Day 191: Fun with little people, bareback lessons continue and passaging on Oscar

Beautiful day today!! :) 

Railway strike is on the cards today so my journey isn't as smooth as it could be but overall, there seem to be many additional helpers in fluorescent clothing around the stations who do their best to organise any chaos.

I arrive at the London yard about 11am and meet my two new riders - adorable girls below 4ft ;) I have not run my Aspire Kids programme for good few years now because I didn't have a suitable pony but now that I do I thought I might as well!

We have a couple of hours of trial session and I think they have a great time. Look forward to having them around for the next few months :)

Moira has some very good moments with Tilly bareback and I experiment with walking out of the arena and sitting outside so to switch off my influence on the mare (who is such a good schoolmaster she waits for my slightest cue). It's good for the rider to feel "just me and the horse" sometimes, it gives you a true feeling of communication and focus on one another.

There are some works being done on the farm and I really fancy a quiet surroundings so I take Oscar out for a hack all the way to the "gallops" (a large field so called as is used for blowing the cobwebs ;) ) and school him there.
The field is huge and and he is loving it. His trot is big in the arena but here, with grass as long as his knees, he feels enormous in his stride. I pick a line across the field and ride twenty or so trot to walk transitions and I swear the trot is feeling more and more passage like ;)
He is very keen here so I am watchful what I ask him to do as I know he is not relaxed through his back.
I wonder around for a bit until we find a good spot for a circle and practice yielding from smaller to bigger back to smaller circles. At first he seems surprised as if not quite realising it is possible to go side ways in this long grass out here in a field but gets on with it a minute later.

We have a nice canter around the field and I pick another diagonal line and ride another twenty or so transitions - the trot feels so lofty and light.

We go back leg yielding from one verge to another, halting and yielding the hindquarters and then the shoulders, repeating everything I school in the arena but out here on empty tracks.
He snorts and blows and relaxes and I am so glad I went out. It;s our last ride for a couple of weeks as Oscar is having a little non riding holiday which should do him good. I am a strong believer in letting the horse be the horse, even if it's just a week every several months - so important for young horses especially. I will miss riding him but I do think it will do him good and I am already looking forward to sitting on him after his break :)

Back home I am liaising with my Mum back in Poland as we are booking my flights and hotel for my UK rider for October clinic at Stajnia Sabat. We pop messages back and forth, get all the dates, flights and reservations sorted and we are all good to go for the weekend 9-11 of October!

Exciting :)

Wx