Clare

Wow Blue sounds like he had a busier time than you! I don't think anyone mucks out as well as we feel we do Things are good here, we've been training hard, making progress (hopefully!!), still debating about whether we will be ready for our intended first event beginning of March, just can't believe it will ever stop raining and let the ground dry out. I'm loving my lorry and having the freedom to go out and about on my terms The not so good news is that Loki's Anhidrosis is quite evident since we have started pre season fitness work, I'm not sure if its because I am aware of it now or if it has kicked off earlier than usual, but there is a bit of light in that a supplement company I contacted have experience of horses with this overseas and are very keen to try and help and are funding the loading period of the supplement so its not just sales bluff. They have been incredibly helpful and are the first people I have spoken to who understand and have experience of the condition so I am really hoping we might make some progress.

Fantastic well done Gooster Such a shame you are away for Aintree heard its a lovely venue, you'll just have to qualify for next year We're out showjumping on Sunday and its my first proper trip out in the horsebox so not sure what I am more nervous about

We're fine too Another who clipped a hairy monster at the weekend, I ended up taking everything off as then hopefully next time I can do a high blanket which is my fav for him but he just had too much coat this time. Have bitten the bullet and sold the trailer and now looking for a lorry, which is incredibly frustrating and there seems to be nothing decent around but trying to be patient!! Good girl Lilli, thats a mark of how much she trusts you now Hope the bruise is going down Gooster, at least he didn't break it

Wow well done Banner! We're eventing at the weekend, and my friend is taking us in her lorry so we can see how he travels in it and how we find it, so should be an interesting day! We've been working really hard on our showjumping so hoping that we do a bit better in that phase this time, but it really does depend on me keeping my head and riding him right so no one else to blame if it goes pearshaped lol.

Look forward to seeing you, I might be writing or scoring but hope to catch you

You both look very smart and glad you had a good outing, the arena sounds very spooky! Do you have another one planned?

Good luck tomorrow Gooster not that you'll need it you will both be fab!

Fab pics Gooster How are your preparations going for your test this weekend? Things are going well, Loki definately working better with the cooler weather. We went showjumping at the weekend and he jumped super with a clear in the first class and then in the second class I messed up at the second last fence in the jump off otherwise it would have been another clear but that was 100% my fault. I'm having a battle with myself at the moment as have the chance to buy my friends horsebox, dithering as it would mean refinancing my loans and topping it up putting more stress on things and the trailer works ok other than I won't tow it, so the box would give me the freedom to go off on my own without having to drag OH around, plus I would travel further to event as at the moment I don't like taking the trailer on the motorway, and to be honest its always been a dream of mine to have a lorry, but there is so much more to go wrong with one isn't there

Fab pics, you are both looking super

That is exactly what I found when writing, I had a preconception that everyone had perfect horses and rode perfect tests but actually you soon realise for the majority its the opposite and actually the judge isn't looking for much more than the basics well done We went eventing on Saturday, with the objective of seeing how he felt and doing as much as he felt capable. He did a nice dressage test and suddenly found his umph from somewhere but have to say I wish he didn't find it when we were heading down the centre line lol. Considering how flat he has been feeling I was delighted with the test, it was a bit untidy in places as he was keen but that was fine with me! Had a long wait until the showjumping which in hindsight I didn't deal with very well, I went over to watch and learn the course and wound myself up proper Then I checked my dressage score which was 32 and well in touch with the leader on 27. By the time it came to get on I felt sick and my legs were like jelly, I have no idea why after some good showjumping efforts lately but heyho. I won't defend our performance but I will say I got there with plenty of time to warm up to be told they were running ahead of time and there was one more to go after the person in the ring. So I had a quick trot and canter, popped a cross pole and went in ....... and proceeded to decimate the whole course and Im not really sure why When we came out they said 20 faults but 24 was on the final score so we smashed our personal worst in some style Having walked the xc course the day before I knew it was really strong and the hardest test we had ever faced, people were saying it was harder than the prenovice, I have to admit to not feeling very motivated, but of course he skipped round feeling fantastic i kept a hold of him as not point in going for the time but he gave me a wonderful ride, only one real sticky moment coming out of the coffin at a very spooky railway bridge fence with train tracks and a wooden train on top! So all was forgiven and I was left to rue our showjumping as even with three fences down showjumping we would have still been placed. August is the month of showjumping boot camp, I am making myself go out every weekend to jump, showjumping competition this weekend then to my trainer next weekend to get a plan together.

Loving Graces no nonsense response Look forward to your camp report CP Dressage went ok, we did a nice enough test but quite flat, was pleasantly surprised to win quite a good class but came away a bit concerned at his flatness (if that is a word!). Got a call from the yard yesterday that he was making strange noises almost like hiccups and on investigation appears horses get something called thumps and it sounded like what he had, so called my vet who was quite unconcerned and vague so decided to call in another practise I am registered with to do some bloods as thumps can be amongst other things calcium deficiency or interestingly electrolyte imbalance which ties in with the non sweating thing. They never bothered calling me back with an appointment but when I got him in from the field this morning he was as bright and happy as he has been in a while and worked much better, I'm guessing because the weather is so much cooler today so perhaps it is just a heat intolerance and I have to accept it and not keep thinking I need to get a definitive diagnosis. Will still get bloods taken if they ever call me back! We are supposed to be eventing on Saturday so hoping for a cool day, think I will go and do dressage and showjumping then make a decision on xc depending on how he feels and how the ground is, more worried about ground to be honest its going to be very firm.

