Another terrible photo but it illustrates how unsettled Breeze was today. We had a fun play in the school to begin with and she was fine until she offered canter on the circle game for half a circle and then she lost her confidence and went introverted. I let her hang and waited util she could join me again. Then we had some sideways over a jump and a few jumps over it too. After leaving the school we stopped at the mounting block and practiced sideways to me so I can get on. I remembered to hold the snap of the 22' line and bump the c/s gently over her rump with the string hanging down the other side. 'Hey presto' B lined up straight away! Cool.
Saddling up was lovely, polite and easy. I keep attempting to try mounting on B's right side but she can't do that. It always has to be the left side. We will keep trying.
Four of us went out today. I even got to go around the yard to the arena to ask Eve if she and A.J. were ready. It's these little things that make me feel so much more comfortable and 'in control' if you like. I am conditioned into thinking my horse will not do as I ask because that's how Lizzie was. Breeze, being a different horse of course, is willing and it thrills me every time we ride.
Sandra and I thought it would be a great thing for our horses to get used to more of us riding together, what with the Hatfield ride coming up soon. Breeze was not happy about that! We had some resistance at a threshold by the road. The others went over the road but B just couldn't. I had my first real experience of her 'napping'. My immediate reaction is to say 'ok, let's see how far you can go backwards' and as soon as I do that she stops. Then we do some lateral flexion and turns and soon enough she is ok to go forward. I feel very protective of her when she is this unconfident which helps me to focus on supporting her instead of being afraid and not knowing what to do. She really didn't like being with the three geldings even tho' one of them was Bertie! She tried to bite all of them as we passed them, I figured she was feeling too claustrophobic so being in the lead would be better for her and I was right.
Because Bert is only just able to be ridden we only did the old woods in walk. I think B would have loved to trot so I kept her mind occupied with zig zag, weave - which she offered- must be a familiar thing now which makes her feel comfortable and a fair bit of circling. I also tried what I laughingly call 'shoulder in' but it's probably not that at all. It feels good tho and I found B was better on her left side. No surprise there then.
In the photo you can just make out Sandra and Bert and the two darker shadows behind of Eve on A.J. and Jan on Cochise. It was fun to be up in front all the way round and find things for us to do rather than just go in a straight line. I have noticed straight lines make B go faster!
So that has probably given me an idea of how B might be on our sponsored ride. If that's the worst I have nothing to worry about. We plan to have more rides with more horses in the next four weeks.
I let B wander around the courtyard after unsaddling and hosing the mud off her feet. It's still a teeny bit frustrating for me as she doesn't like to stand still yet. But slowly she gets better at it. I watched her mooch about the yard, stopping to pick at the straw and hay on the ground. I watched as the reins slipped forward bit by bit util they fell over her head and she managed to get her left front leg wrapped up in them. This made the reins tight on her poll and she couldn't move or even put her leg down. Instead of freaking out which I think she might have done four months ago, she stood still and just looked at me, waiting for me to come and release her. How marvelous is that!?
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