Fun in the sun

I was marshalling the cross country start at Somerford all afternoon. There are worse things to do than stand in the sun in a field watching a string of more and less lovely horses and their more and less nervous riders.

Before I went I schooled Jazz, and it went reallllly well. Two nice flying changes and some really good effort at giving me a bigger trot. He took an age to loosen off though. I was in an odd mood and didn't want to pick a fight with him, so I sent him on with a loose rein for about twenty minutes circling in walk, trot and canter, until I felt that he had loosened off. For the whole time he was whinging, moaning, groaning and grunting. He's always vocal but today it was something else! We got there in the end though.

I took Radar up for a whizz. We worked up a jolly good sweat, which will help for his fitness for next week. It felt like hunting had made an incredible difference to his ability to manage his own body over uneven ground. He was very , very much more confident on his feet.

Butkins is a big furrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry ball - I must get you some pix. He continues to be a complete delight, and begs for cuddles all the time - he even lifts his paw to beg a cuddle.

I am looking forward to hunting on Saturday, hopefully.

C