What a fabulous day! Lucy and Helen surpassed themselves at Hunters and I was like a proud mum watching the school play! We had two super judges who were fair and absolutely spot on with their comments (no guide dogs in sight this week!). Lucy bought her horse for £1 so those out there wanting big moving horses but unable to afford them do look out for a bargain that may need time and patience to regain confidence. She was first in the qualifier and second over all with 69.9% and second in the non qualifier with 66.9% and there is more to come. Helens instructions for today were not to hurry and to keep her hands still. What an achievment 63.75% fabulous! But girls, really, I have to say this... punctuality,clean tack and boots!!Presentation is everything! and Lucy, no you are not trying to be a posh dressage queen but hay down your jacket is not required! Complacency serves to remind us that we have to be on the ball as Lucy found out when Arnie decided to suddenly hooley! Nearly lost the jockey, but well recovered!
Straightness is such a big issue and yet comes way down the list on the scales of training. From day one straightness must be addressed otherwise many marks are lost and training cannot progress. Even when the horse is trained and at the highest level the rider has to keep riding the horse straight. Now this is a problem when the rider is a little skewhiff! or the saddle does not sit straight or the horse needs his back doing. There are so many things to check and it can be a hard task but one that surely is worthy of great determination, time and patience. Attention to detail will always pay off!
Mr and Mrs Pincus were at the show today and I was reminded how knowledgeable they are! Flossy has such a way with words, albeit not the right ones at times! His humour is second to none and his dressage jokes are outrageous!I think he should take up judging as his comments would brighten up the day even if you were last!
This week has been busy. Not only fixing the backs of other people and their horses but also doing hours of physio on Bee. She has an old injury to the sacro iliac ligaments which through mis-diagnosis has been overlooked. However, new eyes from Hook Norton have backed me up when I said it was higher up. Now, at least, we have half a chance of getting things right and that and the Cartrophen have made Bee feel like a new horse. To fit all this physio in I have to get up earlier or finish later! Im not good on dark winter mornings, I would rather hybernate under the duvet than get up in the dark! Having left the girls reflecting their glory, I raced off in the lorry to pick up straw and then raced back to clip Bee. My new clippers were fantastic the first time I used them three weeks ago, however today they were awful! They kept switching off in the middle of a sweep across the coat, consequently Bee now looks as if she has been done with a knife and fork! Returning clippers tout suite tomorrow!
Heartfelt sympathy goes out to all those families who lost loved ones yesterday in the M5 incident. It turns out that the smoke from bonfires made driving conditions impossible. Isnt it time we stopped celebrating a terrorist on November 5th? Burning money in this recession is reprehensible and the poor animals affected by the fireworks is reason enough to stop.
Has anyone else given up watching X factor? Or are you watching through some morose enjoyment to see how bad they can be? I cannot help feeling that a lot of talent was dismissed early on in the programme leaving the final few as second rate. The judges can't agree (nothing new there!) the song choices are hideous and singing in tune appears not to be so important these days, cue Kelly to Frankie, its just the vocals that need working on!!!! I turn over and watch Casualty, totally believable of course!
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