Le Puy -

I took Anky up to the school today. I started her off on the lunge, but she was full of herself, paying me very little attention, trotting and cantering around. I persevered and she started to listen, but was still very tense, so I changed to some leading work with a little in hand, asking for slight flexion and then moving her quarters around the forehand. She tends to rush 3 or 4 quick strides, so I concentrated on first the flexion, then ask, one stride and then halt. It calmed her and she started to concentrate more on me than the gremlins around the school!!

I then sat on and started with lateral stretching at walk with a fairly long rein, she finds it hard to relax and stretch so I was pleased with the results on the right rein. On the left rein she is very reluctant and tends to twist her neck and try to tip her nose. I worked on flexions at the halt, asking for flexion and then a transition to walk. Good on the right rein with nice stretch out to the hand. Left rein, ask for flexion, ok, but asking for the transition to walk the same tendency to twist the neck and tip the nose. It felt very much like the inside shoulder was grounded, asked again, at the same time asking the inside shoulder to move away and it was much better, worked on turn around the forehand at walk and then returned to the flexion at halt, transition to walk. Much better, less crooked through the neck and got a nice stretch out to the hand. Finished as we started with lateral stretching at walk, some improvement, following my hand out and down, much more relaxed.

Took Remy onto the yard, short session of leading work, little distracted but a good boy.