Mix and mingling...

It's a new experience for me to be working and training with other people who come from completely different equine backgrounds to me.

Right now we're in dicussions about Stormy, whether it's essential that she learns how to canter when she gets stressed so easily, or whether it's better to keep her gaiting. I personally think she should be able to canter under saddle, in case she does ever bolt or run in fear on a trail. If she can canter with all her legs in the right place, is that not safer than if the mere start of a canter freaks her out? Not sure right now.

One thing that is going well is my work with Tatoum. She did her first flying change today!! So cool! I've read a few books on the matter, since I've never 'started' a 12 year old horse in dressage, and whilst it only worked KXM, not HXF, I used a little bit of Jane Savoie's method in with my own, riding the diagonal, weight on the inside seatbone with an exaggerated bend into the lead you're already on, so KXM on the right lead, head bent to the right - I'm already working on shoulder in and walk trot half pass, so she's becoming a lot more supple - then when you're almost ready to turn, change the bend, shift your weight to the left seat bone and bump with the right leg behind the girth. And it worked, first time!! Yes! It didn't work the other way, but I've plenty to be getting on with! I made a big fuss of her and then cooled her out bareback. She's mega comfortable!

I practised patterns again with Chelsea today. Riding one handed is very alien to me, but she's super well trained and we were doing good turns on the haunches, forehand, side pass and leg yield. I just find it hard to keep her straight in those and usually go to two hands. I'm probably not asking with my leg in the right place.