Oooh that would really annoy me, I'd make a stand now otherwise she'll be taking over, just remind her you have set days and they need to be stuck to unless mutually agreed because you make plans for your days or something, that is really cheeky!! Can you not hack him out in the morning and she have her lesson this time so you don't lose out? Loki seems to be doing well, he is ok out at night although comes in with lots more cuts and scrapes so goodness only knows what he gets up to! We have started with the patches and this week we have had proper sweating Going to the gallops early tomorrow so that will be a good test of his wellbeing and then dressage on Sunday, if all that goes well then we are supposed to be going eventing next weekend, but with the ground I'm not sure that will happen, although venue does look after ground very well and they have been spiking but will probably go and do dressage and showjump then make a decision on xc, we don't have any other events planned until September so I would like to run if possible, my rain dance doesn't appear to be working!

Wow Gooster he looks like a different horse! I think thats the first ridden pics we've seen since he had his lameness problems, he is certainly swinging along in style now

Thanks Grace, very interesting, if none of the changes I'm doing show any sign of helping him I am going to look at getting the supplement

Phoebe is such a lovely looking girl, very kind face There is a "rule" that you are supposed to change your hat anytime you have a fall, but if you can't see any marks on it I might be tempted not to as its not that old. Hope you're not too stiff this morning Look forward to seeing the pics Gooster! Sad news is that Loki seems to be showing signs or his illness of 2011, he has been lethargic and puffing a lot again the last week. Vet came out on Thursday and gave his lungs a clean bill of health. The vet held his hands up and said he doesn't know what to suggest or where to go from here, all he could put it down to was a heat intolerance. In desperation I posted a thread on H&H forums and someone asked If he was suffering from anhidrosis and I've been researching it and although its very rare in the UK its not unheard of (two people on that thread have horses with it) I really do think it might be what he has, he has lots of the symptoms even down to having unexplained sores on his elbows that I know started when he was poorly in 2011 because vet said may be it was due to him laying down more feeling unwell. Unfortunately there is no cure its a case of managing it, some people have had success with patches so might try those but anything like that will need to be ordered from USA as nothing available in this country. So I'm sorry peeps but I am holding out for a cold and wet summer and wish this lovely weather would get lost in time for me to go eventing on the 26th

Forgot to add picy

Oh we like to kept the pole pickerupers busy, think yourself lucky we weren't there Did you have a good day? On that note we did our first BE of the season last weekend at BCA and managed quite a respectable 2 fences down in the sj, flew round the xc clear inside the time but sadly the course or time didn't cause many problems so we weren't able to claw the faults back but 17th out of 40 odd isn't too shabby.

What about a New Forest PW?

Thats a lovely picture Yes I didn't have much luck with the nose net on fieldsafe headcollar either Full masks do stay on a bit better but if they are determind to get them off they do eventually, I tend to smother in sun cream and put one on to cover all bases!

Well done Banner Glad the horses are improving for your tlc Louise Did you get the saddle sorted CP? How is Blue now? Had a busy weekend last week, went showjumping (again I know I must be sick ) which went ok, one down in the unaff and 2 down in the affiliated class, but one of those was 100% my fault completely missed my stride and panicked, so one down over the rest of the course was not too bad for us. Then our first dressage test under our new trainer and was really happy how he went, much more free and forward, confirmed by an 8 for paces, it made the arena seem even smaller than usual so it was a bit messy and unbalanced on the corners, but was happy with 71% and 4th. Jumping lesson tomorrow then thats all our prep ready for BE90 the following weekend.

How about showjumping at Wheelers on 1st / 2nd June? After having wobble of confidence and belief the last few months, Im pleased to say I think we and especially Loki has refound our mojo, the flat work is getting back on track although still work in progress its going the right way. Today we went to a xc clinic which we both enjoyed

Oh no norty Blue! Ours move to a new field on Sunday and Im dreading it, he is going so nicely at the moment I'll disown him if he injures himself pratting around, its a field they haven't been in before on a hill with a stream running through the middle, the possibilities for trouble are endless

Well done Banner! Look forward to hearing how Lilli get on When I had a sharer for Loki she did three days a week where she had complete responsibility for his care. Well I couldn't put it off any longer so on Saturday we packed up and headed off to do some show jumping. It was the first time out since working with our new trainer so was feeling motivated to try and ride him as we have in our lessons but still wasn't sure if I could do it as I tend to revert to default setting once in the ring. I almost bottled doing both classes but made myself enter 2.6ft and 2.9ft, and was glad I did as there was no way the courses where up to height. He jumped a lovely round in the 2.6ft for just the one down and it was unlucky in the second phase but was by far the nicest round we have done, then into the 2.9ft and I wasn't as happy with how I rode but we had a slightly lucky double clear - completely unheard of! Was very chuffed with how we did but the courses were small and I'm not sure it will be any reflection on how we do at BE90 but we have demolished small courses before so hopefully we might be on the right track. I think the plan is to go back there and do the small affiliated class on a ticket next time before heading off to our first even in June. How is everyone else doing, any plans?

Well done Milo sounds like you have been a very clever boy Glad Blue is doing well Gooster, two lessons a week would be fantastic. How is the sharer getting along now? I am finally starting to get back into things again, I have had to buy yet another saddle and now have seriously maxed out the credit card but you only life once hey. I'm much happier with his flatwork now, and he is much more forward and free even though we do lose consistancy in the contact but I'd much rather it that way than him being over bent and tense. Had a good jumping lesson at the weekend and hope to go showjumping over the weekend to face our demons! I have also had to face that I really need to learn to tow the trailer, bf has been a star at taking us wherever we've wanted to go but is going through a grumpy stage and it would be so much easier if I could just hitch up and go without having to win him round. Have sent an email off to a local towing centre so waiting to hear back. I hate the idea of doing it after trying to learn with short tempered bf years back it put me off for life but some of the people I know who tow make me think if they can do it surely I can too!

Showjumping has started again at Wheelers in Eversley