Feisty Fives

I still have no broadband so this takes an age to post and I can't comment so don't think that I am ignoring you. BT did a pole change a mile away on Monday, took our line out by mistake and so far have not succeeded in finding out what they have done wrong or put it right. Heaven knows when we'll get it back, but I certainly could do without the stress of being out of contact right now!

Anyway, I've been having some fun. Both Jazz and Ace have been hacking out well in the sunshine. Ace is not concerned about any vehicles and we have so far met motorbikes, cars, vans, one lorry and one tractor. He is getting more confident each time we go out and will be a lovely hack in a few weeks or so. Jazz is better than he has ever been. I still would not trust him with any other rider, but at nine years old he is finally growing up a bit!

I've been able to use the outdoor arena for the first time this year and I am delighted with how much difference the work I have done indoors with Jazz over the winter has changed him. You'll remember that I have spent months working on concentration, reaction, obedience to rapid changes of direction and speed. Outdoors, it has developed into a really “in front of my leg” trot, which I can get from the very first stride, kicking off from behind. The whole tempo of his trot has gone up a gear, with a much more active hind leg. That has given us true lengthened trot for the first time in his life. He also has half pass canter right perfect, and left is much improved in just two lessons. To cap it all, today he did one four-time pair of flying changes down the long side. I am thrilled with him.

Ace works well outdoors but is like no other horse I have ever ridden. I have to consciously sit upright, because he is so uphill you just want to lean forward into it all the time. He cannot balance by being slowed down, he sets and argues. He is only prepared to relax by being sent forwards. Since he already feels like he's moving at a rate of knots because of the sharpness of his leg action, it takes a bit of gumption to send him even more forwards! There really is no option, though, because if you try and bring him round a bend balanced by slowing him up, he bucks, even in trot. We had quite a few bucks today before I worked out how to manage him.

I am determined not to fight with him because he is a very gentle, kind horse, and such a quick learner that I think he will learn bad things from it. What I found out yesterday and today is that he is also a horse where repetition of the same exercise does not work. If he has it wrong, and bucks, you cannot just bring him round and do it again, he just bucks again. What does work is to bring him back to walk and let him think things through, then attempt the exercise again with proper forward movement, when he does it perfectly. Yesterday he was refusing to complete a circle at the far end of the arena and crabbing towards the stables. I kept him bent and got him to shoulder in down the stable end instead, and low and behold when I tried the circle at the far end the next time, it was perfect. He is going to be a horse where you use brain, not brawn, every time. That will be very good for me!

I knew he had no hard food where he was bought from because they told me. He was also very unfit and is getting much fitter on my hills; he's approaching feisty fives and it is also spring. All in all, I think we can cope with a few half-hearted bucks for a while until he works things through. I still find it nerve-wracking though – he is the same colour, size and shape as Smartie and every time I get on I still expect an explosion of violent bucking. I wonder how long that will take to go??

Last meet of the season for Radar tomorrow. I'm just aiming for a fun day with a bit of a gallop.