Oaka's first schooling session with us.
We managed to do a little schooling this morning despite the freezing weather. Doug got up early to harrow the flat gallop and even then it wasn't perfect so we just did the bare minimum with Harry (who may be running on Monday) and Dove who should be going to Cottenham on Sunday. We also popped Oaka, Shade, Doris and Red.
Dove, Oaka and Doris were brilliant, Red was workmanlike and Harry was his normal enthusiastic but totally uncoordinated self. Shade was willing but very green.
Aitch's leg seems completely better now but not worth the risk of jumping him, and Laverty has also had a tiny bit of heat in his off fore which has also gone now but he doesn't need schooling until the ground is perfect. I'm hoping he has just banged it during rolling, which he loves doing all the time. They just trotted around the flat gallop - Leon inadvertently showed a bit of form this morning. We had Esme in as she has a couple of days of school and I put her on Leon as he is the laziest horse on earth and not at all strong - well, so I thought...We were slow cantering around the track when I heard a squeaking sound and out of the corner of my eye saw a flash of brown and ginger (Esme is a redhead) - I was on Dream and she hates being overtaken so she tried to take him on but he just darted between me and then shot past Harry at a suicidal speed, Esme's hat cover flew off and he was on two legs going around the bend. Straight in front of him was the tractor putting out the hurdles on the track, luckily he then shot left onto the frozen grass in the middle of the track. Thankfully Doug was out of the tractor and was in front of them both and waved them down otherwise I dread to think where they would have ended up. It was very lucky that no-one was hurt - Esme weighs all of 6 stone, so I guess Leon thought he was riderless and made the most of it. Great to know that he can be a 'racehorse' though as I was beginning to wonder... Esme took it all in her stride and obviously wasn't too upset as she wants to come in tomorrow..
It feels as though the temperature has risen a bit today - lets hope the 'big freeze' is now over as it is beginning to wear a little thin.