Chamfron Cactus Jack - First pole clinic

Being a very good lad at his first pole clinic (in the rain) with Julie.

Keep Moving - Week 43

Finally the rain stopped and it was another glorious sunny Sunday so we had a lovely wander along the railway line with Marissa and Julie.  Seven miles done at work on Monday, another fabulous frosty morning and some decent views over the Pentlands.  Only managed a very short stroll on Tuesday as the lurgy had hit, add to that more bloody rain and I barely moved for the rest of the week.  Got out for a three mile stroll along the railway line on Saturday evening and didn't feel like I would die, so hopefully back on it next week!

Keep Moving - Week 42

Both boys hacked out on a lovely sunny Sunday.  Back to work this week so a trudge along the railway line on foot on Monday then off exploring with Spidey on Tuesday, found a good new five mile loop to add to our rotation (we also met a Spidey Doppelgänger!)  Both Nicola and I were working near Beecraigs country park on Wednesday and after a false start we managed to meet up and have a walk around the loch at lunchtime.  Endless trails and it seemed endless free parking so definitely options for return trips.  Unfortunately Storm Babet then completely wiped out the rest of the week.

Spotty pals

 

Keep Moving - Week 41

The boys went out again together on Sunday, Cactus ridden and Spider lead, Spider felt this was the rightful order of things and did some frenzied foraging in the hedgerows, his manners but a distant memory!  Monday I took a trip to mum's then walked up to Liberton Kirk to see it in it's autumn glory.  Unfortunately it was decked in scaffolding, surrounded by builders bags and behind a locked gate!  Spidey went out a hack in the afternoon, looking like some sort of swamp donkey but otherwise sparklingly cheery.  Day out in Edinburgh with Sonya on Tuesday, we did some culture (Museum of Childhood, Museum of Edinburgh (bit of a hidden gem) and Dynamic Earth) and we did some snacking (Pakora Hut - highly recommended) then just the standard four miles walk along the railway line on Wednesday.  Thursday was a glorious bright Autumn morning, quick hack on Spider and then both boys walked up to the main yard to have their feet done.  Arena trip on Friday, both boys well behaved in a stiff wind, will try to ride in the school once a week, I need to drop my stirrups a hole, sit up and try and work on some bend and softness.  Saturday was another wander around Edinburgh (not in town all summer then three times in the last eight days!) before eating our own body weight in meat at Fazenda.

Hardly Moving (like a sloth) - Week 40

I had great plans for this week, on return from the Red Dragon I would ride the horses every day.  However I have been "slightly" demotivated by the weather which has been utterly grim.  In fact I don't think I've moved so little all year.  We have managed to get some life admin done though, new car has arrived and my wee Ignis was abandoned at Arnold Clark on Thursday, you can't fault a car that sold for the same money you paid for it two and a half years ago (and presumably it will go on the forecourt for several thousands more!)  If she's lucky her days of farm tracks are over!  On Friday we did make a small effort, walking round Linlithgow Loch then in a very brief interlude between the high winds and amber warning rain we took out Spider (seemed sound) and Cactus (scabby behind elbow) - good boys taking a turn to be rideable, don't have time to ride two!!

All smiles!

"The hill" at the Red Dragon - Credit to David Saunders 

The Red Dragon 2023

Interesting times!  Positives - we've had a fabulous weekend with moments that will go down in history for being epically inappropriate, decent scenery, brilliant company, a horse who has never looked or gone better all year and lots and lots of laughs.  Scotland won the Home International, the best turned out team and was second in the Celtic Challenge.  That said there was a general "WTF" theme to the weekend, Rebecca and Chamfron by Dand were selected as reserve for the team and of course someone has to be.  The problem was on paper the horse chosen instead of him had very little form which left us scratching our heads and wondering if our faces didn't fit.  We had a horse that had flown round four sixty kilometre rides this season, achieving gold in them all.  The other horse had three thirties to it's name and one fifty where it had finished on a higher heart rate, it had never done a vet gate and yet it was picked for the team on a notoriously tough ride to do the 55km.  Clearly we were missing something, except simply and without being mean, we weren't.  Asked to ride together the other horse obliterated Rebecca's chance of finishing in time.  As Owen sailed through the vet (and despite walking for the last third of the race) the other horse did not.  We came out of the vet shed to be told Rebecca had been "kind" and a "real team player" to stay with them (she didn't really have a choice) and while that is all very nice the fact is she'd spent a lot of money, taken a weeks annual leave and didn't get to ride her own race (asked "would you have finished in time if you'd ridden alone?" - "absolutely, without any doubt").  Oh and yes poor Owen got selected for the random drugs test too!  Hindsight would have been to give the team a firm swerve and get an 80km in at the Scottish Champs or Tentsmuir!  

Edited to add, asked for clarification and the reason given was that the vet and physio had felt Owen's trot was slightly "off" at the first inspection on the Friday.