July was a difficult month. I finally decided that it was time to say goodbye to Chesney and let him join my other horses; Fidget, Josephine and Cocoa in the big field in the sky. I don't want to go into detail here but he was finding life more and more stressful and it was becoming evident that it would only get worse. I like to think he is now munching lovely grass, running around and generally having a wonderful time.
Basil and I continue to make progress with our schooling. This occasionally includes some steady strides although it is generally still too fast, there is some more rhythm to the canters. Our transitions into canter are variable too, sometimes we get the correct lead first time, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 attempts. If we don't get it first time it gets more difficult as Basil gets more excited and listens to me less and less, a few sideways strides and a very wobbly bottom! However, we don't stop until we get it right. In trot (before we canter) we are achieving some really nice work and I feel like I am riding a proper dressage horse. We have balance, rhythm, nice shape and he works through with his back legs. We fit in a nice hack most weeks now and I am hoping to get out for longer now and go a bit further afield.
I had Basil's new saddle rechecked a couple of weeks ago, now it has had time to settle, and it had a bit of extra flocking put in. He seems really comfortable with it which is brilliant. I need to treat us to a new numnah and girth now!
I swapped the horses back to their 'in at night' routine last weekend, which I am really glad about now with the colder nights we have been having. This has meant that I can start on my autumn clean up, de-cobwebbing the stables, clearing them out and jet washing the floors and mats. I have also been painting the stables, 2 sides of them have had a bit of a hard time this year with the sun so I have just redone those sides - they look very smart.
1st - lovely hack
3rd - arena, circle and serpentines. Some nice walk and trot work, canters were a bit fast but we got the correct leads on both reins first time
4th - lunged , a good day today
6th - lunged again
7th - rode in the arena, silly to get the right canter today, really napping. Walk & trot leg yield in and away from the track. Some better strides on right rein canter today.
8th - hack today, sadly we found a bicycle inner tube in the middle of the road, under some trees where it is quite dark and Basil is always a bit jumpy - I think he thought it was a snake. Anyway, we did not manage to get past it .... this is not a safe place for me to make a stand ... I know he will go down next time.
10th - lunged
11th - arena, some good trot work today, steady, balance, rhythmic and on the bit J Awful turn on the forehand. Good canter transition (although I didn't allow for many trot strides) but canter was too fast.
13th - lunged, had a silly turn in the middle today. Galloped off around the arena, then he settled again and we carried on.
14th - arena, walk and trot leg yield, definitely improving our balance, rhythm and shape. Canter transitions were good (didn't ask for many trot strides - this doesn't give him time to get too excited). Still cantering too fast but generally a bit more balanced.
15th - hack :)
16th - lunged, bit silly again
27th - lunged - good after 10 days off, but he kept wanting to roll
28th - 20 minutes in the arena today, very windy, Basil was very jumpy and we stuck to walk and trot
31st - lunged, good today
1st - rode in the arena today, walk & trot circles and serpentines, quite nice work. Canters were OK but a bit fast
3rd - lunged and very good
4th - arena again and windy again and Basil was jumpy again so we stuck to walk and trot
5th - hack out, first time leaving Tommy on his own and he was fine - off down the field eating when we got back
7th - lunged, what a star
8th - arena with some good trot serpentines, better canters with the correct leads, bit fast but more balanced
10th - lunged, another loopy section half way through
11th - lovely hack again
12th - too wet today :(
14th - lunged, Basil jumped at the black cat which was in the corner of the arena but was mostly very good
15th - arena today and Basil was a bit jumpy - early and a bit dark so pigeons still waking up in hedge! Walk & trot serpentines were good, balanced and rhythmic. Walk leg yield was OK but a set his jaw on left rein (thinking canter was soon!) Tried to canter right first and got wrong lead. Getting more balanced but too fast, canter on the left rein and we got the wrong lead twice before getting the correct one
17th - lunged
18th - hack
19th - too windy, too risky
21st - arena and really pleased with Basil today because there was a stationary tractor on the other side of the hedge with the engine running for the first half of our session. Nice walk leg yield today, trot leg yield was a bit fast, but generally some good trot work. Canter leads were a disaster today and to fast.
22nd - lunged
24th - lunged had a buck today
25th - hack out today, proud of him as a bit windy. I am really looking forward to going further afield now
26th - arena, trying to fit it in before the rain arrived this morning. Lovely trot serpentines, cantered early today but meant that the trot leg yield I tried to do afterwards was a disaster. We did get the correct leads on both reins today though but canters a bit fast. Early trot work was lovely.
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Until next time!
Jo
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