Another first

Today I got up on Zip in the yard. On tarmac :-0 And then I rode him out of the gate and up the hill (it's not as steep as the one that goes down). At the top of the hill we met our first vehicle while I have been on board. It was a Landrover fitted for deep water (a great big exhaust tube that comes up the side like a chimney) AND it was towing a trailer. The lovely driver stopped for me and then when he saw the L plates he turned off his engine too. Zip went past it with a little hesitation, but his basic attitude when scared is completely different from Jazz's. Jazz turns to run away, Zip speeds up to run past. He's going to make a great eventer if he takes life on like that!

On the flat road at the top of the hill he broke into trot of his own accord and we had a trot for quite a long way (well, comparative to what we've done before). Then I turned him for home and he just walked calmly back to the top of the hill. I got off and walked down it with him, he's not strong enough to balance down a hill that steep with me on him. I felt so much better today in a deeper seated saddle, and he was perfect, wasn't he :-) ? I didn't get a tremor of fear about riding him today until I was ready to mount and that disappeared when we were out on the road. He just doesn't ever feel as if he is going to do anything stupid, even when he is nervous of things he is seeing.

On an up, I took Jazz out for a hack and his behaviour has changed as well. We got to his bogey spot leading up to the house with the hens, and he said "I don't like this." I said "I know you don't but you have to go past it, you know that". He went into extended trot and trotted up the hill and right past the house. That's the first time he has ever tried to go past something that worries him faster instead of inching past or turning for home. I consider it to be a great step forward in his training and a sign that he is beginning to get brave enough to take things on like Zip already does.

What a good afternoon!

C