The Annoyance

I think Tally instinctively knows when I'm at my most annoyed. I had no caffeine the other day, and therefore was both exhausted and crabby because I had a headache. However, Tally needed excercise because then he doesn't feel the urge to break out of his paddock, so I put on his long-lining gear, because if I rode, I'd fall off.

I took him into the hill paddock to work his weak weeny little hiney. He started by biting me when my back was turned, then proceeded on to perform some very impressive airs above the ground when I asked him to do anything. He also managed to canter on the spot before leaping in the air and rodeo-bucking. Eventually I managed to get a sensible walk (ie without snatching at the reins and trying to tank off) so I gave up and put him back in his yard. He needed his overreach injuries cleaned, and he "assisted" in this procedure by licking my back and chewing my t-shirt. He then did his stretches, and "assisted" again, with a little more force. I left him alone in the yard while I went to get his rug and came back to see him with half a manuka bush in his mouth. I resisted the urge to hit him with it and dumped him in the paddock.

I worked the pants off him the next day (I'd had caffeine = I could function) and although he had a few tantrums, as he always does, he was much better. While I was walking him out, I began planning his fitness regime. I also put my entry in for Horricks Park. Doing Training. Oh god.

He's going to do a weekly gallop on the beach, as well as some serious trot work as the sands are soft enough to help his hocks and I can get some good interval training in. He's going to do one day of pole work and canter work without spurs, then one dressage session with spurs to get him working well in trot and keeping him ahead of my leg and lateral work, one day of long-lining, one day of hillwork in walk and slow trot then a final day where I work on my position, alternating dressage and jumping.