Dickens Diary - December 2007

1st Dec - Deekie and I went for a hack around the village, this was a good chance to discuss Christmas presents and who Deekie would be sending cards out to this year!

2nd Dec - Why is the weather so unpredictable this year? I have a show jumping lesson booked in for this afternoon at Wil Mifflin's yard and we have gail force winds. This will be another outing in the Trailer for Deekie and his first experience of jumping away from home. The winds settle down so we decide to go, I'm glad we did, as Deekie was fantastic. Wil has now said to crack on and take him out to some shows.

3rd Dec - Deekie has a day off and goes on the walker for 40 mins before going out in to his field.

5th Dec - Deekie and I join "Bells" Robert Bellamy who is riding Dom for a long hack. The route takes us up some good hill and we even manage to fit a canter or two in. Half way round the hack we spot a log and decide to pop over it a few times before continuing on our way. 1 � hours later we get back to the yard. Deekie spends the afternoon telling his Mate Misty all about his morning adventures with Dom.

On the horse walker to stretch his legs for 30 mins before I lunge him for 20 mins.

6th Dec - A proper day off and straight out into the field.

7th Dec - Back to work and in the school for a grid work session. John is my hands and eyes on the ground - a true team effort. Deekie jumps well and thoroughly enjoys his work.

8th Dec - The horrendous weather is back so Deekie goes on the walker for 40 mins and then all the horses stay in. Best place for them on a day like this. Even Ben our resident mud monster is grateful to stay in for the day!

9th Dec - The bad weather is still with us, Deekie goes on the walker for 40 mins and then I take him out with one of the Liveries on their horses for a rather wet and windy hack for � hour around the village.

10th Dec - Weather has settled down so I decide to school Deekie for 40 mins. I work on transition, especially trot to canter trans. Which I am very pleased with so I call it a day and turn him out.

11th Dec - A Day off for Deekie and time spent out in the field chatting to his mates over the fence.

12th Dec - I take Deekie back into the school today and work him on the lunge. I warm him up first and then John sets out some poles on a circle, this will be the first time Deekie has worked over poles set on a circle, even though it doesn't faze him he try's a few moves on me before deciding to work over them with ease.

13th Dec - On the walker and then out in the field today.

14th Dec - Back on the Lunge today and Deekie is looking and feeling very well. His work is a lot more consistent and his balance has just improved dramatically, he still needs to strengthen more over his top line but that is not going to happen overnight it will take a long time to build those muscles up.

15th Dec - I take Deekie for a hack through the village and then for a well-deserved canter around the Headlands and up the gallops.

16th Dec - On the walker and then out into the field today.

17th Dec - On the walker for 40 mins then out on a hack with John on one of the livery horse. We go out for about 40 mins trotting up some good hill - if done correctly this is a good form of aerobic training and builds their hindquarters up.

18th Dec - I took Deekie in the school and lunged him over poles set around a circle today. He was very good so after 30 mins of work we called it a day and I turned him out for the afternoon.

19th Dec - I gave Deekie a day off today.

20th Dec - I have decided to work on my position a little more now, so with the help of my mum/ John and Deekie I did just that. John took Deekie into the school and started to warm him up, after about 10 mins I climbed on board and John took Deekie back out onto the 20 metre circle in trot. Mum then started to pick up on adjustments that I needed to make with my position. I spent the next 20 mins with out reins working on different exercises to release different muscles that were tight - the exercises that I did were done in all three gaits and I can tell you that his trot is a lot more engaged and through as sitting to the trot is now not as easy as it would have been 8 months ago!

21st Dec - A quiet hack through the village today with John riding one of the liveries horses for � hour.

22nd Dec - On the headlands today and John decides to join us. We trot and canter the 2�mile circuit and then cut onto the gallops for a canter up the home straight.

23rd Dec - Deekie goes on the walker this morning for 40 mins and I decide to give him the day off, so he goes out and spends his day eating and socialising.

24th Dec - I tack Deekie up in his stable and as I lead him out I notice that he is stiff, I am not overly concerned as if you look at his conformation you would see that he is tied in at the elbow slightly and has upright shoulders, I am sure that it will walk off. I take Deekie into the school with the intention of jumping him however as I start to warm him up, I notice that he is not 100% happy so I call it a day take him back to the yard rug him up well and turn him out.

25th Dec - Deekie has his Christmas pressies - which were mainly sweets! After opening his presents I get him out of his stable to see how he is and he's fine, no sign of stiffness at all. I decide to put him onto the walker before turning him out. Even the best horse on the yard is allowed to have Christmas day off!!

26th Dec - Giving Deekie yesterday off seems to have been the best thing I could have done, I hacked out with Kerry and Bug (Deekies new friend) for 45 mins and Deekie felt fab.

I took him into the school when we got back and John stood and watched while I jumped a few fences with him. All seemed to be back to normal, I think that the stiffness that morning could have been a bit of jar up or maybe a trapped nerve - who knows as long as he's ok now that's all that matters to me.

27th Dec - In the school and back on the lunge, I work Deekie for about 30 mins spending time working on transitions.

28th Dec - I give Deekie the day off and turn him out for the day.

29th Dec - John and Deekie give me a lunge lesson today.John warms him up for 10 mins first before I get on.After 20 mins of exercises I am slowly starting to find my old seat again! Deekies trot feels fantastic.

30th Dec - Deekie goes to a party! This morning Deekie/ John and I are off to Home Farm Equestrian Centre to do a Dressage test. Deekie still finds the warm up area quite exciting so warming him up for his test is still interesting! We go in and do our test - Deekie has improved since his last outing so I am pleased.

John and I go back to collect my score sheet and on top of it is a Red rosette - Deekie had won and Qualified for the Winter League Dressage Finals in March of next year! What a clever boy - extra carrots tonight x

31st Dec - A well deserved day off for the boy - probably gives him more time to get ready for the yard party tonight (hopefully not in his stable though as I will be mucking it out tomorrow!)

To find out more about the excellent facilities and services offered by Jonathan, Director of Equisea and his partner Kelly at New Barn Equine, a Livery, Training, Rehabilitation and Therapy centre situated in Chedworth, Cirencester in Gloucestershire, please click on this link.