What a week...well last week that is!

Last Sunday started okay,went out for Sunday lunch with my mum for a joint Mother's day/my birthday treat.
I was late getting to the yard to feed the boys,just as I pulled up I saw a few of the girls and YO leading one of their liveries up the field,I got a sickening feeling as I could see the leg flopping just above the hock.
They managed to get the mare into a stable while waiting for the vet to come I knew it was a bad break but we dressed it roughly as there was a cut which was bleeding steadily.Soon as the vet came she said there was nothing they could do due to where the break was and how bad it was broken...I knew this was going to be the outcome.
The owner couldnt face staying and our YO was in bits so I ended up staying with the horse while she was PTS,it wasnt nice as she went down on the leg but I couldnt let her go alone:(

Anyway I then took bad at work on Monday with a stomach bug or food poisioning,ive never been so ill in my entire life so most of last week was a total right off.Im still feeling a bit off but iam back to getting on with things.
I lunge Ali on Sunday as I didnt think riding with dizzy spells was a good idea but today got back in the saddle.Only had a half an hour session but it was really good actually I was definitely 'in the zone' and rode him very well if I do say so myself:),im finally managing to replicate some of the moments we get during a lesson and am really riding him if that makes sense.
He's still leaning in on the left rein at first but with a combination of flexing,inside leg with the outside rein half halting he is working through it,on the right rein things are much easier there were spells when I felt he was truly bending around my leg with no inside rein felt great!
...and the weather has been great this week too:))

Was at a show Saturday,it was a huge entry of over 250 dogs(thats just Borders btw) so all the classes were big.Ted got placed not highly but still placed despite being very silly and hyper again and in a big class to boot.
Buster was in a massive class with some top name dogs,he didnt get placed but we were pulled in when she cut the class down to her pick of 6 I was pretty pleased with this just a shame there are only 5placings.
Mouse was in another huge class. I was delighted with her as its the first time ive not used food to get her to stand as she can be tricky to show and she was brilliant.I thought she was going to get a placing as the judge kept looking at her but infairness she has no coat at the minute so this could be what cost her a place?
Got a small show this weekend then another breed show next weekend.

Short and sweet

Ive been busy today started off with soaking Polo's feet,trimming him then taking him out for a walk inhand with the dogs.
I then fenced off the last little gap where they can get into the river as Polo escaped and made his way into the top field this morning,much to the dismay of the boys left in the field who were apparently running around like headless chickens looking for him...he's quite he hero in herd:)
I then took Ali for a short hack around the fields,I figure he would be a bit stiff after the lesson cos I know I am so a gentle tootle to loosen up would help.He was lovely,a nice walk,short trot along one side of the field then a little steady canter up the hill-perfect in everyway.
His feet got trimmed too.

Ive ordered them some fly rugs as I think we are going to have a lot more flies at this yard with the stream and trees, I borrowed one of my friend's to try for size as her horse get serious sweet itch and she reckons this particular type are the best so they are now ordered.

Taking my mum out for dinner tomorrow so giving the boys a chill out day.

Super-dooper lesson today.

Im very pleased with my boy today and myself I might add!:)
Ive forgotten half of it already now but i'll do my best.We started with getting him to flex in walk loosening him up but with a forward walk and energy.Straight away he was responsive to the leg so I could concentrate more on what we were doing rather than keeping him going which was good.Then did some 20(ish)m circles flexing in then using the outside rein to move the shoulders across we got this quite well then D said to give him a long rein and go large around the school.Ali was really stretching and reaching down for the rein, D said was the best walk she's seen from him.
Then moved into trot it was tougher for sure,at first he tried to curl back,lean heavily on the inside rein then had a large buck and we also exited the boards of the school several times anything but flex and come off my inside leg but then he suddenly lightened and lifted and it felt great.
After a break on a loose rein D wanted me to ride him around the whole school totally giving with the inside rein and to create the bend using half halts and inside leg/outside rein,this was really hard but there were moments when we got it.
At the end of the lesson D said she was very please with us both,she said I actually ride him well and im correcting him and riding him with much better timing. I can get a bit fixed and focused on one rein then forget the other and I havent quite got the outside rein 'feel' yet.She said he was like a different horse today and overall there was a huge improvement from last week so im very happy.

