Weekend plans

[milliepops]

I'm so pleased for you MP, you deserve a lovely quality horse! It's odd how you can get used to a certain type of bad behaviour but a different horse can worry you - Chilli's far naughtier than Danny in many ways, but I was always more nervous of Danny's behaviour.

On the subject of Chilli, I'd been worried that something was going on behind as his hind feet have gone pretty funky looking, and our trimmer also thought there might be something going on higher up. I booked a local vet Chiro for last Friday but couldn't go due to my Covid, so a friend was there. She trotted up and lunged Chilli and apparently he looked horrendous - wouldn't go forward, looked lame on three legs - so she didn't do a Chiro treatment. In my Covid fog I couldn't really take it all in so booked my usual lameness vet today. Chilli was his usual forward, enthusiastic self so I'm really not sure what happened last week (same friend joined me today and said he was like a different horse). His back end looked fine but he's bilaterally lame in front, only when lunging on a hard surface, flexions all good and fine in a straight line and in the school. He's having x-rays on Friday then if I need to shoe for a while I will do, but I won't just stick shoes on to mask an issue so let's see. Fingers crossed it's something we can see and something minor!

I find that once you've got to the bottom of a horse its much easier to deal with - when you know what the worst they will throw at you, it gives perspective to whatever is happening in a dodgy moment. the process of getting to the bottom of them is a bit unpleasant though!

Sorry to hear Chilli is not right, everything crossed for a minor iffyness that is easily rectified x

 

[Bernster]

I don’t like that getting to know each other stage when the new horse might not be settled and I’m not sure how they’re going to behave and how best to deal with it. And then I forget about the early stages once I get to know them!

Bertie was a spooky bugger in the school this week. Foxes seemed to be doing what foxes do in the spring! The plan went out of the window whilst I tried to get some better work out of him. It was all a bit meh but the positives were that I focussed on how to I deal with it, rather than stressing or losing my confidence.

 

[Caol Ila]

Another weekend away. My parents have been in town since early March, so I've been spending more time entertaining them than working with my horses. It's been lovely to see them after three years (thanks, Covid), but man, this has been a long visit. I'm knackered.

Nonetheless, I got a few rides in on Foinavon.