healing power of the sun

The new routine is working well, I admit to having been nervous about having just the two boys but I needn't have been. They are very calm on the yard, in the field and with just a minimal amount of calling when one goes out to work. Today I hacked out on Moo and Chapiro was very relaxed about being left behind, what a good lad and Moo was very relaxed in the lovely sunshine that has been a regular feature recently.

We have gradually upped Chapiro's work rate, he's so different to Moo and taking some time to get really fit but he's getting there now. We've been working on lateral work at walk and lightening up our transitions, very pleased with him. I'll attach some recent videos, Lydia and Moo winning their All Round Horsemanship at Interdressage (how well timed was that) Chapiro with some CT groundwork for the HT Challenge, some CT ridden work and some very laboured canter transitions from Chapsi but if I don't show the bad ones I'll forget once they're amazing!!!

really showing off now

Yahoo the boy done good! First canter in the school and no problems, two transitions from trot to canter on each rein, every time correct lead and no excitement just calm and business like; I so love the boy :)) I'm so happy that he has a lovely balanced canter and that he seems to enjoy this work, makes me realise that I'm maybe not so rubbish after all as it's only me and him, nobody else's input. Can't wait for more although I mustn't be impatient. Sadly the batteries died on the camera before the canter work but I'll capture it another day.

13th September 2011

Another good session, still a little tense when we start out but relaxing very quickly. A little leg yield and baby shoulder fore and an old exercise I haven't used in a while, basically designed around Kyra Kyrklund's stopping/starting and turning on a square principal (she designed her's from the same place I guess as Udo Burger and others....). Fundamentally you ride a line until you feel the horse trying to control the line (a shoulder leaning, a hind wavering...) at which point you change the line in an equal and opposite way to that which the horse is trying to take. Take as an example the horse throwing his 1/4's to the right, I would change the line by bringing the left shoulder around to the right and thus changing direction by 90° in the process and taking a new line across the school. We ended with some reinback which was improved after yesterday's session. Then we tootled off down the hill and had a trot back up, about half way up I voice cued canter and he didn't even hesitate.....he has such a lovely canter and I think it's nearly time to ride it in the school.