Oh ecstasies!

First George. He's fine, no lumps, bumps or any apparent strains. He's standing in the field asleep and looking very happy.

Then Zip, in the barn because I was feeling like a very quiet day, being tired and a little stiff myself. My stiffness affected him and I had to concentrate on the pair of us staying loose, and I knew I had it right when he offered some wonderful trot strides. The stronger he gets the more his trot punches off the floor. It'll be interesting to see just how good it gets because he is nowhere near his full strength yet.

Then Bumble. I love him! I planned just to do a bit of trot/halt/trot. He wasn't picking up the trot so I tapped him with the whip, while giving him a firm contact to go forward to. Boy did he get the message - down went the bum, up came the shoulders, punch went the stride, and then on the third or fourth time he did that "jump" into a halt that you see the really top class horses do. I stopped there. You just can't better that feeling!

C.