Thursday 30th April Trotting Poles

Xaile lost a shoe in the field yesterday so I decided not to ride today.  Instead I lunged him over raised trotting poles.  He was fabulous.  It really made him stretch his back and use himself rather than just running along.  Also he really enjoyed doing something different.     

I tried to take a few pics on my mobile as his trot really was great but it's surprisingly hard to take photos with a mobile and lunge and run along with with him down the straight bit!  So here they are but look at his little legs go!!!

Wednesday 29th April

Excellent day today!!!! He gets better everyday and is such an pleasure to work with:. He came out thinking very sideways. We went round with his quarters in for a while until eventually he realised that I wasn't going to give up and he was going to have to do some proper work. As soon as he went a bit straighter he really concentrated on what I was asking. I'm mainly working on keeping him straight at the moment, especially keeping his head from tilting. I've been playing with various ideas to show him what I want and finally today I found the key. It certainly isn't a long term solution, but for the moment it'll do and get the idea across to him. He always tilts so that his nose is pointing right, this is particularly bad on he left rein but he does it on both reins. I discovered that if I raise my right hand a little above the left one his head comes straight YAY. Now obviously I can't ride him like this forever but at least I've found a way to get it straight for the moment. Apart from that I worked on keeping the rest of him straight and balanced. We did tons of transitions and he just got better and better. I am even beginning to get somewhere in the canter. I have been asking him to go slower and slower until he almost breaks and concentrating on keeping him as straight as possible. There are only a few good strides in amongst the rushed head in the air ones but they do feel great when they happen and they're happening more and more often. I have another video but this one may be even more irritating than the last one if that's possible!!! But it shows his maddening crab walk at the beginning and some really nice trot at the end. Also I think that my leg position is improving :)

After our ridden work we did some Spanish walk in hand and again this was the best yet. The frustrating thing with the SW is that I know he's rather good at it (and loves it) but I'm terrible at asking him for it! However today I obviously was hitting the right buttons and I was really pleased. It wasn't really forward enough but at least I managed to convey to him that I wanted both legs going at the same time. I'm quite good at doing one side or the other but I simply couldn't explain to him that I wanted both, really irritating as he does it beautifully for Freddie. The other thing that we really must work on with this now I can actually get him to do it is straightness we wander around everywhere! Terrible really. But I am so so so SO pleased to have got him doing both legs for more than 3 steps. We then had a little play at liberty, he's so responsive to my body language it's such fun. Really annoyingly I managed to not do any in front of the camera which was not pointing where I thought it was!

Sunday 26th April STRESSAGE!!!!!!!!

Well I really knew that we are far from ready for a dressage test, however Windsor is not that far away and little boy must get used to going places and especially standing still!! The only events between the last show and Windsor were dressage tests. So today off we went.  

The good news was that Xaile loaded very well on the way and the way back. Further good news was that he stood beautifully still whenever asked. That's possibly where the good news ends.  

He was outrageously tense in the warm up, but I had thought about that in advance and had an hour to warm up. He took a serious disliking to the end of the school where all the boxes were parked and it took all my concentration and leg and seat strength to get him anywhere near it! He'd go towards it sweet as anything then fly sideways away from it. However by the end of the warm up I had him going reasonably past it. The rest of the warm up got better and better and I was really quite pleased with him.  

Now I thought that he'd be quite used to indoor schools as they seem to have a lot of them in Portugal. Seems I was wrong. His eyes were out on stalks. I asked the judge if I could have a little extra time to settle him but as soon as the doors had shut (the noise terrified him) we had to start.  

The test did NOT go well. I did my best to keep him going in the right direction at the right speed at the right time and generally succeeded. That's about the best that can be said for it. The left rein canter was particularly spectaularly awful - we cantered sideways while he stared in horror at the walls.  

The judge clearly agreed with my analysis and gave us 45.78% the only good thing (and I'm really quite pleased about this) was that the ONLY things she didn't underline in his collectives were 'works over back and through neck' and 'works from behind' (oh and 'correct foot falls').  

So back to the warm up ring. He was relieved to be back there and behave impecably calm supple and relaxed. I was feeling optimisitic for prelim 12, especially as it was outside.  

