magic magnetic boots

Fi is still sore :(

I gave in to my feelings and clutched at a straw, and got a pair of leg wraps with magnets in to try. She's only had them on once, as she has to be still rather than exercising or grazing. So no conclusions yet.

We've had a tough couple of weeks with Rosie. I keep having to say to mum that progress is not linear. As Rosie had regressed, I did too - reverting to being behind her as if long reining. It seemed to help and we have lunged and long reined since.

Mum has also come to the conclusion that she is using her legs too far back.

So we will see if all of that adds up to progress again.

not so much dressage queen as jester ;)

A local venue was having a dressage competition in aid of charity. I saw the schedule when I had just been watching my sister do dressage, and for some strange reason decided I was going to take Dudley to it, as Fi was likely to still be lame.

Of course I was just going to be going to keep my sister company ;)

Anyway - entries duely went in. I rode through the test a few times and knew for sure our canter movements were going to be rubbish. No time to really sort out the major issues - this chap is 20 and has not been getting as much work - until Fi was lame. He had been off with laminits a while back and I've never quite had the time to straighten out all the glitches he had when he came back into work.

Plus Duds has not been out in a trailer *anywhere* since his move to Scotland - actually thats a fib. The last time he was out at all was in a box, and *that* was the move to Scotland. A trailer - way longer than that - at least 9 years.

So - all in all we were just going for fun :D

Only the forecast was for showers, and when I got up it was TIPPING it down. We decided to go ahead anyway, but once both ponies were loaded realised one tyre was distinctly soggy. So that had to be sorted as well. Better to arrive late than not at all with ponies and people spread across a road somewhere :O

I was calling for my sister in her two tests, so in the end had quite a short warm up. And the main warm up was on grass - now Duds is only shod on the front so I was a bit concerned about him slipping.

But he took it all in his stride. Even when we moved into the smaller warm up (collecting area for tests) and there were some distinctly *rude* people about ! OK, so the rider concerned did ride left to left - but they are *not* supposed to ride so close you could share a stirrup !

Anyway, as predicted the canter was not great. We had not really had the time, space, riding surface to really warm his canter up - and even then it was not going to be great. But I was really pleased with his workmanlike attitude. He just did the job required. Slightly distracted by the horse in the arena on the other side of the fence to him at one point, but nothing major. He also suddenly noticed my sister with a video camera at the end of our free walk (prelim 1). But overall, for pony that has done b-all for an awful long time, I figure he was a major star :D

and we didn't get rained on AND it was in for a good cause !