A day with the big guns.
Today Anky’s was very busy. Patrick Kittle was training with Scandic and later this afternoon Hans Peter came with Nadine and one other horse not sure who it was. I ended up sharing my lesson with Hans Peter which was kinda cool.
Anky loves to teach, her passion is inspiring. To see someone who is so dedicated to what she loves is incredible.
There was improvement in my horse in one lesson; I was so impressed. She stopped and asked me what I was trying to achieve, if I was trying to make him lighter and/or softer. I explained that I was aiming for softer and then we went on to discuss different ways to do so and what was right and wrong. It all came back to transitions, that the horse moves off the leg and comes back easily. I think I did over a 100 walk halts and even more trot walks. In the end my horse trotted out like he was climbing up a mountain with complete lightness in my aids it almost felt like floating.
The main thing in Anky’s training and riding is speed control. The horse moves off your leg and carries himself lightly in your hand. You shouldn’t create lots of power in behind then dump it into a heavy hand – it should be the complete opposite. They want all this power from behind and moving into a very soft, almost non-existent contact. Anky has a great sense of humor and always makes light of a situation. Even when a rider is frustrated she just tells you to have patience and it will come.
I really get the feeling that I’m at home, the environment is warm and friendly. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
I also got to see Bonfire running around at 27 loving life. It was adorable and he is totally spoiled, begging for treats anytime you pet him. Salinaro is very sweet and Painted Black is very cuddly.
Here are some pictures of Oslo taking over my bed in the B&B also the B&B my room is the 3rd window. It is not the best photo of Vitall, he looks a bit like a moose, but I wanted to show how they have rubber up half the wall for the horses to be able to push off of and not get stuck. This is a great idea for Vitall as he is prone to get cast. They have literally thought of everything to make it safe and comfortable for the horses. I can’t really take pictures of the barn as they are re-building right now but it is on the way to looking amazing. I’ll send pictures of the finished product in about 6 weeks but the weather has put a hamper on completion for now.
