I can’t believe this is my fourth blog already, which means it’s only 12 days until trot-up time at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials!
Clover’s (Simply Clover, pictured throughout) feeling incredible. We popped a fence this week and we have also been to the treadmill and the gallops. I think she knows that she has a big party coming up very soon. She’s off her food and always looking over her door into the distance with her ears pricked and ready.
Stumpy on the other hand has settled well into her holiday, which consists of eating non-stop. I’m questioning whether there’s something I don’t know and she’s actually in foal! She has become more sociable since being out of work — normally any kind of human contact is not well received, however I have found her to be wanting cuddles and actually allowing me to plonk kisses on her hairy nose from time to time. I think she is feeling a bit left out, so I’m making her feel special whenever she lets me.
I’ve decided not to compete the young horses between now and Burghley so I don’t run the risk of injuring myself. I was actually quite sore after a recent outing with five and it took a few days for me to recover physically. I am therefore having a couple of weeks to focus on my lovely lanky lady, Clover!
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The second reason is that I believe it’s easy to get carried away and take the babies out at every opportunity you can, however it is a long season, March to October. So giving the youngsters a two to three week break mid-season to let them recharge and absorb what they have learnt, can really have its benefits. They are still hacking out and schooling and generally having a nice time though.
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The cross-country course preview video for Burghley is now online and I have held off watching it (so far), but I’m very aware of it being there! I’m worried that I will start to over-think and over-analyse everything if I watch it too soon. I may cave in the next week, probably after I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine!
I am however just trying to treat Burghley like any other event — picturing having fun across country with Clover — that’s our favourite bit. I’m actually more scared about the dressage if I am deadly honest — mainly the walk. Yup that’s it, the thing I am most scared about going to Burghley is… WALKING IN THE DRESSAGE!
Hazel
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