Saturday 12 September 2009

One of those GOOD Saturdays!



Today must be one of best days! Why so? Ah, let's just go back to the beginning first.
To be fair, it was actually rather tiring day but that's mostly because I hurt my knee a few days ago while trying to hold bouncy Kingsley on the lunge. With the knee like mine, any rapid movements cause the build up of fluid which only gets absorbed back quickly with rest so it doesn't help when you spend all day on your feet. The inflammation makes me feel a bit off. The fluid should go down in the next couple of days and I am trying to rest as much as I can. Thankfully, where I work on Sundays, they allow instructors to sit down while teaching...I do love my Sundays!

Now one of the reasons today was great is that Kingsley worked fantastically. He starts to be consistent in round and low contact in walk and only got distracted a few times. He reacted much quicker when I asked him to yield to the inside rein than how he did it yesterday so he is definitely a clever little chap. Our tempo in trot was half of what it was yesterday thanks to which I could keep him round and soft for much longer without him losing balance.
He moves wide in front and doesn't quite know how to arrange his front legs to be able to follow curved lines so our circles are still looking bad BUT getting better.
I rode mostly serpentine like patterns bending him with my inside leg or just moving him away from it to push his ribcage to the opposite side and help him to move around the bends correctly. I need to still be able to go much slower and with shorter strides but he's got more than two hoof lengths overtrack in his "medium" walk and similar in his current trot which I dare not call working trot. It feels like he creates so much energy with the hind legs and end up with such big movements that he then has no idea what to do with his legs and body.
I wish I could ride him tomorrow but I am teaching in Surrey all day and he is having a day off.

Now, another reason today is GOOD is that someone contacted me via Facebook with a fabulous offer which I am not sure if I am allowed to share so will just leave it like this for now. I would just like to Thank Ever So Much a certain Internet addict and a person who took the time to read my wafflings.

I only had the time for a quick brush for Kingsley before the schooling so I gave him a proper, thorough groom in the evening after putting him to bed.
Gleaming pony (colours are odd as my mobile camera doesn't cope without natural light):

Right, bed is calling!!
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1 comment

Anonymous said...

Kingsley seems to be really working out, which is wonderful - your work seems to be progressing well.

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