Brrrrrrrr...........

We've got our first snow of the year. It's been snowing overnight and still is.
Yesterday was very frosty but dry so I had a (very) short in-hand session with Remy. I was concentrating on having a good feel on both reins trying to keep him soft and relaxed. I think we're starting to get a better connection in-hand, he's started to take responsibility for his own energy and becoming more responsive. We are getting a better feel but lots to work on keeping the balance between the outside and inside rein. We're tending to get too much inside neck bend.
I then hacked Anky out and despite a little wobble going into the wood she was great. We did the same exercises as last time, halt/walk, halt/reinback/walk transitions and she started to soften in the mouth and flex the poll, then she stretched and took the rein down with a lovely forward walk. Her feet seem to be strengthening up really well, there was no sign of sensitivity on the gravel tracks.
 I had a short session with Remy at halt today working on getting a soft contact on both reins, letting him lengthen his neck a little and then asking for a very light flexion, keeping his neck much straighter. He was flexed (not too much) at the throatlash but not too much inside neck bend. It felt like a nice relaxed connection, just need to take that into movement!

Feelin' good

 
A nice lunch out yesterday at our horse group meeting. We had a new venue which was very cosy and welcoming.The weather was glorious, so I hurried home to do some work with Remy only to find that it was damp and overcast at our place.  The horses were hanging around the gate though so I brought them in and set off with Remy up to the school. I usually work the horses in the morning so Remy was a little nonplussed at having to work when he expected to come in for his tea. He was very distracted, looking and stopping then setting off at trot at every noise so all I could do was to try and get him to relax and lower his head. After a while he started to calm a little and we managed a few minutes in-hand work. He was still a little tense, but he was listening and containing his worries. I asked him for a few halt and walk transitions and finished on a good note.

Today, another in-hand session and he was really calm and attentive. Nice clean halt transitions.  Halt/reinback/walk on transitions were more fluid, we did a few shoulder-in steps off the corner interspersed with a few circles. I love it when you get that 'right' feeling, it makes my day.

Took Anky out for another hack, started off sticky when she refused to go into the wood. She 'offered' me backwards and sideways, but not forward, so I asked for more backwards and sideways until, when asked. she offered forward. It was all very calm and took about five minutes and eventually she decided she could go into the wood. After this she was ok, still looking, but forward and we repeated the exercises from the other day of halt/walk on, halt/reinback/walk on and she progressively became softer in the hand. She gradually became calmer and stretched into a soft contact and we did a little leg yield and shoulder-in on the way home.

More of those good feelings - how wonderful!!

Starting and Stopping

It's been very cold today, a real feel of winter!
I took Remy up to the school to work on my halt and walk transitions in-hand. He was very attentive and although it was a little blustery he remained focussed.
I need to sharpen up the walk transition and to help this we worked on rein-back from the halt into walk on and he became more forward into the walk transition and it felt like he had good energy. The halt's been a bit muddy and he has a tendency to push his quarters to the side, so I asked for the halt only against the fence line to stop him doing this. After a few attempts he started to become much lighter and cleaner into the halt.It was a good session and I finished by walking him back home down the lane.
I then took Anky out for a hack, first time in a while and she was a star. We were out for about 40 minutes and we only walked, but it was a full session with lots of halt, reinback/walk on transitions. On the way home she was really nice and foward without rushing, and at times reaching for a contact, soft in my hand from a few feather like touches on the rein and I felt like I was riding the whole horse. A lot of it felt good today.
I must remember to wear my long boots when riding, my legs were freezing!!

All good today

I was a little stiff this morning after hitting the deck yesterday, but not so bad that I couldn't ride. ;-), so I took Remy into the school. We started off with a short lungeing session and then I got on. It was a little windy, but he was pretty calm.
I had the neckstrap, so we started with walk halt transitions using the neckstrap and he got the hang of it very quickly. I then moved him around the school asking for lots of transitions,changes of direction and a couple of reinbacks. He can do reinback very well in-hand, but hasn't grasped the concept under saddle, unless, of course, he decides to do it of his own accord, but today we got some nice fluid, regular steps. He jumped forward once, but made nothing of it and halted when asked. We finished the session by riding him back home down the lane. Our collie dog Jypp decided he would greet us by suddenly appearing over the wall, which really did make him jump, but apart from a bit of snorting, that's all he did and I was really pleased with him.

