it was beautiful lots of fun but then things got serious Then she went into a blind school at Gillies planes for rehabilitation and learning how to work with being blind using a white cane her main aim was to get a guide dog So in 1981 she received her first guy dog her name was Donna she was a beautiful German Shepherd guide dog and the first and only German Shepherd guy dog in Australia they trialed Donat with Sue-Ellen because of her previous experience training sheep dogs and horses etc Donna was magnificent After the blind chick had trained with Donna she headed back to Mudgee her home town on the trip home she had this great idea how she could thank Guide Dogs for her new found independence and mobility but it was a matter of convincing her dad that it was a good idea At dinner the next night she sprung it on her dad well her dads response was no bloody way not a way in hell but dad but dad know was his answer The blind chicks idea was to ride a horse from Mudgee her home town to Melbourne in Victoria where they trained Guide Dogs a distance of 1200 km she had it all planned six horses support truck support vehicle a sighted guide everything was in order she just had to convince her dad The blonde chicks dad John was a member of the Mudgee lions club and her idea was to get the lions club to coordinated as in most towns there are lions clubs and we could do fundraisers etc thought the blind chick well John was quite adamant and kept saying no so she said okay then Im going to go to rotary rotary is in opposition to lines in Australia will not opposition they work together but the blind chicks dad was very quick to change his mind when she said this though so the next night the blind chicks dad organise for the president of the Mudgee lions club Frank Lowe to come to dinner and this was the start of the blind chicks long-distance riding Korea I will just touch on a few of these rides as there are 10 of these long distance rides between 1984 and 2018 the blind chick and her entourage of sighted guide truck drivers support vehicles have written over 17,000 km raising in excess of $3.2 million for charity I will pull out one of two of these rides which stand out one was in 1988 the bicentennial year the blind chick and her crew road from cans at the top of Australia in Queensland down to the Gold Coast a distance of 2400 km 56 days in the saddle As you can imagine the coordination of these rides is massive the blind chick went through eight sided guides six truck drivers and numerous other support crew most of these people all came from her local area Mudgee This ride was to raise money for riding for the disabled Australia and it was a great success and it also raised a lot of public awareness for Riding For The Disabled Mudgee I know another one of the blind chicks favourites is the ride around her hometown Mudgee it was only 700 km but on that ride they were raising money to put in three helipad one at Mudgee one at Ralston and goal gong hospitals equipped with lighting for helicopters to come in overnight and a fuel dump this was one very cool ride when you put each helipad cost about $150,000 each I know this one was special for the simple reason and it was around the blind chicks hometown she knew so many people so many people came and rode with her it was amazing but all the time accompanied by a sighted guide massive job being a sighted guide Another one of the blind chicks favourites is in 1989 she was diagnosed with cancer after three operations she got in contact with the oncology unit at Camperdown Childrens Hospital and offered to do a ride for Camperdown Childrens Hospital this ride was 1800 km central and western New South Wales It was truly amazing the money just rolled in the beautiful people of the Central West was so generous The ride started and finished at the blind chicks hometown Mudgee something really special about this home town called Mudgee she has never left on any of her rides with under $10,000 already in the bank a beautiful generous town with amazing people After that ride they went down and presented the check to Dr Michael Stevens from the oncology unit at Camperdown Childrens Hospital Dr Michael invited the blind chick down to meet some of the children well she had tears rolling down her cheeks as she came back up in the lift after meeting all of these amazingly motivated and inspiring children with the most amazing world to live she turned to Dr Michael Stevens and said I will be doing another ride next year The next ride was down through southern New South Wales taking in Canberra and finishing at Camperdown Childrens Hospital in the middle of Sydney Just to drop it in there you have heard of road rage will try riding a horse down Parramatta Road in Sydney at peak hour there was lots of support but there are lots of people saying get off the bloody road but again the ride was a total success made even more successful when they brought all the children out from the oncology unit that were able to come out in wheelchairs and they lifted one of the little girls on to her horse Mudgee I tend to think she to turn around and did another ride the next day it was such a moving finished to a spectacular ride Then in 1996 the blind chick was selected to represent Australia in at Lanter at the Paralympic games wow what a highlight in any girls life to be selected to represent your country At home she was practising on her Australian Stockhorse Yarrahapinni hectic and her dad and her away nearly every weekend competing all over the state even as far as South Australia and Victoria it was a massive effort to keep up the competitions So the blind chickie babe went to Atlanta and it was really disappointing the quality of the horses were not that good and a good Crossman should never blame their tools but the horses were not the standard required the whole first horse the blind chick was offered keeping in mind the horses were drawn out of a hat you did not take your own horse unlike the Olympians So the first horse the blind chick Drew was a circus horse this was hilarious and certainly was not going to work Time was ticking away they had four days and 45 minutes each day to get used to these horses before they rode for their country day three was there and she still did not have a horse then one of the horses that another country had worked really hard and it had a buildup of lactic acid so it tied up was available so the blind chick was able to ride the little chestnut mare So being blind the blind chick road in the blind riders arena which is fenced unlike most dressage arena is which just have the little sides on it thank heavens she was in the blind riders arena in her first test she was coming across the diagonal and the mayor was feeling very sprightly apparently she barked and barked and barked across the diagonal well the blind chick was so disappointed the fact she didnt get a good score for riding eight seconds she did not come off my heavens how embarrassing would that of been Her best placings in Atlanta or 10th and 11th which was disappointing on the grand scheme of things but wow how many people get to represent their country During the time in Atlanta and the Paralympic games the blonde chick met many other amazing Paralympic ends