Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch.

The wind is even worse today but I really wanted to ride someone, so Radar pulled the short straw, or the long one, depending on how he looks at it.

He really is the most one-sided horse I have ever come across. He will do anything to avoid stretching his right hand side, including "hop" his front end around the corner if you refuse to let him bend his neck outwards. We had a few little battles today where he wanted to be all strung out and falling in off the wall. It's very uncomfortable to sit on him when he moves like a disjointed camel like that. I got fed up with circling and waiting for him to hold himself together - I really think he wasn't going to bother.

So I halted him and held on until he dropped his head and relaxed his neck and raised his back, and then made him walk like that. It was a struggle at first, because he has a very powerful neck and didn't want to do it. But I got it quite quickly to the right. To the left, stretching that right side, was much more difficult, but again he worked it out in the end. Once he realised that it's a good place to be, and comfortable for him, he was really comfortable for me too.

The lorry is fixed so I am hoping to get back and do some more jumping, but the forecast for tomorrow is not only for more of this wind, but for rain to go with it. So it looks like tomorrow is out and I am working on Friday so I can't go then either.

I'm getting a bit worried about what to do with Zippy if he doesn't sell from the Horse and Hound advert next week. Staying here much longer is not an option, but I am really reluctant to sell him for a fraction of what he is really worth just because we happen to be in a depression and the horse market is non-existant. I am thinking of possible loan/lease solutions. Let's hope it does not come to that.

C