Good Friday lesson

Good Friday morning was dry and sunny. Liz came early for private lessons and started teaching at 9.15 teaching. Dad tacked me up in my dressage saddle and white wraps and we followed on at 10.00.

We had warmed up on our own for ten minutes or so beforehand and started in walk trying to gain softness in my neck and jaw. As yesterday, I began stiffly and Dad had to work hard in walk and trot to get me moving forward properly and into the bit.

This time it was necessary to focus mostly on what Dad was doing. He needed to concentrate again on his position and to breathe, lengthen his leg, keep the heels down and stirrups level, make sure he didn't slip over to the right too much, use his inside and outside leg more in getting me to turn and not to use the reins. He needed to keep the reins closer together, shorten them and lower his hands. The main message was really less emphasis on the reins but steering instead from the leg and ultimately from the leg into the hand.

We worked on a twenty metre circle in walk and trot on both reins and went large around the top part of the arena and finished off with some canter. By the end of the session, I did soften my neck and jaw and did some better work.

Dad and I had plenty of homework before our next lesson. We went in to be groomed and given an apple and put out for the afternoon. Dibby had started to work in the school but then went on a short hack with Caroline and Leo, which was much more interesting.

We spent a quiet afternoon out in the field and came in at 4.45 for grooming and tea. Other Dad came back after 7.00 to put on our stable rugs, since a cold night was forecast. Dibby says that, even for senior cobs, we are quite lucky to have an evening butler and valet service.