Carterton Spring show

So I have been riding Connie some and she is going really well but I'm not allowed to jump her. Her chest doesn't seem to bother her at all, and looks to be healing beautifully. I do miss having her at shows though at the same time its nice to work on a little schooling and mosey around the farm bareback. I have taken to doing 10mins no stirrup work every time I ride so thats been difficult, but really I want to make sure I'm in top form for the Daniel Meech clinic in the New Year.

Kate was going awesome but when I went to ride her, two days after I had last ridden her- she wore a cover that whole time so I missed it's start- she had a dermatitis of some sort that seemed pretty aggressive. The spread has been phenomenal and it was driving the poor mare mental with how much it itched. There isn't much hair on her belly and flanks anymore and it has spread to her neck and face in places. Fingers crossed the others don't get it.

So I only had Rascal to take to the Carterton Spring Show. I was surprised how hard the ground was and it had a lot of grass cover on top so it was incredibly slippery. Rascal had lost some confidence as evidenced by her attempt to stop at the very first warm-up cross rail I did, and she was slow off the ground to the fences initially. About halfway around the 80cm course she got her confidence again and jumped a lot more like her old self. I had a run out in the double at the second element because we slipped so much coming into the first element. It was in no way a dirty runout but after we slipped so much we ended up jumping the first element on such an angle it was impossible to get to the second.

I (I say I, Kim actually did it) put studs in for the next roun and she jumped much better, though still slow off the ground to fence 3- she can't have liked that one- but jumped a double clear to get fourth. I had been in two minds about jumping her off fast against the clock but she was jumping so well and confidently by then I figured I can giver her a goo enough ride that it should be ok. So thats ok I guess I can cope with another horse.