Didn't start too well. He was most reluctanct to cross the little patch of concrete at the entrance to the ring, but we got there eventually. He was not at all impressed by the boards marking the school, I think he thought they harboured snakes or something. Whatever it was he alternated between spooking at the boards and the edge of the school. Oh and of course the judge's car was a dragon.  

Despite all this he was going MUCH better than in prelim 1. Still feeling relatively optimistic, especially as this time we got 3 circuits to get used to being there. It seems that the inside of the boards were even scarier than the outsides and it took all my strength to get him anywhere near them. So I spent the whole test trying to keep to the outside of the arena, this was made even more difficult as each time we passed a gap between the boards he made a dash for it in the hope of escaping. The left canter was marginally better than in P1 but I lost my stirrup on the slightly wild transition but thank goodness got it back before it came into view of the judge. In fact if it hadn't have been for the left canter problems we'd have done ok but a 3 and 4 don't help!!  

However I was really pleased with the second test as it was a significant improvement on the first one and some bits were better than we've managed at home. The judge wasn't very impressed though and gave us 50.4%, though she did think that he 'could be lovely' so I suppose there is some hope.

So I suppose overall I'm not that disappointed, I knew he wasn't ready and I was just taking him out for the experience, and it was and experience. When he wasn't spooking he went really quite nicely and I'm actually really pleased that judge 1 thought that he wasn't tight over his back and that he was working from behind.

Saturday 25th April More on saddles

WOW- seems the saddle is certainly not helping. While it officially 'fits' it's clearly not very comfortable for him, or maybe it's the position that it puts me in. Anyway I borrowed Edward's baby horse's wintec which has flatter panels (I felt that Xaile's saddle is rocking slightly). We thought it wouldn't fit as it is quite wide but it turned out that it fitted really very well. So Edward suggested that I ride in it today. I found it slightly uncomfortable, but Xaile clearly didn't. We had THE BEST session yet. He was really seeking a contact and was really much more consistent. Unfortunately it was really windy and Xaile hates the wind so it could have been even better. When we were up the end of the school that is protected from the wind he felt amazing, really springy. Going towards the wind he was terrible though- head in the air and going sideways and fighting everything I suggested to him. Edward has very kindly said that I can borrow the saddle when I need it, he also suggested that I try Ali's Isabel Werth wintec which sounds even more appealing as it has set back stirrup bars. I think that one of these may well be an excellent temporary situation till he decides what shape he'd like to end up. Ali has recommended a good saddler who does the wintecs among others so hopefully he'll be able to come soon and we'll be off!!!!!

Friday 24th April

Apparently Xaile was a very naughty boy this morning. When Tania was mucking him out he climbed over the wheel barrow, knocked it over, looked over his shoulder to see if she'd noticed then took himself off for a walk. Poor Tania was still muttering about 'BAD ponies' when I arrived a couple of hours later.  

Lunged in side reins again before riding again. This time I did them a hole tighter so there was a bit of a contact and he giraffed a little when I put them on but very soon dropped his head and worked in a lovely long outline again. He stretched more and lower on the left rein and had a good consistent bend on the circle but he couldn't quite work out where to carry his head so it went up and down a bit. On the right rein I had to make a real effort to get any inside bend, his head carriage was much more consistent, but higher and tighter.  

This transferred interestingly to the riding. We started on the left rein and he felt quite good- taking a nice contact and nice and low but his head was tilted quite badly- nose to the left. So we did lots of changes of direction (serpentines, figures of 8 and 10m circles) and this seemed to straighten his head. I also made an enormous effort to keep my contact as consistent as possible and my reins as even as possible, I want to be as clear I can over what I want from him.  

After a while he was going the best he has, but then I noticed that somehow even though we were changing rein the whole time every time I did a 20m circle or went large it always seemed to be on the left rein. So I did a circle on the right rein and it was awful. He was bent to the outside and his shoulder drifting continuously to the inside. I tried so hard to push him with my inside leg to my outside hand, but the more I tried the faster he went sideways to the middle of the school! So back to lots of little circles and changes of rein. This helped but not nearly as much as I would have liked. So we tried some shoulder-in in walk and then trot. The first few goes at shoulder in he ground to halt when I insisted on angle as well as bend. But eventually I managed to unblock something and once I'd got the shoulder-in in trot working I tried a 20m circle again and it had worked.  

