Off again!

He's off again. Squifferoony. Totally unsound. My best guess is that he has a bit of floating cartilege. Otherwise it's difficult to explain total soundness yesterday and total unsoundness today. If it is floating cartilege I just hope to goodness that it resolves itself because an operation would cost a lot of money. Other possibilities gratefully considered.

Tia - was grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat. For the first time in ages I really enjoyed riding her. She tried hard and she hasn't seemed to try at all for a week or more. I warmed her up without trying to get any shape to her, in walk and trot. The shoulders were freer than they have been lately. Then I just asked for a walk/canter transition. She took a couple of balanced trot strides and popped into it. I repeated it and then went for her worse (left) rein. She stuck her head in the air and snaked it back and forth and I just left it alone. She quickly stopped, realised no-one was going to restrict her or fight her, did a couple of trot strides and took canter. I repeated that one and then stopped. Reined back one step. And got off making sure she understood what a good girl she is. We'd only done ten minutes but it was the right ten minutes.

Caddy is a superstar. He is just so much fun to school. He is what I wanted from Smartie, a baby who moves well and learns quickly. His left canter is like a cruise liner gently riding an ocean swell. His mouth is as soft as a feather, very unusual in a flat racer. His trot is routinely long and relaxed with a low headcarriage and an arched neck - that doesn't normally happen this quickly either. He's getting sharp off the leg and he really tries to work out what I want. He's got leg yield and shoulder in, not attempts at them, the real thing. He learns more and more every single day, and it's a reward every time I get on him at the moment.

I had an interesting moment today. He was behind my leg and hanging back in trot and I was trying to move him forward by riding and falling quicker and using my leg. It was too much hard work, so I decided to sit behind the movement and see what happened. I expected him to grin to a halt. What did happen was that he slowed right down and dropped his head even more and started "long and low" trampoline trot! I was astonished. I didn't keep him there long, I don't think he's strong enough, but he will be soon if he is prepared to work like that :-0

I started to think about how I could explain to you the difference between a driving seat and "sitting behind the movement". In the latter, you are behind the movement pushing it forwards with your backside. In sitting passively behind the movement I just shifted my weight back behind his centre of balance (sat further back in the saddle in other words) and waited for him to pick me up and carry me. The result was a bit astonishing though, I have to say!

With today's situation I won't worry about selling Tia, it's nice to have two sound horses to ride. And especially nice to have Tia to compete. We are off to Wilmslow Riding Club One day event tomorrow to do their Intermediate (up to 3 feet). Wish us more luck than Eland Lodge last time!!

C