Back in action

April 16, 2018

Back in action

Since our last dressage show Fred has had one snotty nostril. He's had no other cold symptoms but has been out of work, bar one or two hacks. He was on various different medicines as well as time off medication to see if that helped. NOTHING worked. I was going to have to go down the X-ray route, which I was not looking forward to..........As a last ditch attempt at getting rid of it before that, I asked my friend Wendy to make me up an essential oil concoction to try that. She made me up a container with a few different DoTerra oils. I gave it to him twice a day, put a bit on his nostril so he inhaled it and a bit on his chest.

After a few days I noticed a difference. The mucus was thinner. I started to give it to myself too. I was suffering from a cold (for forever) and it wasn't going anywhere with paracetamol and sudafed. He still gets a little bit the odd time, but it's pretty much gone, within a week. RESULT!! And after a few days I felt better too. With just the oils and some vicks. Wahoo!! So it's back to work for fat Freddy!

Checking the cats

They're loving the roof

On the way down

Between me feeling sick, the jeep not working and general tiredness, not an awful lot has happened between the last jumping session and our next jumping lesson. Luckily I got my jeep sorted before I went completely mental. I celebrated by going to a jumping lesson the next day with Cu Chulainn. Let's just say he was in flying form!! I brought the two boys over. I just gave Fred a quick spin. By the time I got on CC I was feeling tired ( as I was still suffering from the effects of this everlasting winter!!). I jumped a few rounds and it was going fine except on a related distance I wasn't getting the right strides. Then I got very tired and I started to feel nervous. I haven't felt that in awhile. I was tempted not to do anymore, but pushed myself to do one more round as I felt that if I stopped while feeling nervous, it'd still be there the next time I tried. I was coming to the related distance again and I could feel that it was going to be too close. So I pushed him to take it out a bit further and boy did he! I swear he did 1.30 over the jump and I was in the air for so long that I was thinking I hope he doesn't trip on landing!! We left it at that, on a complete high - but wrecked!!

On Saturday I picked up my friend Caroline and we went for a lovely hack with the boys. It was a crappy day and raining, so we'd a cup of tea before we were going to get wet. As we were drinking our tea, a strange thing happened, the clouds parted and a big bright thing came out!! We just walked as Fred is coming back and CC needed a chillout before the AIRC hunter trial in Flowerhill the next day.

On Sunday we set off for Flowerhill. I was still tired from the stupid cold and definitely not running at 100%. We got there with plenty of time. Myself and Rusty set off (reluctantly) to walk the course. That nearly killed me. It was so long and I'd too many layers on. Uck. Even Rusty was fairly tired and happy out to go back in the jeep. I tacked up and was all set to go when I found out about the stock rule. I'd completely forgotten about the whole need to wear a stock for AIRC. I'm not sure on the reasoning behind it, but anyway. I managed to get one off Wendy, but we were delayed because of it and had to go last in the pairs. Myself and Amanda were doing the pairs together.
CC was very wound up in the warm up, he hates XC warm ups (well, he has only ever been at one other one). We'd made a plan of chopping and changing who was going in front. I was starting off and boy did a do a bad job!! I jumped the wrong number 2!! This is where I play the blonde bimbo card......not gonna lie I jumped another wrong jump later on! But we got around, despite a hold up of 10 mins because someone fell off and the ambulance couldn't get to them. CC was wound up the whole way around and I really struggled to keep him under control. It took every ounce of my already severely lacking energy to keep him behind and not up Doughal's (the horse) arse!
Afterwards he didn't relax at all. I just changed my numbers and was ready to go again. I walked him in hand up to the arena to see what number they were to judge whether or not I should get up. On my way back I met one of the AIRC committee who gave out to me for having my stirrups down. I was so tired I thought he was joking and continued on. Then he began screaming at me about it. I looked at him in disbelief, here was an adult man screaming at me like I was a toddler. What a great association that we have.
I put it behind me and got up on CC and went for our individual round. We just walked around the warm up and I didn't bother jumping him. We went straight out. He had not tired out at all and was as strong as before. But he jumped out of his skin and gave me some huge leaps!! In only his second ever hunter trial we got a superb clear. Absolutely delighted with him.

As you can tell, we both enjoyed ourselves!!

Tongues out!!

Splish splash!

Stupid stock!

Needless to say Monday was interesting, there wasn't a piece of me that didn't ache or creek!! Walking up stairs was hard, walking down was even harder!! But eventually I got the flexibility back!

I didn't ride again until Wednesday. I was too lazy to get Fred's saddle so I rode him bareback. Stupid idea. Stoooopid idea...... And CC went for a hack but he was still wired.

Thursday I rode CC on a hack and he was slightly more chilled. Then Friday we went for our jumping lesson. I rode Fred outside and he was a spooky lukey, but it gave him great impulsion which was handy! CC was wired for the lesson. Still in XC mode I guess. He did well though and it was nice to do it and not be as tired!

On Saturday I buzzed over to Annaharveys to drop my saddles off to a friend, she is dropping them off to be flocked for me. She had organised a training weekend for eventers there with Sam Deverell. I watched some of the lessons and they looked great.
On my way home I picked up the GIT and brought him with me and the boys to a training show. I just did walk and trot with Fred. Then it was jumping for CC. He is still wired. There were a few arguments. He's well able to jump, but it's the speed at which he goes at them that we argue about.