Wow the Top Barn 2023 Winter Challenge is nearly done!! How many people are still with us? We are just beginning Week 10. Charlie and I still have our Rollover Week and our Holiday Week in hand. We have banked 2 hours and 40 minutes. This means we can do a Rollover Week of 2 hours and 20 minutes. I'm thinking that may be this week. Then it will leave 5 hours next week, meaning we will finish a week early. We have managed a Rhi's Random each week (including a couple of Ridden, even though Charlie is not Ridden). Unbelievable to think when this ends we will already be 3 months into the 'New Year'.
The Weather has been pretty kind. Top Barn Challenges normally herald the beginning of Storms, Torrential Rain, or Beasts From the East bringing 6 foot snow drifts. As it is February has had a False Spring. NO rain (not good for grass growth) and some lovely days of sunshine and double figure temperatures. I even rode out with no coat and my sleeves rolled up. Sadly the temperatures have dropped severely and we are expecting snow by the morning.
That ride out........ Meg rode Lulu, I rode Daisy and ponied Charlie off her. Daisy being the unflappable nanny pony and all. We went down a bridleway that goes through a campsite. The Campsite is lovely with lots of fishing lakes. The owner is the opposite to lovely and hates the fact the Bridleway runs through his land. He was soon monitoring us on his Quad Bike. No drama. We passed through his land and went to look at the Ford which was pretty empty. From that point its a very long way back via roads, or a turn around. We turned around. Nearly back through the campsite when a swan stood up and flapped its wings. Daisy the Unflappable, had a malfunction and took off, Charlie having no choice but to come along. Its hard to pull up 2 Cobs at once! The Swan kept flapping. By now I had Daisy to a steady plunge/buck and Charlie had chilled out. Lulu in the meantime, slightly ahead hadn't noticed a thing.
For most of the last month I have had some sort of Lurgy. Snotty, coughing, and absolutely exhausted. Not Covid. I tested twice (due to looking after my elderly Mother). The cough is still loud and clear, but today for the first time in weeks I have felt energetic. I even hoovered the gaps between my floorboards. Heres hoping thats the end of that!!!!
So I couldn't do a Blog without mentioning Horse Agility. Charlie and I submitted our February classes mid Feb, so had a long wait for the results. I am pleased to say we scored a 99/100 for WO Silver Liberty earning us a 1st Place, and 96/100 in the WO OLHA Medium Level which got us 2nd place.
We have also been following Connection Training, which has shown us both how to relax and chill out, instead of rushing from one behaviour to another. I have jumped up on him a few times, without moving (Obs I had to move, but he didn't) and he has been very calm about it. Onwards and Upwards to riding!!
See y'all on The Other Side.
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