So I got off and left the ridden work there. I then spent about 10 mins playing about with Spanish walk, I'm really beginning to get the hang of how to get him to do both sides at the same time! Then we played about at liberty for a while, he was like my shadow, I thought I was filming it but my video camera had run out of memory. Then someone else came in to lunge so I thought it would be polite to catch my horse!  Anyway he was quite tired so back to bed for carrots and cuddles.  

One thing I noticed that worried me a little was that he was really chilled when I went to get on and his head was really low and relaxed, when I put a foot in the stirrup he giraffed. I'm a little concerned that maybe the saddle really doesn't fit as well as it might so I think I'm going to get someone out next week to have a look as it.

23rd April

Xaile has worked really hard recently so today he got a day off schooling and we went for a hack.  

He's really funny to hack out as I don't think he's done much and finds everything fascinating! He looks at something so hard that as he passes his head stays in the same place and he ends up looking over his shoulder. There was one particularly funny moment when Rudi, who we were hacking with, had a monster spook at nothing and Xaile was so surprised that his legs gave way from under him and he collapsed onto his knees and hocks (thank goodness we were on grass!!!!)  

Anyway he enjoyed himself and spent most of the walk on a loose rein in a lovely long out line.  

The best news from today is that I offered Edward a portait of one of their animals in return for the equivalent amount of lunge lessons. So now I'll be having 3 lunge lessons a week for 3 weeks. YAY!!! But I might not be feeling like that at the end of the first week. On that subject I'm slightly concerned that I'm not nearly as stiff as I expected to be after yesterday's lesson. I'm a little worried that maybe I didn't work the right bits hard enough. Well I'm sure Ed will remedy that next time.

Wednesday 22nd April LUNGE LESSON!!!!

Well I had my lunge lesson today. I've been rather nervous since I booked it yesterday!! Clover is a sweet horse but has been know to bronc very impressively (though to be fair not for a couple of years and is very chilled at our new yard). Especially as Edward says that he gives particularly nasty lunge lessons.  

I got on and walked around a bit and then warmed him up in trot. Edward then attached the side reins and sent him round a few times as it's years since Clover has seen side reins. Then I got on (thrilled to find that for the first time ever I seem to be able to get on Clover -16.3- from the ground, I've done it twice now so clearly the first time wasn't a fluke and I really am getting stronger and more flexible :yahoo:).  

He feels that my lower leg and hip problems stem from the fact that I'm gripping with my knees.  

We worked in walk first lifting rolling back my knees to loosen my hips, getting me to turn around as far as possible each way and stretching up and back with my arms. Then the torture started- TROT. Well Ed says that Clover has a very flat trot but not so flat as far as I'm concerned!!! Anyway he wouldn't let me touch the pommel or the neck strap, in fact he said if I did he'd hit Clover on the bottom with the lunge whip!!!!! He wanted to get me to loosen my lower back and flow more with Clover. The interesting thing was that when I did manage a bit of looseness Clover went forward better, this wasn't necessarily a good thing from my point of view lol. He had me doing lots of stretches and very meanly made me do the knees up and out business at trot.  

It does have to be said that I felt much looser and more secure in the saddle by the end. And I was thrilled not to have lost my balance once which given this is probably only the third lunge lesson I have had in my life I think is quite good. I've already booked one for next week, but I might see if I can't afford more than one a week as I think they're going to do me no end of good.

Then I worked Xaile. I went to get him in from the field and for the first time since I've had him he cantered over to me, I couldn't have been happier.  

As always I lunged him before getting on. Though this time I put side reins on. Very loose. I did intend to tighten them but just their presence caused him to lower and stretch his neck beautifully- I wish I'd had a camera as he was working the best I have ever seen him.  

So then I got on and he felt much better than yesterday. Though really weirdly he seemed a bit reluctant to bend to the inside which is very unlike him. Maybe he's a little stiff from all this different work. Also I'd forgotten to put my spurs on so maybe my inside leg aid wasn't how he's used to it. We did lots of circles and transitions between and within paces. I got one fabulous circle with his head totally consistent and a lovely contact so I left it there (we'd done about 35 mins anyway- amazing how time flies when I ride him).

Monday and Tuesday 20th and 21st April

More work on trying to get him to accept a longer and lower contact to build up his topline.  I'm still very puzzled about how to carry my hands correctly and to help him.  Theoretically, apparently, my hands should be together and above the pommel.  However if I carry my hands there Xaile reacts badly- head up and fighting the bit.