spent a lot of time with the wheelchair rugby guys sitting and listening to their stories and the wheelchair basketball guys wow amazing stories of determination great bloody mindedness and just make it happen After the Paralympics the blind chick was approached by the honourable Michael night to be on the board of the Sydney Paralympics this was an amazing honour and she accepted the appointment and took up her place on the Board of Directors of the Sydney Paralympic games wow what a place to be blind chick she was a tad overwhelmed in the beginning But I am sure you have picked up by now that the blind chick is pretty shy type of girl not so she fitted in quite well but it came became apparent very quickly that were there was a very big shortfall in the budget to host the Paralympic games so the blind chick offered to do a couple more long distance rides T her first ride for the Paralympics was in 1989 it was from Melbourne to Sydney wow it was so awesome to have such an amazing media machine behind her to do this ride as flyers faxes there was stuff going everywhere about the blind chick writing from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for the Paralympic Games Keeping in mind while she was on this ride she was having to keep up her training because she was also shortlist listed to compete at the Sydney Paralympic Games So the ride from Melbourne to Sydney was a massive success public city wise and moneywise raising $1.1 million after the ride all the horses will put on the truck but her little man Mudgee which her and her guy dog ECCLES went up in the lift into Sydney town hall out onto the balcony where the Lord Mayor of Sydney presented the blind chick with a beautiful big bunch of flowers and I thank you it was truly a remarkable day That evening the Lord Mayor of Sydney the honourable Frank Sartor hosted a Mira reception for 160 seated guest in Sydney town hall a beautiful red carpet down the middle of a parquetry floor and the blind chick her horse Mudgee and her guide dogEccles The guy dog the blind chick and a beautiful horse Mudgee walk down the red carpet into the Sydney town hall with 460 seated guests for dinner the crowd was gobsmacked the last thing they were expecting in Sydney town hall was a horse Mudgee probably walk down the red carpet with the blind chicks guy dog and the blind chick still a while there was a reception and then the three of them proudly walked out it was such a moving experience wow what an incredible horse at Mudgee mustve been This was a very busy time for the blind chick as she was also still on the elite squad for Sydney Paralympic games and there was also pending the world championships in Denmark in 1999 which was also shortlisted for So in 1999 the blind chick was selected to represent Australia in Denmark at the world equestrian games the horses were amazing the venue was amazing oh my heavens what a wonderful experience The blind chick was really fortunate she had a beautiful Gelding drawn out of a hat that she was going to ride in Denmark he was very similar to her stallion hectic back home and they got on famously she was there with some pretty awesome team members from Australia and there was very big competition A couple of special things happen in Denmark the blind chick and her beautiful guide dog lead the Australian team in in front of the queen of Denmark and there was a horse spectacular afterwards oh my heavens it was all happening totally awesome memories I would think Then the blind chick competed on her beautiful black building and guess what her placings were fourth and she also bronze medals with the Australian team and was ranked fourth in the world wow what a spectacular outcome thanks to the beautiful horse she was writing I am sure and the amazing support team So the blind chick came home sporting a bronze medal and being ranked fourth in the world I tend to think she was pretty chuffed with that In that same year 1999 she did another long distance ride from Brisbane to Sydney to raise money for the Paralympics and also public awareness inviting the country to come and participate and be part of the best Paralympic games the world has ever seen And then 2000 rocks around my heavens what are year in that year the blind chick marries Matthew I didnt that same year compete at the Sydney Paralympic games holy cow what are year She did not medal at the Sydney Paralympic games but she was so very proud to be representing Australia in Australia how cool in front of your home crowd doesnt get any better than that her placings were fourth and fifth so close but no cigar but I know for a fact she was not disappointed she was riding a beautiful Australian thoroughbred called Rocca Gibraltar he was magnificent and gave his all So 2000 was a pretty massive year the blonde chick kept doing a little bit of work competing and working on selection for 2004 Paralympic games but then lots of things started going not quite right her dad got very sick and also there was a lot of terrorism happening overseas so she decided to pull back from Paralympic competition and just focus Holian solely on able-bodied competition with her beautiful stallion hectic she was having a ball and under the watchful eye of her coach Judy Cubit This amazing lady Judy Cubit had taken the blind chick under her wing about 1995 where she met her at a state championship for Riding For The Disabled During this time the blind chick had been through a few Guide Dogs by this stage 2000 she was onto her third guide dogEccles This guy dog was truly amazing he went with her to the Atlanta Paralympic games world championships in Denmark and the Sydney Paralympic games numerous trips to New Zealand competing and all over Australia apart from being a well travelled dogsEccles was the most amazing guy dog he were a suit and tie every day he was so professional When he retired he went and lived with the blind chicks coach Judy Judy then got quite sick with Parkinsons and Judy gave him to another one of the blind chicks wonderful coach is Carolyn Lieutant whereEccles lived out his life in luxury and love I think I will leave it there about 2000 there are more stories but that can be another day this has been a long one but I think the blind chick would like me to let you know this has never ever been a one man band just the blind chick everything she has achieved and being able to do with the long distance rides and also her competing all always always takes the team I know for a fact she is very grateful to the beautiful people who have come and gone in her life and have helped to achieve so much Message from Johno I do apologise for typos and sometimes the blind chick being called the blind check or blonde chick dictating with iPhone often comes out like gobbledygook Raining here today so having the day off hope you are all well keep safe look after yourself loads of love and hugs Johno Photos of Guide Dog Eccles and Mudgee and the blind chick The other photo is her stallionYa
23.01.2022 Message from Johno Well they definitely were not kidding when they said there was a cold snap coming through apparently it was -3 in Dubbo and I think at least -5 here in the southern highlandsBrrrrrr Definitely looking forward to my ride with Jos this morning that will definitely warm me up...Continue reading
