Difficult decision

I was so excited yesterday after seeing what a lovely job Somerford had done, again, on their course and event site. But I woke just before six this morning with my head telling me that my heart was in the wrong place. The showjumping was maximum height right from the start, and the spreads had been set very wide indeed, far wider than anything that he has seen so far. He is so, so close to doing a course of that standard with real enjoyment, and I realised that to do it two or three training sessions too early was risking setting him back months. He is such a fragile horse mentally, and I know that it was too big a risk. So I haven't gone. I am sure that you will all support that decision, and the longer the day goes on the more I know that it was the right one.

Ironically, if he had been less far forward in his training I would have gone. But he is so desperately close to getting it right, that for the sake of one event (the next is beautifully timed in two weeks, which should be absolutely perfect) I have to listen to what he needs and not to what I want for myself. Next week we have another local cross country, which will be great training, and tomorrow if it's not raining there is some unaffiliated showjumping not too far away that I plan to take him to and see what he does.

I might ride Zip later, or I may not, at the moment I am off for a walk to get rid of the adrenalin. Oh, and can anyone tell me how Zip left his rug in the field with every strap, including leg straps, still done up?????

C