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Boy what a lot of decisions there are to be made. Little ones like shoes on or off to travel, how many rugs, how to pack everything, what to take, etc. It would be a different experience doing a trip like this as part of a team with a chef d'equipe, and experienced team mates, or even if there was someone experienced on the ground day to day with the planning (my husband Russell is very supportive, but still isn't sure which way a halter goes on) People have been very generous to give me advice. Heath Ryan gave me some great tips, get to know Pzazz's vital signs so I can pick it early if he's getting stressed, so early signs of travel sickness can be treated. Chris Hiesslers told me that minimal water requirements are 40 mls per kilo per day, which is about 3 small buckets for the trip, not so much really. Glennis Barrey suggests a cooling rug under a woolen, Russell Johnston said to get him used to drinking from a small bucket, with molasses. The problem is he tends to smash those little 10 litre ones just for fun. Oh well.
Pzazz is jumping out of his skin at present which is great. We have been reinforcing his in hand , ground work, especially head down, as this should help to keep his lungs clear on the plane. I am a great believer in discipline on the ground, and in the application of learning theory to horses, and so use of repetition. He is enjoying the company of his little mate Blake, the kids Shetland, who is quarantined with him. So Blake gets all the blood testing too. Blake was the star of the Pas de deux at the dressage festival, paired with Sue Ogilvy's 17.1hh Feurst, to the speeded up music of the Oneidin Line (Katchaturians Adagio). Blake had a crash course in Medium level dressage, although on the day the changes weren't clean (well one didn't happen at all, but the counter canter was good). Blake and Pzazz are out together all day and they do enjoy a game of chasey. When Blake is sick of it he simply becomes an immovable object, standing stock still until Pzazz gets sick of cajoling him into running. Good strategy.
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