More Riding and a Show

Oops, have forgotten to update the blog, and I wrote it all out and then the inet lost it!! Argh! I have been out to visit and ride Drum a couple of times since and we have even been to our first show!



I have done a few more rides in the paddock, trying to get rid of old bad habits and start back at the basics with my riding skills and aids. Trying to let go of my inside rein and have a good contact on the outside rein has been very hard work. And then trying to keep Drum on a circle and not let him drift out with my outside leg, and not over bend his neck with my inside rein, but asking him to turn with my inside leg. Yesterday we were working much more consistently in an outline, lifting Drum up to the outside rein with my inside leg. We work much better when we are alone, Drum tends to duck and dive and try to go to other horses or Gemma on the ground and it makes hard work for me to keep my balance and guide him properly. Obviously we need to be able to ride with other horses and people around, but I still need to relearn my aids properly first. I cantered him and did a flying lead change - by accident! We got a bit fast and confuzzled on one corner and he started cantering and did a lead change to rebalance himself before coming down to a trot as I was squeezing my legs frantically to slow down, phew! Talk about giving me a heart attack!

I rode Gemma's school mistress Katie after riding Drum yesterday. She was really lovely with an enormous walk and was very sensitive. I could hardly get her into a trot as even though I wasnt nervous, my thighs were still instinctively tense from holding on and she just thought I was putting on the breaks. After doing a few rounds with her, I managed to completely loosen up and today I will ride in longer stirrups on Drum and see if that helps us.

We did our first in hand show on Sunday. Gemma kindly dropped Drum off on her way to a Blyth Tait lesson and he was very good tied to the float and when we started walking around. I shouldve entered much more classes but only entered 3 for our first show. Our first class was 'best stallion/gelding over 4yrs' and Drum tanked around, wouldnt stand still, head butted me, neighed and was over all, very frustrating and embarrassing. We didnt place. We left the ring, gathered our wits about us and went back into 'mannered' which I thought we'd flunk, but we placed 4th out of 10! Hooray! Our first ribbon, and a green one - our colour. We were then in 'suitable dressage' which was supposed to be jumping, but either way we didnt place. The rest of the day we walked around the floats, other horses, up and down the stable aisles, tied to the float, grazing and standing in a yard near the arena, watching the other horses and talking to friends. Later when Gemma came to pick Drum up, she threw his lead rope over his back, poked his head in the float and he loaded himself up!

Another small ride today and tomorrow and then we are doing a 12km hill trek on Saturday! Shawn, Riley, me and the dogs move into our new home near the Alps on Sunday and I am hoping to bring Drum home a week later.