Better out than in

15 February 2016

One thing I didn't mention about the hack yesterday was Eric coughing.It was a fast hack but he coughed and coughed and coughed. I had noticed a lot of mucous on the ground outside his box. Willy told me it was better out than in! He told me that if I wanted to find out more I would need to have the vet take a closer look.......We will have to wait and see. I came here for Tamtam but it looks like my Eric needs some attention too!

This morning we went to watch Josephine and Argenta have a lesson with her trainer, Jean de Bellescize. They worked on the flying change at canter over a bar and then worked on various combinations. The impression I have is that the mare is taking Josephine and making the decisions, especially the decision on speed. She is ok over one fence but as soon as you put two or more together then mare takes the initiative and ups the anti. Jean asked Josephine to stop the mare after the second part of a double. She could not. Jean stopped the exercise as he said he didn't want Josephine to start pulling on Argenta's mouth. Afterwards Willy told me that a simple adjustment to the curb chain and strap would have sorted all that. I was thinking of putting a pole on the ground one stride after the fence to make the mare think and back her off a bit. I'm no expert on jumping though! I'll ask Willy today! It will be interesting to see how things develop as we are going to see Josephine again this week.

In the afternoon Charlotte, the partner of Serge (the farrier) turned up with a  mare who has undergone Willy's muscle treatment. The mare is a Selle Francais of 6 years and her owner is a young dutch man. I asked for the mare's story. It was similar to all the others.....she had been sensitive from being a yearling (when the young man acquired her). She had been away for training but had been returned and pronounced unrideable. Willy had worked with Charlotte to heal the mare over the last 3 months. I watched the mare working. At liberty over fences and then ridden by the young man over trotting poles in the manege.  Beautiful to watch....the only sign of any issues being when Willy approached her to give her a pat and she she threw her head up and took a step back.It will take her a long time to get her confidence back.