Happy New Year

I hope you all had a great break.

December has been a good month for riding and the Christmas break brought some long waited for dry weather.  Tommy and Basil have enjoyed not getting wet every day and I managed to wash their tails and tidy them up a bit.   Tommy is, I think, getting a bit more confident in the field as he will let me give him a piece of apple before I catch Basil - and he has stopped jumping away as soon as he takes it now too!  

I have definitely noticed some of Basil's naughty habits returning when we are schooling.  He has now discovered he can get his tongue over the pelham just as he could with the hanging snaffle.   This means that although in some ways I have more control once he gets his tongue over the bit (generally when cantering) he stops listening to me much.  I am not totally out of control but he has started getting really nappy.  I think this is also partly because I did not school much in November.

So we must get back into it.

This is how December looked:

1st - arena today, a little bit icy but we walked and trotted with some leg yield - Basil wasn't bad considering it is a while since we did any schooling.

3rd – hack out, lovely sunny day and we had a really nice ride.

4th - lunged and very good until right at the end when a squirrel made him bomb off!

5th - hack out again today, Basil was good but we got a bit damp.

7th - hack again today, another lovely ride and Basil was really good.

8th - arena today and it was quite windy so Basil was jumpy.  Did lots of circles at the stables end with spirals in walk and trot  Pretty good.

11th - hack out today, bit jumpy but generally good, we got very wet today :(

14th - hack again, a bit windy but pretty good today.

15th - arena today.  Walk and trot serpentines again, not bad because we have not done much schooling recently.  Cantered on each rein, bit fast left rein first and we managed correct lead.  On the right rein we got the wrong lead first time, bit fast and not listening but I was generally pleased as it was still windy.

17th - hack and it was a bit foggy today, wore our hi-viz.  Not very enthusiastic to start with but got better and we mostly enjoyed ourselves.

18th - lunged and quite silly today.

21st - arena and a disappointing day today.  Trots were too fast from the beginning as Basil just wanted to canter.  Walk leg yields and serpentines.  Tried left canter first and really, really nappy before then got wrong lead then went disunited just really bad.  Finally got a fast but OK canter and we did several circles.  Right rein was a bit nappy, wrong lead and then when we got correct lead Basil cantered very fast.

22nd - hack today.  Lots of puddles but generally good today, less jogging home.

24th - lunged and very good today.

25th - Christmas Day hack.  Nice, sunny and a lovely ride but a bit fast walk/jog home.

27th - lunged today, just one silly moment.

28th - hack out, a bit of sunshine and was nice to get out but Basil wanted to chase a cyclist back home and tried to canter after him instead of trotting - naughty.

29th - arena with some walk and trot serpentines and circles.  Not too bad but canters much too fast and not much control - got his tongue over the bit today.

30th - a very good lunging session today.

31st - arena today and I decided to put him back in his hanging snaffle so that I could use my flash noseband.  Quite good walk and trot serpentines, a bit more control I think.  Good walk and trot sprials.  Cantered left first and pretty good but too fast.  Right canter was very nappy.

Have you seen my latest vlog 'One Wet December Day!' on my You Tube channel, Horse Life and Love? Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
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Until next time!   

Jo