He's back!

Rode Rory in the school properly today for the first time since his hocks were done and he stayed sound and balanced! Cracking on with fitting now with the aim to going back doing Rory's main love jumping.

Finally a pic of him with best buddie Duke. Duke on the left (hes only 2)

Little catch up time. Dressage with Pait at the weekend was put on hold due to Daisy wagon needing a new tyre so I had a long reining/lunging session instead to work on her voice commands especially seeing as halt seems to have disappeared with Pait learning to go forwards!
This week I have managed to hack both her and Rory out solo. It would have been nicer to have company but it was a quick ride after work. Typically the irrigaters are out on the fields which makes it a tad interesting in places. Some nice person has left dressage markers out in one of the grass fields though so I had an impromptu schooling session mid-hack with Pait.
Rory is getting fitter and is still sound! This does mean though he is getting a bit dafter when out as he's bored just hacking. Monday's ride involved a 180spin with partial rear, I did have a moment of I'm coming off but luckily sat it, the cause of this was a shetland pony tied to a garden gate! Muppet creature.
Am tentively planning Rory's first ridden show since his hacks were done and his first this year. He's looking the best condition he ever has typically.

Mardy mares and a new arrival!

Well Bex isn't a Dales but Im still putting this here. Last night at 9pm we welcomed into the world a little bay filly. It has been 3 years of trying, 11 months and 10 days tensely waiting but so worth it to see this little girl.

Today I had a lesson on Pait who WANTED the baby thank you very much. She saw us lead Bex and baby into the stable opposite and didn't stop pacing, calling and staring at the other box. I took the cowards route and lunged before I got on as she was in a right mood about going away from Bex's baby. A few tantrums and some very half hearted attempts at work later she finally settled down and did some amazing trot, canter work.
I think Pait wants a foalie lol, am glad she's not in a field near Bex.

Pait's first ridden

Bit belated but on Sunday Pait did her first ever ridden show class at a busy local show. I chose to do the novice ridden as there was no group canter so a bit easier for her as canter is still a work in progress.
8 forward including Pait in not the largest of grass rings which slopes and located with just a hedge between it and a well used national sppedlimit road!
Well she went super and felt amazing to ride. The only place she let herself down was the right canter in her individual show when she had a tiny buck but to be fair the options on that rein were to canter downhill or in front of the line-up which I really didn't want to do so downhill it was and when I asked she lost her balance and got a bit stressed hence the small buck. She stood in the line-up well to say that she had been very fidgety outside the ring so I was a bit worried she wouldn't stand.
In the end we came 6th but it was the good experience which made my day. Onwards and upwards for my little blue girl.

In Rory news- we are slowly building ridden work back up via hacking and have had our first post injection trot this week. I hadn't realised how poor his walk had gotten until getting back on after the injections and having fully spring-loaded walk. He is being daft with minimal work though and rides are getting more "interesting" with each slow ride.

As a side note since Rory having his issues all the Dales are getting codliver oil in their feeds, Rory and Pait get a mug each of micronised linseed per day and Rory also has a joint supplement from the vet. I will protect their joints at all costs and shiny coats are a bonus. :-D