Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!

2015 was a funny year full of disappointments but also some high points mingled along the way. We only competed once which resulted in me landing on the floor at C rather than cantering a circle but hey ho! We're still no clearer to knowing if there's anything major with Pea and the past month I've been so busy and just lost a bit of motivation to ride if I'm honest. However, this pony still means the world and hopefully we'll get a few more answers in 2016. 

So, this year, I'm not making any goals with Pea. We're just going to see where the year takes us and have fun (hopefully) along the way. 

However, I have made a resolution for myself which is to push myself out of my comfort zone more. I'm generally a more reserved person and worry about putting myself out there and doing things outside my comfort zone so I'm going to work on changing that :) 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Product Review] Euro-Star Priya Shirt

I saw this shirt a few months ago before it actually came out and thought it looked pretty good. Unfortunately, the first site I saw it on was advertising it for something like £60-£70 which I didn't really want to spend! I then saw a promo code for Topline Equestrian offering 10% so I figured I'd have a look at what they had. When I saw they had the Euro-Star Priya Shirt for only £40 I decided to hop at the chance of using the discount code and order myself one. 

The Priya shirt is quite literally amazing in my opinion! It features a mobile pocket on the upper arm which is ideal on slightly warmer days when you have no jacket/pockets to put your phone as well as a slit for your watch. It also features thumb holes meaning you can pull it over your palms to provide extra warmth. The inside of the shirt is fleece whilst the outside is made from fast-drying material. Having worn this in the rain I can safely say that it keeps you dry and does dry quite well without clinging to you like other materials. It can be worn on it's own or layered for the colder weather making it great almost all year round (not quite suitable for warm weather as you will probably melt!). It also has a kind of turtle neck with a zip making it easier and more comfy to wear. There is a bit of material behind the zip as well so it's not exposed and you don't get that horrible feeling of the zip rubbing against your skin. Initially I hated the idea of the material, but after wearing my shirt nearly constantly, I realise it's actually a great addition!

As mentioned, I ordered my shirt from Topline Equestrian. They had it in either navy or 'beaujolais' (red) & I had a rather tough decision trying to pick one. In the end I went for the red as the majority of my breeches and other riding wear are navy so thought it would go well with them. I am quite impatient when it comes to deliveries but then realise it's only been a few days despite thinking it's been weeks! However, after about a week or two I received a call from Oliver who runs Topline Equestrian. He called to explain that unfortunately he'd been involved in a riding accident resulting in a short hospital stay and as he is the only person behind the company, there was a bit of a delay in getting my parcel out to me. From this alone I would definitely recommend the company as very few would take time to give you a call to explain the delay! He also offered a free gift as an apology which was ridiculously nice of him, and again very rare & unexpected. After another week/week and a half, I received another call from Oliver asking if my parcel had actually been delivered as he'd used another company. Unfortunately it hadn't so he chased it up and sent me a text the next day to let me know it would be arriving within a day or two. True to his word it did and I was shocked to open it and find two shirts in each colour! Seriously top service!! 

I would definitely recommend this top to anyone as it fits nicely and is perfect for riding in, especially at the moment when it can be mild one day and freezing the next!

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and prosperous New Year!! Thank you for all of your support over the past year & let's hope for a great 2016!

Laura & Pea xx

(Sorry for the lack of Christmas-ness?! Forgot to get Pea any tinsel/reindeer ears!!)

Pole Work Exercises

As both my physio and instructor have recommended doing lots of pole work with Pea, I like to come up with new exercises with them so he doesn't get bored of simply doing the same thing. So Saturday morning, I dragged down with me to take photo's and I set out the below poles:

Basically, it's four long stride poles one way and then four trotting poles the opposite through the middle of the long poles. The trotting poles also help to ensure that we stay straight whilst going over the long stride poles. 

This exercise was really good for Pea as we started with the long stride poles which helped him to loosen up and realise about picking his feet up properly. As i've mentioned previously, Pea tends to not pick his legs up properly and will bunny hop over the poles at first as he thinks it's easier. By starting with the long poles, it gives him more time to loosen up between them. Once he loosened up over these, we moved onto the trotting poles and he went so well over them. 

We kept it varied by circling round going from long to short and in different directions so he really had to think about what he was doing with his feet. We only did the exercise for about 15 minutes as he tires quite easily with pole work as it makes him really pick his legs up. However, we did manage to finish off with a few canter strides as he loosened up enough. He's still very reluctant cantering on the left rein and is so much better on the right but we'll get there (hopefully!)

