Linzi's blog

I'm certain it is. Not my Blog e-mail, but my other e-mail. It only shows e-mails I don't want, about stuff I don't want to know about.
A couple of weeks ago, I applied for a placement. Not going to go into any real detail, but, I was really keen on it. Recieved a reply e-mail on the Wednesday, asking some questions, and some pics.
Sent reply last Saturday evening, and I haven't heard anything since.
Surely, if I didn't get the placement, it wouldn't hurt to send an e-mail saying: "Thank you for your application ... blah, blah, blah .... Unfortunately, on this occaision, you have not been successful." Would it?
E-mails are definately free to send aren't they?
I mean besides the internet connection charge.
So, to my extremely logical mind, there is only one answer to the problem:
My e-mail has selective blocking.
Can it be removed?

I am looking at getting 2 fantail-type fish. We used to keep fish a few years ago, but everything has been gotten rid of, so I'm starting from scratch and want to get it as right as possible, so:
For 2 fantails, how big a tank would I need?
How long after setting the tank up can I buy and add the fish?
What's the best feeding regime for Fantails, pellets, flakes or a mixture?
If adding frozen treats, what is best?
Any other information an the upkeep of these fish would be greatly appreciated.
I am asking these questions, as everything I've read seems confusing and slightly contradictory, especially with regards the setting up of a tank. Some saying wait 7 days, others until the water is free of amonia.
That's another question, is there a testing kit to check the water amonia levels? i know to leave the tank, once it's set up to allow the bacteria to thrive.
Also, is there a small, cold water fish that eats algae, that would be able to live alogside the fantails without problems?
This question is because of the shape of the room where the tank is situated, direct sunlight would be hard to avoid, if there isn't a small algae eater that co-habits happily with fantails, then I can improvise a sunscreen for the side of the tank most affected.

If you believe that, you'll believe anything.
No, the British Bulldog is NOT going to become extinct, it just won't look like the country it's supposed to be representing: Grossly overweight, and unhealthy.
Is that really the fighting fit message we are supposed to be sending out?
No.
The British Bulldog has been let down over the last 100 years by the very people who supposedly cared about it: the breeders. They tried to play God, thinking they knew best. They failed. The Bulldog can't mate without assistance, and no chance of natural birth for MRS Bulldog: no, she needs a caesarean because the pups heads are too big for her hips.
I've seen an impression of the new British Bulldog, and I like it. It has longer legs, isn't so fat it has to waddle, and has a face shape it can breathe with. Whats more, lowering the nose means the dog no longer needs the owner to remember to wet it's nose, because it can touch it's tongue to it's nose.
That's got to be an improvement, surely?
Well, the British Bulldog club are up in arms about it.
Of course they are. They don't like the idea of having to admitt they've been breeding unhealthy dogs for years, dogs that their ancestors wouldn't recognise as Bulldogs.
Others to get a healthy make-over under the new KC guidelines include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which will now be bred to have a head that is big enough for the brain.
The German Shepherd is another. The Police don't need to worry though, their dogs are, presumably, safe. I imagine that the change will be a lifting of the hips, meaning that the dog can walk.
The Shar Pei will loose those folds of skin around the legs, back, neck and face. Their breed club, welcome the move, which is great to see, that some people realise that something has to be done to help these breeds.
The Pekingnese will lose the flat face that stops it breathing properly, and will most likely, end the need for the owner to train the dog to drink from a bottle.
Yes, flat-faced dogs need supervision when they are drinking as the nose being flat against the face means theres a risk of them drowning in their water dish.
The Kennel Club may have taken a very long time to take action, but they are to be applauded for this move and should be supported by breeders, not shunned.
Those breeders thinking of leaving the KC because of this, remember:
When you breed those deformed pups, you'll have a harder job to sell them. It might have it's faults, but that piece of paper that says "KC Registered" holds more sway when people buy their pup than "non-KC Registered"
Maybe you should gice the new proposals a try, you might surprise yourself by finding you like the changes to your breed.

