Cool ride at dusk.

How's this for the worst photo I have ever taken from B's back?! But it was getting pretty dark as we neared the end of our ride this evening around the woods.

I brought B in from the field, she caught me again, and gave her a tiny feed because she gets grumpy if she doesn't get her dinner immediately. B was very LB and I thought I would see how little I needed to do before saddling up and riding. We played yo yo in and out of her stable and when I stopped to chat to Sandra B gave me yo yo all by herself lol. I positioned her and lifted the saddle. She went to move off but changed her mind and stood still for me to put the saddle on her back. She lifted her leg again as I did the girth up loosely then stood on the pedestal. I gave her some bits of carrot and found that with her standing on the pedestal doing the girth up was much easier for me.

We played a little circle game out in the car park with cod at a quarter of a circle. She was giving me both eyes and turning lightly and easily so I left it there with some more carrot.

B has another trick when I mount from the steps! It's very funny . . . she doesn't want to stand still and walks around me while I am up on the steps. As she goes behind me she gets really close enough to knock me off so I jump down laughing. She tried this about three times until she could stand still and I got on, again asking permission to swing my leg over. For the first time we were ready before Sandra and Bertie and B stood still in the car park for a long time while I scratched her neck.

We had a great ride, despite me getting caught on a dead branch right in the entrance to the woods, ripping the sleeve of my favourite t-shirt. In fact on this ride she spent a lot of time on the side of the bridle path under all the treees and bushes where there is grass and less stones. I spent a lot of the ride saying ouch! I think this might be because the ground is incredibly dry, hard and stoney and although Breeze's feet are hard perhaps the barefoot transition is tough going on her as yet, sensitive soles. I am really wondering if she might need boots.

Breeze seemed more balanced than ever and I was certainly very relaxed, more payoff from Suzy's ppl last week in the arena. We had some lovely trot and I could feel her stretching out in walk through the treeless saddle as the ride progressed. It was a shame B was bothered by flies but it helped me get used to her doing little bucks, stamping her feet and dropping her head suddenly to scratch under her belly etc. I tried to help brush any flies off by doing some friendly with my legs swinging them back and forwards and scratching her sides for her.

B is still trying to bite Bertie's backside. He is such a sweet horse I feel sorry for him and asked B to halt every time she tried to bite him. Sandra and I think it's because Bertie, being a (mostly) LBI doesn't walk fast enough for B's liking but she doesn't want to pass him until she feels confident lol. Bertie spooked a bit on our ride and Breeze took no notice except once when I just happened to have the phone in my hand to take my bad photo and the reins on her withers lol. She jumped in the air but I stayed calm and then it was back to walking.

Breeze got her dinner when we got back and she was very cuddly again. She is a real honey! It was just getting dark as I left the yard, still smiling.