I'm aiming to do poles twice a week. Once ridden and once on the ground. There's a great page on facebook called horsephysio which post videos of lots of polework so it's great to get some ideas of how to play with poles :)

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

[Product Review] Horseware Brianna Riding Jacket

I bought this jacket from Burghley after deciding that I couldn't keep wearing my uni riding jacket (turns out, I still will!). I spotted this one and thought it would be great for keeping me warm in winter and the peaked hood is the ideal attachment. Initially I wanted a coat similar to my uni one which is a softshell type of jacket but many of them aren't really waterproof which isn't ideal with our weather!

After wearing this in the worst weather, ie when it was absolutely hammering it down with rain and rather windy, I felt that I simply had to write a review about it as it proved to be amazing! Unlike previous coats, this one kept me nice and dry as well as the items in my pockets which has proved to be a let-down in other coats. The peaked hood means that it keeps the rain away from your face but it is also detachable so can be easily removed if not needed. It also features quite a high neck which keeps the wind away whilst providing you with extra warmth in case the 100g fill wasn't enough! It's not too bulky either which I have found with other winter riding jackets so it's easy to move and ride in. I think I only paid something like £70 or £80 for this so it's definitely worth it!

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Help Rescue Horses This Christmas

If you're on twitter, you may already be aware of the Crowdfunding page set up by Alexandra to help rescue equines this Christmas. If not, then basically the page has been set up in an attempt to reach £400 for rescued horses and there's only 3 days left to donate! 

They have just reached the half way point and it would be amazing if they could reach their target! So pleaseeee can you all donate, even just a little bit helps! As the majority will know, horses can be expensive but even just a small amount of money can help. £5 could buy some treats or carrots or even a new headcollar! £10 could go towards some hay or a bag of feed. It would be so nice to donate some money so that those horses without homes can have a lovely Christmas and a comfy winter :)

Please follow this link to donate: Crowdfunding - twitterherdjumper

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Laura Loves] Christmas Wishlist 2015

With Christmas approaching faster than anticipated, this is probably a bit on the late side! I honestly can't believe how fast 2015 has flown by! There are two main items on my wishlist that I can't decide upon and that is either a new bridle or a quarter sheet. 

I've been eyeing up the Evison Equine bridles but can't actually decide between a standard or paying a little bit more for a Crystal browband one. I really like the sound of the Evison Equine bridles as they feature a padded headpiece that curves away from the base of the ears so reduces pressure on that sensitive area which should allow the horse to work more freely. They are also reasonably priced at between £80-£120. Normally this is more than I would want to pay for a bridle but if it's going to last a good few years and it seems like it's a good bridle that reduces resistance so should be worth it!

The thermatex quarter rug has moved up on my wishlist after reading Jessica's review on Gee Gee & Me (read it here). I previously looked at one of these last year but didn't really want to spend £55/£60 on one, however it seems that these would make a great addition to Pea's rug collection! At present, Pea's exercise sheet is a waterproof one with fleece lining that is great (especially when working in the rain) but annoyingly it is not cut-a-way around the riders leg so I have to fold it back in order for Pea to actually listen to my leg aid! The thermatex quarter sheet features the classic great wicking properties as well as being lightweight and easy to put on/remove. It also comes in various colour choices and can be personalised. 

The Mountain Horse Sovereign boots are most likely going to stay on my wishlist for quite some time being around the £300 mark but they just look so smart and stylish! They would definitely only be used for competition (although I would need to break them in first!). They claim to feature a softer and easier heels down position so offer increased performance and the two tone brown makes them look very stylish!

The final item on my wishlist is a Wintec dressage saddle. Due to Pea's continuously changing shape and conformation my saddler has recommended that a wintec saddle is the best make for him as they feature the changeable gullet system and aren't too long in the back. My current saddle is a wintec GP which I've had for 7 years and never had any issues with so they're long lasting and easy to care for. I believe the dressage saddles start from about £450/£500 so they are a great price compared to other makes and look smart too despite not being leather. 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Lesson] Wednesday 2nd December; Cathy Lammie

This is a few days late but I was super tired after my lesson and then have been busy with work so have only just had chance to write up about it now! If you follow me on Facebook (search for LB Equestrian) then you will already have an idea!