Its turning into a weekly blog it seems so a quick re-cap of the week-
Sunday we went for quite a long hack,it wasnt the best hack in the world he started off a bit nappy and shouting lots then half way around became forward and a bit silly! I trotted him at first to wake him up and then to settle him down{doh}, we also had a decent canter along a nice incline where I had to really pull him up as he didnt want to stop.As we turned along the road for home the penny dropped where he was and he started to shout and bounce,I felt there might be a rear on the way so pushed him forward into a steady trot which seemed to do the job and he settled for the rest of the way home.


Through the week he had two sessions in the school one with me where we worked on the flexing and things from the previously lesson.
Vic had a ride on him on Wednesday and found to her peril just how wide he is but she really enjoyed riding him and playing about,he is the perfect horse to play about on as his paces are extremely comfortable and he doesnt get wound up.

The other thing that im pleased about is his physical shape,although he is still carrying a bit too much weight around his tummy its definitelg firming up and looking more toned.Also his chest and shoulders are looking huge,his chest is now wider than Polo's who's a bigger horse and well built in himself.He's turning into a real power house:)
The field is now stripped off so they now have less than half the field which they share with their Fell pony friend and Vic's horse Ted who moved in with them last weekend.
It was quite funny today as when I got to the field to bring them in I caught them just about to make a break for it.They were both in the stream which runs between their field and one of the other fields,I shouted of them which stopped them in their tracks Polo leapt out and cantered over to me luckily Ali followed Polo and not the Fell who continued up the river into the other field!
Need to strip that bit off tomorrow.

Hoping for a gentle hack tomorrow,well thats the plan.

Falling to pieces

Ouch im stiff today and think im getting a cold {yuck}.

Had a lesson yesterday with the instructor who was opposite my old yard.It actually wasnt bad I was dreading it a bit as we've not had one for ages but things werent horrendous at all,although im feeling it today.
D had us doing lots of flexing to get him bending around my inside leg, he tends to set his neck or curl in rather than flex at the poll.Spent time sharpening his responses up and getting him forward he did object a couple of times a did a couple of bucks D said to continue to ride him forward and flex him that basically he's objecting cos its hard work.
Over all I was pretty pleased,he softened much quicker than I thought he would and we had some nice moment,Vic watched bits of it and she said she saw some nice work at times.

Today I gave him a gentle lunge today to loosen up thinking he might be feeling as stiff as me although in honestly he looked pretty fresh.
Polo had a brisk walk-out in hand.


Tomorrow im stripping their field off as he's starting to put weight on, obviously the grass is coming through!

Through the week we had a day playing with the poles which he's not done for ages he was really good and bounced his way through them its a fab way to get him to really use his backend.
Also had a hack,he was by himself so bit nappy and did a bouncy buck when I first asked him to trot but once he got going he was fine if not particularly forward.


Buster had his photo taken a few weeks ago at a show which I like so I bought a copy,here it is....
Didnt attempt one with Ted as I knew he wouldnt standstill hopefully when he gets a bit experience i'll get his done.

Groan...

not a great day in the school with the 'G man' as soon as I sat on him I knew he was in grind to a halt at every opportunity mode so I should have gone for a little hack but he was so good in the school last time I went in anyway. His Fell pony friend was in there too who seemed to be in the same mode,maybe they'd been partying hard through the night?
Anyway the lateral work okay but not as good as last time,I tried playing about in trot half halt and gather him up in corners and short side of the school and open and forward down the longsides-tried being the operative word!
He argued about going forward at every opportunity and bucked a couple of times when I had the cheek to ask strongly (not in Polo's league matey!).I asked for a few canter transitions..horrible and a few more bucks cos I would accept him bouncing up and down like a rocking horse rather than going forward{sigh} hack tomorrow see if he's better then.
Im desperate for a lesson will definitely contact the instructor from my old yard see if she'll travel.

I took Polo in the school and had another crack at the rope circling,he was a sharp as ever, picked up exactly what it was all about instantly and wanted to trot round when I only wanted walk, he's the most incredibly sensitive and reactive horse.
He looked sound then off then sound then off but as we played he looked sounder,
maybe the herbs are working?!?!

I lunged Ali yesterday using the whole school and he was pretty good,we were just playing about really .

