Winter riding

Well it's nearly the shortest day and I'm sitting here at work typing this (ssshhh don't tell my boss LOL) in a sleeveless top and no shoes. Hahaha.

Yesterday we headed out - me and the two big boys, to Waimarie. It's a 20 minute drive away, and an arena and stables based at a vineyard (Nobilos for those of you who know NZ wines). They were taking some of the vine covers off (they are white) but my horses were not too phased.

It's nice going there - albeit an effort to get ready, pack up the float, load the boys etc, but it's nice because I can use their yards which look out over the arena and the horse I am not working with can still see us - or eat hay - or look at the other horses (in Garbo's case) - they were mares!

I started on the ground with Garbo - he was a little alert but he was pretty good at listening to me so I hopped on. We went straight into follow the rail - Game of Contact - yay I remembered to follow the rail.

He started to get it quite well by the end of the session - I suppose we did about 15 minutes, Linda said to pepper it in so they don't feel too pressured.

Michelle told me that I stiffen up my lower body and shoulders when I pick up the contact so I had to really think about still moving my lower body with the horse once I was taking contact. As well as everything else lol.

Funnily enough - I ended up with a sore back, lower back. Linda said on the course that where ever you end up sore, is where you are stiff and holding. aha.

These pictures are not perfect but the thing I like is that his ears are forward, he has a happy expression on his face. We both really enjoyed it! I went right round the outside of the arena and even though there were sheep and horses and vine covers - Garbo would sometimes look up - and I would ask him to think about something else, and he would forget about what he was distracted about - which was awesome.

Then I watched Michelle ride her young 4y/o Flipper, he's a double Warmblood so very LBI - and very very gorgeous.

I then got Maraschino and he was on tip toes snorting as we went down to the arena - happy to stay he stops now rather than runs.... so the grass was definitely the Extroversion I was noticing. He had never been in this arena before so it was ll new - all sorts of things in there, plus surrounded by sheep and horses and bushes, sprinklers etc.

He did really well considering he was by himself. He didn't call out and  after some circle we did alot of touch it and that really calmed him down and he relaxed on the travelling circle which was a first....

 

 

Then off we went home again - it was dark by the time I unloaded them and washed the float out, but it's great getting out and riding in winter. Yay for arenas. Just wish it was a tad closer! Never mind - good travelling practise.