Buffeted

Other Dad came early and topped up our haylage and we remained in our stable until 11.00. Dibby and I were then tacked up and taken into the school to share a RWYM lesson from Denise O'Reilly.

Dad bought from Denise a gell pad to place between my back and the numnah to help stop my saddle slipping later in the lesson.

As the session began, it started to rain and grew progressively heavier. We began by reviewing our first lesson and the main points learned: seat bones, posture, straight line heel, hip and shoulder, line of thigh on saddle, lower leg off, hands lower and wider/forward, rising from the knee in trot, breathing and bearing down.

Denise adjusted my stirrups back up by a hole and reviewed walk and trot. We worked on posture, leg position, bearing down and particularly breathing. Dad also requested instruction on canter. The main problem area there was being able to point the thigh forward a little rather than just down and keeping still in the saddle. We cantered on both reins and showed some improvement. Our main homework will be to practice correct beathing and thigh and lower leg position in walk, trot and canter.

We came in to be dried off and put out in our rugs. Dad dealt with our stables and - since we were standing by the gate and not grazing - he brought us in after a couple of hours to be dried off again and given some haylage. The weather was very cold, wet and windy and we were pleased to be back inside by about 3.30. All in all it was a demanding day. Dibby and I felt quite buffeted but had done what was asked of us: that's a cob's way