Learning not to shout!

I am constantly surprised by Breeze! Just when I think we have reached a threshold or tight spot in our relationship all of a sudden it progresses super fast!

Breeze is beginning to relax and allow me to groom her without nasty faces or impatiently walking off. Tonight I cleaned her feet out and all I had to do was point at each foot and she lifted it for me to pick out. Marvelous.

It was a lovely evening so B and I went to play in the school just as it was getting dark. I wanted to see what she would be like because last Friday we rode round the old woods at around the same time with Sandra and Bert and she was pretty tense.

I went with the intention of asking very little, very, very quietly. I remembered the L2 idea that you should hardly move the c/s at all. Guess what? Breeze was happy, calm and our circle game was incredibly good. Looks like I have been shouting at her for a while. Doh!

Sandra and Bert came in the school and I didn't notice until Sandra smacked the ground with her c/s and B was off like a rocket lol.

We had a great time and I think I have made my face ache from grinning. I wanted to get on so much despite no saddle or bb pad. I lined B up while I stood on a jump side and practiced asking her to side pass to me. She got very unconfident doing this so I decided getting on was not a good idea after all. B needed to move her feet! It was getting dark and the lights in the

school leave weird shady areas. She did some falling leaf and weave. We ended the session when she asked to come in after some lovely circle game in trot which was very calm and she maintained gait both ways.

We have been playing yo yo game a lot over the last few days. In and out of her stable, on the way to the field and this morning I successfully threw the rope over B's head and back again without her throwing her head up in horror. I noticed porky game anywhere on her head was not too good so we have done a fair bit of that too. She gave me sideways down the runway to the field this morning and her back up when I open the gate is much better too.

We have been lucky enough to get a free lesson booked with a new L1 instructor Claire Burgess in a few Saturday's time! Just when I had explained to her that circle game was a little broken. It doesn't matter, eh? I am sure we will have a great time and we will all learn a lot.