Another beautiful day

I must say my spirits would be a lot lower if it were not a third absolutely gorgeous day in a row.  Quite cold, but little wind and crystal clear.

Ace has once again been a lovely, lovely boy. You can feel that spring is on the way, but he is very controllable and working very well. This morning we warmed up and then did one rein back. I stopped as soon as I got a backward step. I'll repeat this every time I ride, hacks and all, until he has it off pat. Then I started some serious work, intending to improve his canter walk. I didn't have to work at it long. After only a few attempts on each rein it was  already the best that he has ever done outdoors, so I called it quits and turned him out with Woody.

I had to resist the temptation to ride Woody today. I really wanted to, but the image of his neck screwed underneath him is very vivid, and it doesn't make sense to hurry him back into work. Another day will do.

Radar made it pretty clear that he was going to sulk that the other two had gone out to play and he had to work. And then he found out that he was to go onto the arena! He was keen and wanting to rush everywhere, so I decided that it would do him good to stay in walk today and stop anticipating going faster all the time. It was very clearly a day when if I had trotted he would have been trying to canter, and so on.

It took him 40 minutes before he consented to walk with a quiet, gentle contact in a relaxed and forward frame, and to turn whenever he was asked to turn. Up until then it was rush, rush, rush, twist, twist, twist and gawp, gawp, gawp at the other two happily grazing. The walk when I got it was lovely and then he got to go out with the others.

If Woody looks as good tomorrow as he does today, I will try a gentle session on the arena with him.

C