Lesson Reports

Cor I keep putting 2 entries a day! Gobby or what?

Firstly, I am amazed. I have today bought 3 rugs. EVERY one fits - whoooooooooooo! The IV fly rug fits Squirt a treat and looks fab. The riding fly rugs (which are made by matchy-matchy company HKM or whatever it is) fit really well too.

Nice material, not shiny or plasticky like a lot of fly rugs, taper up by rider's legs and down on horse's back legs, also a velcro strap for on the headpiece and fastens nicely round throat too. Very impressed, especialyl for the money!

Right then. Lessons. We equissaged Squirt for 15-20 mins before his lesson and WOW what a difference!!!

5 mins into mum's lesson, I walked round and he was really striding out, neck relaxed, tracking up, chilled, happy, smiley. Wow. Then 20 mins later I headed round for my lesson to see Squirt absolutely FLYING round the school! I actually thought it was a canter transition gone wrong but no, it was a proper trot! And he trotted a circuit and a half of the school before he walked. Fab!

Mum's on cloud 9, had a really good lesson. Then I went in a bit flat and deflated and meep. Went through toe saga and what have you and explained how I'd done something a bit silly (am booked into stressage next weekend) so we did some work on rein back.

That also led onto transition work. Trot-halt-trot. Trot-halt-rein back-trot. Towards the end he was really swinging through the transitions. I don't make life easy for him - must remember to halt from stomach, not from reins. Use fingers and hands on the reins, not whole arms and actually push hands forwards and keep them down through transitions. Don't give away contact when doing upwards transitions. Dont' be afraid to tap him with the whip going into the halt transition. Need to ride it.

Halt, make sure it's square, ask him to soften, count to two or three then ask for rein back. Legs to move in diagonal pairs, only need one or two strides at this stage then GO GO GO GO GO trot trot trot. Change the rein, anything but get him going forwards.

Snappy transitions. Don't chuck contact at him.

Then we did some medium trot and I SAT IT. YEYYYYYY :) Be happy and accept the 3 or 4 strides of really nice stuff he gives me, don't go after more as he loses his balance. He'll offer more when he's stronger.

N also made me feel tonnes better about having not really done anything with him since the first toe incident on 4th July, said it's never ever hurt T-Jay to have a few weeks off and he's always come back bigger, better and stronger after a break, for whatever reason so to look on it positively.

Also said to stop faffing and pannicking, he'll be absolutely fine next week to go out and do N22 - and I know deep down that he will. Who needs preparation LOL

Going to equissage him lots too, I really should have done him before I rode tonight. Going to charge battery overnight and try and get into the habit of doing them both before I ride, even if just for 5 mins - they really do love it so if nothing else it'd put them in a good mood :)

Flat news .... MOVING IN ON 29th. Waaaaaaaaah!