Lauren Shannon’s eventing blog: arena contests, lessons, fitness and spas
It’s been another lovely quiet week here at Shannon Eventing, with no eventing last weekend.
Actually, only one bit of that last sentence is true… Although we didn’t head off eventing last weekend, there has been plenty to keep us busy!
As we weren’t heading out competing on grass, I took Holly (Riffala Du Buisson) to Vale View Equestrian Centre’s arena eventing competition at the weekend. She flew round the course, and took everything on to finish second. This means that she has now qualified for the final there at the end of August. She has a good shot at doing well, so we need to practise our tight turns leading up until then!
The other horses have been doing basic dressage boot camp with lessons with Andrew Fletcher over the past couple of weeks. Both Purdey (Quality Purdey) and Crunchie (Kilcannon Watlings Crunch, pictured earlier this year) are headed for Somerford CIC2* and they will be more than prepared for it!
I have been cantering Crunchie and Holly as well the past few weeks, as both these mares need work on their fitness. We have also taken them to Flawborough Equine after they have cantered to get them used to the spa there.
I have used a spa both with injured horses and as a general maintenance, and I think they can be invaluable. Neither of these mares specifically need to go in the spa, but it can be quite a surprise for them the first few times, so I like to get them used to it long before I “have” to utilize it! Both were really well behaved, they haven’t had the water dropped to a very low temperature yet, they are just getting used to it splashing about underneath them, but it is a good habit for them to get into.
This weekend is another at home (think of it as a mid-season rest) before heading out with nearly the whole yard at Aston-le-Walls next week. Although the rest will be short lived, I’m sure we’ll feel the benefits next weekend!
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Lauren
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Event rider Lauren Shannon blogged on Horseandhound.co.uk from June 2011 until September 2014. Born in Brighton, she lived in America from the age of three to 16, returning to the UK to go to university after she finished school. After university she worked for Mark and Tanya Kyle before setting up her own yard in Leicestershire. Her best result to date was finishing 9th at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse, Zero Flight.