20.01.2022 Message from Johno Well good morning all a little bit of a chilly morning here in the southern highlands quite overcast and a wee breeze which feels like it might be coming off Snow I caught up briefly with the blind chick this morning her and Tanya were taking the horse float in to have the tyres looked at and get ready for our big trip tomorrow... A little bit of a sad day today today is my last training session with the amazing Jos until the next time we are able to come down for more lessons As per usual had an amazing training session what a gifted and beautiful rider Jos is so very patient and kind okay he does not put up with any crap but he is so full of encouragement and I think he likes riding me I try my very hardest for him It was a little sad this morning the blind chick is not feeling so flash having something like what they called vertigo I think I heard them say and she is also nauseous so she is back at the cottage in bed hopefully feeling much better tomorrow I think this is probably caused by a change in her medication in any case something is not quite right Tanya is also very busy treating horses today has quite a lineup to do so that will keep her busy I am booked in with the wonderful Tanya on Saturday for a treatment cant wait should do me the world of good after my long trip home on Friday I think one of the first things the blind chick has lined up for me on Saturday is possibly if the weather is lovely are beautiful big bath and shes gonna clip my main off it has started re-growing but is very itchy and I am scratching it out and she doesnt like the feel of the bits and pieces main so she will just hold my main I have a pretty lovely neck and this shows it off beautifully when my main is taken off The blind chick will have to get a list of all the wonderful things fade does do spoil me as well geewhiz am I gonna miss that beautiful smile of a morning a carrot and a hug and my breakfast But must say so very grateful to have had the opportunity to be down here training with the amazing Jos I have learnt so much and so very grateful that I have been treated like one of the family so loved So my next post will be when I get home I think probably a seven hour trip home tomorrow hopefully we will have a lovely day for travelling Hope everybody is safe and well dont forget if youre lonely or need to chat drop us a line or give us a ring always here for a chat loads of love and hugs Johno Also today is a pretty special day it is our you okay day So to all of our very beautiful friends on Facebook to each and everyone are you Are you okay
19.01.2022 Message from a relaxed Johno Its a wintery morning here in the Southern Highlands and the blind chickie is due to arrive here this afternoon. Right on time I can see the Ute coming up the drive but hang on there are three people in it. This is strange only usually two the blind chickie and her driver. Who is the third person? As I stretch my neck out to see who it is oh my lord its my craniosacral therapist Tanya Hind. It has been some time since my last session so ...Continue reading
19.01.2022 Message from Johno Well happy spring everybody amazing weather we are having the southern highlands was sunny and what a spectacular day I have also adapted to my feed change no extruded food in my diet now and doing really well and feeling great... I am still being spoiled by the beautiful Fay every morning with my carrot and a cuddle and my breakfast and a beautiful smile what a way to start the day A little bird has told me that the blind chick has been very busy getting my stable ready and cleaning out her tech shed for Only seven more sleeps and the blind chick will be back down in the Southern Highlands doing some training I am also due to be shod next Thursday by the amazing Matt builder Bec Farrier I wonder if he will make shoes from scratch again the blind chick will be down as she needs to speak to Matt about my Farrier work for the future keeping in mind we are 6 1/2 hours away from that to be shod So this will either mean a trip down to the Southern Highlands to see the wonderful Matt every six weeks or we need to see what other options there might be The wonderful TanyaHind is bringing the blind chick down and I think she might be going to treat a few more horses in the southern highlands which is very exciting remember she gives me my amazing treatments with the cranial sacral work and it is amazing I also hear as spring is in the air the blind chick has been in the garden I bet the plan so nervous and I hear she has those secateurs with her so look out plants at least its not the round up And apparently Matthew has dressed the dressage arena and it is looking wonderful so things are all ready for my return and I tend to think the blind chick just might be a little bit excited I also hear I have some new neighbours on the eastern side of my paddock I have a mayor and fall who have moved in look forward to meeting them Apparently they are Trotters Totally loving my rides with the amazing Jos on the spring mornings spectacular sunny days not sure if Im looking forward to summer but the sunny days are beautiful So wishing everybody a spectacular day hope you are all safe and well and dont forget to keep spreading those smiles remember theyre contagious so loads of love and hugs from a very happy Johnno
18.01.2022 Message from Johno Okay where can we move to where it is spring all year-round this weather is spectacular beautiful sunny morning the birds are chirping the grass is growing doesnt get much better than this Blind chickie babe comes down about 7 am to feed me with a carrot and a smile take my top rug off because it is still a little chilly of a night...Continue reading
17.01.2022 Message from Johno and the blind chick Well this is one of those taboo subjects something no one wants to talk about something no one wants to admit they may have but it does happen to all of us Im sure I am talking about losing confidence fear anxiety...Continue reading
17.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a very overcast good morning from the McQuarrie River had a few light showers overnight getting to a top of 34 today but very steamy and muggy I apologise for not many posts lately as things aren’t changing much still trialling my medication working some days and not others partially working Sundays not others so I think time is the secret we need it time to build up in my system fingers crossed... But I did have a highlight over the weekend the wonderful Tanya hind my craniosacral therapist came and gave me a treatment well wow it was totally amazing and I felt absolutely wonderful after my treatment and I was able to get rid of my headache well Tanya got rid of my headache it felt so much better and Tanya said you could see by the look in my eyes that I was just so much more at ease thank you so much beautiful lady The blind chickie babe has been spending quite a bit of time with Matthew in the header stripping the wheat So yesterday they were busy stripping the wheat and a few light scuds came through which meant there was two vehicles to bring back from down the paddock how was this going to happen Matthew jokingly said the blind chick you