Here we go again!

Blimey I know I was told that Dutch Warmbloods are immature and slow to learn, but I still feel like a bowl of petunias. "Oh no not again". Zippy and I did the farm ride today and he was not one jot improved from the horse that I took round it six or nine months ago. He still gets over the fence, but he is almost at a standstill before he takes off a lot of the time. And when he had decided that he had done enough he threw a right couple of paddies. He backed off the fence mentally, in a horrible upside-down shape that I could do nothing with. He was still approaching the fence physically, but mentally going backwards and there was no way he was going to do anything except fall over it. So I stopped him to put him back in shape, and he bucked. Today I finally got enough courage to hit him (not wallop him, just a smack) for bucking and to carry on until he stopped bucking. It took about six thwacks before he realised I was staying put and he had to do what he was told. He tried that trick about three times during the ride and lost each time, so I'm hoping that will actually have been a good lesson.

His canter between fences was lovely and flowing and when he wanted to attack the fence, as he did maybe three or four times today, he jumped superbly. He seems to me to be physically very capable, and confident, but mentally very averse to anything he thinks is challenging, as if he just "can't be bothered" to learn how to jump well. He is the same whether he is showjumping or cross country, which is unusual, they are normally better at one or the other. It's a good job that I don't want to event affiliated this year, because he ain't going to be ready! He'll jump it all, but it would be the slowest round in recorded history!!

On the plus side, before I had left the yard two professional grooms, who are used to seeing top class horses, owned by the four professional riders at the yard, day after day, had separately stopped me to ask about him. And as I rode off, I heard a conversation going on behind me as one person said to another "have you SEEN that horse!?!?!" People were more than impressed, so clearly it's not just me who thinks he's grown into an attractive fellow!

Buttie Butkins is now definitely my little dog. He follows me wherever I go. If I appear in the yard he comes to the gate. If he's in the yard and I go in doing stuff, he follows me from place to place. This morning I picked all four of his feet out first. He just loves attention. I couldn't have found one with a better character if I scoured the country from top to bottom.

C