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.