Tired

Me, that is! I've ridden both everyday since Sunday (Magic had Sat off!). Max is great, really forward out hacking, no naps and very very comfy on his pins. Happy to lead/go behind/go alone. Nice pony that!

Magic has hacked and then yesterday we did schooling in the field. I definately have to think narrow right seat bone, then guess what? Saddle doesn't fall off his right side... it stays in the middle. Who'd have thought that lifetime's challenge would be so simple to fix?

My mantra was "bulldog clip, narrow right board, sling shot" and it worked. We did balance beam stuff first in walk and little trot. He got very stressy about it in trot but tried really hard. I could actually FEEL when I lost his right side and got it back. Amazing really. Then we had a walk round the whole field as a reward before doing some proper work. That's the good thing about being in a field, you can get the relaxed rest reward because then you are just hacking!

Back to trot and it felt fab, both reins! No shooting off left rein, and I tried v hard to keep right side narrow enough and it seemed to work. I find shearing the boards sooooo hard on him compared to anyone else though, bizarre, presume its the bounce. But I guess when I look back and think how I'd never even get the rising trot, and now its a given and I can even do a bit of sitting on his little trot.... we are coming a long way!

Canter, perfect! Was paranoid it would be 4 time, but he was fab, and we got push the neck away and steady canter straight away. It went a smidge 4 time on the worst down hill bit, but he didn't run, just kept the rhythm with no rein input from me. Fabulous.

I had wanted to do more trot, but 20mins or so was plenty for me and despite the hunt being here the day before, his focus and concentration was the best ever. So we left it after the canters.

Today we swapped and Magic went for a hack and Max went schooling in the field. Magic was very good, hasn't hacked that way for 3 weeks, and had eyes on stalks a bit at times, but I could get the push his neck away. My mantra then was "breathe his neck away, push out, sling shot, bulldog clip, narrow seat bones, long flat underneath." Sometimes I got it despite his best efforts and today was the first time that in walk I really FELT him give me his back, as in choose to lift his back to lower his neck, not lower his neck cos I asked but not lift his back. And more than once!!

So grinning like a cheshire cat we had a lovely ride, trots were just totally smooth and in my control from the rise, even when he spotted monsters in the hedge. 90% of the time he was pushing out into the rein. Love my pony!

Then Max and I tootled up to the field. He's usually a bit fresh up there when he hasn't been for ages, but he was perfect. Walk, trot and canter on each rein. Canter is soooo different since the treatments. Trot still got very unbalanced down hill or on camber, but nothing like as bad, and doesn't feel like he's doing that paradox of running yet trying to protect his feet thing. Now he just feels unbalanced. He's not even trying to get me to carry the front end.

Very pleased with both the boys today and have been merrily looking out parties to go to, so hopefully we'll be on the road soon!

:-))