Dickens Diary - August 2007

1st August

A day off for Deekie today. Merri treated him yesterday and is pleased with his progress so far.

2nd August

Work on the Lunge today - I have adapted my lunging method slightly to help Deekie with his work. I am working on more transitions from halt to walk and walk to trot. Deekie is more willing and is tracking up more in both gaits.

3rd August

I have a young horse in at the moment in for Schooling Livery, and today the owner came to ride, so we went out on a hack, - Deekie nannied the young horse through the village and showed her all of the sights - he was very brave in front of his new girlfriend!

4th August

Another day off for Deekie - so on the horse walker he goes with his buddy Moose.

5th August - Deekies first party!

Today is D-day - Our 1st outing with other horses from the yard on a fun ride. Deekie and Moose went to a local fun ride of about 12 miles with 60+ optional fences today. Deekie travelled very well and when we got there, I decided to tack up on the lorry - and I'm glad I did. When I got Deekie off his eyes were out on stalks, it took a few minutes to get me on board, as he wouldn't stand still - it was all just too exciting!

When on board, I decided to walk him around whilst waiting for Miranda to get on Moose, this proved to be interesting. Deekie had spotted other horses cantering off and proceeded to leap in the air through excitment. It took about 4 miles to settle him down in to a rhythm however he never ran through the bridle or took a strong hold, and he jumped all of the fences making a bascule over everyone.

The only slight problem that we came across was the ford - I had forgotten that there would be water! Deekie is getting better with water however still won't walk through it yet and I don't want to pressurise him. After 10 minutes of persuading him to walk through and without having any success, one of the stewards suggested that we try the other ford further up the road. We could only try! The next ford had a footbridge running straight through the middle of it with no sides and it couldn't have been any wider than 1 metre. On the approach to it, I tucked Deekie in behind Moose and before you knew it we were over the bridge! What a big step forward. The rest of the ride flew by and Deekie thoroughly enjoyed it.

6th August

A well-deserved day off.

7th August

A visit from Merri - she was very impressed with what she felt. Deekies shoulders were really good - no blocked areas of energy and she said that it's the best he has felt so far. Another huge step forward for Deekie. After Phil the farrier had been and shod Deekie I took him on a hack to bed in his shoes and to give a stretch.

8th August

Back on the lunge today and again, Deekie shows me that he is improving through is work on a daily basis. He was more forward through his transitions and swinging more in this trot work.

9th August

Today I schooled Deekie and after warming him up John came in and helped me jump him - we even introduced fillers for the first time, which he looked at but jumped without a problem.

10th August

A break from the school and a hack on our own through the village. A good boy as always - and very nosey!

11th August

Today Deekie and I hacked with Kerry and Dom (a friend of Rubber lips), Kerry and I decided to take Deekie past the pub where the waterfall opposite has been overflowing onto the road. When we got there, Deekie had to stop and have a good look at it - not sure what to do with himself. After 5 or so minutes, Deekie decided that it was cool so we carried on with our hack.

12th August- I GET A DAY OFF!!!

Kerry has kindly offered to work in the yard today with John, so I give Deekie the day off and I have a lie in!

13th August

Back to work and Deekie goes back on the Lunge. After a good half an hour of work, I turn him out into the field to chill.

14th August

Deekie and I have a lesson with Jane Kidd - she can see an improvement from our last lesson and today we finish the session working over trot poles and a small cross.

15th August

Deekie has to have a day off as I have a bad back and have an appointment with the Chiropractor. Deekie goes on the horse walker instead.

16th August

I am still out of action so Deekie goes on the horse walker again. It's a hard life - eating all day in the field and then taking some light exercise on the walker!

17th August

Back in the saddle, Deekie and I go for a hack through the village with Kerry and Dom for company. Our hack takes us past a stream with a wooden footbridge; Deekie looks at it but walks over it behind Dom and then back over it in front. Slowly he is finding his confidence with water - time and patience normally wins the day.

18th August

A hack with John and Moose around the village. Everything goes well and Deekie seems to be striding out better in the walk as he can now keep up with Mooses very large walk!

19th August

Another Hack for Deekie and I.

20th August

Merri came to treat Deekie and found that his energies have shifted slightly - his left shoulder was slightly tight but loosened off after a few minutes of Merri's treatment. Deekie had an easy day today - we just went out on a hack to stretch his legs.

21st August - OUR 1ST CROSS COUNTRY SCHOOLING SESSION!

Deekie, Moose and Truly with their respective mummies went in the lorry to Deer Park cross-country course. John came with us in the car as support alongside Alex and Dave - I thought I might need some help after our last outing. Either that or a glass of port before getting on!

I wasn't wrong, again I tacked up on the lorry and John legged me up. Warming up was interesting as Deekie was more interested in expressing how excited he was. After 20 minutes of leaping, bucking and bouncing around Deekie settled into his work. He was fantastic - he jumped everything and even led Truly into some of the fences. At the water complex Deekie walked around it and stood while Moose and Truely jumped into and out of it.

The icing on the cake came for me when Deekie jumped the running stream on the course. He is really coming on; I know patience is the key with him. Deekie is a star x

22nd August

After yesterday, I decided to try Lunging Deekie; this was partly out of interest as to see whether he would be stiff through his shoulders or not as the case was. This is a sign that Deekie is getting stronger and starting to use himself correctly in his work and is building up correctly.

23rd August

A short leg stretch with Deekie today as tomorrow I have a jump lesson with Will Miflin.

24th August

I had a fantastic lesson with Will, and he gave me lots of useful exercises to go on and work with Deekie, not only under saddle but exercises on the Lunge as well. Miranda managed to take some photos of Deekie in action - this was useful for me as I could then appreciate how much he has changed over the past 5 months that I have had Deekie.

25th August

A day off for Deekie - time to sunbath and try out his new fly mask. I put it on and Deekie said "Who's turned the lights off?!"

26th August

I decided to put the 1st of Will's exercises into action today, so with Deekie on the Lunge, I first warmed him up and then worked him over diagonal raised poles. Deekie really picked up and his trot was amazing. The elevation that he had was fantastic. Deekie was fairly impressed with himself as when I asked him to canter he exploded and spent the next 10 circuits in canter leaping and bucking in shear delight.

27th August

A hack for Deekie today and a leg stretch for tomorrows lesson with Jane Kidd. John came back from Blair Horse Trials with a present for Deekie - his own rug! Up till now, Deekie has had to use rugs handed down from my previous horses and John's Hunters. He looks very smart in his blue Teviot summer sheet.

28th August

Jane came at lunchtime today and gave us a lesson. Deekie however had other ideas - he was having a Kevin and Perry moment "do I have to - don't want to". In the end, we used poles and small jumps to motivate the monkey - I however feel that I worked harder than him. I now have blisters! ow ow ow.

29th August

A day off for Deekie - time for my blisters to heal!

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