Happy Holidays

So in preparation for the arrival of my own little puppy next month, it seemed a great idea to offer to dog sit for a friend while they were on holiday. It certainly gave me an insight into owning a Springer Spaniel. A few evenings into his stay, a friend and their dog arrived providing even more entertainment. The visiting female dog instantly and then repeatedly warned him to stay away with a spontaneous curl of her lip. This was ignored by the boisterous young springer. How could she not like him? What happened next I could only liken to a teenage boy who, despite the girl of his dreams being horrible to him, thinks his amazing dancing will change her mind! Off he set spinning and spinning, chasing his tail, then suddenly stopped, checked she was watching, wagged his tail and like the typical teenage girl, she responded with another curl of her lip! Dancing needs practice I think!!!

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World Class!

Last weekend marked the start of winter with the clocks changing and our first snow of 2012 – yes in October!!  So with the thermals now back in use, my time away in Portugal with the GB team, treating in shorts and t-shirts, seems a lifetime ago.  It was an unforgettable experience, working with a fantastic team, including the Team GB Team Trainer and World Champion, Boyd Exell.  The journey began when I was invited to be the Equine Physiotherapist for Team GB, and to accompany them to the FEI World Single Championships in Carriage Driving, in Portugal.  Many hours (in fact days) were spent travelling all over the UK, with team vet Rosie Mould, preparing the potentials before the final team selection.  Once in Portugal my job was to provide support to the vet, monitoring and observing the horses to identify any problems as early as possible.  The horses were treated daily (like any world class athlete!) ensuring they performed to their full potential.  And with a final placing of 5th, they did us proud.

To read more about what we got up to, see the team blog in the news section of www.horsedrivingtrials.co.uk