What's been going on? Lots and also nothing depending on what you want to know.
Carlos had December off due to weather, me being ill and then by the time all that was sorted Christmas was around the corner so I figured he might as well have the rest of the month and I didn't have to worry about trying to keep him ticking over when I was working (including Christmas day 😢).
He had the month up the field with Alfie, only coming back when they got their feet trimmed. The following week I brought them back to the yard, ready to crack on with Carlos.
We did a fair few hacks and the odd little schooling session and Carlos then came out of his stable lame one morning....
Turns out he had a stone wedged into his hoof at some point and it had gone into the sole so he was naturally a bit ouchy. A week later however he was feeling good again so off we went. Had some good long walk hacks with short bursts of trot, even found a one were we had a little canter! Then a few days later I found him with a rather fat leg, panic set in thinking the worst and thought it was a tendon but I also knew he had mud fever and I had just clipped his legs the day before so I could treat it better so had my fingers crossed it was that causing it and the following morning all four legs were blown up! Bless him but at least I knew it was the mud fever then, I changed the treatment for it and carried on working him to help get/keep the swelling down.
Thankfully he's not had fat legs since so hopefully it will stay that way. We had a little play over a jump that was in the arena a few days ago and he had a massive pop on him once he got going, I think once we get him over his spooking and realise it's fun he will be cracking jumping. 🤞
I've been lucky that he's kept his fitness up quite well on his time off, I had a dressage competition and a grid work clinic booked in which I cancelled so we had more time and tomorrow were off to a polework clinic so I'm excited to get going out and about again.
It's been a looooooonnnnnnngggggg month.
