Scunthorpe and other bits

Well it's been a couple of weeks since I updated the blog, but not alot has been happening really. I wasn't booked to go to Shuttleworth, so at least that saved me some money as I wouldn't have gone anyway.
Last Saturday I made the very long journey up to Scunthorpe. I left home just after 3am and got home about 8.30pm, so a long day. The day was made even longer by the fact that I had such a crap day, Chip had 4 runs and had 4 E's. He was missing all his contacts and having jumps down, I know we all have our off days, but I could have done without Saturday being one of them. Anyway I have decided that Chip isn't quite right on his backend, so I am getting him looked at, I have also decided to rest him for a few weeks so wont be going to Wallingford and I wont work him at Lewes.
Dave Bryant kindly took a few piccies of Chip in the Champ ring on Saturday and they are quite good. The expression on his face in this one is clearly saying "i'm not going to make it" and he doesn't, he has this jump down.




The other couple of piccies are good as well.




Nothing much this weekend, but I do have Toni Dawkins coming upto my field to do a training day and I'm going to work Tigg in the morning, so really looking forward to that, just hope the weather holds up.
Next show for me then will be Lewes and that is when Tigg makes his debut. I am confident that he can do all the equipment, he just doesn't concentrate for very long and is easily distracted. Also although he can weave, they need alot of work still as he is almost walking through them. Oh well, we will see what happens on the day.

Mid Downs & Easter Celebration

Doesn't time fly. Well at Mid Downs I just had 3 runs with Chip as Buzz didn't have any veteran classes. Both of Chips agility runs were abit pants, he was very strong on his contacts and I felt abit out of control. His grade 6/7 jumping was a lovely course and he worked fantastic, I could not have asked him to be any tighter around the jumps and he really picked his feet up. We were rewarded with 2nd place, so I was very pleased with that end to the day.
I did spend alot of the day sitting in my chair, so my feet weren't too bad, but they did ache the next day.

Onto Easter Celebration: Tenterden were ring partying at this show and although most of the show was moved indoors due to weather, we still ended up with one of the outside rings. I had already said I wanted to do scoreboard, so it meant I could sit down most of the day, this was made better by being in a portacabin and having an electric fire on, so I did feel sorry for the other ring parties outside. I had 4runs with Chip and 1 veteran jumping with Buzz. The veteran was a lovely course and Buzz worked fantastic and won the class, so I took home an Easter Egg (but I did give it all to my husband as i'm doing Weightwatchers and that is far too many points). Chips contacts were much better this time and unfortunately he had a pole down in the Olympia qualifier. I thought I would struggle to steer him around the Power and Speed, but he was actually quite controlled and I did get onto the speed section and we came 8th. Unfortunately in the grade 7 agility, Chip did a pullthru right at the end of the course on number 18 when it shouldn't have been a pullthru, so a good day. Unfortunately Chip was a bit stiff on the Saturday evening and my feet were very sore, so we didn't go back to the show on the Sunday.
Next show is Scunthorpe on 5th April.

Not alot been happening

As the title says, not alot has been happening with regards to agility. I haven't been back to Mac on a Monday for Chips training due to my feet being bad, but am hoping to go back when the next 6 week course starts. I only managed to go up the field a couple of times as I was in alot of pain with my feet. Anyway I have now been to see a Sports and Remedial Massage therapist and he has been working on my feet, with some good results so far. I have now been to him twice and I knew it would be painful whilst he was working on them, but not quite that painful. He's given me a few exercises to do, one of which includes rolling my feet over a golf ball. Anyway I'm hoping that they will feel a little better for Mid Downs on Saturday.
Chip worked really well at training last nite, so that probably means he'll be awful on Saturday (not really). Also I've just had the Osteopath visit and check Buzz and Chips backs and all is good, so all set for the start of the season.

Update

My orthotics arrived last Tuesday so have been wearing them everyday, can't say I've noticed much improvement just yet. I don't have pain in my feet, just that they ache, so even though I've only been standing or walking for about 5 mins, they feel like I've just been on a 20 mile walk.
Anyway I went up the field on Friday as I had someone coming for a 1:1 lesson, so I worked Tigg for a little bit in the weaves, he is finally getting the idea and his weave entries are excellent.
Saturday I had another 1:1 lesson and then Elaine and Catherine came up the field and we worked Chip, Pi and Steiff and then I did little bits with Tigg.
On Sunday I went off to C-Side, Buzz had a run in the Veteran Jumping and he loved it, although no prizes, he did have the fastest time of 16secs, so I am pleased he can just have a run and enjoy it. Chip got 4th in the jumping, but after a missed Aframe in the agility (which was very bad as I had spent alot of time on Saturday working on it) he then got E'd as I could just not move quick enough. He did do a lovely dog walk and he didn't have any poles down, so I was pleased with that. Although I spent most of the show sitting down, my feet were just so painful and I am just so fed up that I'm letting the dogs down.
Anyway no shows this weekend, just got a couple of 1:1 lessons to do, then it's Mid Downs, I'm looking forward to going to the show, just not looking forward to the pains in my feet. Any volunteers to push me in a wheelchair might be gratefully received.