I was just in the mood for a nice relaxing hack, so decided to take Anky out for a ride   ( how's that for optimism). It's been many weeks since she's been out for a hack, but she went willingly enough, although with her usual caution. About half-way round she started to relax and we then got a bigger,more relaxed stride and she stretched down over her head and neck. We had a couple of trots coming home which felt much more regular and balanced than the last time we trotted on a hack, so all in all a successful ride.
I hope I'm less stiff tomorrow as I have a lunge lesson booked. Perhaps it'll help me loosen up (oooh, more optimism).

A nice hack before the storm

A cool, slightly overcast, but warm morning. Spurred on by Trudi's early bird hack, I decided to ride Anky out. It was perfect riding weather and even though she was being her usual cautious self we had some nice moments of relaxation and softness. She felt like a much straighter horse and at times when she was thinking forward I suddenly realised that I could control her shoulders with my seat ( a first, I think), which gave me genuine softness and bend. We were out for about an hour, she came back in good spirits and I really enjoyed it.
Shortly after my return home, the heavens opened and we had a big storm, rumblings of which have been continuing all afternoon. After all the dry weather, the ground is soaking up the rain with a sigh of relief.
So, Remy has had a day off, but they all got plenty of exercise when we let them in the front field, galloping and cavorting about. They looked great, why is it that I never have my camera at times like this!!

Bonbon's intro to the school

Me and Bonbon in the school, accompanied by Ella and Louis,


Bonbon's introduction to the school from Diane Clayton on Vimeo.

A good day with Remy in the school, more motivated on the lunge with better transitions. I've a new mounting block and for the last few days I've been standing him up next to it and then leaning over his back. He's remained standing, rock steady, so far so good.
I took Bonbon to the bottom of the garden and started to prepare her for lunge work, asking her to walk on and halt with me at her side, just a few strides on a small circle. She was a good girl.
I then took Anky out for a short hack ,about 45 minutes. She had a small wobble into the wood, not wanting to go, but she soon decided it was ok and we carried on without a problem. She was straighter today, softer in the hand and at times the walk was really forward and free moving.
Gareth, our trimmer came this afternoon, I'm really happy with their feet, even with the hard ground they seem to be coping well.
And, our hay is baled and ready to come in!! Great.

Looking Left and Right

I had another good morning with the horses. Firstly I took Anky out for another hack. Because she's quite a nervous horse, she has a tendency to want look around her when we're out on a hack, she'll look left for a few moments and then look right. As she looked to the left, I raised the left hand slightly to ask for a flexion and softening and then as she looked right, I raised the right hand. Sometimes she did soften, sometimes she didn't. As she started to relax we got more softening and a more genuine flexion and she started to straighten up and relax over her neck and was much softer overall in the hand. I then started to ask for a little flexion first one side, then the other and we had some really nice moments as she released and stretched even further out to the hand. It was a really enjoyable hack and I'd say, one of our successes. She was a little worried as usual, but she was willing.

I had a short in-hand session with Remy and he was attentive with some good walk/halt transitions and the beginnings of a nice giravolta.

Last, but certainly not least, another walk with Bonbon, this time up the field towards the school. She is a little star.

Remy and Anky Out and About

It was very hot this morning, so Remy and I had a short lungeing session before going out for a walk. He  needed a bit of a change so I took him for a walk up the track. He's been up there with Jim leading Corky but never just me and him. He's been quite sleepy this last couple of days but he soon woke up when I took him up and out through the gate! We went past our neighbours house and he looked at the chickens in the run, snorted at their dog when he came up to say hello, eyed up the silage bales, but was a very sensible boy and I think he enjoyed it. So did I.
After lunch I rode Anky out without Jim and Obi and she was pretty good. She stopped a couple of times, not wanting to go, but I just sat quietly at halt until she decided to walk forwards. We were out for about an hour and she felt easy through her back, and, it felt like a real hack!! Now that's a first!

I just have to fly the flag!!!
Well done Jenson and Lewis!!!