Sunday 1 June 2008

What a difference a day makes!

It was hot and sunny yesterday..today raining and pretty chilly.

Ive been really busy this week hence my lack of posting.Minx is in full season and Mouse is starting,Buster has got me demented with whinging.OH has been taking Buster with him through the day and me the girls or vice versa.I'd like to spay the girls before their next season(Mouse might be going to breeder this time as its now or never:-0) but if I do thats the end of showing them having said that this is hard work!I cant see why they cant be shown neutered seems ridiculous they've done so well it would be a shame not to be able to continue.
Need to think on it some more...
Oh Buster got fourth at the show Monday didnt get anything with the other two although I did think Minx was going to be placed at one point.I wasnt expecting anything to be honest as the particular club who were organising the Border Terrier classes are really clicky and ive never been placed at any of their shows:)

Ive not done a huge deal with neddies this week AliG's had a sesson in the school and a couple of lunge/groundwork sessions.
Polo's still not right im starting to think he's LGL ,ok well im convinced!Ive had my suspicions for the past couple of summers which is why ive always brought him in through the day and strip grazed.For the past week they've been coming in early morning till late afternoon yesterday however I was late getting to the farm and when I brought them in he had a definitely digital pulse.
Im not certain this is the whole problem but it wont be helping matters so yesterday I made another track cutting down their field and grass substantially they've been in from 9am till 6pm when I turned them out they positively bounded around the field and Polo looked pretty light on his feet.

AliG had a longreining session out and about today.The weather was awful,lots of cars on the roads and the riding school down from us was having a show so it was pretty testing for him.He kept stopping and looking at all the goings on as we passed the show and whinnied a fair bit but other than that was fine.It did fire him up though and he was on a huge mission walking and jogging along.He got rather excited/sharp going over the flyover,dont think the noisy,wet busy roads helped, but he had a few spooks and bongings.
All the way along the track he was doing this very lovely slow contained trot,we were still just at brisk walking pace,I kept him on a slight angle for control alternating sides..it all looked very impressive:)
Soon as we got onto the field and lane for home he chilled out,he was steaming when I took his tack off.

Physio is coming tomorrow to check on Polo and 'do' AliG:)

6 comments:

Claire said...

did you do that in the rain? i waited for it to stop ....

well done AliG, sounds like all the longlinging/ground work is really paying off..

cptrayes said...

Now why on earth can't you show a female dog neutered? It doesn't even change their external appearance, and unlike a male, they can hardly check it's all there, can they!!!???

How stoopid.

C

Nicola said...

Yes Claire I did..didnt look like it was going to dry up so thought I was going to get wet regardless!

Its stupid isnt it physio was saying today they arent exactly promoting sensible dog ownership. I dont see how they'd know Minx has a scar anyway from her cesarean but if they 'somehow' found out i'd be chucked out and banned from showing.
They can have a hormonal injection so they'd skip a heat next time which would give me 12months to decide what to do.I'll have a chat to my vet ask him what side effects/implications the injection has.
Anyway what happens if Buster becomes a prize champ and i'd had him mum spayed i'd probably kick myself:)))))

Physio was really please with Polo,regarding the treatment he'd done.I mentioned my LGL theory he thought after seeing the way Polo had been moving there was definite merit in the idea.
He did AliG and gave me some exercises to do after ridden work to help keep his back loose.

Jean said...

Good for the pups. Even if they didn't win, they had a good time.

I do understand the point about the neutering as part of the concept of the showing is to promote good breeding. As you say, it would be a shame to have a really good champion dog/bitch that was a paragon of the breed that you could not use to further the quality of the breed.

Couldn't they have "non breeding" dog classes for people who just wanted to show conformation/type? Do the performance dogs have to be entire as well? (agility, obedience, etc?)

Interesting theory about Polo. Can you limit his grass and feed to see if it makes a difference? Change the balance of starch/sugars/fiber, etc?

AliG is turning into a true long lining master. It is great training, though. And it surely does keep you fit! *G*

Nicola said...

Ive cut their paddock down again turning it into a track where they can only graze on the perimeter..i'll see if I can get a pic up show you what I mean.
They hardly get fed Jean even during winter all they get is unmolassed chaff,unmolassed beet and their supplements.I learned long ago Polo cant tolerate mixes or anything with lots of sugar as it sends him loopy.

Claire said...

the other thing i never understood is why the kennel club have a dog lose its pedigree if it's been "had", or "had" a dog of a different or no breed. it's not as if being a different breed is catching, after all!