I rode Zip again today and he was better than yesterday. He produced a decent walk quite quickly and did some shoulder in and travers calmly. The bad tension only really started when I asked for a transition to trot. He was cramping back and cramping back, so that when I insisted and he did go forwards he shot off like a bullet for 20 metres. I brought him back quietly to walk and reassured him, then repeated it until he realised for himself that it would be easier to stay forwards and trot calmly. He did that twice on each rein very well and then we stopped

I'm taking a lot of care not to make any moves that he could interpret as a punishment or telling off. I'm praising him a lot out loud even if he isn't really doing what I've asked for. It seems to help.

I was surprised at the tightness of the breastplate when I got off - he has such powerful shoulders and is built so big in front that his saddle slips back if I don't use one. The girth wriggles backwards too because he has no really defined girth groove, the deepest part of his chest is in front of the girth. If I didn't stop it it would end up in front of his stifles (like where they put the srap on a rodeao horse!) The breastplate was pulled tight against his chest, but it is elastic so it's OK. I swapped to elastic ones when I got a picture of Tetley at full stretch over a very big fence and realised how much the leather ones dig into the shoulders.

I rode Jazz outdoors then. I wanted space to do lengthened strides and I was delighted that although the ground is sodden, the arena was perfect. Jazz was "a little unfocussed" due to the distractions of being outside and we had a conversation which went like this:

- oooh look at that pheasant
- it's nothing to do with you, you see pheasants all the time
- ooh look at that car
- you see cars all the time, it's nothing to do with you
- ooh look at that!
- what?
- that man walking there!
- what man walking where??
- over on that footpath - you see - that microscopic black dot moving?
- oh for crying out loud he's a MILE away. It's nothing to do with you!!!

It took ten minutes of lateral work and slower/faster walk to get him to release the walk and swing. To my surprise the trot was immediately there, so I tried for shoulder in and travers in trot. I can only do these outdoors because of the space in the barn so I was pleased when he got the shoulder in. I was chuffed to bits when he got the travers, because as far as I can remember I've never done trot travers with him before.

So we were ready to try some lengthened strides and his reactions were great. He was sharp off my leg, and although he hurried a bit, he came back to me as soon as he was asked to steady up. I don't think I can ask for too much more than that at this stage.

I do feel as if I am really progressing with both boys :-)

C