drive the Ranger home and I’ll take the tractor well I think he may have regretted that thought So the blind chick got in the Ranger rang Matthew and put her phone on loudspeaker Matthew was behind the blind chick in the tractor and he guided her home it would’ve been probably half a kilometre drive I think the blind chick was as nervous as hell and I think Matthew may have been as scared of Hell but everything went perfectly Matthew said a little right now a little more write a little left and wallah they were back home I think the blind chick was very relieved to get back in the passenger seat but it was good fun I think she would’ve enjoyed it So goes to prove there is more than one way to skin a cat that is not a good saying but there is more than one way to achieve a job who do thought the blind chick would’ve been able to drive the Ute home Have been on my medication now 11 days this has been a very interesting experiment we have possibly another month to go blind chick is dialoguing all my reactions when I have them how I have them etc for Dr Sara our wonderful veterinarian at Hunter Equine scone So as I had my treatment with the wonderful Tanya yesterday I will be having today off just to let the treatment keep doing it’s good stuff Just saw the blind chickie babe out on the Veranda she has been out feeding the beautiful kookaburras they come and eat meat out of her hand and off the Veranda they are very beautiful birds Hope everybody has a wonderful day keep safe and well loads of love and hugs Johno and his blind chick
16.01.2022 Message from the blind chick to Johno Because of you Johno - dedicated to Johno... Because of you Johno You give me vision when I am blind Because of you Johno I have independence and unconditional love Because of you Johno I have two beautiful brown eyes that see for me Because of you Johno I have a heart full of goals and dreams that are being fulfilled Because of you Johno I have unconditional love and love unconditionally Because of you Johno I live in his eyes and I am not judged for who I am what I am or what I do or what I say he’s just happy with who I am Because of you Johno I am never alone and I always have a heart full of love Because of you Johno when I ride you I have wings and you don’t care that I am blind you have my back you keep me safe Because of you Johno are you awake every morning and can’t wait to be greeted at the gate by your beautiful soft muzzle saying hello with a cuddle and a carrot of course Because of you Johno You have brought so much joy to my life we have big goals we have big dreams we have each other I am so grateful for the day that you came into my life I’m so grateful for my husband Matthew buying you for me I am one very very lucky girl Because of you Johno You make my dreams come true I love you to the moon and back you make me smile from deep inside you fill every day with joy I am so grateful so humble to the horse that you are and for our friendship and unconditional love we are so lucky These words are for you Johno. I can’t thank you enough for being just the beautiful horse that you are Your mate, the blind chick You are my forever Horse I am here for you through the good and the bad and I will endeavour to give you the best quality of life that I can It’s all pretty simple you know, thank you for just being you Johno.
14.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a very chilly good morning from the southern highlands hope you are all snug and well and safe and having a lovely day I was so excited my wonderful Farrier Matt Bilderbeck was back at Jos and Fays to put new dancing shoes on me again on Friday afternoon and guess what he made shoes specially for me again just from a flat piece of steel... It is such an interesting process and the wonderful Matt has put together a video of making my shoes the blind chick has listen to it I dont know how many times I think she has worn it out But if you listen it explains to you the fact that my two front feet are different sizes so he has to make the shoes accordingly. He is also correcting my offside front hoof that has had an injury previously and I tend to swing it a little bit. Matt is correcting this slowly but it is getting better and I am feeling so good in these new shoes no more pain it is excellent Jos has noticed how much easier I am moving than when I first started coming down here. Jos was picking up a little irregularity this is all gone since Matt has started shoeing me and making shoes specially for me I am so very grateful and I feel so comfortable If you would like to have a look at Matts website or visit him on Matt Bilderbeck Farriers on Facebook lots of awesome information very interesting. So a massive thank you to the wonderful Matt for looking after my hooves and keeping me sound. Remember no hooves no horse Having the weekend off and getting used to the new shoes back to work on Monday And the blind chickie babe will be down on Wednesday cant wait So wishing everybody a wonderful day keep safe and well remember be kind dont forget to spread our smiles around theyre quite infectious loads of love and hugs Johno and are very grateful blind chick A massive thank you to Matt for the great video so cool to be able to share this
13.01.2022 Message from Johno Well it was quite the drive home took a little longer than planned but we arrived home safely which is really good We left the wonderful Fay and Joss place this morning at about 8.30 popped in to a service station and Tanya checked the tyres for pressure but the guys had done that the day before when we went to the tire place in Marulan which is just wonderful so very efficient...Continue reading
13.01.2022 Message from Johno Oopsy I have been neglecting my duties and not putting up posts regularly I do apologise Ive had quite a bit on my plate lately And I must say the weather hasnt been that flash tad wet windy and quite cold... But it was really cool the blind chick came down last Wednesday she had a ride I must say it was later in the day and very close to dinner so I was a bit distracted and maybe a tad spooky the weather was windy and overcast and a bit blustery this did not really help the blind chicks orientation in the arena But she persisted and had an okay ride I wouldnt say it was one of our better rides but the problem is the blind chick is not spending time in the saddle so the orientation is a massive issue and the knee was a bit sore on Wednesday so she did not ride on Thursday in case she made it worse But she did sit and listen to Jos ride me and learnt a lot more about the movements and what Jos was doing to get me to do different movements and transitions and the blind chick can count the strides and hear the downward transitions and tell if it is soft or not just by the rhythm and regularity pretty cool hey Then the girls had a lovely picnic lunch with Jos and Fay and had a chance for a catch up and then the beautiful TanyaHind with her magic hands did aCranio Sacral treatment on me wow it was amazing I was led into one of the beautiful stables at mendez Equestrian between two beautiful Andelusian stallions and I had my treatment it was awesome the lovely stallion on my leftGuapo was picking up on the energy with my treatment it was pretty cool he was yawning and stretching like I was I will put a later post up with a video of me having my treatment And an explanation of what was being done during my treatment with having a Google oh pretty amazing and I thought $1 million after the treatment After my treatment Tanya then treated the beautiful imported Andelusian stallionGuapo His name is Hanson in Spanish and he truly is quite a majestic horse Guapo also really enjoyed his treatment lots of yawning and stretching totally in the moment I will put up a post later with a description of how my treatment went and a great video that Susan took for us Blind chickie babe off to orthopaedic surgeon on Wednesday so will know what is happening with the knee which will be great In the pictures that I put up there of photos of the blind chick and I and the wonderful Tanya and the lovely stallionGuapo I do hope I have spelt his name right So hoping everybody is safe well and warm and having a lovely weekend loads of love and hugs Johno