Forgot to say we went for a long hack on Wednesday,another new hack, Ali was really good although didnt like passing a smelly farmyard that had lots of noisy cows.He was mortified when it started to hail stone half way around and was tossing his head in disgust we had a few good trots and canters in the dash to get home. Mmmm maybe we just need bad weather to get him forward:)))



Dogs are all stripped now,I did Ted last week and made a start on Mouse. Ive never seen a dog react like Ted he positively loved it and was flat on his back while I did his tum.The others dont mind it but all have areas they dont like so much Buster is good all over but didnt like his shoulders done the first time,Minx is good everywhere but doesnt like her legs being done,Mouse doesnt like her tummy done.I finished Mouse off last night,well she has a bit on her tum still to got but I do that a little at a time,Minx got a tidy up as she had a bit of a mane,Ted a good brush through with the stripping blade and I tidied Buster up.
Im a bit cross with myself as his coat didnt look great for Crufts, his neck and shoulders arent through properly so it all looked a bit uneven but I was scared of making it worse so left it.Last night I pulled out all the long bit that were sticking out over his back and thighs and he looks fab now,still short on coat but its even and looks much better-typical!

Phewwwwww

Just got home so quick Crufts news.
Well a day of highs and lows pretty much sums it up.This will probably sound weird but driving down this morning I had a feeling something bad was going to happen,I was paranoid the car was going to breakdown,Buster was going to take bad or *something*.The *something* didnt take long to rear its head but it wasnt aimed at us.
We'd literally arrived at our benching area and were putting the cage up etc when I saw an old man crash to the floor,it seemed to happen in slow motion as I watched,he simply went over backwards banging his head on the floor with the worst crack ive ever heard in my life.
A few of us rushed over, he was taking big gasps of air so we got him into the recovery position while shouting to get a doctor and ambulance.Seemed like forever until an on-site nurse arrived with emergency first aid kit,I could see he'd stopped breathing so told her, she proceeded to faffed on with an oxygen tank until another lady who was helping took charge and said he needs CPR and defibrillator NOW.
Another nurse who was just out for the day came and between the two ladies and another man giving CPR and a couple of us getting the defibrillator sorted we muddled through until the paramedics arrived who whisked him off like lightning.
His little old wife was standing through all this then got taken to hospital.
Well after this I have no idea what happened when for a while,I know I'd not give Buster his tablet when I arrived as i'd originally planned so ended up giving him it not long before his class.I cant remember if the old lady came back before or after we'd been in the ring but when I spoke to her,she was with Crufts staff and her husband had died.
What a horrible thing to have happened it was all we could think about all day,I kept hearing the crack.At the time I thought he'd gotten his leg caught on his cages but afterwards I reckon he'd had a heartattack and was probably gone before the paramedics arrived.The lady had no one with her and seemed completely dazed but obviously wanted to stay while the staff tried to contact her son and arrange her transport home as her husband was the driver.We kept an eye to make sure she was with someone all the time and incredibly she took her old dog into its class and won,apparently they'd shown and bred for many many years so im sure this was her way of handling the situation or doing it for her husband.
Anyway we did our class Buster didnt get anything my mind was not there and to be honest I dont think he'd have ever placed him anyway as he was going for much smaller dogs throughout the day and with a fair bit of coat,which Buster doesnt have because i'd had to strip him late with his illness!
Afterwards Peter said although he thought Buster looked great he seemed a bit flatter than his usually OTT self,im pretty certain it was because he got his tablet not long before we went in the class as one of the side effects is drowsiness.
I wasnt expecting anything anyway just getting there is an achievement and Peter said to have him looking half as well as he does and well him just being alive is not bad going.It did all seem pretty unimportant after what had happened anyway.

The high..well it wasnt mine but figure I can claim a little bit of it as it was Peter's glory and he's the one who's introduced me to showing so I was as pleased as punch when his little bitch pup not only got a first but then got best puppy of breed which is a fantastic achievement for him.


Im off for a bath and to sleep for 20hours....

Wish us luck!

We are off to Crufts in the morning! Leaving at 3.30am{yikes!} so im in bed trying to sleep- interpreted as using my phone to go on the internet.
Im not looking forward to 3.30or the drive but excited to be going particularly with Buster's illness!
I'd would be a miracle to get placed but wish us luck anyway..got to try &get some sleep now.