He's learning!

I rode Jazz on the outdoor surface today and have a number of pleasing things to report. The first is that in spite of huge amounts of rain it is still perfectly usable. There is no drainage in it, because I did not want to pay the extra that it would cost to have it put in. With my little indoor school, it seemed a pointless expense when I have no intention of riding outdoors in the rain. Besides which, the surface is at the same level as the water table in winter, and "drainage" would actually mean piping away a constant stream of water into a field drain that runs about 100 metres away, and that would have cost a bob or two.

Second, he did some very nice work. Third, he did leave the arena twice, but each time I just dropped the reins and he walked me into the stable yard. If you try and stop him he just runs for it, so dropping the reins and keeping him calm seems much more preferable. Each time I just got off and led him back out there as if it had been my idea in the first place, got back on and continued working. I think all he wants to do is express an opinion, and as long as he isn't punished for that he will go back and work again. About three other times he attempted to head for the exit but he allowed me to bend him away from it and carry on. I feel very, very encouraged by his co-operation and my own ability to get inside his head today - in a snaffle too.

We did some lovely lateral work, some superb leg yield, some nice trot and some acceptable canter. I was petrified he'd get away from me in the canter but we were OK. In the walk and the trot he tries to drop the contact either by "spreading out" forwards or by tossing up his head. It takes a very consistent and firm contact to stop him doing that, but when you can manage it the work is lovely.

I rode Zippy after Jazz for the first time today. He was definitely rattled by that, and he tried to nap back to him once or twice, but very half heartedly. We had a very exciting ride! He was spooky anyway because of the slight drizzle. Then we met two Norton bikes. They are vintage bikes and make a heck of a funny bubble-pop-pop noise. He was scared, but he went past when I asked him too, staring at them and walking crab-wise. A short while later we met four even older bikes and I had to yell at the lead man to stop, because he was totally ignoring my L-plates and my hand signals. Again, he was scared, but he passed them all.

Then we met a friend on her mare, which is a fidget at the best of times and was bubbling today. He was terribly interested in her! We rode a short distance back towards home together and he did not want to walk alongside. He wanted to get behind her - I hope that is not a sign that his very masculine voice is accompanied by other masculine traits!! When she turned off to go home, he wanted to follow her. Even though we were heading towards his home, he was trying to nap back to her. But it was nothing serious and he listened to me without a problem.

So - a very succesful ride on Zip too. I think we have now thrown everything at him except taking him to a show and riding him, which I shall do soon I think. He's grown a huge amount and now takes up my leg completely, which feels great. He's strong enough to do a full half hour hack including the 1 in 5 hill back up to home. He's also strong enough to produce "that trot" for several hundred yards. It is a wonderful feeling. He is jumpy and very much "alive" around the stable, but it no longer translates into anything serious under saddle. I just have to ignore anything he does while I'm tacking up - it used to be easier said than done but I've got the hang of it now :-)

I am going to canter him soon. I shall take him somewhere either enclosed (a lane) or wide open (a field) where the steering can be erratic and not matter. And uphill so that if he won't stop he will run out of steam before coming to anything solid. My normal field for this is currently growing a grass crop, so I may have to wait until that has been harvested at the end of July.

All in all, it's been a good day ending with the feeling that I own two of the best horses in the world. I'm now working for two days so I may not be able to get anything else achieved for a day or three, so it's a good note to end on.

C

ps if the rain doesn't stop it running, I have an individual entry for my Riding Club Area One Day Event on Sunday 1st over an affiliated course at Kelsall. I was asked to go into a team because they are short due to injury, but I said that it wouldn't be fair on the other team members to inflict Jazz on their team! If anyone has a copy of Riding Club Dressage HN1 2001 that they could email me I'd be grateful.