12.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a spectacular morning here on the McQuarrie River just a little bit cooler than yesterday 39 here yesterday wow what a stinker I think we are going to be 31 today Had a great day training yesterday with the blind chick and we trained in the dressage arena again just on the lounge I had a couple of little moments yesterday just not quite paying attention but all was good... And today wow much more pleasant weather for working today mind you we are working at 8 am in the morning so it is quite nice today we just did a 40 minute work at the walk and it was really quite nice I had one major fruit loop moment my friends were coming over from the paddock next door and I could see them so I forgot what I was doing with my lunging had my moment or two winning and being a bit of a Duffer and then settled back down again after the blind chick got my attention Today is my fourth day on my new medication I think these type things take time to work so we will be patient and see how things are going in 3 to 4 weeks blind chick still not confident she could ride me without me having one of my moments so let’s see how the medication goes Things were busy here on the farm early this morning Matthew was up very early raking the loosen hey I would say he will be bailing in a few days which will be really good great weather to be making hey Sorry the posts aren’t full of really interesting stuff at the moment hopefully if this medication works well blind chickie babe can be back in the saddle and we can start doing some training of some description but at the moment monitoring medication and as per usual one day at a time Hope everyone is safe and well have a spectacular day lots of love and hugs Johno
11.01.2022 Message from Johno These arent my words but they are wonderful words of wisdom please take time to read Sometimes life sucks.... Horses break, you fall off, poles come down, events get cancelled and sometimes it just never stops raining. There are days you want to scream, cry, shout, hide or just disappear but people will always come along and cut you down with four little words... it could be worse And all of sudden you feel guilty for letting something so trivial affect you when there are people going through so much more. So you shut the feelings down, you push it away and refuse to let it surface because you dont feel like you deserve to be disappointed, or upset, or angry, or frustrated. But as time passes the feeling is still there, its just silently chipping away at you inside with nowhere to go. The more you ignore it, the worse it feels. Those feelings of frustration, anger, disappointment, heartbreak... they need to be felt. You can only move on when you are ready to, and if youre still holding onto all of those feelings, that will never happen. One persons worst day might be another persons best. Putting out someone elses light wont make yours shine any brighter. Be kind, always. People are fighting battles you know nothing about. Anon Have a spectacular day take time to be kind to someone else send him a message tell them you love them you miss them have a spectacular day loads of love and hugs always Johno and the blind chick
11.01.2022 Message from Johno Hope everybody is having a wonderful day but chilly in the southern highlands but guess what it is winter but apparently its going to get colder but I am so very grateful the beautiful Fay has put another rug on me to keep me warm so very lucky and grateful Isnt life amazing full of beautiful people and kind gestures acts of kindness thinking of others thinking of someone elses horse and keeping them warm... Thank you Fay But accept kindness are happening all around us all the time do we take the time to say thank you or even acknowledge that someone has done something really lovely for us sometimes all it takes is a smile Now I have had a little bird told me that one of the blind chicks beautiful friends has done something very kind and considerate for her you know how the blind chick has a fractured knee will have beautiful friend Janine Turner affectionately known as Neeni and she has a wonderful business called Horse where repairs now this beautiful lady has made the blind chick a guard for her fractured knee out of lambs wool and Velcro strapping I will put a A picture up of the blind chick sporting her new kneeguard this is to protect Tony when she is in the saddle because the fracture is right where the Sterup leather strap goes and the pressure on the knee creates lots of pain so hopefully this kneeguard is going to do the trick But how about that this beautiful lady made this up to help the blind chick and try and save her knee some pain but I do hear these two girls together a bit of scalawags and gets up to all sorts of nonsense I often hear them both giggling on the phone like schoolgirls would love to be a fly on the wall But our lives the blind chicks life and mine is so full of beautiful people always making a difference to our lives whether its someone driving the blind chick down to visit me in the southern highlands whether it is the amazing Jos training me and always keeping in mind that I am written by a blind rider all of these things people consider and make a difference to our lives we are so very grateful And the other amazing thing is our beautiful Facebook friends you all make such a difference to the blind chicks and my life on a daily basis your love and support your consideration it is so gratefully appreciated and always knowing someone has our back how very lucky are we So to all of the beautiful people in our life that make a smile that make our day thank you for being part of our life for sharing our journey making a smile being sad when we are sad thank you for being on this very special journey with us hope you have a spectacular weekend loads of love and hugs keep safe and well Johno and the blind chick
10.01.2022 Message from Johno Woo hoo wow I am so excited my book is now available at your favourite book store or please order online Please see link below... https://books2read.com/johnoandtheblindchick Please share to anyone you think might enjoy our story thank you all for being such a major part of this journey so wonderful to be able to share it with you hope youre having a wonderful day loads of love and hugs Johno
