Well, the yr didn't start too great with being chased down the steep hill on the ranges by a big, scary dog and straining his leg again. he was quite lame for a while so had a couple of months off but that seemed to do the trick and since then he has been back hacking out again. I haven't actually ridden him so no idea quite how sound he is but he seems to be having a whale of a time whenever I go out hacking with him and one of his sharers. He lost a lot of wt this summer with the short grass and I got quite worried about him as then he started having trouble eating but dentist sorted out a few sharp edges and a move back to his old field in Normandy has sorted out the weight issue and he is now nice and round again. The year ends with all good in Dan's world.
LLEWI
The year started with him just about to start trot work and it didn't really get an awful lot better. He never felt quite right on a hard surface from the start. The vet said to take it really slowly but push on and he got a little better but still not quite right. Pushed on and got him fitter and it didn't get any worse. He felt fine in the school and picked up schooling (and spooking) just where we left off once fit again. We went out to some dressage competitions at Prelim/Novice and he was consistently placed or winning inc a DTM on over 75% despite spooking the whole way round. We did a ridden showing class which left me fearing for my life as he bucked and cavorted around enjoying the chance to canter in company again. I took him back to Liphook and he said he looked fine in the school. Wasn't quite 100% on the lunge on the hard but otherwise looking good and unlikely to get any better (or worse) so to crack on. And then we did a RC dressage test on grass and the judge pretty much said he was lame :( Immediately lost all enthusiasm for riding him. No matter whether schooling or hacking was just paranoid that I was asking a lame horse to do work and that wasn't right but couldn't leave him in the field to do nothing. Ended up backing right off on his work which wasn't fair with him just in a tiny paddock. Tried putting him out with Monty but they kicked the s**t out of each other so made the decision to try and put him out on loan. After a few timewasters I found his current loaner and he moved away at the beginning of September. He is still a naughty little monkey and I dont know how she puts up with his behaviour but I think he is liking his new relaxed life with plenty of friends and not much work so seems like all is well in Llewi world at the moment.
MONTY
His year started well with lots of hunting, indoor SJ at MW and indoor dr at MW with the flatwork never being easy but feeling like it was gradually improving. April was first 80cm ODE at T/down - placed 6th with double clear and some time faults. May was first 90cm at Mattingley - 2nd with double clear in the time. End of May first BE90 at T/down -4 faults SJ, clear XC, time faults, not placed. Week after BE90 at Borde Hill 2nd place and qualified for Regionals! June - more clears XC BE90, dressage improving. July - won the RC Nov Horse Trials Q. Aug - long format 2 day event at the RC Champs - fab fun but first ever run out lost us 3rd place. Sep - first BE100 at Munstead - double clear. Oct - 2nd BE100 at Pulborough - 2nd runout of the season at a silly corner due to my rubbish riding. Finished season with double clear at Intro Champs at T/down and 12th place with a really confident XC round and the final of several clear rounds in the SJ as feel like we really improved in that area during the season. Went to a Rich Waygood clinic in Nov and ended up jumping 1m15 as part of a grid and not being terrified about it!
Unfortunately dressage seemed to go downhill in the latter third of the season and started getting comments about him going down centre line with quarters right and being tight over the back. He has always tended towards this way of going as was so crooked when I got him but it never showed up like this in our dressage tests. Tried to work through it and he has been out to some BD tests and never score less than 60% at Novice. Has won a prelim so half qualified for summer regionals but still something not right so have now had physio out and he has definitely got a sore back and is walking with quarters to the right so had some H-wave treatment and now got the saddler coming out next week followed by the physio coming back to treat him under sedation the week after. He will then have some time off and some work in hand before potentially another session. Physio said to carry on as normal but have tried schooling him and he feels horrible. Thought things were coming on ok despite the crookedness but now he just feels yucky. Hunted him though and he feels fab still - no hint of not wanting to jump, not going disunited or jumping awkwardly. Jumped some huuuuuuge hedges back in November with the Kent and Surrey bloodhounds and he seemed to love it. Bit confused really. Desperately hope physio can sort him out and not that her treatment will straighten him and show up an actual lameness as always so paranoid about his right hind after what they said on the vetting. It's not covered by insurance so will have to pay for any diagnostics/treatment needed so really hope he is going to be ok.
Therefore am not going to talk about 2012 aims for him as dont want to jinx things. Just hoping he is ok so we can pick up where we left off as so much more to do. So, 2011 ends with all not quite right in Monty's world :(
No comments:
Post a Comment