So where do I start? February has been and gone in a flash and I’ve not managed to keep my New Year’s resolution of blogging more often! The weather up here in Bonny Scotland still hasn’t been great – I think I had 10 days where I could do ‘normal’ work with the horses in between heavy frosts and snow – which is still bloody here!

In between the snow I have managed a little bit of teaching and I also managed to go to a surprise 30th birthday in Edinburgh, which was fun! But the journey down south the next day was not quite so fun. I went south with Mum and my friend Sarah Oakden to Hartpury for the International Eventing Forum. It was a very interesting day particularly Pammy Hutton – she has some weird and wonderful ways to train horses but it obviously works and I did come away feeling a bit more enthusiastic and with some new exercises. (Maybe I shouldn’t mention I found Di Lampard and Shane Breen very contradictory and boring!)

As for the excitements of February... Max and Victor came for a ‘holiday’ while their owner Fiona went away skiing. I managed to get to one show jumping event with them plus Axil and Classy. Axil was the naughty one and wasn’t in his best mood for show jumping – oh dear not ideal! The other three were really good though. Zebedee, Axil and Classy had a visit to Ian Stark’s for a lesson – I forgot to phone before I left to check the weather and his arena was a little frozen but we managed to do some dressage. Ian had to get on Zebedee and Classy – oops not a good start to the year! They were both so much better when I got back on though. Plenty of homework needing doing I think.

I went to one dressage show with Axil, Classy and Zebedee and Ailie took Filius. Filius was quite excited and showed off his flying changes – which were not required! Classy was also a little over excited and just desperate to do half pass, travers etc but by his second test he was much better, he almost tries too hard to please. Zebedee was pretty good – he’s just not quite strong enough to produce amazing work so he’s not always 100% consistent but I was pleased with him, although I did have to go HC as apparently you’re not allowed a neck strap – how mental is that?! What do you do with a fresh sharp horse? Is safety not important? Axil was really good in his first test and then in his second test he spooked, bucked, kicked the boards and had a gallop off around the arena! But the rest was quite good so he finished 2nd by only 0.8%!

I had a girl come to try Jose (a wee horse I bought from Portugal two years ago with Zebedee) and she loved him and bought him – they’re a perfect match. So lovely when that happens! Then the snow arrived so she was delayed in coming to collect him but he has now gone to his new home (much to Ailie’s disappointment!). I eventually re-registered my horses with BE so I could enter my first event, which will be Lincoln all being well! I’m just taking Classy and Axil and the others can wait a few more weeks for the Scottish events to get going.

So there are not really any excitements up here just now. Oh - my big sister, Mailin is pregnant - her baby is due during Blair week! Apart from that I’m a bit dull and boring right now!