Back on the horse

Proverbially, and literally!

I'm feeling a lot better. Having a couple of days off was good but I did miss Quadi. I've been having internet woes the past few days which seem to have magically resolved themselves, thanks to gnomes or fairies or something...

Yesterday I jumped Quadi. I wimped out of it on Friday but decided gave myself a swift kick to get on and use the handy pole exercises that Kate had left from the day before.

We didn't start well. By the time I'd built up from trotting over some poles to putting up a weeny cross with a pole under it for a groundline. In short, very easy! My first and only attempt before Kate arrived resulted in Quadi halting in front of it from a trot, before throwing himself over. I guess it was honest of him to jump it given my yes/no/yes/no/yes/no wimpy aiding won't have helped him!

Kate put us back down to trotting poles and just got us trotting over things again. She had me shorten my reins and also shouted Look Up on every approach to make sure I was thinking forwards. Next I was to pick a set of poles plus wings (all were handily colour co-ordinated!) I planned to approach next and shout the colour of them. Likewise in order to get me to think forwards, plan ahead, and take a bit of responsibility for what I was doing! It worked because Kate put two of them up as crosses, just on the first or second rung, and we were trotting over them without the fly-swatting, plane-signalling, bouncing-llama impression we usually do. Once we'd done a few in a good rhythm I called it a day, gave him a pat, and am arranging a jumping lesson PDQ!

Today I sort of, maybe, had it in my head I'd do a road hack but it was cold and windy so opted for a walking hack in the forest. Which was a good choice. We met tractors and cows in fields where there previously were no cows, it was nice to just mooch along and not think too much. I did get a bit cold on the way home, it was tempting to have a good blast but I didn't want to ruin the nice tempo we had going.

I hacked him in boots plus pads in front, which made a difference to his way of going even on the soft. I ought to get some for the backs too, I'm not happy with the hoof/pastern angle on his hinds and he seems to have heel pain there. Hmm...

Also, we moved them into the far back paddock to give their winter field a rest, and since there's not much grass in there either, the boys decided to remove themselves into the next field, where grass is plentiful. Sadly it's not set aside for greedy Iberians *lol* I'm assuming the Baby just went along with what the Big Boys were doing, since ropes were lifted and knots were undone...