We DID enjoy ourselves yesterday! All back to normal, with a full strength SH behind the wheel, me as excited as a little girl going to Pony Club Camp, and Radar shaking with excitement from the moment the plaits went in. He had a whale of a time, and so did I, and we are both fine this morning.
We jumped a number of 4 footer hedges just because they were in the way. Oh, all right, I veered violently right and then left again to jump into and out of a field quite unnecessarily just because we could. What fun!
Radar did, at times, fight me for control and has once again given himself sore gums. But there is absolutely nothing I can do about it that I can think of. I could control him really easily in the Liverpool and it ended completely his nasty habit of diving his head downwards to loosen my grip and then running off. But what he did do was violently shake his head left and right to try and get rid of my control that way. It didn't work, but it does give him pressure/movement sores on his bars, the silly boy.
On the plus side, he is learning to stand still at checks, thank goodness, and he is jumping timber much better than he was last year.
The air jacket was fine, and probably did give me some early-season confidence AND I remembered to undo it before I got off.
Now all we have to do is wait until next week.
C
Aside from the sore gums, it sounds like a perfect outing! Wow about those hedges, but I suppose you both are addicted. *lol*
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping Radar will figure out that fighting that bit is useless and surrender more easily next time. His enthusiasm does tend to get the best of him.
Did he offer to go more round for you? That would be super.
He certainly did Jean. He spent a lot of time cantering along with his forehand up and beautifully balanced. Last season he would lean on my hands trying to put his head down a lot of the time. He felt much stronger and more together than he ever has before.
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Wey hey, that's a great post, so glad to hear you've been flying across the country with all your gusto from last season intact. Fabulous. He so loves his job, and has had a good summer rest to balance it, how many horses get a rest like that?
ReplyDeleteI don't think he appreciated being rested Tracey :-) He was forever making long faces at me and asking why he couldn't come in and work like the others. He has a strong work ethic, like Tetley :-)))
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I know, but it'll make his body last longer for more seasons. He'll see you through til you want to give up hunting I reckon!!
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He's only a very low mileage eight, not backed until six, so another ten seasons at least? Though teh hills here do seem to play havoc with their hocks :-(
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