I found if I lowered my hands held them wider then he was much more accepting of the contact.

(By the way these are stills from a very bad video I attempted to make by putting the camera on the fence on Monday.)

This picture of Anja Beran is what I have in mind when trying to get him to work longer

However I have been told that like this my hands are restricting him (and you can see there's  a break in the line from the bit to my hands and then elbow which isn't there in the photo of AB) so on Tuesday I made an effort to allow them more forwards and this seemed even more effective.

This is possibly the world's most irritating video but it still shows how he was going.

He went much better after a few canters- much more inclined to stretch his back.

The other thing I have been working hard on in my position and my AWFUL legs.  I've been doing lots of hip stretches and I think I've been sitting too far back in the saddle.  It's finally getting somewhere in walk but trot isn't great.  

I'm also slightly concerned that maybe the saddle isn't helping me very much.  Freddie hated it when I had my lesson last Sunday, and looking at photos of me riding in his saddles in Portugal my legs are certainly in a much better place and I don't remember making a particular effort with them.

The saddle on the right is the one I was riding in in Portugal it certainly looks like it holds you well in place.  The other alternative is one of the Heather Moffett treeless saddles that have set back stirrup bars that automatically give you a better shoulder/hip/heal line.  However I find it hard to believe that I can't achieve that line in a 'normal' saddle.  Other people seem to be able to do it!!! 

So to start with I'm going to work even harder on my position and loosening my hips and the first step of this will be a lunge lesson from Edward on Clover tomorrow morning.  

Saturday 18th March

I was really pleased with today's session.  Xaile was much calmer to begin with which helped.  I lunged him first and then did some inhand with him.  This wasn't quite as good as yesterday's, he felt less smooth but this may have been because he wasn't thinking as forwards.

We started off in walk and then I tried to keep everything as calm as possible.  I was softer with the reins and tried to let him take the contact whenever he asked.  We worked mainly in trot and walk, but after a particularly nice bit I let him have a canter as a reward.  In the canter I had to take a firmer contact as there is nothing he loves more than a good gallop round the school.  I tried to get the canter as slow as possible without breaking to trot.  He did break occasionally but only for the odd stride and straight back to canter.  Towards the end he really relaxed and dropped his head down so I was very pleased with him.

From the video I'm still not very happy with my hand position.  So I'll work on that next time.  They look a bit restricting, but in practice they weren't as my contact was very light.  I'm also most unhappy with my lower leg position.  I think they'd gone a bit further forward again as I was concentrating so hard on slowing him with my seat that my hips probably tightened up.  More to work on!!

Oh and the pro photos from Monday's show are up - not as good as I'd hoped- Claire's are better!!!  My face looks soooooo fat. Here are a few I dislike the least:

Friday 17th April

I did find my ancient drop nose band.  It was rather dry and crispy, but after a good clean was perfectly usable.  The part that goes across the front of the nose is a bit long but it'll do fine until I can afford to get Jeff to make him a nice one.

I arrived at the yard at about 11 only to discover that I hadn't read the board properly and the school was booked from 10-12.  I thought that would be ok as by the time I'd cleaned and oiled the old crusty bridle and groomed him it would be around 12.  It was.  But unfortunately they didn't finish in the school till 1.  The positive side to this was that I was able to let Xaile stand in the stable with his new bit in for about half an hour and then take it out to give him a break.

When we got into the school I spent about 10 mins working him inhand to get him further used to the bit.  Surprisingly he worked better in hand in this combination than any other so far.  He was softer and easier to steer.  I don't know whether it was that I found the reins easier to manage or if he found it easier to understand me.  Whatever it was it went very nicely.  So nicely that I foolishly decided to get on without lunging him.  He was exceptionally fresh and very spooky.  So after a few very tense circuits I got off and lunged him.  He had an awful lot of pent up energy and and flew round.  I let him canter till he wasn't tearing round then did a few circuits with lots of transitions on each rein.  Then I got on again.  Much better.