With gifts for the Dog's home this Christmas. It may only be a slight miscalculation on my part, and I'm sure that everything will have a use.
I have been putting a doggie hamper together over the past month for all the doglets at Manchester Dogs Home. I didn't mean to get too much, some treats, a small bag of dry food, a couple of toys, and maybe a smallish doggie cushion, all in a box. This has grown into the following:
1xbag dry dog food
1x6-pack foil containers dog food for small dogs
1x4-pack foil trays puppy food
1x1.2 kilo box of Bonios
1xbox of Puppy Markies
1xmedium-sized knotted rope toy
1xsmall-sized rope toy
1xrubber tug toy
1xmedium extreme Kong
1xKong paste
1xbag of doggie treats
1x18" doggie cushion
1x24" doggie cushion
all enclosed in a willow, cotton lined laundry basket
That's just the dogs.
I got the volunteers some mince pies and I might buy some more volunteer goodies while out shopping tomorrow, before dropping the hamper off.
I would urge all people to think about their local animal rescue centre next year and consider a small hamper or donation. At Manchester Dogs Home, £1 will buy a dog it's dinner on Christmas day. It doesn't cost much to add a couple of tins of dog/cat food or a small pack of treats to your weekly shopping, and the rescues really are gratefull for any donation, no matter how small.
Maybe I did go over the top, but it's only the same amount as I'd have spent on Tess over a couple of months, so, to me it's worth every penny to help the Rescue that we got Tess from.

Me and Gypsy had a breakthrough! I am not kidding you, Gypsy has still not changed in the slightest, he still wants to go 100MPH in everything, that's never going to change in the slightest, and is still excitable, but in the last 2 weeks something has changed.
Gypsy will do collected work willingly! I am seriously worried about his health. Gypsy shuns all collected work, lateral work, anything that stops him going 100MPH is evil in his mind and to be avoided.

That changed last Saturday. Towards the end of the lesson, where we hadn't done too much work, but some recent canter work had got Gypsy up on his toes, we were given the all-clear to do lateral work with the horses we were riding. This normally results in a 10 minute battle to get Gypsy to do a leg-yield, not last Saturday. He willingly performed leg-yield, and then, deciding that this lateral work malarkey was getting him lots of praise from yours truely, did 2 very nice shoulder-ins and even gave me a couple of steps of half-pass, which I asked for not really expecting anything. OK his half-pass wouldn't exactly set the Dressage world alight, but it's a start.

This Saturday, we were doing quarter turns to prepare for shoulder-in. Again, Gypsy was worryingly willing to do this work all nice and collected.

There is a catch to this though - once he discovered the joys of collection, he decided that he liked it so much, he didn't really want to go forward again!

For the time being anyway. It's been one of those months since September started. I'm bored, fed up with doing the same old boring things like work, go out, watch TV, read, surf internet (oh, actually, scrap that last one, just seen something interesting), eat, drink, go to bed, have tooth removed, have jaw bone cracked by dentist while removing tooth, get some weird cold/flu mutation, sleep, force 6 pints of home-made lemonade down throat, gaze dreamily at new PSI collection and KA. As you can see, it's been boring. And then, just as I thought it couldn't get worse, it got better.
JMJ music god returns to Manchester next year!
Going to Germany next Week!
Christmas Party!
Ok, I accept the first one is worth the excitement and maybe the second one as well. But you can tell how bored I have been.
This is because Tess is no longer here, Tess was my ideas bouncer. OK, the feedback wasn't exactly there, but, she listened (at least I think she did) to my ideas, put up with suddenly and unexpectedly being whisked off to new places for a walk.
In short, since we lost Tess, I have been lost. Maybe I was lost before, like at the start of the year, but didn't really realise it until Tess went.
Maybe we'll get a new dog next year, and I can find my spark again.
Or maybe not.

Just spent a very interesting Saturday Evening at Adington Mannor EC in Buckinghamshire, learning a lot from the unofficial dressage god, Ulli Kasselmann, and 2 top class riders/trainers, Dr. Ulf Möller and Emile Faurie.
This was a masterclass given during the British Dressage Young Horse & Breeding Championships. Note that this is to showcase the best British young horses. From what I saw of our horses in comparison to those brought over by the Kasselmann team, we have a lot of work to do.

Carl Hester impressed in the Prix St George with Moviestar, but, as impressive as the 8 year old stallion was, he paled somewhat in comparison with the 3, 4 and 5 year olds Kasselmann had to show. The difference? Training.

Apparantly, in Britain, if a horse reacts by either lengthening or shortening, we don't praise the horse, we either push the horse forward or hold it back. On the Kasselmann yard, this is a no-no.

"Use these things to your advantage. Praise the horse, give them a pat, tell them they did well. That way, when you ask for the extension or collection, there is more chance the horse will produce that elevation you got when something happened to excite the horse." Says Möller.

