This month's challenge......

We have started a monthly challenge on the Horsetales forum, nothing complicated, this month it's sit to the trot for 30 seconds.

Ali and I decided to have a go bareback, here's Ali's video:

and here's mine:

Ali originally tried it with no headcollar on, but that didn't go so well as all Fina was interested in was eating......!!

I've lost my ride....

The SNO declared that she didn't want to ride up front of me today (and it hurts my back at the moment to have her there) so guess who got to walk?

And not just walk, oh no, "mummy can we trot?" started as soon as we'd left the drive.......

After the first attempt, when she nearly ran down an unfortunate passerby (and his dog!) I had to do a fair bit of running alongside her to be ready with the brakes.......

....and when her sister wanted to jump a ditch, yes you guessed it, we had to do that too

I need a sit down now!!!

More Interdressage

Actual dressage tests this time, with set movements and letters round the "school" and everything......

As there is a restricted walk and trot class this month for people who have never got above 68% (us!) we thought we'd give it a go. So here's Fina:

and here, complete with "Blairwitch" style filming and Seraphina and Violette having a very mareish discussion on the soundtrack, is Gandalf......

Ride and lead gets faster.....

More ride and lead today, took Kinna out with Gandalf. Took them down to the stable, Kinna tried to follow me into the barn to get the tack rather than being left with Gandalf...... Think he has done some disciplining of the girls recently (like the other day when Sky tried to get her head in his bucket, he went for the back of her neck and they both galloped off down the hill and he wouldn't leave her alone til she was on the other side of the field, then he galloped back up to his dinner - obviously recovered from Sunday's ride )

She was very unsure to start with and kept her head pressed against my leg, but after a while she relaxed and seemed to be happy enough. The only thing that spooked her was some cows running up to the fence, she was quite interested in the donkeys of doom, here's a little video:

We did quite a bit of trotting, Gandalf was full of beans today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6VqsmilBBY

And even a little canter going up the hill to the village although she can run faster than Gandalf with his little legs, she got a bit ahead of us, good job I always take them out on a long line!

Must get someone to video us doing that one day.....

Very good little girly