Saturday 30th May

Another lovely sunny day.    Things are getting better every day.  By the time we had done lots of walk and trot transitions on both reins both the walk and the trot were lovely, very consistent and lots of impulsion from the transitions.  Still having problems with the halt, but there was a definite improvement in that he didn't exactly hollow, but he did lose the lovely softness he had in the walk.  The shape of our circles improves with his strength and balance.  Canter wasn't good,  we'd manage a few good strides and he'd break, he also decided that one corner of the school was very scary, but only in canter, and he had to swing his quarters away from it so he could get a better look.  But it was hot and the walk and trot were so good I didn't worry too much about the canter.  I think the solution is going to be lots of transitions again, but we'd been out there for 3/4 hour and while he wasn't tired I was so I left it there.

In the evening we had a lovely barbecue at the yard to celebrate Ali and Edward being there for a year.  They have done such a good job with the place, never come across a yard with such a good atmosphere, all horses and owners seem so relaxed and happy.  The best bit of the barbecue was being able to go and give Xaile and Clover a goodnight scratch which they also thought was great.  Even Clover who isn't a cuddly sort of horse was in the mood for a good ear scratch which got Xaile very jealous.  

Friday 29th May A day off

Thursday 28th May

After yesterday's discovery I started in hand asking him to yield his forehand and again this had a great effect on the ridden work.  

With the ridden work, I started with him in a long outline in walk with a relatively loose rein, just asking him to walk on and halt and walk maintain softness, and this worked nicely for a while, but he did get bored quite quickly so I asked for trot and maybe he was a little too far on the forehand but he found the transition quite difficult, so I let him settle to working nicely in trot for a bit and then back to walk and tried the transition again.  It was a little smoother, but not great so we worked on a 20m circle, half in walk and half in trot and quickly got him thinking a bit more forwards and his quarters under him more, while still keeping his head out and down.  This lead to a much better trot.  

Then we did the same thing with trot canter transitions, and this was very exciting!!!  Then we added walk and halt transitions in as well.  

After this we did a bit of shoulder in in walk as with the excitement of all those canter transitions, he was beginning to hurl himself around a little and the shoulder was beginning to block a bit.  

To finish we trotted big circles on both reins with a very loose contact and him taking the reins right down.  I was pleased that afterwards, Edward said that he thought that he had been going well- more consistently in a better outline.

Wednesday 17th May

I thought we'd do something a little different today, and following on from what Marcia said about him looking like he'd be good at working equitation I thought I'd set up a couple of obstacles for him.  We don't have a lot of stuff but I set up a passage with jump blocks and poles for him to go down and then rein back back through.  I thought we could also have a go at the full pass thing down one side as well.

We started off lunging him, I warmed him up normally then I sent him down the passage between the poles until he was totally happy with it both ways.  Then I did a bit of normal in hand work getting him in the right frame of mind.  Then we walked together up the passage and he did a beautiful rein back back down it.  We did this several times each way and he was pretty perfect at it.  

Then I thought I'd have a go at getting him moving sideways normally without the pole, and we hit a slight problem, I simply couldn't get him to step over in front.  He either went backwards or moved his quarters around.  Eventually, having tried lots of different methods to get him going sideways I seem to have hit the right button and off we went.  I ended up standing just behind his shoulder with a contact on both reins and pushing him with my hips, and stepping over with him and he understood, it wasn't pretty, but at least he was doing it.  He seemed really pleased that I was pleased with him, but I think he thinks I'm totally mad.  Anyway I decided that I really need to work on my aids for this before we attempt to do it along a pole.

I then got on for some normal work and he was AMAZING.  Getting him stepping over with his front legs had a wonderful effect on his ridden work, he hardly blocked me at all with his shoulder.  Really exciting.  As I rode I was thinking about how I had encouraged him over on the ground using my hips, and this made me put more weight in the outside stirrup (don't know if this is right?) which seemed to make it easier for him to balance and bend round my inside leg.   Again we worked mainly in walk and trot with a couple of canters as treats.  We also had a go at the rein back down the pole passage mounted and though it wasn't as straight as it was in hand we didn't touch either side.

He was really wanting to take the contact down so I let him and he worked very happily very long and low for a few circuits, with lovely smooth changes of rein and pace.  I only did a little bit like this as it seemed really low and I was worried that it might not be good for him, and I'd like someone to see it and confirm that it isn't before doing too much of it, but he was very keen to work like that so definitely going in the right direction.

