2016 has come to an end. Let us start here. Next week, the first of 2017 all three horses are entered in a jumping competition. Nothing big and nothing special, but all three horses are in shape and being ridden at the same time! I have not been good at getting videos or pictures lately, so nothing to show. Will try to see if someone can help me next week.
I need to thank my parents for helping me with the horses every day. Without them I would have to sleep even less and drive even more. Another great part of the team is my sponsors. Allé Rideudstyr has been with me for 11 years by now and NAG HorsePro just said yes to another year as well. Allé makes sure that the horses and I are always fitted in nice equipment, and NAG is feeding them.
Faraday has progressed since his winter break. He is learning sitting trot and leg yielding and will soon be ready for dressage competitions for real. He has only jumped very little since his break and is only entered in 90 cm next week. I hope he has reached his final height by now. He has already earned himself the nickname “Elephant” due to his size and colour.
Aristocrat is really improving in both dressage and jumping. Especially the jumping has been lacking over summer. But we seem to have come up with a system where he jumps really well and doesn’t just run away from me. He is still too tense, but will hopefully improve more before the season. He is entered in 100 and 110 cm next week. Dressage wise he has begun work on shoulder in, travers, and turning on the hocks. Not quite in a competition shape yet. End of February he can I hope do some bigger dressage competitions.
Cassius is back, or at least that is what we hope. We have struggled A LOT with figuring out how to feed and how to train him without him tying up. Tying up is not very well understood, even though it is quite the problem in thoroughbred racehorses. I have read a ton of papers, my vet (IKeyVet) has done the same and talked to specialists all over the place. No one really knows why, but it seams as if the line of thoroughbred Cassius is out of very often has problems with the osmotic pressure and doesn’t really take all the magnesium fed to them. Long story short: More magnesium added, more vitamin E, more selenium and right now I have been riding him for three months and he is almost back in shape. He is entered in 110 next week.
I will try to do a weekly update next year. I have been terrible this year and I know it. It has been a stressful year with Cassius and also in my none horse life. Everything seems to have improved now and 2017 will be the year where we will go to new levels.