My my my, what a change in Ace. Feisty is not the word for it. He's picking fights with the barrels, he flashed his tail before I'd even got on him because I touched his side, he grunted when I got on. He felt absolutely explosive, and yet he did not do anything serious like buck, he just spooked at the barrels.
When he had a poo I took a good look at it, as you do :-), and it was full of fresh grass. And it's gone right to his head! So that's the end of haylage in the barn at night and a second feed too. He's far too well!
He actually worked very well, and obviously had no issues with the change of panel on the saddle, which has done the trick nicely and made me feel very secure.
My strategy with the barrels now, which he is clearly going to use as a focus for spring disobedience, is to take one of two paths, and stick to it. On any particular day, I shall choose either to ride to the edge of the arena and ignore the barrel shenanigans, (which will result in poor work), or take him away from the boards and get some serious work out of him. Today I chose the latter, and we did a lot of work on the right rein in trot because he was not staying forward into my hand on the turns. He did it well in the end, and being able to sit down in the saddle and hold him out on the end of the rein with my seat was a real help. If I had done that with the other panel pumped up to make it sit level, I'm sure he would have bucked.
So, less food, more exercise, more magnesium oxide, air jacket and breeeaaaathe; and let's see if we can have a slightly less exciting ride tomorrow :-)
C.
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