XC schooling with Flora (+ pics)

Fiona

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OH and Sophie got to go to a 2 phase on Saturday as a warmup for their first event of the season on Saturday (double clear with a couple of time faults so v pleased)

http://www.sportingimagesni.co.uk/myview...=2&count=51

...and poor Flora had to stand in all day, so when we discovered that the course was open for schooling on the Sunday OH kindly offered to ride her for me and give her a spin round (I haven't jumped her much since I fell last autumn, so have been concentrating on her flatwork).

Unlike the horizontal rain on the Saturday, we arrived to warm sunshine on Sunday morning so I got the camera out and jogged round trying to keep in front of the pair of them to get some pics.

To keep it short she was awesome. She was forward going into every single fence (mixture of the 3'3 and 2'9 fences as didn't want to risk jumping all the skinnies that OH had jumped the day before) and seemed to really enjoy herself...

warmup fence..

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jump into water...

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last fence and I couldn't catch up in time (look at her back end!!)...

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and cooling off on the beach...

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The only bad part of the day was when we went to take one of her back studs out there was a short piece of fencing wire dug into her frog. It was at the side fortunately rather than in the middle and was going into her frog sideways so not near any sensitive structures in the foot, but was obviously sore to pull it out and bled a little. Have been keeping her foot clean since and scrubbed out with savlon but was sound today hacking out.

After our horrendous week I was not looking forward to another vet visit, but leg and foot still cold tonight and frog not sensitive to pressure so think we will be OK.

Anyway sorry for wittering on, but was pleased with the way she was going and with the pics from the new camera so thought I would share.

Fiona
 
Flora certainly looks like she enjoyed herself! Fingers crossed she'll continue to stay sound after you pulled the wire from her frog. Sophie is stunning btw - I do love my greys!
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Thanks CM - fingers crossed for Flo. She is a very poor soldier though, so I think if it was hurting she would let me know in no uncertain terms.

S was really stunning as a 4yo. She was v dark dappled grey, and had a white blaze and white socks. She has really gone white in the last year.

Fiona
 
You didn't cross them hard enough I'm afraid. Update is that I hacked her out this morning, and without being lame there was something not right behind and she wasn't her usual self. Had a good poke about when we got home, and there is a really sore spot on the bulb of her heel. I am nearly sure that this is some infection from the wire bursting out which has tracked up through her heel, and vet coming tomorrow morning.
Have seen similar on OH's old horse (he had a tract right through one of heels that we could squirt a syringe through), but still upsetting. At this time of year with muddy fields etc it is the whole hassle of poulticing and keeping everything clean and dry.

Not a happy bunny today (and couldn't even enjoy Cheltenham as much as I normally do!)

Fiona
 
Ah bummer after such a nice day, she looks like she is really coming on nicely, whats the plan for this year eventing wise with her?
 
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