We had rather a set back over the weekend. We took Dove and Red hunting as the meet was in the village and we thought it would be good for them both to do something different. They were very well behaved to begin with but then the hounds found a fox and screamed away, the fox kept on going around in circles so one minute we were at the front and the next at the back. Both horses found it rather unsettling having horses flying around in different directions and got a bit uptight so as we were close to home we started to head back - I was hoping to jump on Dream and catch the hunt up. but Dove didn't take too kindly to leaving the hunt and started to spin around, very nearly dispatching me and then planted. I jumped off and led her a little way and then thought it would be a good idea for Doug to quietly take Dove home as they had been getting on so well before. We were only 400 yards from home so I started to lead Red and Doug got on Dove - we didn't want her to have a 'win' by leading her home as well. The next minute Dove came galloping past me flat out and riderless - she sped past me into the concrete yard and slid over crashing onto her side, tried to get up but failed. My heart sunk as she looked as though she had broken her hip - she then struggled to her feet and disappeared off around to the stables. In the meantime Doug, who was relatively unharmed appeared. Apparently she had tried a new trick, the first time in her 10 years, and had reared over backwards, luckily in the plough, so a fairly soft landing. Hearts in our mouths we found her in the stable yard looking somewhat worse for wear - blood pouring from a nasty wound behind her elbow and cuts and scrapes all over. Thankfully though, nothing broken. The vet was called and she has now been stitched up. She is very stiff and sore today and will be off work for at least 3 weeks but at least she is still with us and Doug wasn't badly hurt. It could have been very different...
Will came to school on Friday but it was pouring with rain and the schooling ground was too wet so instead we took Dove (Will) Dream (me) and Harry (Doug) around the circular gallop for a fast canter. Ironically Dove went as well as she ever has, and Harry and Dream also worked really well. Will then schooled Harry around the menage and he jumped better than ever. His racing name is 'unoitmakessense' and apparently the comments in the Mackenzie and Selby book (which is like the point to point Bible) says " Jockeys - unoitmakessense not to ride this horse as he is such a bad jumper!" We bought him fairly cheaply because of this and we have worked very hard on his jumping, He is still young enough to learn and we feel he has made significant progress. Will is very happy to ride him and he has been entered for the Heythrop races on Sunday 31st Jan, as has Jake. They weren't very flattering about Jake either so lets hope we can prove them wrong!
Last evening we went to the Sheps for supper - they are brilliant hosts and we had a real hoot. Needless to say today was a bit steady but it was such beautiful weather I managed to get quite a bit of gardening done