Several times during the clinic, we were encouraged actively to "help" the horse with an extended trot. The results were some of the most spectacular, naturally cadent extended trots I have ever seen, and I have seen some very good ones.

During the Q&A session, a question was asked about the working trots produced by some horses earlier in the day. Did we need to push forward more?

"Yes. The horse has to come forwards from the hind legs, swinging through the back, up into the bridle, not backwards. If the horse is not going forward, you cannot have true collection. When the horse is going truely forwards, the shoulders lift and the back is loose. So, yes, you have to ride the working trot forward." Said Kasselmann.

From what I saw, we don't really have any excuse to not be as good as Germany. If only we could get over being "so British and reserved in our riding, we could go to Germany and not say 'Sorry, about that, but we're British.'"

As I say, it was a thoughroughly enjoyable evening, spoiled only by a few people around me who weren't interested in the masterclass and decided to chat to each other through the duration. If you're not interested, leave.

Also, one question I wanted to ask, but didn't. It comes down to one lesson at the start of the year. Young horse named Harley. At the start of the lesson, another horse tried to attack her, making her nervous. In particular, she continually spooked in one corner. Not wanting to upset her too much, I took the decision to work her away from that corner and circled her in walk, rewarding her when she showed signs of relaxing.

Ever since, I have wondered - was that the right choice? Should I have persisted in working her into the corner?

I may never know the answer.

That's what I think of the following show jumping teams who objected to the inclusion on the British team of a 53 year old man:
Netherlands,
Switzerland,

U.S.A,

Canada,

Australia,

Norway,

Sweden.

Obviously, the Brit in question must have commited some henious crime for those 7 to object so strongly, taking their protest the the Equestrian governing body, the FEI, you say.

Well, no. The 53 year old is John Whitaker. His crime? His horse, Peppermill, was sidelined from the first day of the team competition with a stiff back. The horse was passed fit for the second day and the competition officials agreed to the British team request for John to compete. Strangely enough, the German team, Britian's closest rivals, had absolutely no problem with this. But the 7 teams above did. They lodged a protest, which was upheld.

Congratulations on your Gold medal U.S.A. Congratulations for getting Silver, Canada. Congratulations to Norway on your Bronze medal. But, remember, in the minds of a lot of showjumping fans, this one included, your achievements will be forever tainted with an asterisk - John Whitaker did not start for Britain. Where was the fairness that the Olympics is supposed to be about in your protest? Britain reduced to 3 riders, when their fourth was fit and his horse was fit, but deemed inelligible on your say so. Reduced to 3 riders, albeit 3 very good riders, you left Britain with no chance of a medal, having to count all 3 scores, no chance to drop their worst score, without the world's best team rider, John Whitaker to fall back on. Was that fair? The answer is NO. But why should that matter to you? You have your medals and your riders can look forwards to the individual competition without fear of being beaten by one of the World's most experienced championship riders.

You were so brave to make that stand against John Whitaker weren't you?

Actually, your actions reek of cowardice. I for one, don't think of you as brave any more. I used to marvel at how good you were, not any more. Every one of you that protested aginst John's inclusion in the British team for the second day of competition are cowards. I don't respect you or think you are great any more.

To Germany. The most sincere congratulations for overcoming a horrendous first day score of 20 faults to finish joint fifth. I hope that your riders can put their disappointment at not winning a team medal behind them and secure at least one individual medal.

And finally, to our brave, brilliant British riders. I can understand your disappointment at finishing seventh in the team competition. Forget what those cowards did to our chances, and set about proving to them that, the team result was wrong and that Britain was truely the best showjumping team at the Olympics. Then, look to London 2012. With good luck, those 4 horses that started our medals dreams in Beijing will still be competing and winning, and we can put the record straight, winning the team gold.

To those cowards, I hope you enjoy your ill-deserved sucess, it won't last. Whitaker and Peppermill have a point to prove and you still all have to face them again this year. I won't wish you luck when that time comes.

If you have read her blog, you will know that on Friday night, Tess wrote her last ever post. Unfortunately, she gave up her fight with the cancer and chose to join her big sister, Tina and all the other dearly loved pets who are no longer with us at the Rainbow Bridge. I have spent a couple of days and many tears over the following video of a tribute to both Tess and Tina. Unfortunately, we don't have many pictures of Tina, so she only appears twice.

Run free darlings, till we meet again.