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| FT Weekend article |
Interesting, new concept is being developed by the ex-owner of Los Angeles Dodgers...If you are signed up to FT website, you can read the whole article here. In short, it seems like someone is having an idea for a show jumping league with a Formula 1 or football structure where teams of riders/horses are owned...15 teams...riders could be bought and sold and poaching would be allowed...Apparently Athina Onassis is up for owning a team...
At the moment the initiative had been halted by FEI (more on that here: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/football-club-style-showjumping-competition-504094)
I find the whole concept interesting and captivating from business perspective but wonder how much impact it would have on welfare of the horses with such amount of money at stake.
Now, back to reality, the world is under water right now! I run simulator sessions in the morning so usually don't bother about the weather as I am under the roof but it's out of doors next and we are taking the first proper soaking for a long time!
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| Learning to maintain balance and rhythm over trot poles on a bendy line |
Both my lightweight jackets have long lost their waterproof qualities and as it is too warm for my warm coat, I get drenched to the core. On top of that, my body warmer decides enough is enough and stains my white shirt to the point of very unsightly rainbow.
This prompts me to look for some waterproof gear ahead of the autumn and winter and I spend good couple of hours reading about various fabrics and their properties ;) I decide on a few types to investigate in shops at the end of the week.
Day 237: Tuesday 25th August
Another portion of soaking today! Basil the pony makes the most of his beauty mud baths and gives Alicia a taste of the I-live-out lifestyle.
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| Before... |
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| After...Ready to go out and get soaked ;) |
By the end of the lesson we are dripping with rain water. Mairi and Tilly who I teach next endure even stronger downpour but it's such a good ride we barely notice. I get Mairi to work on her sitting trot and having sodden breeches is a bonus as they act like glue on the leather and help with the stickability ;)
We finish rather elated and in our training bubble but once Tilly is made comfortable and drying in her fleece rug, we realise how wet we managed to get. It's another several hours on the yard ahead of us so we decide to visit out friends at the golf club again.
It's a big club with a golf clothing shop and it so happens they are having an end of season sale. I end up with a rather nice sweatshirt (lady golf technical ;) ) and Mairi with a very fluffy golf towel (not quite sure what do they need towels in golf for but Mairi used it to dry her breeches with some success).
We grab a coffee and some snacks and go back to the yard.
By 4pm, the time of our hack, the rain miraculously stops and we even get some sunny spells. I take Oscar as my lead horse and he is a super star. His trot to canter and canter to trot transitions are feeling more balanced, he has a few spooks but is otherwise bravely leading the way.
I get back home at 8.30ish PM, have some yummy pasta for a very late dinner with Rick and put my alarm on for 6am for an early start tomorrow.
Wx
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