Philippe Karl's Petition

Took Anky up to the school today, usual lungeing, five minutes each rein, she is looser and more relaxed, starting to stretch over her back and neck.
Worked with Remy for a very short session, practiced the giravolta on both reins. He was very calm and responsive. A short, sweet session. (thanks for the info, Trudi)

Just been on Philippe Karl's website reading the correspondence between him and Christoph Hess of the German Equestrian Federation.
Philippe Karl is certainly passionate, but, unfortunately, I think he's banging his head against a brick wall.

It would do no harm at all for all riders to watch the vid below to see what good training can achieve and how beautiful a horse and rider can be.

Anky, Remy and Corky

I could really see today, how much better Anky's feeling. She has a calm look in her eye, she's not gassy or stretching and she's moving around much easier. Also she's put on a bit of condition and started to get a shine on her coat. It's only now when I see her start to look much better that I realise how miserable she must have been feeling. I feel guilty about it, have I been looking at her with my eyes closed? I think the biggest red herring along the way was thinking that it was a problem with her seasons, because that was when she was the most uncomfortable. But what about the in-between times? I dread to think what kind of discomfort she has been living with. She's on the Gastrogard now though so I'm really hoping all will be well.

Continued the same with Remy over the last few days. He's very well behaved on the lead rope and fairly focussed for most of the time. He's happy with the bit, mouthing nicely, happy and relaxed in the school and I think he's ready to start some lungeing and in-hand work.

Corky's been on bute for the last couple of days. She has a swelling over her croup, along the sacral area. The swelling's on the near side and watching her walk away, she looks to be dropping her offside hip. Now, I don't know if she's actually dropping her offside hip or not using her nearside hip properly. The bute has reduced the swelling, but she's still unlevel behind, though not as much as before. So, I think a visit from the osteo is in order. I'll ask Lucinda to come along with her osteo and he can look at both Anky and Corky.

A brighter horse.

Anky was a little colicky yesterday afternoon. Hardly surprising after the night she'd had. I think (as Kate commented) she was in shock. Really not herself at all. They stayed out last night, it was forecast localised storms, but she needed to be out and moving around.
Anyway, I don't think the weather was too bad, it rained and hailed a little, but it was very warm. This morning Anky looked a little brighter, moving easier and was ready for her breakfast. I gave her a massage which she seemed to enjoy, and she certainly felt more relaxed. We'll see how she goes.

With Remy this morning, we had a bitting session. He's quite happy with the bit, I put his bridle on and then groomed him. He gets a little worried when I try to touch the bit rings and tries to pull his head away. But he's getting more relaxed and today I held the bit rings lightly and he kept his head nice and still. So, his education with the bit progresses.

Anky and Remy

Second day of medication for Anky, she really has perked up. I hope it's for real.

Lead Remy out with with his bridle on, line attached to a lungeing cavesson, just a short walk around the field. He was stirred up by a dog walker on the chemin (green lane) at the top of the field, but he wasn't silly and stayed quite focussed on me.

I'm looking forward to starting with some in hand and lungeing in the school pretty soon.

Well, I received Ankys blood tests in the post yesterday. I spoke to the vet and she wasn't too concerned, they seemed ok but her liver levels were higher than normal.
She said that in a seemingly healthy horse she would be happy with the tests, but as Anky is showing some discomfort we will give her a course of something (?) to be sure.
So, does that make any sense? I don't know!! I'm going the collect the whatever it is today.

Same routine again today, she seems ok, not brilliant and she does seem tired, but ok. She's eating and grooming with Bonbon doing normal things...... it's really difficult not to over analyse things!

I took Remy out again, leading, halting etc, he seems to be getting it. He was relaxed, less distracted so I took him into the field and walked him around in there. All on a loose line and he followed me willingly, lots of changes of direction and halts. I'm very pleased with him.

I had an email from Tara (here) yesterday, she told me that Tia is doing really well, sent me some lovely pics and told me that her Mum had passed away, and that "she's going to try and make her really proud". Apparently it was very sudden and now they are left to try and carry on with their lives. She was the driving force in the family and after a very bad prognosis for Taras future, she made it her life to give Tara the best possible chance she could.
It's a great sadness.