Horseandhound.co.uk - Full StoryAnnie Joppe
10:55 - 11 April, 2017
Spring not only means endurance, but it also means repairing land, washing dirt-encrusted horses, cleaning terminally stained rugs and thinking about clearing out the tack room. OK, enough of that, back to endurance.
After Chiara’s competition, she was given a week off to fully recover from her exertions. I tend to give all my horses plenty of recovery time following a competition, perhaps more than is necessary, but it is far better that way round; I want my horses to last. Last week she had some light work, mostly schooling and walking over poles on the ground to encourage her to stretch down which is something that doesn’t come naturally to her.
Now it was Dilmun’s turn. The plan was to run him over 45km to see how he felt with a view to entering the one-star competition at Royal Windsor. Dilmun is now 18-years-old and has been there and done it and for last season and this season, his desires have dictated his competition schedule to some extent. Last year he only ran three times, winning a performance formula competition at the same ride we went to last weekend, being the best Brit in the one-star at Euston Park and finishing with a steady one-star completion at Keysoe.
So with this plan in mind, we set off for the heart of Dorset in beautiful Hardy country (pictured throughout). This was to be our first stay away this season where the horse corrals and we sleep next to him in our trailer (it does have living). Naturally, this was on top of a hill open to all the elements and the enormous field had clearly been recently occupied by cows...
Read more here:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/annie-joppes-endurance-blog-cowpats-fitness-forgotten-milk-617353
