Happy Birthday to Doug's Mum, Jocelyn.

(left to right - Jocelyn, Doug and Henry)

Shortly after Doug got back from visiting his father, Henry, in Australia, Jocelyn had a very serious heart attack. During the night she had what she thought was just pins and needles down one side but Henry was worried about her, and against her wishes called the ambulance. It was in the ambulance that she had a massive attack and her heart actually stopped. Thankfully, they managed to bring her back to life and she is now doing incredibly well. They have a fantastic circle of friends and family in Buderim, where they now live, who were incredibly supportive when Jocelyn came out of hospital. They have just got back from a trip in New South Wales and are marvelously living life to the full.

Yesterday, Lucy and I did a really good piece of work on the grass gallops with Dove and Frog. We had to go around the gallops the wrong way to trick Dove into doing some work and to stop her either planting or getting carried away and going too fast. The plan worked and they both went really well. Harry and Dream had the day off because we hunted them the day before and Red is still in convalescents after her wind operation.

Today, the horses all had a day off because Doug needed a hand to get his tractor to the other side of Market Harborough where he has got a fencing job. As the tractor only does 16 mph it is rather a long trek and normally takes around four hours, luckily the traffic was good and he made it in good time.

We are in the process of weaning Spider, we are doing it gradually and separating them at night by putting them in adjoining stables, we have just brought Eeyore up from the field and put him in the next stable to Spider so that she has got a friend when we take Skye away full time. He thinks he has died and gone to heaven - he just loves his creature comforts and is so happy in what he thinks is a five star hotel compared to the cold field!