He was still quite spooky- I think it's the weird snaffle insecurity.  However he began to realise that he could take his security from my leg instead of the curb, I'm sure this is much better anyway.  So we spent our session mainly keeping him thinking forwards rather than sideways of backwards.  This made it quite hard for me to concentrate on getting him to slow his trot and use his back.  But I decided that just to get him to move forwards happily in the strange bit was probably enough of a challenge for the session.  However, there were moments when he relaxed when I could feel him begin to use his back better and lower and lengthen his neck.  Interestingly his head was a lot straighter than it is sometimes.

There was a lesson going on in the school at the same time that involved going through some dressage tests.  So I took the opportunity to get him to practice standing still.  He found it very easy! I suppose I'll have to take him to lots of competitions to get him used to standing still in that atmosphere.

Overall I think it was a good session and very productive.  Hopefully he'll be more relaxed tomorrow and so we can concentrate on slowing and lengthening his stride.  I think I might try to work him with a much looser rein and see if I can get him looking for the contact.  Today he seemed to need me there to keep him feeling safe.

Thursday 16th April

I was a little worried that after 2 days off Xaile might be a bit wild.  Not a bit of it.  Actually he still felt really tired.  Not having made any decisions yet on the bit front I rode him in an English double.  I think this may have been a mistake as I'm not at all sure it was comfortable for him.  I've only used those bits a few times and I'm fairly certain he doesn't like them.  When we go back to using an English double I'll work on finding him something he likes.   

I decided to see if he'd go off just the snaffle so I knotted the curb and put it up his neck.  Well this was clearly a bad idea.  He got stuffier and stuffier and eventually ground to a halt just before A and refused to move.  Peculiarly as soon as I picked the curb rein back up he was back to my normal lovely Xaile.  Very weird.  It's like his curb is his security.

A have now decided that as of tomorrow he will go in a snaffle.  I've been advised to put it with a drop nose band as this can help reassure horses who are used to curb chains.  So now it's just a question of finding my drop which I haven't used for well over 10 years.

Wednesday 15th April A question of bits

Xaile had to have today off after the chiropractor yesterday so I did a little in hand with him to keep his brain occupied and spent about an hour grooming him which he absolutely loved.  Then turned him out.

I have been thinking a lot about bits recently. I have always been inclined to ride a horse in a loose ring french link is possible. Then I took Clover down to Bluehorse in Cornwall for schooling in December and they tried him in a double and he went from chucking his head around in his horribly expensive KK to completely still and apparently much happier. This was interesting. Since then I have played about alternating between the two and I am totally convinced that he actually really doesn't like the snaffle at all.

Then Xaile arrived. He had been being schooled in a double. The weymouth was iron and the bridoon was steel. The weymouth (again seriously scarily expensive) was actually a bit long for him and both bits were quite thick. I wouldn't have said that he was obviously uncomfortable, but I find it hard to believe that it was comfy for him. He also came with a Portuguese pelham. So I tried him in that and he was instantly more comfortable and stiller in his head. So we've been schooling in that for the past month. Anyway with last Monday's show coming up I realised that I had to have an English bridle that he was happy in so I bought him a double bridle and a finer pair of bits. Life some how got really busy and I didn't get round to putting the bridle together till Friday. I was in the tack room putting the bridle together and making a total mess of it when the dressage trainer (trained in Germany) at our yard came in and said that in his opinion Xaile was too young to be ridden in a double and suggested that I try him in a snaffle first. Well I thought about it and thought that for the class we were planning to do (Novice Rider) a snaffle would probably be a bit better anyway. So I put a NS french link on instead. He started off a bit giraffe like but settled to it really nicely- in fact I think he was softer and less tucked back in it. However he was a bit spooky which isn't like him at all. I put that down to there being a JCB a couple of fields away but still in retrospect that wouldn't normally have bothered him. The next day we went for a lesson with Freddie (see Sunday's entry). He was horrified to see I'd put Xaile in a snaffle. Xaile behaved awfully- incredibly spooky and quite wild, which is not like him at all. Freddie let me carry on trying with the snaffle for about 1/2 hour before insisting we tried him in a double. I was convinced that it wouldn't make a difference. However the change couldn't have been quicker or more amazing. My normal Xaile returned. Immediately. It was really strange. I think the snaffle had been making him feel really insecure for some reason. So obviously on Monday we went in the double for the English tack class and he went quite nicely! Now this leads to my questions. I've been wondering if there is any point in taking the time to get him used to the snaffle and feeling secure in it. Or whether we should just start our dressage at Elementary. Also what are the advantages and disadvantages of snaffles/ pelhams/and doubles. I feel there is a lot I need to learn about this.