Unfortunately, Pea has started to misbehave a little lately but I booked in a lesson as Pea was in the last week of his bute trial so I wanted to have a chat with my instructor so see her opinion about him. Unfortunately she believes that there is definitely something wrong with Pea and that we should definitely stay on the bute long-term. However, she thinks there may be an issue in the front end as when we got round to trying a bit of canter, Pea tripped a lot when I went to get off his back and she reckons it looked like he was finding it really hard to keep his balance in front. 

As we often do, we did some pole work again using four poles. We started by doing one, then building up to the four, firstly spaced apart before bringing them closer together. This really helped him to loosen up over the poles and by gradually bringing them closer together it stopped him from hopping over them so much. Pea has a bit of a defence mechanism of hopping over the poles rather than lifting his legs correctly as he finds it easier. Unfortunately for him, it's not what we want and it won't help him but the more he does the poles, the easier it becomes. 

Once he loosened up a bit in the trot, we decided to try a bit of canter after we had gone over the poles. On the left rein, he was really reluctant and this was when Cathy suggested getting off his back. I was a bit reluctant as I always worry about him bucking but after we realised he was getting unbalanced we decided to take a short break. We then swapped reins and went onto the right rein where we had a bit of a longer canter, although it was still only about 5 strides! 

We finished the session off by looking at doing some in-hand work. Cathy suggested that we do some in-hand poles either before a schooling session or just as a session on there own. We put three poles together and walked over a few times before gradually raising one pole at a time. We then did the raised poles in the middle before moving to the higher end of the pole to really get him picking his feet up. 

Pea is now on the bute long-term and we might look into getting a vet to look over his front end in the future. For now, he's been trotted up and seen by the vet numerous times that I don't think it's a matter of urgency as they've never noted anything so we'll see how winter pans out. It might mean no dressage, or I might do a couple of walk-trot tests but for now, I'm looking into lots of ways to keep him supple. 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Monthly Review] November 2015

Pea was on a bute trial for November to see if it helped improve his way of going as he's been misbehaving a lot going into trot for the past few months. Our physio suggested it as she believed there was something troubling him but there wasn't actually any obvious signs. For the majority of the trial it seemed that the bute was really helping as he was behaving whilst working and we could go into trot without any hesitations or bucking. 

For the first few schooling sessions we mainly stuck to walk and trot before finally deciding to try canter. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be doing well with canter which is a bit of a shame. On the lunge he's not too bad with canter although he does break into trot easily and it can take a bit of persuasion and chasing to keep him in the gait. The weather hasn't been too helpful unfortunately for me to keep trying as it's led to lots of puddles in the arena which Pea isn't too keen about going through! 

The first few schooling sessions where Pea actually behaved for trot, he was also a bit sluggish and not very energetic in his paces so I've been schooling him with spurs on. They do seem to be helping but we are also working on doing lots of transitions and lateral work to get him to use his back-end as he can be really lazy with it and lean on his forehand. This does seem to be helping, along with the regular pole work, as he's starting to soften well (other than when he's trying out his giraffe impressions with the wind!) as well as flexing better. Some attempts are better than others but I always know he's never going to be perfect for an entire session!

Annoyingly, the last two schooling sessions have led to him starting to misbehave when I ask for trot again. He is still on the bute trial, being in his last week, and nothing else has changed so I'm not really sure what is causing it. I'm booking in a lesson this week to see what my instructor thinks as I thought the bute was helping his way of going but now he's misbehaving I'm not so sure! 

Let's hope that December brings better things! Whilst Pea's flatwork is getting better, it's not great having him misbehave when I ask for trot, especially when he's pretty stubborn about moving forward again and will happily ignore my leg or sharp taps with the whip! We also need to work out what to do with his canter as it feels like he simply can't rather than he won't. Sometimes it would be so much easier if horses could just talk!

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

Redwings Horse Sanctuary: Ada Cole

Loved this little pony!

This past weekend (21st November) saw my niece turn five. As a surprise/birthday present from me I decided to adopt a pony from Redwings so on Sunday we took a trip to their Ada Cole centre. When I was younger, about 6 or 7, my parents took me to the Caldecott centre to adopt a pony for me there as we couldn't afford a horse at the time. I adopted Rusty and still have that adoption now. Unfortunately, Rusty recently passed away and my adoption was passed over to a sweet little pony called Cauli. Hopefully next year I'll take my niece over for a visit as I haven't actually seen her but unfortunately the Caldecott centre is shut for winter. 

