Yesterday's picture was a racing pigeon who happened to board with me for  a couple of days. I was using the blog as a Photobucket so that I could point to it in a forum that was discussing racing pigeon deaths. A poster said that pigeons that don't return home are dead but clearly that's not the case, as I usually get one or two a year with me for a short while.

Ace is booked to do a dressage test in an hour'as time. Since he is currently huddled up in the barn in the force of a 30 mph wind, 4 degrees and a month's rain in one morning, we won't be going. What kind of a wimp am I, eh??

I had a lovely ride on him yesterday. The combination of the blanket and discovering  how he hates me sliding my outside leg back have changed our sessions completely. He was still very sensitive, and nearly got cross when I would not let him anticipate a walk to canter aid, but "sharp" sensitive instead of "feisty" sensitive.

He is improving my riding every time I ride now I have worked out just how sensitive he is. It feels like he is a mindreader. All I have to do is think a few strides in front of him and he responds as if to my thoughts. I don't feel like I move my body at all, but of course I must be doing it unconsciously a tiny amount. And he picks it up, and turns left or right depending on whether I thought "left" or "right". In fact, if I do consciously move, his bend and balance are nowhere near as good quality.

I also had a nice hack out on Jazz yesterday, to the place where he is happy to get to before turning for home. He is squaring off the toe of his left hind each time he goes out on the road, so something is not quite right. But he is also completely sound, so I am trying not to worry about it too much.

C