DAY 6
Two great people arrived today – the “boss” (aka mum) and David. I took Mr. C for a hack this morning on the hills. He took longer than yesterday to focus and stretch, but he did it no problem eventually. I love hacking through the green fields and seeing the race horses hack by on their way down the hill. Then they turn right behind the trees and gallop uphill on the woodchips. They look so much more mature and happy in themselves than the race horses you see in Florida. Much better training lives I think, more enjoyable at least. They hack on a loose rein with their jockeys smiling and saying good morning as they pass me heading down hill again for another boot up the hill.
I went to the ring and did my flexions in trot and canter. I worked again a little on the counter canter including flexions. I didn’t push it because I knew I had a dressage lesson with David in the afternoon. Once I was done riding a quick change of the clothes and off I went to Heathrow airport to pick up MUMMY! YAY!
It’s only about an hour and 15 minutes away, and mostly along the M4 (motorway). I like long straight lines with no round abouts and no hills and/or changing gears. Did I mention I am driving a stick shift? HA! HA! HA! No, for real…I am much better than when I started this week. I did get lost momentarily leaving the airport once I had picked her up, mostly because I couldn’t get the Sat Nav to tell me where I was going. Then it was off to Haygain to pick up mum’s car. I know LUCKY right?
After that, mum followed me to the farm to watch my lesson with David. On the way, I suddenly realized I had forgotten my duty-free AGAIN! Yeah, small detail…the one time I decided to buy something for myself, having NEVER bought perfume for myself before, I promptly left it on the plane. I didn’t notice till I was in the HUGE line up for the boarder check. So, when I went down to get my suitcase off the carousel I stopped at the Air Canada desk to ask if it was possible to get it back. They were very helpful and asked my seat number and what the item wa,s then went back and looked for it. Another lady from a Vancouver flight had done the same thing so the gentleman was looking on her flight as well. He came back empty handed which was disappointing considering I was at the back of the plane, so it’s not like a passenger passed it and picked it up. BOO!
Well, low and behold, I got a phone message from Air Canada to say they had found it and I could pick it up. I called and left a message with them to say I would be there on Tuesday to pick up “the boss” and could they please hold it till then. Not super surprising that I forgot to get it. UGH! So, now I will call them and ask if it’s possible for them to hold it till I fly back out next week. One can always hope.
Ok enough of that, onto the really good dressage lesson. I REALLY want to ride Colombo in the snaffle for many reasons. When he wears a double, sometimes he gets the comment “mouth open” which means you are losing marks for sure. He likes to argue and have his mouth open so it’s best to ride him in a figure eight. In a double, you have to ride in a cavesson noseband. He tries to open his mouth on a regular basis, no matter what you ride him in. Lately, he has been a little keen in the ring shall we say. So, I switched to the double bridle for some control when he gets a bit silly. However, now I am thinking that maybe he is “boiling” behind the double a little. I am not sure I am right, but David seems to think it’s a good plan. I will lose less marks for him being over-bent and having his mouth open with the snaffle. Let’s just hope I can hold him together for the test:)
Having said that, he was brilliant in the lesson. He has been great since he got here – supple, focused (for the most part) and enjoying his work. I haven’t done any flying changes and we did two in my lesson today. Both clean, one was VERY nice and the other was ok. I am leaving the changes alone for the most part because he knows them now and I don’t want him to anticipate. I have practised a lot of canter to halt in order to do a nice centerline at the beginning AND end of the test. He tends to want to finish the test at mach 10 so he can go cross-country.
We all had a lovely Thai dinner in Marlborough, thanks to Catherine and Benj for their amazing hospitality. Mr. C is wrapped up and tucked in with his late night dinner and I am off to bed. BIG DAY TOMORROW!
Quote of the day:
“Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she’ll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she’ll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit”.
