Vittoria Panizzon's Blog

Vittoria swinging with Jack!Two more long days at the auction house meant riding quickly early morning. Today was auction day, starting at 8, so I had only time to ride the fluffy young mare who managed to trot several circuits on the lunge. As the arena isn't really thawing out until later in the day, I can't really do much more riding than that.

Bug and Kiwi have had the odd day off whilst I've been busy, Bug is on holiday so he doesn't need to do much (he disagrees though!) but Sarah or the grooms sometimes hack them when I am not around.

Auction work went smoothly and I managed to limit my bidding to an enamelled chain belt so I came away with most of my pay and not too frozen thanks to one heater over my head and another under my bottom! I declined the invite to the work supper as my friend Will came to stay on his way to Devon, so I recruited a few people to go to Winchester Jive night including Jack, Sarah's nephew who kept all the girls spinning with his vast repertoire of cool moves!

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I have been helping Sarah break in a livery lately. She looked like she would take fright easily so we have taken it very slowly and have now gone from leaning over her, to leaning and walking a circle or two, and from there we have now upgraded to actually sitting on her and carefully attempting two or three trot strides on the lunge! She seems well balanced for this early stage and I think she is now going to progress quite quickly.

bug eyes up the swans!Kiwi has been going well but he can be quite bouncy! I need to find a good day's hunting to wear him out a bit soon! Funnily enough he concentrates much better when at a show than in the ring at home! Today I finally rode Bug again, Mel has already taken him out since Cardiff a few days ago. He doesn't like holidays and needs to be kept ticking over in the winter. It was lovely to hack him, getting back on his cheerful delightful self was rather like putting on a favourite comfy cashmere jumper! Or maybe like a comfy sports car after the baby horses (but I wouldn't really know about that, having never owned one!). In the evening I was still totally exhausted from the previous days and collapsed at home!



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Tiger at work with Vittoria!I have had two very similar exhausting days - riding at dawn trying not to get grimey before working all day at the local antiques auction, at least it's not very busy close to Christmas! After the auction I have been waitressing all evening both days! Yesterday, it was for a smart wedding in Wilton House where I bumped into a couple of aquaintances, and today for a mixed mother and daughter birthday celebration in the library at Avington, this time working for Mange2 so lots of delicious leftovers, but I was quite weary when I finished at 12.30am! Poor Tiger has had a very dull time as she has to wait in the car while I am working (she once destroyed the house when left alone). Luckily the auction have said Tiger can come in and sleep behind the silver counter with me now - the saleroom in a barn is marginally warmer than the car!



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I have been riding out on the racehorses for quite a few mornings; it is always worth the early start but this morning I was only needed for one string which was helpful as I needed to take Tiger to the vet's in the morning to get spayed, before riding my horses. However the vet took one look and confirmed she was having a phantom pregnancy, conveniently planned to avoid her operation! I will now have to wait 'till January! Luckily when she has no competition from other dogs she is not too fussed about food so she wasn't too upset to miss supper and breakfast for nothing!

Lately I have been most frustrated by comments made about the Express Eventing in online forums and other similar places by people very quick to criticise who weren't involved and didn't even walk the course! Their facts are so inaccurate which really frustrates me! I have come to the conclusion that I have really gained from the experience particularly as my riding has hopefully benefited in all three phases.

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