Boot camp

Ali's been a bit frustrated recently at the lack of opportunity or venue to do any work with Sky, and Sky has been a contrary little git about going forwards out hacking, so I decided to try something different today. Found this place via a group on FB and it's only half an hour's hack from us, in fact we've ridden past the road down to it many a time, didn't know it was there.....

Annoyingly, as the crow flies, it's 5 minutes away, but someone very inconsiderately put the M5 between it and our yard....

Anyway, Sky was her predictable nappy self on the way there (I followed in the car) and got very excited when she saw another horse on its way back ahead of her, so by the time we arrived she was all hot and bothered. I had warned the instructor, Sarah, what she can be like......but she was cool and just said take her in the school and we'll see what happens.

Sky pranced off snorting and neighing but settled quite quickly - and as soon as she realised she was having to do some work, she resorted to trying to stop and nap to the gate, then to the barn at the far end where some other horses were......this is, according to Sarah, because her basic schooling isn't in place and she doesn't unquestioningly go off the rider's leg. So the rest of the session was spent concentrating on not letting her get away with any stopping and in the end she kinda got the message.

 

Sarah recommended we take a dressage whip out and use it to reinforce the leg aid if she doesn't listen. She also immediately asked why she wasn't ridden in a bit......

So am I being to "fluffy" with Sky? Should she have done more lunging as a youngster (another recommendation)? I don't know. What I DO know is that Ali really enjoyed the lesson, got a lot out of it and wants to go back next week, so that's what we'll do.