I was going to leave it there and went up to the gate and halted and his head came up.  So I walked another circle and asked for halt again and again the head came up.  I've never particularly noticed this before, but I think that'd probably because he was the most consistent that he has ever been today so it was much more noticeable when hollowed.  I ended up doing about 10 min more work in walk just concentrating on trying to keep him soft in the halt transition, and he found this really difficult so something to think about and work on.  I then let him have a little trot to relax and stretch and it was his best yet, really supple and bending happily the right way and taking an even contact on both sides of the bit on both reins.  It's so fascinating how all these bits fit together.

Tuesday 26th May Playing with the wind

He was a happy little soul today and wanted to play with the wind, nearly had me off a couple of times, he's so funny something catches his eye and suddenly we're flying across the school. However he did some really lovely work. He is getting happier and happier with the concept of a contact. Time flies when I'm riding him, and I never normally want to get off. Today was no exception, when our 3/4hr was up it felt like 5 mins. I've never had a horse that was this entertaining to school. I didn't know riding could be such a pleasure, yet I've ridden for 20 years!! I think everyone should have a chance to ride a horse like Xaile to see how amazing it really can be.

Monday 25th May

Xaile had the weekend off as Hugo and I went to London (wonderful food, great fun).  He was really pleased to see me, well at least I think he was he saw me, shouted at me and canter across the field to me.

It was hot and muggy so I only lunged him briefly to see if there was any excess energy to expend.  There wasn't and he was a good relaxed boy.  

We carried on with the ideas from Marcia.  He was resistant to the idea of moving away from my right leg again, but this time only resisted for a few strides at a time after each change of rein- I wonder if I'm doing something to block him and it's taking me a few strides to get straight or something?

We started on the right rein encouraging him to take the contact while remaining soft and not blocking me out with his right shoulder.  Lots of transitions between walk and trot seemed to help as did shoulder in.  I only did the shoulder in in walk as it seemed it might be a bit much to ask for it in trot at the moment.

We then moved over to the left rein which weirdly seems to have become the easier rein.  Maybe because I have found the key to asking him to bend.  He is more balanced this way and less inclined to fall in through the shoulder.

Then back to the right rein and introduced canter transitions as well.  His canter is getting so much stronger, he can really maintain the canter in a good outline so much more easily now.  The same on the left rein, but the canter's not so good on this rein, he tends to have his quarters in a bit and I find it hard to keep him to the outside of the circle, he wants to do really small circles on his hocks!

When we'd finished out serious work I dropped the reins and had fun walking around the school controlling the speed and the direction of the walk with my seat.  He was brilliant and we even managed some really sharp zigzags and I only had to touch the left rein once when we ended up with his head over the fence at A and got a bit stuck!  He really enjoyed this game.  When I got off I couldn't get him out of the school.  He did his donkey impression- leaning backwards ears back refusing to move.  Funny boy.  I do love him so much and really missed him when I was in London.

Even more Windor photos

My father has sent me even more lovely photos YAY!!!!!

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Friday 22nd May Gooooooood Boy

Well today we had the session I had planned for yesterday.  He was soft and supple and obedient, a real pleasure.  We worked for about 20 mins, just in walk and trot keeping him long and low during changes of rein and transitions.  He was really looking for the contact for the first time, yet still keeping it light.  

I have mentioned his dramatic transitions before and today he hardly did them at all- just slipped between the paces which I think must mean that his back is getting stronger and allowing him to carry himself rather than having to hurl himself up.  We did a couple of circles changing between walk and trot about every third stride and it was so smooth.  I was really proud of him.

Thursday 21st May Difficult

Today I had to continuously remind myself how lucky I am.  He was a little monster.  Firstly he wouldn't leave the field, just planted in the gateway and it took all my ingenuity to get him out.  

When we got to the school he was great to lunge and good for me to get on, he can be a bit difficult (likes to step backwards as I put my foot in the stirrup) and walked away very relaxed, but would he bend round my right leg. NO, not for anything.  Normally we have problems on the left rein but today neither rein was good.  He was either throwing his right shoulder out or overbending. It was a nightmare, if I took a contact up he sucked right back if I let him have the reins his nose went in the air and he turned left, the whole time fiddling with his mouth.  I got off and had a good look at his mouth, and he was desperately trying to get his tongue over the bit.  So I raised the bit in his mouth and he seemed happier.  

So I got on again, no better. I was on him for 2 and 1/2 hours, doing my absolute best to keep calm and just asking him to move away from my leg.  When suddenly he flew sideways from it about 40m!!! Totally out of control, and then I had my lovely Xaile back, better than before.

