To make it up to me, Mum drove me 40mins to my favourite yard so she could convert two months of mud pack back into a pony. I rather liked the encrusted muddy tummy look! Oh wow, the mud was all washed off with a warm shower - how decadent! Thank you Aunty Caroline and Uncle Hugh for lending Mum and me your lovely facilities, I really really appreciate it as otherwise it would have been the cold hose - brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
My treats did not end there. The next day I had Neill Saunders work his magic on my body with an all over body treatment to make me feel super aligned and ready for action.
I was liking this re-introduction to work, well that was until I realised how serious Mum is about getting me fit. Our first 30 minute walk was in horizontal driving rain, couldn't we have waited until a nice sunny day to start our exercising?
I have also resumed my dog walking duties and Benji is enjoying coming out with us again, well most of the time. I have accidently nearly squashed him twice while spinning on the spot as I jumped at a car that was carrying bicycle on its roof and a car with a rattling trailer zoomed passed me while I was asleep waiting for Mum to get on me.
It's not only Benji I have been keeping on his toes. Mum has decided she wants me traffic proof, which means riding down the main road into Wootton Bassett. I'm glad it has a big verge as we always seem to pass at least one double decker bus and loads of lorries etc. I started with spinning, but on our second attempt I have reduced my jumping to a simple piaffe movement and last time I just crunched up my muscles but didn't move as a big tractor and flat bed trailer rumbled past followed by a double decker bus. I'm getting the hang of all this traffic. Needless to say once we finish on the road and get back onto our quite lane, Mum relaxes. This is when I caught her out. Busy chatting on the phone to her friend Lynda, she suddenly finds herself being spun around and I was bolting back down the road away from home.
Why? Well I had spotted the rare and highly dangerous lesser ginger Shetland pony, hidden in a purple rug. Mum finally pulled me up after she had slammed the phone down on Lynda, screaming she had to go, and when she had finally stopped laughing long enough to sit up and draw me to a halt.
After a lot of snorting to make sure Mum had seen that there was a dangerous pony hidden under the purple rug, she made me go up and say hello - if I must! After a quick chat we started to head home and then the little terror started chasing me. That was it I had no other option but to go into snorting dragon mode and make myself look huge by copying the high stepping manoeuvres of my Spanish pony friends. I think I look suitably impressive, though I'm not too sure why Mum was laughing. If it had attacked us, she would not have been laughing, I can tell you! Far more scary than the huge juganought lorries passing me on the main road.
Well after a week of walk work, Mum thought I was fit enough to go to a dressage championships. I think I need to call in some professional help for my training regime. But being a Dales I did my best to step up to the mark and while I was not full of energy I was very obidient and impressed Mum by pulling of a win and we came home as the Rein & Shine Prelim Open Champions.
I should say this is my second win of the year, even though I have only done one competition. How? Well due to all my hard work last year I won the VWH Riding club Points Championship and I have won my first peice of silverware. I'm sure my Hackpen Trophy is better than Woody's silver plate.
A pretty good start to the year I think. I'm loving being back in work, especially as I'm just walking at the moment. The best bit though is I'm now being tucked up in my stable each night, all snugly in my rug with my own hay, which I don't have to share with anyone (Woody) and a huge tea. Life is good pony friends xxx
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