Last One Before...

...I go on holiday! Am zooming down to Portugal for a few days to catch some of the Lusitano Breed Festival and also to visit friends and have a cheeky lesson or two on some Lusos :D

Yesterday Quadi had the vet out to to have a check over because his insurance company has excluded various bits of him. Unfairly I feel, and the vet agreed, so I am contesting it :) After a few face pulls and a bum swing he was fine, the vet is fab with him. Called Quadi a drama queen *g*

Running short of time I decided to just give him a quick spin on the lunge and see how he's looking. He'd been out on a hack with a friend the night before so I didn't feel a huge urge to make sure he did some real graft. In the blazing afternoon sun I ended up doing far more work than he did, hardly the point! I'm not a passive lunger but I also don't like having to pratically hound my horse into canter because he can't be arsed ;) He went really sweetly from voice aids in walk and trot, and livened up with lots of transitions. But canter was sticky. I decided not to persist once I'd gotten it once, lest I collapse. I changed my plan and worked him at whip-length on the correct bend in walk and a little bit of trot. Equally hard work but probably achieved a lot more!

Today I harboured great intentions to school but I am a little nervous of riding in front of new people when I go away so thought a hack would be more relaxing until I get back. Hopefully refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm for all things manege! Plus it was a beautiful afternoon.

Quadi stopped six or seven times coming across the field as I'd moved the other two into a fresh paddock and he was most upset at being brought in, despite there being a huge pile of hay waiting for him. I let him have a good feed on this as I groomed and tacked slowly.

We set off sluggishly. Since it was warm, we headed off into the first turning into the forest. Not much to report, it was a glorious hack. He wasn't perfect (he never is!) but we had two fantastic canters which rapidly became gallops. Both times he pulled up without too much fuss. The second time around The Loop we met a kid on a scrambler/dirt bike. He switched off his engine and waited until we were way past him before he set off. Kind of made my day that he was so considerate!

Once we got back I strapped and stretched him, and gave him a wipe over with cool water. Not that he even broke his coat, his fitness keeps improving :D I left him munching on hay with his feet soaking in poultice boots and lovely Kate put him out for me. I came home early to get ready to fly tomorrow...I've yet to make a start!