Friday the 13th!!

Well, today started with my first lesson on Xaile.  I was so incredibly nervous, not about riding him, but about not letting Freddie down.  I was upset to find that I found riding him really difficult.  I simply couldn't keep him straight on the right rein.  My right leg is surprisingly weak since I broke it and however hard I tried to keep it on I wasn't able to keep his hind quarters out. Still it was wonderful to be riding him again.  By the end of the lesson I was a little depressed as I had tried as hard as I could and I felt that I hadn't got him going as well as I should have done.  At the end of the lesson Freddie showed me the steps of Spanish walk he had taught him which did cheer me up.   Though I felt I had let both Xaile and Freddie down I was still thrilled with the change in Xaile, the work Freddie had done with him was amazing.

After I rode with Susan and Patrick two of the other members of a quadrille we're planning and it was amazing.  I think because I was concentrating so hard on keeping together with them I wasn't thinking about my riding and so rode much better.  Xaile felt amazing.  So light and responsive, a slight movement of a leg or seat produced a result.  What a relief.  

Sadly no photos but here's one of him making a mess with his tea afterwards. 

Oh and I did take these two when we took his tack off for him to have a roll after our lesson, it was very sweet- he followed me around which made it rather difficult to take a picture.