From Thursday onwards, the week just went from good to better. I had a nice ride on Friday – usual ’round in circles’ both on and off the line, but it felt like he was enjoying it more, and discussing it less. On Saturday when we were trotting, I steered him gently around the outside of the arena without incident. After that I walked and trotted him, walked past the dreaded doors, halted and walked on, all without argument. It felt great, I finally began to think that he IS actually going to listen to me.
Today, Sunday, he was even better. He trotted forward with more rhythm and confidence than yesterday and that kept him straight. Yesterday I had had to hold the outside rein with his head bent out and his shoulders falling in, in order to steer around the arena. Today, he was pointed in the right direction and following his nose. A couple of times he got a little sticky, and a couple of times he almost popped into canter, but he never got unpleasant or upset, more like forgivable baby stuff than ‘attitude’.
His owners, Sean and Geraldine Dennis were visiting him this weekend, I think he just pulled his finger out because they were watching! Perhaps he is a ham and likes an audience. I hope so, ‘hams’ make good competitors and are so busy showing off they forget to get nervous. It is so exciting to be riding him. Unfortunately, I am away again for another week. I am going down to Florida to meet the horses on Tuesday and then we are all driving up to Poplar Place in Georgia where four of the horses are going to do a last horse trial before we drive back to Canada on Monday/Tuesday of next week. Solo is not having the time off, he is going to be ponied and loose lunged while I am away, nevertheless, I am sad to have to stop right now when everything is finally going my way….forward!
