Slight problem.

Oh deary me she is a thin skinned beastie! Tia has a sore patch under the back of the saddle. If you feel it closely you can feel lumps which coincide with the holes in the gel-eze pad. Worse, she also has little infections at the roots of many of the hairs – you can feel a tiny little pip of scab on each one. If those flare up we are in big trouble because the blood supply to the skin of the back is poor . I’ve had one with it before, 20 years ago and it caused a right old mess. I can only think that it was the longer than usual ride that did it. I will be watching it VERY carefully and of course I can’t ride on it until it isn’t inflamed.

Tetley is great. I put him on the lunge and I cannot make him lame no matter how small I bring the circle. For the first time in ages I can see his left hip coming up when he is on the right rein and it is on the outside. Normally, his right hand bum muscle is so much more developed that you cannot see the left one rise if it is on the outside. That is real progress. I asked the vet today how long I should wait before I give up on any hope of further progress to total soundness and he said at least a year, maybe more.

I rode Caddy and he was sweet but clueless. We had to do squares because he cannot hold a circle and ends up on 5 metres instead of 20. I taught him some leg yield and he was good. Twice he tried to head for the jump that I had out for Tia, so I’m pretty sure he’s schooled over poles before he hurdled. Shows he’s keen, doesn’t it?

Molee has now moved up to the other end of the arena. Hopefully soon I can persuade it to live somewhere else entirely. Currently the score is 9-0.

C.