09.01.2022 Message from the blind chick Wow what a spectacular day Friday was a lovely brisk morning in the southern highlands frosty of course but no wind and spectacular sunshine We arrived out to Jos and Fays place nice and early for our lesson at 8.30 Johno wasnt that impressed with being brought out of his yard so early he thought a ride later in the day may have been better...Continue reading
08.01.2022 Message from Johno Well wow holy cow where has spring gone it is freezing here in the southern highlands I think it may snow Well very excited today the blind chick and Tanya are coming down and should be here very soon... The Ford Ranger arrived about one-ish but only one person and guess what it wasnt the blind chick driving thank heavens It was the wonderful Tanya where is the blind chick what is happening Apparently the blind chick is not feeling so good she is having a bit of vertigo and quite dizzy and nauseous so she has spent the afternoon back at the cottage where they stay when they come down to visit Jos and Fay and I Hoping the blind chick is feeling much better tomorrow they are taking my horse float to get the tyres checked before our big trip home on Friday so it will be all hands on deck nice and early as Tanya has more horses to treat tomorrow with her craniosacral work Tanya was also treating our amazing Jos this afternoon hope he enjoys the treatment as much as the blind chick and I Well lets hope for a nicer day tomorrow and that the blind chick is feeling much better Well hope everybody has had a lovely day I am rugged up for a very cold evening keep safe and well loads of love and hugs Johno
08.01.2022 Message from Johno Well good morning what a spectacular spring morning here in the southern highlands Well I have it in a very hearty breakfast had a cuddle and a pat and a carrot from the beautiful Fay... I know I have shared the below tribute to the blind chick by her wonderful friend bobby cooper but we have over 1000 new friends and I would like to share it with everybody again hope you dont mind Sue Ellen She lives in constant shadows, the darkness of the night, But strength is her companion in the ever fading light, Sue may be blind to others, she is not blind to me, For I have found her secret, that my friend Sue can see. Though eyesight may elude her, I have known it from the start, She doesnt need the eyesight, for Sue sees with her heart. Her sense of hearing , smell and touch, are sharpened by her plight, Her kind deeds and compassion , have kept her from the night. And no complaints are offered, affliction is her shield, A knight in shining armour, upon lifes battle field. We loose our way, we rarely hear the song bird in the tree, And often we blunder through life with things we will not see. Her great love for her animals , her courage through each trial, Her great determination, still leaves me with a smile, I know that others call her blind, it matters not to me, For I have found her secret, that my friend Sue can see. For Sue my hero. Coop 2013
07.01.2022 Message from Johno Hoping everyone had a spectacular day yesterday well it was a little bit of an epic day with the blind chick and I As per usual I was saddled up and taken to the arena has a road me and then it was the blind chicks to...Continue reading
07.01.2022 Message from Johno Well I must say I feel as if I have a bit of a hangover yesterday evening late I ended up with about of colic Well without a doubt this is a really painful thing to go through your tummy hurts you want to pour the ground you want to roll it is really not such a good situation with in and I feel pretty crappy...Continue reading
06.01.2022 Message from Johno Wow what a spectacular day yesterday was beautiful sunny day had a great ride with the wonderful Jos lots of cuddles from the wonderful Fay carrots and my dinner life doesnt get much better Even had spare time to have a lie in the sun and enjoy the day... Well I hear via the grapevine the blind chick has been extremely busy getting things ready for my homecoming Anyone would think she was excited about me coming home I hear my stable has been gutted and brand-new bedding put in also in my breezeway there has been more beautiful sand put in there which will be lovely under my hooves Also the blind chick has had my paddocks moan and the grass is growing like crazy She might have to put me on a diet when I go home ha ha She has also been recharging the dressage arena marker announcer up so we must be going to give that a whirl after I have been home for a little bit She has also had the round yard sprayed out I tend to think she is looking at doing a bit of bareback riding this will be interesting but she has bought herself a bareback pad so we will see how this goes mind you last time we were doing bareback the blind chick had an absolute ball You know she is really a bit of a kid at heart she just wants to play with her pony brush it clean its hooves out make sure its tail has no knots in it spoil him with lots of carrots and just take time to enjoy the ride and a special time together I think with me being back in the paddock and are spending lots of quality time together her confidence will come back really quickly I know the time together just will cement our bond even more So five more sleeps and the blind chick will be down here in the southern highlands having some lessons with our amazing Jos then on the Thursday I will have my new shoes put on by the awesome Farrier Matt builder Bec and then on Friday we will be heading home I also hear I have been booked in with the wonderful TanyaHind for one of her wonderful craniosacral treatments just love it I always feel so good I wonder if the blind chick will book herself in Wow Im still battling on shouldve suggested you got a cuppa well hope everybody is safe and well please remember to smile send somebody a message tell them you love them and that you care have a spectacular day loads of love and hugs Johno
06.01.2022 Message from Johno Firstly a massive thank you to everybody for the lovely messages when I was not so well with my dose of colic To be very honest I would not wish this on my worst enemy it was very painful and quite distressing for all concerned... I also think it was possibly a little harder for the blind chick as she could not see what was happening and could hear that I was in such terrible pain and was so distressed somehow being totally blind can be pretty scary I think On a much more positive note I am feeling really good today no tummy ache and we have had a lovely day well morning in the dressage arena doing some more desensitisation oh my heavens the blind chick and this bag on a stick it’s on my ears it’s up my nose it’s between my legs but I don’t mind I suppose this is why it’s called desensitisation but mind you at the same time she had something on her mobile phone that played through the stereo with firecrackers Reading cars planes taking off guess what I took no notice I’m a star I have also thrown a shoe thank heavens my wonderful Farrier Troy is coming possibly tomorrow But this desensitisation thing the blind chick is doing it to hopefully decrease my anxiety okay Dr Sara has pointed out to