The Ada Cole centre is actually smaller than what I was expecting but it's still a lovely place for a visit. I already had an idea in mind about who my niece would adopt but we went for a walk round the fields to look at all the horses and donkeys there. The Ada Cole centre has four adoptions: Tinkerbell, Elvis, Dolly and Del Boy the donkey. Sofie fell in love with Tinkerbell (which I was expecting) and is now adopting her! She absolutely adored all the little ponies in the paddock with Tinkerbell and I had a hard time pulling her away from them! She also questioned why she couldn't ride them, oops! 

Tinkerbell

With Christmas approaching, why not consider an adoption for someone you know? At Redwings it's £12.50 a year and includes letters and photos a few times a year along with an invitation to the horse's birthday party. There are also numerous other charities which offer an adoption scheme and there are plenty of centres around to go and visit! 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Twitter Meet-Up

This is actually a few days late but unfortunately, after getting back from the meet-up, I randomly got rather ill for a few days :(

If you use Twitter, you may be aware that there are various '#hours' that run each night with their being an equestrian themed one now every day of the week (typically between 8 and 9pm!). It was during Wednesday evening's one (#equestrianhour) one time that someone mentioned about having a bit of a meet-up and the next thing, one had been planned! This took place on Sunday at a small hotel in Buxton where there were seven of us who met up for afternoon tea. I think I actually travelled the furthest (& I had to drive up/down some ridiculously steep and twisty road!) but it was well worth the journey. 

As mentioned, seven of us attended in total:

• E-Dressage Ltd
• Style Reins
• Nicola Cranham Dressage
• Equine Diamonds
• Tail End Jewellery

It was such a lovely afternoon and so nice to put a face behind everyone who I interact with on twitter regularly. 

If you're on twitter, I strongly recommend you interact with some of the hours as there's always a lovely bunch of people to chat to and sometimes some great competitions!

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

[Laura Loves] Autumn Colours: Reds & Purples

Deep purple/red shades such as burgundy and plum are my absolute favourites for autumn! Before I ended up in a job where I'm not allowed nail varnish, I would always crack out my gorgeous berry shade nail varnish as soon as the leaves started turning! This year, I seem to be turning this love into equestrian items! There seems to be so many gorgeous saddlepads and breeches coming out this year in 'must have' autumn shades!

I bought Pea this LeMieux plum set from Burghley and I have to admit that it looks amazing on him! It's so nice, sometimes, having a grey when there are so many colour options to suit! 

I discovered Aztec Diamond earlier in the year and follow them on social media, including instagram. When these aubergine breeches popped up on on my feed I just knew they had to be added to my wishlist. At £90, they are a bit more than what I tend to want to spend on a pair of breeches but after buying a pair of Aztec Diamond breeches a few months back, I can guarantee these will be worth the money! They are, however, in competition with the breeches below:

These HKM Lauria Garrelli Paris breeches are so pretty! I spied them on Equus a few months back but they were out of stock and have only recently been restocked. Again at £94 they are more than I wish to spend but they are high on my wishlist as I do love them! I'd love to see them in person so if anyone has any or knows any one who does please let me know!! 

And finally, I have grown quite fond of this RiderbyHorse cherry red set. I love the binding as it makes the pad stand out a bit more rather than being quite plain. I've seen some images on instagram of it on various horses and it looks amazing! 

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

Podcast Feature

A few weeks ago, I received a message from the lovely Steve/@HorseHour on twitter asking if I would be interested in participating in a podcast. For those of you who may not be aware, Horse Hour is a social networking hour that has been running for two years now, every Monday from 8pm for an hour (though people continue to chat past the hour and all week!). It is a great way to chat to new people, get great advice from a range of experts and mainly have a fun hour! I have come to know many different people through #HorseHour and now there are many other hours throughout the week to join in on! 

So back to the podcast! Steve put me in touch with the ever lovely Amy Stevenson who emailed me a brief overview of what the podcast would be like, before getting a brief overview of what I do, my history with horses and any potential topics we could chat about. It turned out that we had a bit in common with us both having a bad horse buying experience. Obviously, I'm not going to give anything away so if you want to have a listen then please click here.

