Spring and C A N T E R!!!!!

It's been a fabulous spring day today. Perfect for a day off work and a ride in the woods. And what a ride!!

Warmed up in the arena after a really good groom. Breeze is shedding her winter coat in earnest now. There were others in the arena which gave me something to look at when I allowed B to have a rest in between activity. B really appreciates lots of time to think. Circle, sideways, driving,weave cones in walk and trot, fig 8 in walk, trot and walk one way, trot the other. Just as we were leaving Sandra and Bert came in, while they played we got saddled up.

Breeze stood on a pedestal, I asked her to lower her head and took off her halter, replacing it with the hackamore. Nice. She stood still for the saddle and then we just hung out. I stroked her face and she closed her eyes. Bliss. We got on at the mounting block and B was the most calm and happy yet, leaving the yard with absolutely no thresholds or hesitation.

We turned right into the woods and headed for the old woods. B and I so relaxed I didn't use the reins for a long time. The horses stopped to eat and I found reaching my hand back to B's flank and scratching it caused her to move! That's a cool phase 1! Round and down the old woods was heavenly. The sun shone, birds sang and I was smiling. Sandra and I chatted and she suggested we might try some trot and maybe some canter up the straight and back along the old woods again. I was a bit unsure but B seemed very relaxed and I agreed to trot at least. Canter has never been easy for me. Breeze has cantered twice since I got her. The first time she went pretty fast and I had to stop her with some assertiveness! The second time she went totally RB which resulted in her panicking and me having to point her at a tree to stop her!

But our circle game has been improving such a lot and she is getting progressively less emotional in anything above walk I did think I might just see about cantering. I am a little envious of others who have canter sorted! And if we never practice it, we will never get good at it.

We set off in trot up the straight and B quickly took the lead. Two other riders had gone off in front of us a long way ahead, so B had someone to follow. I sat back and off we went into canter! Sandra said B's trot was so fast she and Bert had already started cantering. I could hear B's breath as she cantered along and I struggled to keep my feet in my stirrups! I heard Sandra shout Sit up! Relax! I sat as tall as I could, my feet finding the stirrups, B's breathing coming fast and steady as we pounded up the hill! I found I was gripping the rein short in my right hand but the rest of me was relaxed and B seemed to be cantering steadily and happily so I figured this would have to do for now. But hell, we were cantering!!! Wow! Breeze has a great canter! Smooth and fast, so fast!

All too soon we were at the top, B slowed to a trot and Sandra caught us up. We turned left and walked back along the old woods again. It took B a little while to realise we weren't heading home and she quietly turned around as my focus had drifted. I laughed and asked her to turn around and carry on.

I tried not to grin! Sandra laughed at my joy but praised my courage and the fact that B stayed calm and focussed without going RB at all. We are coming along, eh?

We turned right and down the straight with B getting unconfident and turning back. I stroked her, let her rest and then we followed Sandra and Bert. Unfortunately, it being a Saturday, the woods were full of walkers. We came across a family with two boys who thought it was fun to make stupid noises and shout at us. Shouting usually upsets B and today was no exception. She had to move her feet so we trotted off to get away from them. It unsettled B for quite a while after that and I had to help her focus for most of the next mile or two. We could still hear the kids shouting as they saw glimpses of us through the trees. We stopped and let the horses graze as and when but B never quite settled after that until we got to the mile and 1/4. We took the lead and trotted for the last bit, Sandra and Bert cantering to keep up.

At the exit B was too unconfident to leave the woods so we waited for Sandra and Bert. There was another family in the play area and the kids called to us for a stroke. I suggested they all offer the back of their hands for B to sniff which made the girls giggle. Such a great way to introduce horses to people and vice versa. B gave one of the girls a lick and we said our goodbye's.

Oh no, run out of bits of carrot!

Here we are just coming through the yard gates after crossing the road here. You can see the whole length of the yard, through the arch and to the arena. Home sweet home!

I have been really trying to be balanced and careful when getting off, not dragging my leg on B's butt as I swing my leg over. Today I managed to get off from B's right side after we rode around a while and I asked B to stand on the pedestal. I wonder if getting off on the right made her go a bit introverted. She hung her head and 'switched off' for a while after I got off. We spent some time hanging out. We moseyed to the shed and she walked right inside to get a treat and have her saddle removed.

Then it was back to her stable and I sat on one pedestal. B climbed up next to me and hung her head over me and yawned and yawned. How interesting! I stroked her head and face and she rested her chin on my shoulder.

The sun is still shining, the sky blue as I type this. The moon is at its closest to the earth today since 1993 if I remember correctly and it's a full moon tonight. In two days time it's Ostara or the Spring Equinox.

Spring Blessings everyone!