We have decided to wait for another week before running Harry again so that we can give him more jumping practice - so he will be racing on the weekend of 6th March. Because of the cancelled meeting last weekend, Jake is going to Chaddersley Corbett this Sunday.
All horses have been working really well, the chiropractor came out to see Harry and Dove, we wanted to make sure that Harry's back was OK as he tends to twist over his fences if he gets in too close, Thoma (the chiropractor) was very impressed with his flexibility, she said that he was in the top 4% of horses that she had ever treated for athleticism - she found a problem in his right shoulder and near hind and thought that she had put it right, she also thought that it was due to an old injury that he had learnt to jump crooked to protect it and now he needed to break the habit. Dove was treated because of her fall and she still has a number of things wrong with her, as the deep muscle is still in trauma. She needs more time to heal.
Dream went into hospital today for her wind operation tomorrow. She will (hopefully) be back with us on Monday.
Will popped in today to see the DVD of the race and pop Harry over the fence in the menage. he was delighted with how he felt and the way he jumped - he's getting better all the time. We have booked him in tomorrow for a show jumping lesson with Sarah (an event rider).
Today has been traumatic on the dog front again! Poppy is in season, and although she has had an injection to stop her ovulating, according to Jack she still smells pretty good. He has been avidly following her around, bumping into things, and completely driving me mad. Yesterday Poppy disappeared into the woods with him in tow and they both returned after a couple of hours, so when they went missing this morning I wasn't too worried, just mildly irritated. Poppy came back, but Jack didn't. I knew he would come back eventually so didn't go looking, it was only after turning Red out in the bottom meadow I thought I heard barking down by the river. I was so cross with him that I almost ignored it but my conscience got the better of me and I went to investigate. I couldn't believe it when the barking took me to the old bridge crossing the river. The river was in full flow because we have had so much rain lately and there was no gap between the top of the water and the bridge. Listening to his whines, the only place Jack could be was under the bridge, and he must have been submerged in the river to have got there in the first place. I phoned Doug - he could not believe it. I thought we may have to dismantle part of the bridge to get Jack out from the top but my hero stripped off, ducked under the water to get beneath the bridge and came out with a drowned rat closely resembling Jack. He had managed to climb an almost vertical bank and find a tiny ledge to balance on - completely blind, he obviously sensed that there was no other option as if he had fallen back in the water he would have been stuck under the bridge and most certainly have drowned. The water was absolutely freezing and he wouldn't have lasted long. Silly old fool. He has used all his nine lives now and is seriously in debt to Uncle Doug!