There is also some bit chat from the wonderful Matt Waterworth (@thebitexpert - he knows his stuff!) as he explains the history of bits and how to choose the right one. 

I hope you enjoy the podcast if you gave it a listen! I was actually rather nervous about it, especially finding out that I was going to be on the first one! Wasn't quite expecting that but luckily Amy was super friendly to chat to and it literally did just feel like chatting to a friend!

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx 

[Monthly Review] October 2015

October started well as I decided to really crack on with Pea and see if we could overcome the behavioural issues we were having. I started to note some improvement in that he would trot for a few strides longer before stopping, but then as soon as I put my leg on, he did actually go!

Canter was slowly getting there; as long as we did large circles and not too many strides he was happy. However, I did start noticing on the lunge that he was really struggling to keep his balance in canter on the right rein and was virtually motor-biking round which was slightly worrying! 

He had the vet come out mid-October to examine the lump on his stifle and x-ray/scan it (you can read it here). However, it was found not too be anything major and also showed no arthritis so the vet does not think it has any role in his behaviour. He then had the physio shortly after who believes that he is stiff all over (read that here) and so we're putting him on a bute trial for November to see if it helps. 

Pea had the last week or two of October off/quite easy due to long working hours and he also turned into a fluffy teddy bear which is rather annoying! Luckily, he's getting clipped again next week and he will shortly be coming in again at night and will also start having his magnetic pad on. Goodbye lie-ins, hello early mornings! 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Happy Halloween!

In honour of today being Halloween, I thought I'd share some of my favourite equestrian themed pumpkin carvings. Each year I think about trying one of these out, but instead I just stick to my 'scary faces' carvings - much easier!

I definitely love the carousel one! The amount of detail that has gone into it is incredible and hats off to whoever the person is that created it. I definitely wouldn't have the patience for all that detail! I also love the top two which look so simple yet so amazing!

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Physio Time

Pea's had about a week off due to me doing 14 hour shifts at work and then going to Disney Land for the weekend but yesterday he had Etti, our physio, out again. I'm still trying to get to the bottom of his behaviour but I had also noticed that he started leaning quite badly on the right rein, especially when he was in canter. This causes us issues when riding as I can feel how hard he finds it to bend round corners and thus falls to the outside before pulling up short and breaking back into trot. 

Etti gave Pea a good work over and we chatted about what issues we've been having, what my instructor has said and also what happened when Alex from Oakham vets looked at him and he had his x-rays/scans. She agrees with me that it seems like there must be something a bit wrong with him to cause his naughtiness but she couldn't pinpoint it to just one area. Instead, she thinks it might be that he's actually a bit stiff all over and therefore needs help loosening up as when she performed a few movements he was really stiff at first, to the point where he didn't want to lift his legs for her, but the more she tried it, the better he got. She's also suggested that we keep doing lots of polework but doing more in walk at first to really loosen him up. Etti's told me to keep the poles to a short distance, so four of my feet together, and walk over them a few times, either ridden or in-hand, as this will get him to lift his legs up more. 

Etti's also going to have a chat with Alex as she thinks it might be worth trying Pea on a bute trial where we put him on bute for four weeks to see if that helps him at all. It's a bit of a pain that we can't pinpoint one thing being wrong with Pea but fingers crossed if we do do the bute trial, then that might help, although I don't really want him to be on bute full time :/ 

For now, we're just going to do lots of pole work and not school him too many days in a row so maybe instead school him one day, hack the next, then maybe school again before lunging the day after. This way, his muscles have a day of recovery and it means that I can keep Pea happy in work without causing him to get too annoyed! 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

X-Rays & Scans for Pea

Not the greatest photo! & please mind the mucky pony!

Pea has had a lump on his stifle which has been there for about a year or two. He got it checked when it first appeared and Alex, our vet from Oakham, didn't think it was anything to worry about but to keep an eye on it. However, with Pea's recent behaviour, I decided it was worth getting it checked to be 100% sure it wasn't anything to worry about. 

We trotted him up before Vicki clipped the area where the lump is. He was a little saint for the whole thing and I found it rather amusing when Vicki mentioned that Alex refers to him as 'the Legend'! Not sure if it's a good thing or not but hey ho! I stepped out the stable whilst he was being x-rayed, which he ended up needing to be sedated for as he decided to show how handy he can be with his back legs! They took quite a few images at different view points but they all showed that the lump is not bony at all. It also showed that there's no arthritis but that there is an area where the bone is more dense which could be due to a previous kick that we weren't aware of. 

