He knows!

Riding Jazz out on a hack today was like ...... well, like riding a fit and feisty five year old who hasn't been ridden in over 5 weeks. And I swear - he knows he can breathe again! He felt almost explosive with energy. He bounced out of the yard and down the hill and along the road, walking out like he has never walked out before. He was like it for the whole half hour ride. But anyone who thought it would stop him spooking is in for a disappointment - all it has done is to give him LOTS of energy to spook REALLY well!!

First the cars at the picnic area - we've seen cars there often - but not those cars :-) He felt dangerously close to bolting for home, so I turned him round and backed him past them.

Then we got to where Enoch had replaced a rickety old wooden gate since he saw it last - oh horrors! I can't go past THAT!! He was climbing the almost vertical banks at the side of the road, and holding up the traffic wanting to come past. He spun and backed and was very naughty and then I got him under control enough to reverse him up past it again. Isn't it strange how he falls for that trick time and again?

We had a great ride home, bouncing all the way, powering up the hill with no heavy breathing whatsoever. We had also had one short trot - we were stuck in a piece of road too narrow to be passed and there was a car behind. So I had to trot (OK, it didn't take much persuasion :-) for about 75 yards to a passing spot. He made no noise whatsoever - he is definitely breathing completely differently. And he never coughed once either.

I felt relieved to be home in one piece. The amount of energy in that horse is frightening !!

Zippy wasn't exactly sweetness and light today either. He was looking and looking for things to jump at. First the pheasants off the end of the cat litter tray (sorry, the arena :-) which he has seen a thousand times before. Then a car down in the road that runs alongside. Then he just tried it on for no reason a couple of times. He did some decent work - we were trying to get a trot/walk transition without stiffening and he got the idea after a few tries. Then he decided he'd done enough, and gave me a set, stilted and uncomfortable walk. I gave him the reins and said "OK then, you just walk until you release your back, I don't care". It took him a circuit and a half and then he dropped his head and went forward in a nice swinging walk. So we stopped, and he stopped with a perfect halt.

He's clearly a horse who can't be pushed into doing good work. Nor can he be "wriggled" into it by changes of bend like Jazz can. He is able to hold the "set" behaviour as long as he wants to. So you just have to work out what makes it easier for him to do what you want. Luckily, his natural way of going is in a lovely outline (longish, but round) so all you have to do is stop asking, and sooner or later he drops back into it. But I am glad that he is working at three, because I think at four he may be quite an opinionated young man!

What a fabulous day weather-wise today. Matched by the horse-wise bits too I think.

C

ps when I took the saddle off Jazz you could see how soft his back has got with not being ridden. There was a very clear raised mark where the panels end, in spite of having a geleze on. Of course it disappeared within a minute of the saddle being gone, but it never used to be there at all. It was a good reminder not to expect him to do too much too soon.