Sunday again.

It feels like it's been a strange week. Perhaps it's just the fall out after my lesson, being back to reality and work, no rest and play lol. I am willing the evenings to get lighter for longer and at the same time having trouble getting used to the slightly longer days lol. It's still a disappointment when darkness falls. Oh well, it will be summer soon.

We have played every day since our lesson on Tuesday. It has been fun, interesting and challenging for me. Probably because I have the desire to progress and B is always on the brink of going introverted. It feels like she has been like this for a long time, when it isn't very long. I wonder if I am just waiting for the breakthrough when she will get past that. I hope she gets past it! We have gone from B exploding in the beginning, to going very introverted, to being on the edge so I am thinking that logically, things will change sooner or later.

Anyway, enough of my own introversion! Where was I ... oh yes, play. We went into the arena before riding. The others were too much pressure for B but this time she didn't go too introverted. I concentrated on asking B to focus on me while we played falling leaf, sideways without a fence away and to me, wrap around both sides, back up/yo yo between tall jump sides and some very quiet circle game in walk. I asked her a few times to go over a jump but she couldn't. Finally she did, so we ended the session there an I backed B around the gate and out of the arena. Go Breeze!

Saddling up was excellent, as was getting on and we left the yard with Bert and Sandra without any thresholds at all. And B decided she would be brave and lead down the mile and 1/4. A green banner had been put up along the way and both horses could not go past initially. I waited and then asked and Breeze walked past it and carried on past the turn, out of sight of Bert and Sandra. So nice to realise I am leader and that B and I have enough confidence and trust in each other to be partners.

This was pretty much how the ride went. Breeze was relaxed and pretty calm and we rode side by side most of the time. We didn't ride the old woods. . . the going was really sloppy and neither horse was really enjoying dragging through the mud. We decided to go up the straight and both horses wanted to trot. We trotted ahead all the way up! Breeze didn't quite maintain gait so I had fun asking her to please carry on. She stayed relaxed and didn't go RB.

At the top both horses decided home was the priority and they both trotted along quite fast, Breeze weaving the trees, Sandra and I giggling at the fast pace as we dodged each other along the bridle path.

We were passed by a big group of riders and Breeze stayed calm. She is definitely getting used to other riders now. There was another large group in the pub car park when we left the woods and she still didn't react.

Back on the yard we had a mosey about, Sandra took the photos for me and then I reluctantly got off. Sandra and I played silly b's trying to blow shedding horse hair at each other and running around B dodging each other. Breeze just stood and took no notice of us. Sandra is always blowing Berts' white hair at me, he is shedding a lot. Breeze in comparison, although shedding hasn't grown as much coat and isn't shedding even a bit as much as him.

I noticed yesterday Breeze has mud fever on one back leg, just underneath the pastern at the back. I am hoping I have caught it early enough. The scabs were gone today but it's funny because I was just thinking the other day, how well she is and how we have dodged the usual winter troubles. I guess I spoke too soon! She has been very good about me washing it and rubbing Sudocreme on. We did a lot of approach and retreat at first but she soon allowed me to do what I needed to do without getting upset or tense. Every day there is a reason for me to be very happy and thankful I am a Parelli student.