Not me this week.

STOP PRESS

Jazz has had a terrible reaction to the flu jab that he had at 12 o'clock. You will remember that he had to have them restarted, and I was afraid of this happening because of having too many in too short a period. He came in tonight freezing cold, shaking from head to foot and "tied up" as if he had a bad case of azoturia - muscles all bunched and tense. He had no gut noise and was drinking too much and didn't finish his tea. I phoned the vet and she told me to take his pulse and to call her again if it went over 60, or if he began to heat up and sweat, or if he showed any sign of colic. I'm checking him every hour. His pulse has dropped from 60-ish to about 40, which is good. He has also warmed right up and he has gut noise and has eaten some haylage, all good. But his muscles are cramped up from head to foot and he obviously doesn't feel well. I've given him bute, the vet told me to, and there isn't much else we can do but wait. He should be OK, but there is a risk of impaction colic if we don't keep him moving. I am so glad that I have the barn, with Zippy pushing him around from time to time.

Fingers crossed everyone please.

C


The rest of today's post:

I set out totally positive for my showjump training today. Which is just as well because Jazz was in a very lazy mood and probably wouldn't have lifted his feet off the floor if I hadn't made it clear that he had no option. So he warmed up stickily, but he was jumping a metre confidently again today. Not without a stop here and there when he didn't want to play and we introduced a new fence, but that's just him. It's what he does. I wish I could stop it altogether but I think it's too much to ask for yet.

What was good about today's session was his confidence jumping, which is growing and growing. He thinks a metre is no big deal at all now. And then when we got the umbrellas out, including a great big red and white golfing umbrella, he was really doing well. He was boggle eyed, but he still jumped. He jumped fences with a brolly on each side, and he jumped with the big red and white one hung on the fence facing him. His attitude seemed to be "I think these are terribly scary, but you don't seem to think so, and I know that I'm going to have to do it anyway, so hold tight, here I go ...... " and he jumped faster than usual, as if to get past it quicker. I thought that was really good progress in the face of terrible provocation. I also told Superhubby that he looked delightful gently spinning his fetching green tartan parasol as he walked around :-) !!

At one point today Jazz was refusing at a fence he's done on other days. I hit him, and I could hear the two girls standing on the other side of the wall stop talking as they heard me. A minute or two later one of them looked through the crack in the door, and then appeared at Allan's side in the gallery. I was bothered by her being there, but then I thought I'll have more audience than that at an event. So I rode up to her and I said "I'm perfectly happy for you to watch me, but you should be aware that this horse has a history of bolting, rearing, and trying to break his way through concrete walls. I have a history of buying horses other people can't manage and putting them right. You may not like what you see if you watch me, but you need to accept that what I do is necessary, OK?". She seemed quite happy with that, and stayed for a while.

I think I'm coming to terms with the fact that Jazz will always "have a stop in him" if he doesn't like the look of something. He'll always need positive riding and woe betide me if I'm feeling a bit wet that day. It's in his genes, his father is the same. But he is great fun to train, and a great talent. I am sure that if we just carry on with the step by step progress that we're making, start training outdoors again, get some cross country practice in and get some local competitions under our belts, that he is going to be a great performer, and he's such fun to have around.

C

ps Zippy went loooong last week and now seems to be going up again. He is getting seriously big. I love it!