Firm but fair

Dad and I went into the school as normal this morning. I wore my snaffle and we did our usual exercises, starting off on a long rein and building in halt tansitions, walk-on and some lateral work - around the school, on a square and twenty metre circle. We built up to trot and included some canter, but didn't run through any tests today.

There were a lot of poles left out and we incorporated them in our work. After a while Dad decided I was being a bit slovenly and resisting through laziness and so he asked me to concentrate harder and march on and generally not try to take advantage. He told me that in the future he needed me to be more obedient and to cooperate better. He was going to work on a long list of things: consistent contact, uprightness, straightness, breathing, length of leg, inside leg and outside rein and stopping me falling in by anticipating better.

When we had worked better for a while we went in and I was hosed down and given an apple and some mints, put in my fly fringe and spray and put out to graze. Dibby joined me after his schooling was completed and we stayed out until 4.30 or so when we came in for grooming and tea.

Other Dad came down later in the evening to skip out and top up our haylage and water. It looks like the next phase in my training has arrived. A cob should never stop learning.