#onwardsandupwards

Just wanted to give you all an update after our last outing at our most local event, Chilham Park at the beginning of August. Unfortunately the event didn't go as planned at all......Oh, the joys of eventing, plenty of 'downs' to go with the 'ups'......there just seems to be more 'downs' than 'ups' being thrown our way at the moment but at least we're still fit to fight another day I suppose!!

Milli warmed up well for the dressage but didn't just feel herself and looking back at the pictures her face and ears look a bit bored or fed up and she didn't feel like she was working as well as she normally does. She did brighten up when we went in the arena and performed quite a nice test to score 34.0 which was good enough to put us in the top 10 after dressage in our arena.

We got her tacked up for the SJing and she was feeling much more like herself and she was jumping like a machine! Well, like a machine until she managed to stand on one of her back shoes on the approach to a fence and half pull it off and twist it. I jumped straight off and took her over to the farrier who took it off for me and put it back on but unfortunately she wasn't 100% on it. The farrier took it back off as she had obviously bruised her sole / white line when she twisted it and stood on it! I chatted with the farrier and we agreed that just to be on the safe side I should poultice it that night and the following morning she was much better on it, just a little sore. She's had the last few weeks off and now has a new set of shoes on which she seemed to really like when we trotted her up after so I'm very keen to see how she get's on with these.

I did have a few more events planned for her before the end of the season including the CIC* at Firle Place but I'm going to give her a bit of quiet time as she's only 6 so has her whole career ahead of her! I don't see the point in rushing her into anything and making her do it as I want all my horses to event because they enjoy doing it, not because I'm making them, that's when accidents happen! I'm going to get all her WOW Saddles checked out as well as she doesn't seem 100% happy with how they are sitting on her and fingers crossed we can hopefully get a few events in before the end of the season.....

On the positive side though, Roxie is making an incredible recovery and although her knee hasn't completely healed I'm now leaving it uncovered 24/7 and just ensuring it is kept nice and clean! The wound is now just a bit bigger than a £2 coin, which is remarkable considering after surgery her whole knee area was open and visible back to the bone!! I don't think we are going to have hair on the area which is left to heal as there is starting to be black bits of skin grow across without hair. She is much, much brighter now and is even allowed out in the field for a few hours at a time with Milli which she is thoroughly enjoying, especially rolling in the mud (see picture!). She clearly missed the horse-to-horse interaction being stabled all the time! She still isn't 100% sound, I wouldn't say she's 'lame' but she's not 100% 'right' on it if that makes sense?! Whether she comes back 100% sound and fit to compete is still unknown but as long as she's comfortable and happy , that's all that matters :) I'm amazed with how much that ImmuPlus has visible helped her recovery and so are the vets!

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Star is also going really well and thoroughly enjoys her jumping having not done much so far in her life other than showing! We've been XC schooling with her and she took to it like a duck to water! Straight over ditches, banks, tyres, barrels, in fact all fences she was asked to jump and straight through the water too! Unfortunately she is now advertised for sale due to my livery, Nicky and her daughter having to move to a yard nearer their house and their livery was my main income so unfortunately I'm very restricted, financially, to what I can do at the moment but looking on the positive side I now have time to do more teaching and riding which is what I love the most so hopefully once I've built up my client base a bit more I should be able to get back out competing in the near future....

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Unfortunately this  is a bit of a 'down' blog but that's horses for you.....they are great levellers! Being the determined individual that I am though and hence the blog title, it's onwards and upwards now as there is lots of exciting to look forwards to over the coming weeks and months.......Plus there is a new member of the 'four-legged' team joining us this weekend too so keep an eye out for pictures!

SG Eventing
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***Keep Calm & Canter On***
***Eventing 2014***