Amy - loving life as a field ornament.

Treena - has been struggling with laminitis but greets you with a neigh
every morning and night.

Ellie - still as evil as ever (half joking!!) - had vet and physio to check
her over as had some issues with her rearing, although I could predit when
and where she would rear and it was always in the direction of home!!  Both
have passed her sound but I haven't ridden her recently - I don't want
anymore injuries now I've just got going with Oso.  I'm going to try and
find a loan home for her with someone with lots of time on their hands.
Think she needs lots of handling and groundwork to gain her confidence
again.  For some reason she's become frightened of her own shadow and quite
spooky which she wasn't at one time.  One major breakthrough is that she is
now shod without sedation.

Callie - now a 4yr old.  I started the backing process in the spring with
her and all was going well.  The easiest horse in the world to do and we had
got as far as walking and trotting under saddle but then I noticed that she
was slightly unlevel with her left hind.  Vet suspected DJD in her hock but
when he did the x-rays the hock was fine but the DJD was in her fetlock.  He
then x-rayed the other hind fetlock and there are signs of it in there as
well.  So pretty upset about this as she's a lovely horse with a fantastic
temperment (unlike big sister!!).  So not sure what to do, going to put her
on a supplement to see how that helps.  Vet thinks should be ok to do ridden
work and maybe low-level competition, just got to see how she goes really.

Charlie - he was the rescue Welshie we bought in the spring.  He's doing
really well now, no longer flinches when you lift a hand, or cower in the
back of the stable when you enter.   Still very jumpy at sudden movements
but is improving all the time.  I can stroke and pat him all over, he's had
the saddle and bridle on and I've started doing a bit of lunging with him.
I also take him out for walks in hand and he's not bothered by anything that
doesn't move!!  Cars he doesn't mind when they're coming towards him and can
see them but doesn't like the sound of them behind him.  Still along way
from being the lead-rein pony we want him to be but definitely getting
there.

Oso - left the best 'till last!!  Dressage lessons have been great and we've
both had to work hard and learn alot.  I'm now learning how to 'ride' a
horse properly!!  It's been a shock to poor Oso's system after being out in
the field for most of the previous three years.  After the sucess of our
first comp where we won both classes we came back down to earth with a bump
at the second one.  Well I did - we were late getting there so no warm-up
for the first class and we got just over 60% as Oso wasn't paying any
attention to me at all, he was still busy having a good look round.  Second
class he was much better but me being an idiot forgot the test, not once BUT
twice.  I was so embarrassed:-0  Anyway we got around 66% and came 5th but
would have got about 70% and come 2nd without the error of course
deductions.  At the next show we won the first class with around 69% and was
2nd in the next class on scores but got placed 3rd on the collective scores.
So he's done really well.  I've registered him with BD and am hoping to do
some aff stuff soon and my instructor thinks we should be able to qualify
for the regionals - she also mentioned the nationals but I think she might
be in dream world there - we'll have to see!!

Also went to a 2 day BD camp at the beginning of August which was great fun
as well as being hard work.  We had two lessons and two lectures a day so it
was pretty full on.  Each day in one of the lessons we had to ride a
dressage test and the instructor marked it and then went through it
afterwards pointing out the good and not so good, then spent 20mins or so
working on any issues. One of the tests was videoed as well which was
interesting to watch, especially seeing my position.  I'm sure I sit up like
a dressage queen but according to the video my shoulders are forward like
I'm about to jump:-))  Need more work on sitting up straight!!

So think that's all my news - what's everyone else been up to??