Hot and humid

A grey and dull start to the day.

Dad rode me in the school at 9 'o clock for three quarters of an hour. We walked on a long rein and shortened up, leg-yielded and worked on halt transitions.

We trotted in a circle - and worked on upwards and downwards transitions and tried to straighten rein-back.

When Other Dad came out we added a little canter on both reins and left it at that.

Viola joined us in the school late on to be lunged and work over poles. She is in the next field to us and we talk over over the fence a lot. I think we are going steady - but I suspect she may also be seeing Cricket and Dibby when my back is turned.

We came in and Dad hosed me down and put me out to graze with Dibbs.

Since it wasn't sunny, Dibby and I went out without fly rugs which was OK until mid-afternoon when the horse flies went crazy and we ran around in protest. Pesky varmints.

Dad brought us in and, with several horses coming suffering from the same horrid thing at the same time, was eventually able to hose us down to get rid of the flies and cool us off. Dad also tea-bagged Dibby's eyes, which had gone puffy raw and sore from flies and rubbing. An uncomfortable afternoon. Dad says we will now have to go out in our rugs until the weather breaks.

Auntie Gemma kindly gave us some of her special hand-made fly spray to try instead of the spray that has been mentioned in various forums. Dad says it smells very nice with floral high-notes. It has essential oils, including lavender. Nice!

Other Dad bought Dibby a new rug with legstraps today, so we will both go out in fly rugs tomorrow.

Cobs do like a new rug - and a floral high note.