Why he did it I don't know.  But I was so close to giving up so often.  But I am extremely glad I didn't as the work he gave me at the end was really brilliant- so soft and supple.

There was a really interesting woman at the yard after I rode- she specialises in making exactly the right bit for the horse, and from what I saw she was having a fantastic effect on the ones she was working with so I'm going to book and appointment for Xaile as I really don't think he like's what he's got in his mouth.

More Windsor photos

My father sent me some more photos from Windsor- so exciting.

I particularly like this one of my hat flying off- really captures the moment!

Wednesday 20th May A lesson with Marcia

I was very excited when I found out that Marcia Wakeman comes to the village near the stables to teach and even more excited when I booked a lesson with her.  I wasn't disappointed.

It was really interesting, and yet another approach to getting Xaile to build up some topline, and probably the nearest to what I'd be inclined to do naturally.  

We worked him long and low- though definitely lower than I'd have done so that was very interesting- with my hand low and wide.  On the left rein he likes to hang onto the left hand side of the bit and tilt his nose to the right so Marcia had me open my left rein very wide and hold it still and firm while keeping my left leg firmly on the girth and giving with the outside rein flexing him to the left till he lower his head and relaxed his neck.  When he gave I allowed him to go straighter and take the contact forwards.  He really seemed to understand this and quickly got the idea of what I wanted.  The more he resisted the more I was to push him towards a circle, even ending up on a 10m circle and allowing him back out to the bigger circle when he relaxed.  Marcia did however say that I have to be a lot quicker to correct him when he resists, I know this and do try but he's so much quicker to ride than the hunters I'm used to and can move every little bone in his body, I need to get my reaction times quicker!!  She also said that when he gave I was too quick to allow him to take to contact forwards and ended up dropping the reins abit which then obviously caused him to raise his head and hollow and the whole thing started over again.

The right rein is very different and till now I've thought easier.  He naturally bends a little to the right the whole time and finds it easier to carry himself on this rein.  However he is also inclined to tuck back a bit on this side and overbend to the right.  So on this rein I took more contact with the outside rein and pushed him forwards into the contact, encouraging him to take the contact forwards.  

We did this in all three paces and I was very pleased with the canter work which is really improving.

All this approach was very different to Edward's way of keeping him totally straight the whole time so that he doesn't end up drifting sideways and so that he strengthens his neck.

I do find these differences so fascinating.  They are both after the same result, yet get there in such different ways.  I'm sure you'll agree that Xaile has been coming on in leaps and bound with Edward's technique, however Marcia's is more natural to me, and I think to Xaile.  So this gives me a lot to think about.  I'd be very interested to hear people's opinions on this.  I know that this is basically the difference between the German and French schools, and I can see the merit in both.  I wonder if it just comes down to some riders and horses finding one more natural?  The one thing I would say is that I love the way Marcia's Lusos go and would be thrilled if Xaile ended up going like that.  I do also love Edward's horses but they are warmbloods so it's very different, I would be very interested to see Marcia's warmbloods to make a more direct comparison.  I wonder if she uses the same techniques with them.... I'll ask next time.  

She also told me a bit more about Working Equitation, and she thinks Xaile would be a very good horse for it.  Hopefully she'll be arranging a clinic near by and I can go and find more about it.

 

Tuesday 19th May

Firstly people have sent me some more lovely photos from Sunday- THANK YOU!!

I gave Xaile Monday off in the field, and despite the rain he really enjoyed it.  As a result he wasn't overly keen to come in a work today.  But when we got going he was fabulous.  I lunged him first and his canter looked great- really soft and balanced so I was hopeful for riding him.

He decided that the demons that appeared in the top right of the school on Saturday were still there today, but I think I was feeling a bit stronger as we got past them easily and then they no longer scared him.  

We did lots and lots of transitions between walk and trot, concentrating on removing the Iberian drama from them, and they got fabulously soft.  He finds the left rein much harder and as a result the demons in the corner of the school are more evident on that rein so today I decided to work mainly on the right rein but with lots of circles and adding in figures of eight in with tons of praise when he was soft and picked up the outside rein on the left handed bit.  He went really well. Then I started adding canter transitions in.  At first he was doing his fast whizzy canter but to my great pleasure I managed couple of whole circles in a lovely slow low soft canter and he was so pleased with himself.

He was such a good boy and tried so hard that I stopped after 20mins. He'd done everything I had asked and happily so I thought that was a good point to leave it.