It’s been quite an interesting few weeks but I think I'll begin where I left off, namely with the challenges I have been facing with Norris! My healer friend Sue did indeed do a long distance analysis on him to help me work out what all his issues were, and progress was made. It turned out that on the two occasions he got cast, though his pelvis had been re-aligned, he remained twisted in his barrel causing considerable discomfort and making him very uncoordinated (which is exactly how he felt and I couldn’t understand why). 
A sore back from his pelvis being out also led to loading of the front feet which, Sue told me, were sore already because the ground was hard in his field. Poor boy, especially as he's such a tryer even when he's in pain! So Norris enjoyed some long distance healing, plus new pads in his front shoes. Having kept his work ticking over with walk and long low trotting in straight lines, in between back and other treatments, I began to step things up with the aim of competing in the next few weeks.
To my disbelief, he then cast himself for a third time! Bewildered, I went back to Sue for some more insight. During a conversation through the air-waves that she had with Norris, he told her that he found the Thermatex I had been putting on at night itchy - I meticulously shake it out each day but he has sensitive skin and it was annoying him. So this was quickly changed. He was also bothered by flies and midges who had taken up residence in his stable (so I requested the mucking out skips be moved to another part of the yard).
In addition, he now has another squirt of fly repellent when he comes in from the field before he goes into his stable. And I have moved his haynet, as he used to destroy the bank on the haynet side when he was eating. Plus he has a variety of lotions and potions for his feet and back! Net result from having a greater insight into the issues and making a few simple management changes is an end to being cast and he is finally back on the road to recovery! I have to admit it has been depressing recently, as my hopes had been raised that we would finally return to competition this season. Instead a third year's eventing has slipped away, but I have accepted we're back to taking it one day at a time! I have now bitten the bullet and withdrawn all entries and instead of writing the opening dates for horse trials in my diary, I have entered the closing dates!
Meanwhile, my yearning to be out competing and applying new-found knowledge gained during Horse Hero filming, has taken me in a few other directions....
First a development on the ‘dressage project’. Since Project Walero, as you know, I have been looking for another Grand Prix schoolmaster to train and compete on. After a few false starts, I sadly drew a blank. This got me thinking. Perhaps I aught to buy a really nice youngster and film their development instead, as I know many of you are dealing with the challenges of producing young horses yourselves! So, having filmed at Lynne Crowden’s Woodlander Stud recently, 
I asked her if she had anything suitable for a keen amateur with aspirations (!) and booked a return visit to view a beauty parade of quality horses. I had in mind something around 6 or 7 that was ready to compete and Lynne showed me 5 horses of varying age and experience (I made a video diary, coming soon). They were all gorgeous, lovely movers though a little on the perky side whilst trotting up, which left me slightly quaking at the thought of riding them!
It was love at first sight when I saw Cuba Libra, a 17 hh plus 7 year old, though I also liked the look of a couple of others. A bit like testing perfume, it didn’t take long to completely forget what I’d seen and who was who!
I rode four after watching them under saddle with Carsten Sandrock, Lynne’s berieter. Then it was my turn! Cuba was gorgeous and it was fun to play with his lateral work and paces generally. Two of the 5 year olds had great paces too but I didn’t particularly resonate with them. Then there was the baby – a very cute 3 year old called Buddy Holly who had only just been backed. I liked everything about his conformation, quite a small person (after Norris who is 17 hh +) but very compact, uphill and a real power pack. I had never ridden such a green horse. Carsten made it look very easy, (his legs nearly reach the floor which obviously helps) so when I got on Buddy kept turning round to look at my leg as they must have seemed very dinky!
I was shocked at how little control there was. We snaked around the arena without much steering (which make me appreciate that straightness is not remotely natural to horses once they have the impediment of a rider on top). We mounted the boards at the side of the school several times, even though I thought I had the corner sussed, and I flapped my legs incessantly as he didn't really know what they meant! That said, he's a beautiful mover and was the most level headed in the trot up. Also, he was unfazed by my inadequate attempts to navigate us round the school.
My immediate reaction was he is too big a project not to mention a huge responsibility (ie. not to muck up such a classy young horse.) But chatting to Lynne, she made the point that 'his movement is the best of the horses I saw and good movement is a prerequisite for high marks, so if I want to be competitive I might have to be patient and take the younger option. She felt while Cuba was a good horse, he may not be best for me given my aims. Buddy was the better raw material!' That gave me serious food for thought, and having chewed the cud for a week or so, I have decided she is right. So I am going back to ride Buddy again in a couple of weeks time and will keep you posted...
Meanwhile, on a different tack, ex-Horse Hero blogger Nikki Routledge has been doing her best to further my endurance career which, I have to say, I am very keen to pursue and would like to run alongside my dressage and eventing endeavors - bonkers, I know! So I am now a proud member of Endurance GB and will complete two more 40km rides to qualify to ride in an open (which is the start of the serious stuff - 80km plus!) One of the two rides is this weekend at Barbury Castle (it will be odd going there for something other than eventing!) with past squad member Rachel Claridge. 
I had a sneak preview of what's to come on her tiny but perfectly formed endurance pony, Zar, last weekend in Badminton Park, where we did a speedy 20 km. So I am really looking forward to riding him on Sunday. The thought of taking endurance seriously has prompted me to step up my fitness, so in addition to running and riding now, I have dusted off an old book I had on the 'Canadian Army-Air Force fitness programme (for men!)' which guarantees 11 minutes of hell a day, from the comfort of my own living room!
On other matters, I have been to visit my new house, which now has a roof, inspected the foundations which have been laid for the yard and arena, and chosen a kitchen! All on schedule for an October move – bring it on!
On the filming front we spent a day with Italian eventer Vittoria Panizzon at her fabulous new Cotswold yard. In between torrential downpours, the sun shone albeit briefly. Poor Victoria, who has to hack to one of two local arenas, was wet to her knickers before she even starting jumping her superstar in the making, Pennyz. And later, when we arrived at the second arena we found that half of it had been dug up for resurfacing and the digger was still sitting there! 
As the driver could not be found, we were confined to filming in a small part of the arena, which was slightly tricky with 5 enthusiastic kids jumping down a grid without stirrups and reins!
I also made a video explaining to potential advertisers why they should use Horse Hero. This was done at the yard where I keep Norris so, naturally, Norris and my terrier Benjamin were the stars of the show!
Finally, today we visited Laura Bechtolsheimer again to do a pre-WEG interview, and it turned out Alf had as much to say as Laura - in fact, he mugged me through the whole interview! My pink leather jacket now has ‘Alf was here’ written on it in indelible slobber but I think of it as a horse autograph! Laura rode her 5 year old Joey as well, which was interesting to me personally as he is probably not dissimilar in build to Buddy Holly, and it was amazing to see the transformation in his trot during the session. I could get quite excited about having a youngster!