Ouch my feet hurt!!!

Well not much happening at the moment purely because I can only just about walk and even then its only for about 10mins all due to Plantar Fasciitis. My poor dogs are going stir crazy as they are not getting walked. When I go up the field I am letting them all have a run around and I throw their toys just to wear them out abit.
Anyway I have still had 1:1 lessons up the field so I have really suffered afterwards as have been standing for over an hour.
Last Friday Leah came up the field and did a bit of training with her dogs and then she worked Chip for me. I can manage to do a little bit with Tigg as long as is doesn't involve running. He is doing very well on the channel weaves and will go in from all angles with me sitting in a chair.
I am waiting for a referral to a physio to try and help sort my feet, also really hoping my orthotics turn up this week. The way I feel at the moment I don't see how I am going to be able to go to shows. I keep entering them in the hope that they will get better, if not someone is going to gain Chip (grade 7) to run and then Tigg when he starts competing at the end of April. Unfortunately Buzz doesn't run for anyone else, so he wont get to do his Veteran classes.
Lets hope I can get them sorted soon and be back up and running.

Lovely weekend weather

Well the weather was lovely this weekend (although a little nippy). Went up the field on Saturday with Elaine and my husband to assemble my new agility equipment (well secondhand, I've got the old Eukanuba set), it all looks very nice now. Also had someone come up and buy my old frame and flat tunnel, so that went to a good home and freed up some space. My feet are still really bad and have found that my crocs are the most comfortable, not really good for doing agility in though. Anyway after the equipment was set up, Elaine and I played about with Pi and Chip. Chip is such a good boy, as I couldn't run, I recalled where I could and then just sent him while I was walking around. He did some really good bits and his contacts were excellent (I will have to walk around more often).
On Sunday I had 2 people come up for private lessons, so I went up abit early and did some weaves and contacts with Tigg.





He is doing some really nice work now and he seems to be enjoying himself.




After being up the field for almost 3 hours, I could hardly walk and came home and got the footspa out and sat with me feet in it with hot water and Dettol, for about half an hour. They felt a bit better, but I am going to the doctors on Friday to see what they say. My special orthotics that are being made wont be here for at least another week or two.

Sheep herding and weaves

I took Tigg and Chip on a sheep herding day, this was just a session to see if your dog had the herding instinct. Although I had tried Chip on sheep before and he was actually quite good, the difference was I was in the pen with the sheep and Chip was on the outside, this time it was one big pen with the dog in the pen with the sheep. Therefore as Chip could now be with me (rather than outside a pen) he spent the whole time walking backwards staring up at me. Tigg on the other hand was excellent. From the minute he saw the sheep he didn't take his eyes off them. I let him off the lead and he went straight around the back of them, I was able to tell him to lie down as he got around the back of them as you don't want the dog to just keep going round and round in circle.

He was even strong enough to squeeze his way between the sheep and the fence to get them away from the fence, whereas alot of the dogs would just hold them against the fence.

Elaine came with me and she worked him the second time as I tore my Plantar Fasciia tendon in my other foot whilst working Chip. Tigg was really good and it was good to sit on the outside and watch him and as Elaine said it felt good to feel like you were in control of the sheep and the dog. Thoroughly enjoyed the day and might consider taking Tigg back for a few more lessons.

Then on Sunday I held a weave workshop up at my field. Although I had to sit down for most of the day due to my foot, Elaine helped me hold dogs, put out toys/treat pots etc, it was a good day. The first group were quite inexperienced, so we did alot of work on the channel and V weaves and I think they went away with a few exercises to work on and were pleased with the work they had done. The second group were alot more experienced so all the work was done on the upright weaves, but we were working on entries and positioning of the handler. I had them sending the dogs through all 12 weaves on their own and recalling through. Also had them moving away from the weaves to get into position for the next obstacle. They all worked really hard and I really enjoyed teaching them.
Now for a weeks rest and continually putting ice on my foot, I really hope it heals soon, so I can continue training Tigg.