To plan

After a day of mixed weather out in the field, ranging from drizzle and wind to bright sunshine, we came in at four. Dad took me in the school which was dry and deep today. At first we had the arena to ourselves. Then Cosmo came in to be lunged and later Rosa for her lesson. We had the opposite end to ourselves and Dad was pleased with my concentration.

We began in the usual way with lots of loosening and flexing exercises working on a twenty metre circle and straight, trying for straightness and stretching followed by leg yield and shoulder fore and in.

We did lots of transitions and softening in halt but for a good while I wouldn't relax my neck and jaw and felt very stiff, particularly on the right rein.

We went up into trot and my head still jutted out, but after many changes of pace and flexions I gave and became rounder. We did some better work in a more correct outline and then stretched and finished on a longer rein.

We deliberately didn't canter today and will wait for a little rain. It's sometimes good not to add the strain and anticipation of canter to a session and to focus on all the weaknesses in the other gaits that need attention.

By the time we finished after forty minutes or so Dad was satisfied with what we had done and brought me in for a sponge down, apple and my tea. Cobs understand that not every schooling session goes exactly to plan.