Tuesday 14th April The Chiropracter

Xaile had today off- well he did work very hard yesterday.  However the chiropractor was at the yard so I asked if she'd have time to have a quick look at him to see if anything needed doing.

She was really pleased with him- said how supple and relaxed he was.  She said that this meant that he had never been forced to do physical things that he wasn't up to and that he worked because he enjoyed it.  She did say that he spine was a little out in the lumbar region and the were a few minor things out in his neck so she put them right.  He very much enjoyed the massage aspect of his treatment but was a bit scared by her putting him right.

He then went out to spend the rest of the day in the field.

Monday 13th April Our First Show

Today Xaile went to his first show (and my first for well over 10 years, and by far the biggest I've ever done). We went to the Four Winds Show at Vicarage Farm. I entered the Parade Class and the Iberian Novice Rider.

Ali very kindly had agreed to come with us an look after us and keep us clean and tidy.  She started very early by plaiting Xaile absolutely beautifully.  It being a long time since I've been to a show I wasn't really as organised as I should have been ad we ended setting off 1 1/2 hours later than I'd planned!  Luckily the traffic was very much on our side and we weren't too late.  Freddie very kindly lunged him to settle him while I changed and then Ali tacked him up.  He was quite excited by the whole thing and rather bouncy so I was pleased to be able to mount abnormally easily in my long skirt.

We then had a good warm up session with Freddie, and Susan on Unico.  We managed to get him calm and concentrating.

But when we got to the ring he forgot about being calm and concentrating.  Well I probably did as well!  We jogged sideways around the ring while everyone else walked but he didn't do anything really naughty.  The judge then said that she'd start off running the class as a normal Parade Class, but that we were all to be civilised and go on the same rein.  I didn't really have a great idea of what I was meant to be doing but I did some lateral stuff and transitions within trot and canter as he's good at that.  She then asked us to change rein.  I was cantering at the time and so was pleased to be able to put in a rather tidy little flying change.  

 

After we'd paraded for a while she lined us up (random order) and asked us for individual shows.  Xaile decided that there was no way he could stand still.  There was way too much to look at.  So we went round and round in circled, sometimes backwards.  When I did manage to make him stand still he decided it was time to show off the Spanish walk he's been learning.  So I thought walks circles were probably less distracting for everyone else.  Unfortunately this meant that I wasn't able to see what everyone else had done for their show. 

In the end I did more of what I'd done in the parade- lots of transitions between a faster and a more collected canter.  I then did a few canter figure of 8s with flying changes, thanks to good advice from Freddie.  Then reinback and what I thought was rather a good transition to canter. 

Then we were all sent off to walk around while the judge made here decisions.  I was so so thrilled to be called in 4th. The judge also very kindly said that we'd have been placed higher if Xaile had been more settled.

There was time for a short lunch break and for him to cool down a bit and for me to change into my English clothes for the Novice Rider class.  In the end we'd taken a bit too long over it (despite Ali's speed tacking up! Thank you!!!) and there wasn't time to warm him up any more which was a shame as it isn't give him a chance to settle to the change of tack.  This meant that when we went into the ring he was a bit tense.  However he settled to walking a round a bit better than in the parade class.  This didn't mean that he'd stand still in the line though- not a bit of it.  More spinning and pawing the ground.  I tried to keep him occupied by walking round in circles.

For our show I did a little bit of walk (though no one else seemed to, but the judge had asked us to) then I trotted a figure of 8 and then cantered a circle on each rein.

Then back to walking around while she thought.  This time I was even happier to be called in 3rd.

So over all I couldn't really have been more pleased with my boy's first show.

Videos very kindly taken by Ali and photos by Claire!!!

Sunday 12th April A lesson with Freddie

I was nervous and excited about taking Xaile back to Susan's for a lesson with Freddie.  I was very excited to show him how well I thought he was going but I was also a bit worried that it wouldn't be good enough.

It didn't start well with Xaile being a bit reluctant to load, but we got him on eventually.  The drive went relatively smoothly till we got to the New Forest where everyone seemed to be out on a bicycle, and as the roads are very narrow this made the drive rather long!

