Winter is out! Spring is in!

First winter living in the UK finally comes to an end. I can honestly say I have never experienced these temperatures, wind, rain, and mud before. Not going to lie, there were definitely some moments when I really contemplated my decision to be in the UK. There was minimal light, with the sun rising at 9 am and setting at 3 pm, that is, if it even made an appearance for the day! But no need to worry, I had the Vitamin D tablets on hand and a quick trip back to AUS in November to boost me through the winter.

Despite the weather, the winter period was a great time to focus on training with Codak without the added travel or pressures of competition. Early in December, we had Christoph Hess come for three days of dressage training. For those who don't know, Christoph has worked closely with the German National Equestrian Federation and the German Olympic Committee. Christoph is an international FEI judge for dressage and eventing, so you could say he knows his stuff! It was a great opportunity to train with him again - we look forward to more sessions in the season.

Myles and I caught up with some fellow Aussies and Kiwis for an orphan's Christmas in London. It wasn't quite the usual beach cricket Xmas shenanigans, but it was good nonetheless. And what better way to bring in the new year than in an English country pub!

The first half of January saw Codak and me either in the indoor arena or hacking on the British country roads. We also experienced our first sight of snow and some stone-cold temperatures. I then caught up with my family for two weeks while Codak went to LC Equine Rehabilitation. No, nothing was wrong! He went for some fitness training on the water walker. This type of exercise encourages the horse to work symmetrically and build core strength while improving stride length and flexibility.

February came through thick and fast! There wasn't much downtime, with some secret trips to Ireland and traveling to Belgium for show jumping. It was a great first outing to kick-start the season. Although Codak was quite 'excitable,' he was an absolute gem and got straight into the hard work. Training with Jos Krumps for the week was incredibly insightful and a great learning experience. In these early stages of the season, we mainly focused on rideability and correct foundations. Back to basics, they say!

UPCOMING DATES

Saddle Fitting

5th March with Mark Fisher

Belgium SJ Training

CSI 1* Leir

Strezgom Spring Open