horses not courses

rereading the last few posts and I realise how little I have actually written about the horses - what have I been thinking ?

We are making progress with Rosie. The long reining that I started a few months back has worked well and seems to have built on the lunge work to give her more confidence not to be in your pocket the whole time.

And I've been able to build further on that by taking up the same position (as when long reining) when she is being ridden - initially by myself, then leading Dudley, and finally hopping up on Dudley and riding behind her. I still carry a whip just to lean forward and tap her as I do when long reining.

She is coming up with a few evasions - veering into the school or out onto the fence, but is finding they don't really work. It may get worse before it gets better, but we have our feet on the road :)

I have also been leader a couple of times for a little girl. Rosie was less impressed with that so we will revise her leading over the winter to check she remembers what she is supposed to do. I need to keep up with long reining as well. Perhaps put some cones out and do some work on steering that we can then repeat under saddle ?

Dudley is perfectly content in his "uncle" mode with Rosie. I feel a bit bad that he has had less work and came back from Mark R's clinics all fired up to do things with him. But it was bitterly cold on Sunday and Rosie takes priority as she needs regular work to keep the progress going. I don't think he really minds ;)

Fi worked well on Sunday as well, tho I am a little concerned that her high speed exits from the paddocks into the big field have tweaked her front leg slightly :( so a light weekend won't have done her any harm.