When we got there Xaile was abnormally jumpy and when I got on he was reluctant to stand still and very spooky.  Given that he's probably only spooked 3 times since I've had him this was strange.

When the lesson (I'd decided to ride in the snaffle as I was planning to compete in it) started he was awful.  Giraffe like, and terribly spooky- I could scarcely get him up to the far end of the arena- he just went sideways across it.

Freddie very kindly gave me time to warm him up and I managed to get it a bit better, but not a lot.  Eventually I admitted that I couldn't do anything about it so Freddie started to help.  And we got him going a bit better, but still very tense.  We then discussed the fact that he hadn't been ridden the day before so maybe he had to much energy so Freddie lunged him.  He did have a lot of energy and flew round the school.  I got on again and it was not a lot better.  The whole time Freddie had been complaining about my riding him in a snaffle as he was used to a double or a pelham.  I said that he'd gone well in it on Friday..... Eventually Freddie convinced me to stop and change for a double.  

Well to my embarrassment the change was almost instant.  The giraffe disappeared and my Xaile came back and we were able to concentrate on our lesson.

Freddie had us do a lot of transitions within canter and it went wonderfully.  I hate admitting that I'm wrong, but I was here.  

Friday 10th April

Today I tried Xaile in a snaffle.  I was planning to show him on Monday in a double but in the end I thought that as I was doing the novice rider class and as he's only young it would be better to go in a snaffle.

At first he was a bit giraffe like.  But after a while and some advice from Edward I had him going really sweetly in it- actually in a softer lower outline.

Thursday 9th April Xaile in Bed

I got SUCH a treat this morning.  I have always wanted to have a horse that trusted me enough to go in its stable when lying down.  So I was thrilled when this happened this morning.  This was our second cuddle- I'd gone away to get my camera and what so pleased he was still there when I got back.

Then we went down to the New Forest to Susan's for a practice with some other Iberians.  Xaile was a little sticky to load, but the rubber bits of the partitions were flapping around in the wind and he genuinely seemed worried about them which is rare so we gave him a little time to think about it.  Then we got some carrots to lure him in.  Then I gently tapped his hock with the schooling whip which encouraged him to walk in. Still only took about 5 mins.

 It didn't really go as planned as I didn't get there till 12.30 and one of them had to leave at about 1 and had real problems loading, was still loading when I left at 3. So we were only really able to walk and gently trot around the school so as not to further disturb her horse. 

He loaded much better on the way back.  I tapped the hock and he walked on.  He travelled very well there and back.  He rather leapt out of the lorry when we got home, and unfortunately caught my calf with his front hoof so I now have rather a spectacular bruise.  He seemed very pleased to be home.

Wednesday 8th April My Costume ARRIVES!!!

I've been so excited about the arrival of my Portuguese costume and today was the day.  When I opened the box I was a little surprised by how huge the skirt was.  I think it is a little large for me- but there is a sash to keep it up.  Maybe I've lost weight since the fitting!  The hat is a bit big but I can stuff it with paper.  

I took it to the yard and tried it on on Xaile.  I had lots of helpers to get me on but it wasn't quite as difficult as I had anticipated.  Emma very kindly took these wonderful photos of me riding in the costume.  I started off in my normal hat in case Xaile objected to the flappiness of the skirt.  But he didn't.  So then I tried the proper hat on and it blew off after about a circuit and bounced across his bottom- he didn't even flinch.

Tuesday 6th April

Jemma came to see Xaile today.  

There were three other people in the school today so it was a good opportunity to see what he was like in a crowd- perfect as usual.  However I found it hard to concentrate on him while thinking where everyone else was so it'll be interesting what happens at the show on Monday.  I think I'll have warm him up very well so he's nice and relaxed.  

We then worked for about an hour on keeping him steady, relaxed and bouncy.  I felt that he was a bit distracted and fidgety but apparently he looked good.

Monday 6th April Plaiting and a Lesson

Today Ali and I had another go at plaiting Xaile in anticipation of the show next week.  Ali had done some excellent research and the results were even better than last time.  I made and attempt to plait the tail but failed!  I did however do the forelock.

I removed the long plaits on Saturday- the curls lasted well.

Ali's beautiful plaits.

