Riva!

The last week has flown by and so much has happened I probably won't remember it all so here goes...

I have ridden Sirius on the youngster trail rides a few more times and each time we are getting better as a partnership. This week I also went for a couple of trail rides with Paris - it was fantastic enjoying this beautiful scenery with the horse I know and love. I even went for a canter with him on a loose rein (never could without it being a gallop) and he was listening to my seat and slowing down when i asked!

I was just developing a plan to play with Romeo with a view to helping him with his coordination so he could reach level 4 (I had been asked to get him to level three but he's basically there! atleast online). I never got to ride Romeo or play with him again because... I was given a different project horse! Riva!! She is the most beautiful of Marie-Claire's youngsters. She was originally sold to a professional and put in foal. she had a very basic training and had been trail ridden but this was interrupted when her hooves became really bad with absesses. She came back to the Plessis whilst I was on my 10 day trial in January and her hooves have been rehabilitated to a point where she can now go back into her education.

I played with Riva on Tuesday and discovered she had forgotten everything except the yoyo game! her porcupine game was awful and her circle game basically not existant (she would run to the end of the rope hit it and turn and face).

i gave her the puzzle of straddling the pole lengthways and she worked it out quite quickly. i have played with her everyday and she has remembered her procupine and driving games and we are playing with her circle game - she seems mostly left brain extrovert and enjoys getting into a confrontation but she is sweet natured enough that i simply need to be more persistant and intent than she is. today was our fourth session and we got several laps of a calm trot on the circle game and a lap of canter without broncing! i then mounted her and we walked a follow the rail after testing her lateral flexion (which is excellent), her direct and indirect rein positions. she was so much better than my first ride on her yesterday when she kept turning around and felt like a coiled spring. today she was relaxed, following the rail and my aids beautifully and responsive to my slightest aids. i felt that i could ask her for a trot but as i had to cook i decided to end on the good note we were on rather than gamble for a trot and risk not ending on a good point.

we have had a busy week with going out for meals, and eating dinners together - wednesday night we went to a lakeside restaurant with Piet (Marie-Claire's husband) and after a beutiful meal i was presented with two prunes in a small galss of some kind of brandy. i really do not like alcohol like this and i don't like prunes but i managed to eat one (eventually) and much joy was had by the others when they watched the expresions i pulled as i ate it.

tonight we ate cow tongue and I actually enjoyed it but i probablt won't pick it for Christmas dinner!

Paris' back is healed so i can ride him again. as well as taking him for trail rides i have played a lot on my goals for the week - trailer loading from a distance, flying changes online, and freestyle transitions.

Gabi soon helped my identify that to get the flying changes i need a canter draw and gave me an exercise on the circle game where i draw him at the canter until he really gets it. with my transitions i started with my walk to halt transition and then Gabi asked me how my back up from my seat was. it was non-existent so she had me walk to a marker and ask Paris to halt with my seat first and then back up from my seat building to wiggling my "cheeks" knees then legs until he moved. Paris did get lighter but oddly he got lighter with the upward transition quicker than the downward - i guess to him it was holding him back so he wanted to go forward even more! Gabi told me i must go atleast three steps back every time i halt so he starts thinking od the back up which will improve his halt. today i didn't ride him but as i lead him to the arena i kept stopping and walking backwards so he could continue with the theme. today i also played with the trailer. i had Paris cantering circles and then i would point and focus on the trailer and if he ran between me and the trailer i tagged the space but if he paid any attention to the trailer i did nothing - zero pressure! soon he had loaded himself three times and on the final time i really felt him make the left brained decision that the trailer was the place for comfort!

it has been really hot for a couple of days this week so we took the horses for a swim in the lake. Paris had gone in online so i decided to ride him there bareback. Paris was the first horse into the water and waded in until the water was up above his belly and my legs were in the water. Paris started kicking the water all over the place and i got soaked!

The student house is full at the moment. Jannick is nearing the end of her hree week stay and Jara is near the end of her second week. Elvira is here now too. The atmosphere is so friendly and full of banter and energy! tonight i was walking the horses back at 9 pm and i thought "technically this is part of the work but it doesn't feel like work!" what a lovely way to spend the evening - taking a lovely horse for a walk in beautiful scenery as the sun begins to set!

oh and i think i'm starting to lose a little weight and tone up - i'm certainly aching as my muscles have done more than they have ever done! and from tomorrow i should have a third horse - Tauria!