Been riding

I haven't been writing much, but I have been riding. And now I sort of don't know where to start - so much has happened. My horse has once again taught me so many lessons, that I am barely keeping up with him

Today is meant to be a hot day, but I am very lucky to wake up at 6. I sneak out of the house and grab my horse.

My routine has changed somewhat. I brush my horse, then put boots on. Then some days I practice loading him onto the float. Not today. More about that later. Other days, I take him around and play with him. Make him jump the ditch, make him walk over the gravel mound, make him walk between barrels. Whatever tickles my fancy, as long as it's fun.

Then I return to the hitching rail and saddle up and venture into the arena.

In the arena I do a warm up. Yes. I actually do a warm up. Not a vague few circles that are meant to be a warm up, but are really just vague riding, wondering what in the world a warm up is supposed to be. But a real "listening to the horse" kind of warm up.

Is the horse listening to my leg? Does he go forward? Can he do a circle? Can he flex? Is he ready to accept the bit? Does he stop? Is he ready to go forward more? Is he still looking around at the sights and sounds?

What I have found is that Gally is now ready to really stretch out in the walk. He can lower his neck and relax. He can stride out. I no longer need to push him every second stride, but I can just sit there and enjoy the ride.

But, walk him across the diagonal and the game changes. At this point I need to explain that I ride in a grass arena, that has been mowed recently. So clumps of mowed grass are lying everywhere. Not on the track, not on the 20m circle - just everywhere else. And ... guess what ... Gally is worried about this grass. I mean today we saw a lizard in that grass, yesterday there was a mouse.

I see this as a great training opportunity. I walk him over it, and drive, drive, drive. I do it untill I feel him stride out again. The second he strides out, I sit very still. That's his reward. One day that grass will become a bale of hay, and we will be jumping over it. And by then he will know that he just needs to go forward, over the obstacle.