the blind chick my anxiety is not caused by man it is clinical so this might take a bit of doing and it may not work but she is sure giving it a fair go the first day she came out of the TAC shed with the bag on the end of the stick I nearly had a couple of kittens scared the heck out of me then she started waving it around like holy cow Batman just hold the bag still but only taken two days and I am now taking absolutely no notice and the noise was just a noise and then she played cool music that I think the blind chick and I could dance to it was really lovely In fact I must say I enjoy when the blind chick rides me to music hopefully when we get my anxiety attacks under control the blind chick will be back riding to music that would be really nice and I can get her to video and you can listen to the music and us riding that would be lovely in fact it would be very cool Okay well had a great training session with the desensitisation covered in fly spray my fire fly vale is on and a lovely light mesh rug and I am vegging in my paddock have had a couple of run around this morning just a little bit of an anxiety attack but I think they might be getting less well maybe not but we believe in miracles here and magic So hope everybody is having a wonderful day You will see what I mean about the bag it is everywhere it is everywhere but I don’t care sending everybody lots of love and hugs have a spectacular day Johno Also forgot to mention the motorbike went past a couple of times a couple of trucks and trailers came in and I took no notice I just kept eating and listening to the music so maybe this desensitisation stuff might be working bring it on
06.01.2022 Message from the blind chick A very happy birthday to my wonderful horse Johno and all the other beautiful horses in the world hope you get lots of carrots and loads of love and have a spectacular day love and hugs the blind chick
06.01.2022 Message from the blind chick to Johno Because of the horse Dedicated to Johno... Because of the horse You give me vision when I am blind because of the horse I have independence and unconditional love Because of the horse I have two beautiful brown eyes that see for me because of the horse I have a heart full of goals and dreams that are being for field Because of the horse I have unconditional love and love unconditionally Because of the horse I live in his eyes and I am not judged for who I am what I am or what I do or what I say hes just happy with who I am because of the horse I am never alone and I always have a heart full of love Because of the horse when I ride you I have wings and you dont care that I am blind you have my back you keep me safe Because of the horse are you awake every morning and cant wait to be greeted at the gate by your beautiful soft muscle saying hello a cuddle and a carrot of course Because of the horse Johno you have brought so much joy to my life we have big goals we have big dreams we have each other I am so grateful for the day that you came into my life Im so grateful my husband Matthew buying you for me one very very lucky girl Because of the horse Johno you make my dreams come true love you to the moon and back you make me smile from deep inside you feel every day with joy so grateful so humble to the horse and meet our friend unconditional love we are so lucky These words are for you Johno I cant thank you enough for being just the beautiful horse you are Your mate the blind chick Thank you so much to our wonderful friend Susan Cornish who took the photos so gratefully appreciated And a massive thank you to the a team the amazing Jos and his beautiful wife Fay who make this possible and look after our beautiful Johno thank you
06.01.2022 Message from Johno Wow well a very chilly morning from the southern highlands hope everybody had a lovely weekend and are all safe after the terrible storms on the coast Well I am feeling fit and well have my lovely new shoes on thank you to Matt Bilderbeck... Again shoes made from scratch just to fit me and they are perfect has a is most impressed with how I am moving issuing I am getting better because of maths corrective shooing so grateful and so comfortable Well I lovely lovely morning spent with the amazing Jos draining today always enjoy our time training just so consistent and soft ask dont tell I know I know sound like a broken record but it is so rocking out and I am learning so much and everything is happening so easily and so willing to please Also noticing a difference since my diet has changed no extruded food which has eliminated some of the not so good oils for inflammation Jos has noticed a difference in me which is wonderful I am feeling good and looking wonderful as well I must say even if I do say so myself I hear via the grapevine the blind chickie babe is feeling a little frustrated at the moment her knee is going really well she is doing lots of walking her appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon is next week so fingers crossed but she is in no pain which is wonderful But the frustration level is high but I know she is excited only one more sleep and she will be down training with the amazing Jos and I Also a bit excited she is bringing the wonderful Tanya Hind with her who will give me a treatment while she was down here Tanya has magic hands I always feel $1 million after a treatment so really looking forward to my treatment Well an awesome ride with the wonderful Jos having a lovely brush down by my beautiful friend Fay and back in my paddock for a bit of a rest for the day Wishing everybody a lovely day keep safe well and warm and dont forget to keep smiling spread those smiles they are contagious loads of love and hugs Johno
05.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a wonderful good morning from the Southern Highlands what a spectacular day the sun is shining I have had my breakfast a carrot and a cuddle from the beautiful Fay bring on another lovely day I apologise didnt get to post last night on how we went yesterday had a busy day firstly I had a loose shoe mustve overstepped and tried on my front shoe so loose and it so the wonderful Matt builder Bec the amazing Farrier came to do my shoe and replace it he a...lso showed some of Joses horses It was such a beautiful day yesterday I think spring is on its way So I was settled up and take him to the dressage arena and the amazing Jos work for me for about 25 minutes just lots of lovely big loose trots long rain walks then collected and did some lateral work some pretty fancy shouldering and trivia couple of walk pirouettes just a nice loosen up for the blind chick The day before the blind chick had a ripper of a ride it was lovely to have her back on board yesterday was also really good in the walk she is very confident she has time to plan and think what shes doing we did a little bit of truck work found it a little more difficult the disorientation thing again stayed on the circle tried to keep the 20 meter circle that ended up probably looking like an egg with square sides I am sure this disorientation thing will get better with time in the walk its not bothering her as she has time to think I know where she is when you are trotting things happen a little quicker and the movement is much different and you dont have as much time to think so just will be time in the saddle but I know she did have a lovely ride And the wonderful Tanya treated one of Fays beautiful Phillies and oh my heavens I think she truly enjoyed her craniosacral treatment she was one very relaxed force after her treatment Then Tanya and Fay slipped down the road and Tanya treated another horse so a very big day in the wall So everybody had a lovely day yesterday we had a pretty full on day but it was full of achievements and goalkicking have a spectacular day loads of love and hugs Johno Turn up your volume so you can hear Jos guiding the blind chick around the arena pretty cool