Following the x-rays, the lump was then scanned. It was fascinating to see the scan as I've only ever seen still images. It all looks a little bit complicated but it shows that the lump is on top of a ligament. It doesn't appear to be joined to the ligament but Vicki wanted to check with Alex to be 100% certain. However, she did say that it's very unlikely to be causing any of his behavioural issues. 

I'm quite glad that I had it investigated, although I'm not looking forward to the bill :( Pea's now having a week off whilst I'm working and then I go away for the weekend. When I return he's having the physio as he's been leaning in a lot in canter, especially on the right rein so I want to get that investigated a bit. 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Laura Loves] Rydale's Malham Westbury Leather Boots

Rydale Westbury Boots in Chestnut; £90

When I discovered that Rydale had had a bit of a 'makeover' with their website, I was in heaven! I've loved Rydale for quite a few years now after wondering into their stand at Burghley. Now they're a regular feature and I love that they offer something for everyone and at affordable prices! My tweed jacket is from there that my Mum and Dad bought me a couple of years ago and it's a perfect winter staple. 

These boots, are next on my wishlist (along with numerous other items!) as they are absolutely gorgeous! They come in two colours, the 'classic' Chestnut, as featured above, which is my personal favourite, or a slightly darker shade called 'Oak'. 

I love the tassle on the zip and the website explains that the boots have a breathable textile lining along with a thick walking sole and deep, rugged treads. In my eyes, this will make them perfect for those countryside dog walks! On the other hand, they would also look equally as stylish walking round town whilst doing some shopping. 

I am definitely thinking of picking a pair of these up after my next pay day or maybe for Christmas ;)

Thanks for reading, 
Laura xx

Making Progress

After a bit of a rubbish September, October so far seems to be going quite well. He still has a bit of a grumble when I first ask for trot but he finally seems to have realised that it's best to listen for a change!

He has also been going really well as of late and seems to be really starting to work hard. He is starting to soften into a contact better, although he can sometimes get a bit sluggish in his movements so I'm trying to incorporate lots of transitions. This will also, hopefully, get him to stop misbehaving!! 

I've got the physio coming out at the end of the month to have a look at him again. There's nothing major, however I have noticed that he's quite unbalanced on the right rein, especially in canter. On the lunge, he literally looks like he's motorbiking round the circle and when I ride him, he immediately tries backing off when I do a turn in canter. I'm also thinking of getting an 'equiami' to see if that will help him. 

Fingers crossed, October carries on going well! 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

[Monthly Review] September 2015

I honestly cannot believe that we're into October! This year is flying by!

September hasn't been the greatest month if I'm truly honest. I've been having a few behavioural issues with Pea over the past month which has slowly been getting me down, before I finally decided to give myself a good kick up the backside and now I've decided that October is going to be a bit of a bootcamp month for Pea! 

On the plus side, Pea's hacking has been coming on better. He's generally not too bad out hacking but he can be so spooky over the silliest of things! The yard made a couple of new fields out on our hacking route so there's new fencing and gates. Normally nothing to be worried about. Pea, however, had completely different plans and the first time he saw the new gate he span round and tried to bugger off with me!! The next time, he froze no where near it and took a lot of persuading to go near to go the other way! I then decided we'd go the opposite way where he has to go past the whole fencing and everything which cause a few slow steps and some strong leg before he finally got past the first gate. Going up the track between the new fence and another fence caused one or two issues but the main one was when we got to the hill and the hedge had gone. He had no idea what to make of that despite the fact he used to spook at the hedge when it was there! Such an idiot! After a few more adventures out that way, he is now a lot happier and we can now trot up the hill! There's still a little way before we can return to cantering up the hill but at least he's now finally getting more confident! 

As mentioned, October is going to be a bit of a bootcamp month as I'm determined to get to the bottom of Pea's naughtiness and hopefully get some dressage tests done. He's seeing the vet in a couple of weeks to check on a lump and I will have a chat with him about any possible back issues but he will also be seeing the physio at the end of the month. He's now clipped which will make working him easier and then will be coming in at night, probably nearer the end of the month. Fingers crossed a little dressage pony appears somewhere along the lines!

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx