Event Report : BRC intermediate dressage qualifier // and a Pepsi update

Our first Riding Club competition was the Winter Intermediate Dressage Qualifier. It felt so special to be able to wear our competition gear and get him smart and dressed up too. This was back in February, so it was a Virtual competition. We had to film our tests and send them in by a certain date. A lady from my yard was also competition, so we decided to set the arena up and do it on the same day so it felt a little bit more like a 'real' competition!

We warmed up well, and he felt really forward and was concentrating to my leg. The test was Prelim 18, which I have done a few times and do really like! There are 2 x center lines, and a serpentine, so lots to keep us busy and thinking. We received some really good marks at the start of the test, mainly 7s, with a 7.5 for our 2nd center line and another 7.5 for some trot work down the long side. We then got a 6.5 for our free warm - needing more purpose - and our right canter was a 6.5, compared to our left which was a 7. Finally we got an EXCELLENT 8 for our final halt :) Super happy, and some good comments from the judge.

We received 68.8% which was I was over the moon with! Unfortunately for us, the scores were extremely high in my section - with over a third of the section gaining around 70% and above.

Here is the full test, and my test sheet below -

Now onto a (not so positive!) Pepsi update...

Over the past couple of months we have found he is struggling with energy, and not as willing as he used to be. He is 22, but there was also that niggling in the back of our heads that something just wasn't right. He has had stiffness in his back legs before now, and its something we have worked hard on, with supplements, vet advice etc over the years to improve. We asked the vet to trot him up a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately yes, he isn't sound behind. He is about 2/10 lame on both back legs. The vet performed flexion tests and he was incredibly lame on both back legs with those - it was pretty difficult to watch to be honest. When she was holding his legs up he was shaking and uncomfortable.

We thought stifle or hocks - so the following week these were both X Rayed, but surprisingly the X Rays were clear. In fact, they showed no signs of any arthritic change at all. Bad news, as I naively thought we would be able to inject and carry on. But good news, as it isn't arthritis, which is degenerative. Unfortunately for him now it means further investigation.

He has been sensitive to needles in the past - so I am worried how he will react to nerve blocking. Our vet is coming tomorow to do 1 nerve block to see how he reacts. And we will go from there. If he is too sensitive, possibly a bone scan is the next step, but who knows. Its a trial and error at this stage. We will do whatever it takes to make him comfortable again - however I am conscious not to put him under too much stress as he absolutely does not deserve it. If it is pain management for the rest of his years then so be it. Its going to be an emotional ride, but we will get there - keeping my fingers crossed we will be cantering round the fields again this summer

xx