Then I had an incredibly interesting lesson with Edward.  He said that though I sat very straight in the saddle I was too rigid.  He got me to loosen my back and shoulders and to tip my pelvis back a little (ie top of it back bottom forward).  This really seemed to help Xaile loosen his back and bounce more.  Edward also thinks that Xaile's trot with me is too fast so we worked on slowing and speeding up his trot by how relaxed my position was- more relaxed=slower, tighter=faster.  He also showed me how to slow him or halt just using my knees which was great.  We worked on slowing down his leg yield so that he doesn't just fly sideways, but concentrates on crossing his legs.  We ended by doing a little ridden spanish walk. It's not as good as we've got it in hand but we haven't practiced ridden at all. 

5th April Back in the School YAY!!

Xaile discovered his lickit last night- and demolished it!!! And was banging it against the stable wall asking for more.  Naughty boy.

I think he was bored- yesterday was his day off but I don't think he likes days off.  He was very enthusiastic to get out of his stable and be doing things.  I sent him round a few times on the lunge but he was very quiet.  I took the schooling whip with me to the mounting block, but only needed to show it to him to remind him to stand still for his stiff rider!

He was ever so whizzy to start with so we cantered and cantered.  Slowly getting more work in- circles and transitions.  I've been thinking about his canter and he's inclined to run away slightly and finds collecting more difficult so today we did lots of canter/walk/canter transitions.  This got him very VERY excited but was ever so good and it did get him sitting down on his hocks a lot better.

Then I set off on a serpentine in canter.  We halted on the midline each time and then took the other lead.  He was very good going onto the right lead but onto the left lead swung his quarters in a bit.  We then progressed to a flying change on the centre line.  This got him even more excited but went well.

Then onto something he enjoys less- trot work.  I worked really hard on slowing the rate of his trot and increasing the cadence.  At first it just went a bit slow and flat and lacking impulsion so I added some transitions to reinback and then to trot.  This worked really well and we ended with a lovely bouncy cadenced trot.

Meanwhile I was also having slight straightness issues- he's great on the centre or 3/4 lines but sings his quarters in on the track so we did lots of shoulder in and leg yielding to the track and demi-voltes followed by shoulder in etc this got him nice and straight.  I also think I hang onto the right rein a bit so I'm making a real effort to keep my contact even.

Then we did a few trot canter transitions to carry the cadence into the canter and get some of the canter impulsion for the trot.  This worked very nicely.  

We were both getting quite tired by then so I got off and did a little Spanish Walk in hand to finish.  This went better than ever and we finished with a few really smooth strides with both legs working together, not enormous steps but definitely the right idea.  Very exciting.

Then I went off to watch Ali and Edward's dressage demo at Asti which was fascinating and inspiring.  

3rd April Another lovely hack

As we can't use the school again today three of us from the yard went on a hack this morning.  All 3 horses are 6 and not one of them put a foot wrong all hack so we're were all rather proud of our boys.  We went on a very similar route to yesterday and had a few very controlled canters. By the last canter Xaile had worked out about cantering on hacks and decided that galloping would be much more fun but his perfect manners prevented him from doing anything more than getting a little stronger.

When we got back I tied him in the wash box to groom him and help him get over his fear of the nasty 'snakes' that live in there.  He shook and snorted for a little while but eventually got bored and relaxed.

Watching the work on the school.

2nd April NO SCHOOL ARGH!!!!!!

The school is being resurfaced so today and tomorrow we can't ride in it.  Nightmare!  I have so many things I want to try out but never mind.  I met the vet at the yard in the morning for Xaile's vaccinations and to get his teeth checked.  He was a very brave boy for his vaccination- hardly flinched.  And apparently his teeth are in excellent condition and have been well looked after.

In the evening I met a friend, Gareth, for a hack with Clover.  It was a beautiful evening and we went exploring the bridleways.  Well exploring for me as I've not been that far yet, but Gareth knows the area well.  Both boys behaved beautifully and we had a lovely canter down the side of a field.  We trotted up lots of hills in a long low outline and again I really felt his back working.

The sun was setting as we came back down the road home.

1st April

We had a successful session in the school and I thought very hard about where I was sitting in the saddle- trying to sit further forward.  And about opening my hips to allow my legs back.  I also dropped my stirrups a couple of holes, which hurt, a lot, but I think made it easier to get my legs back.