Hi everyone,
Sorry I wasn’t able to get a blog out last week, but I wasn’t capable of much – I managed to contract a horrible sickness bug which put me out of action and meant that I couldn’t attend the first World Class potential squad session of the year. It was not nice to stay home and not be able to work the horses, the only upside being it did prove a good post-Christmas and New Year detox!
Speaking of taking care of yourself, I have started doing strength and conditioning training through EIS (English Institute of Sport). When I was put on the World Class programme and saw Andy Thomas, the GB equestrian physio, I found out that my pelvis is way out of whack (I broke it in 2005). Basically, I don’t sit straight on a horse and by strengthening up my core and lower body I should be able to sort this out.
I have always been an active person, but this is testing me a fair bit – after my first session I had to walk sideways downstairs! However, I have already noticed a difference in how I’m sitting on a horse and my dressage trainer Judy Bradwell can see it too, so at least there is progress.
Back to the horses and I have been busy this past weekend with British Dressage shows and arena eventing. Louie’s (Zero Flight) advanced medium tests are getting much better and he won his class at the weekend.
I took a couple of youngsters to do some arena eventing at Vale View EC on Sunday, which I love. You jump a set of showjumping fences, then jump out of the arena over cross-country fences and through a water complex, before jumping a few skinnies in the school to finish. It is a great education for young horses, as they can practise jumping with more pace, without losing their heads. Plus if they prove to take a liking to it, there are plenty of indoor cross-country classes nowadays with a decent amount of prize-money!
So the rest of this week will be much of the same, more dressage and showjumping, with the horses going up the gallops for the first time this year as well. That means one thing – the season really is getting close, so I’d better sign off here and get on with some entries…
Lauren
