Kween Kika

Where and why does time continuously get away from me?! It's been weeks and I've barely posted or ridden for that matter despite my hoping otherwise. There is little point in my trying to remember why I've been such a bad blogger & rider - because I've no doubt the excuses are flimsy. TG for PL keeping Nancy going 3 times a week & sometimes I hop up in between and let's be honest Kika is pretty happy with her lackadaisical lifestyle. Puddin' landed on her feet with me ;-)

Let's see...I think I had a few enjoyable spins on Nancy while PL was away for a weekend training clinic in Germany. PL & Nancy have been getting on great together, I was just glad that I didn't undo all their bonding & partnership building with my spins. We ride quite differently.

Apologies for lonely fuzzy photo
amidst all the verbal vomit

As the title and gross mispelling of the word Queen for alliteration purposes suggests this post is to praise my ould doll Kika; who has turned 12 since my last post. As per usual I had her birthday in mind in the lead up to her special day & then promptly forgot all about it on the day itself.
Such is my memory, sorry Keeks - maybe next year!
K has been an absolute legend of epic proportions considering the lack of work I have been giving her. She has had a couple sessions in the pessoa and I've ridden her in the arena myself a couple of times too. But the majority of the praise for this post comes from her epic big girl panties bad ass handling of my last minute suggestion one Saturday that PL & I take advantage of the good weather (it has been predominantly crappy in mainland Europe this month...not sure if anyone has seen what was going on in France & Germany but we were having similar wet weather) and head for an impromptu stroll in the woods. She hadn't done a tap of work since I'd lunged or ridden (see bad memory strikes again) since the weekend before yet she strode around the trails like a BOSS & BAMF leaving Nancy dawdling in her dust. The only other time she has been so good on the trails was when Beka visited last September and that was such a wonderful surprise for me that day but she had been in the woods the day before that expedition.

She truly is a champion & a completely different girl when she gets to live outside 24/7. Here's hoping I haven't jinxed the good behaviour with this post now as I make my way to the stable to climb back aboard. I did lunge her yesterday the plan had been to rig up the pessoa, but like the last time I rode her in the arena she was struggling with her canter work. Under saddle she had felt disjointed, discombobulated initially and like her 4 legs weren't communicating. However under saddle & on the lunge yesterday she did work out of of it after a few wobbly transitions. I think the osteo may be coming back to check her out as she may have tweaked something getting up funnily from lying down or rolling in the soppy field. I might go for a stroll in the woods this evening if PL has time, otherwise I'll concentrate on walk/trot work with K in an arena and then try her again on the lunge tomorrow or over the weekend to see where her legs be at.