05.01.2022 Message from the blind chick Well I guess no one has picked up the fact that I am excited that Johno is coming home One more sleep and we will be down in the Southern Highlands with Johno and I will start getting things organise for him to be returning home... So very very grateful to the amazing Jos Mendez super coach for training my beautiful Johno while he has been down at mendez equestrian centre so very grateful I know for a fact Johno absolutely loves his rides with Jos and I am sure when he comes home to Dubbo he is going to miss the wonderful finesse and ease in which Jos rides him I have lots of catching up to do but it will be one step at a time Also so very grateful to Joses beautiful wife Fay Not only for looking after my beautiful Johno giving him love and keeping him looking amazing Also so very grateful for the patience love and support shown by Jos and Fay With fracturing my knee and this ending up with me lacking in confidence has not been an easy journey for me and I still havent totally regained my confidence still a long way to go but one step at a time I will get there Cant wait to have my pony back in the paddock and be able to go down and give him carrots and cuddles and hear him standing at the fence bagging the gate to get my attention so very very excited It is like being a kid at Christmas time and thats how it should feel that beautiful excitement is what this beautiful horse brings to my life feeling like a kid going out and rushing my pony going for a ride bareback in the round yard mind you I would like to be going for a ride down the road maybe that is not safe for a blind rider so the round yard will do Going for a ride in the arena with my beautiful Johno trying to video for my wonderful Facebook friends showing you what we are doing that will be one of my first goals is to take you all for a ride on Johno again cant wait to do that So hopefully all going well I will be posting from Bongiornos back next Monday and we can all go for a ride together on my beautiful big pony Im sure Johno will be posting between now and then but this ones from me I would also like to thank all of our wonderful Facebook friends for your support while I have been going through this confidence issue it is lovely to have you all with me on this journey and we are all having such a lovely time with Johno he totally rocks just such a spectacular animal and has so much personality Hope everybody is having a wonderful day it has been absolutely beautiful here in Dubbo today I think about 24 the sun into signing the birds are singing and spring is here So sending you all loads of love and hugs hope everybody is safe and well I will message again very soon but Ill leave that up to Johno to do most of the post lots of love always and thank you The blind chick
04.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a hearty good morning from the southern highlands have some news about the blind chickie babes knee she has been to the orthopaedic surgeon this morning and no surgery needed but at least another two maybe four months rehabilitation needed fracture not healed yet and tendon damage still needing some time but all good she will keep up her walking important she does not have any setbacks as falling and hurting her knee again but great news So all good p...ossibly not rushing out doing heaps of riding all at once but slowly but surely she will get back into the routine just has to work out a way to protect where the fracture is cause it sits on the saddle but if there is a will there is away I hear via the grapevine the blind chick and the wonderful Tanya are coming down next Tuesday they are leaving at 6 am so the blind chick can get in the saddle a little earlier very excited and they are coming for four days which will give the blind chick and I just time to start rebuilding our relationship and spend some time together cant wait Totally loving my time down here with the wonderful Jos and Fay but I know my blind chick is really missing me and struggling quite a bit not spending any time in the saddle this is not a good thing as it affects the confidence level and her orientation is pretty non-existent at the moment so some quality time together will be wonderful Wishing everybody a wonderful day keep safe well and warm I hear another cold front is coming through with lots of nasty wind so keep safe loads of love and hugs Johno Quote of the day: You never know whats around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and youve climbed a mountain. Tom Hiddleston
04.01.2022 Message from Johno I think the photos say it all The smile has not moved off the blind chicks face totally awesome... Thanks to the amazing Jos and his patients bring on today and another lovely lesson Have a spectacular day will give you an update this evening lots of love and hugs Johno
03.01.2022 Message from Johno Well a very crisp good morning from the southern highlands wacko cold front indeed But I must say my day is brightened by the beautiful Fay with a carrot a big hug and my breakfast...Continue reading
03.01.2022 Message from Johno Quote of the day: To dream of success is to set a goal of where you want to be; to wake up, take action, and achieve it is what true success is all about. Idowu Koyenikan... So dare to dream lets make those dreams come true I would like to share the blind chicks and my dream it is to compete one tiny step at a time well in my case one very large step at a time we are getting closer to that day but were not in a hurry it will happen when the time is right and we are blessed to have you all along sharing our dream thank you from the bottom of our heart have a spectacular day loads of love and hugs Johno and the blind chick
03.01.2022 Message from the blind chick Geewhiz what a spectacular day in the southern highlands Firstly we went and picked up some feed for the wonderful Johno from the produce store in Marulan the staff were amazing and so helpful...Continue reading
02.01.2022 Message from Johno Wow well a little bit wild and woolly and blinking cold down here I am sure this wind is coming off the snow Well so excited today I had to share this...Continue reading
02.01.2022 Message from Johno and the blind chick Oh my heavens there is going to be an argument about who puts this postop me all the blind chick I think I should go first because Im the horse and I carry the blind chick So the blind chickie babe and the wonderful Tanya arrive and they come carrying bags well guess what it wasnt bags of food for me it was lunch for the beautiful Fay and Jos but all is not lost...Continue reading
