Well either Rory is working up to a huge norty ride or someone has swopped my little nutjob. Lesson with L today and first thing is Rory is still only shod on 3 legs I have been waiting for his to pronounce his unshod hoof falling off but it didn't happen. Next thing was YM's 2 horses were turned out in the field at the side of the school and the second I started riding round both took off hell for leather and one promtly jumped into the field and commenced flybys. Given that Rory has the attention span of a gnat on a good day I was quite prepared to write the session off so when he did half an hour of bending correctly, engaging his hocks and giving the most brill upwards transitions he's probably ever done you could have knocked me over with a feather!
Afternoon farrier turned up so he now has 4 shoes again!

Think Rory may want to disown me after this winter with all the dressage we're doing. Sunday was back to syndale to do intro b and prelim 1. The warm up was a complete bog so they were letting people do a quick warm up in the indoor before starting the test. Both tests he scored well but was still quite tense for and that really shows in his downwards transitions and canter work but he didn't break the canter this time so just need to work on collecting and slowing the rhythm down a bit now. Em rode Pait in both intros and they are both improving verytime together although pait did sneak in a quick stop and shake in the free walk in intro a (sniggers). She has brief moments where it all comes together and those moments are just wow- blow you away stunning.
Rory also did his tests with only 3 shoes on as I got there and realised under all the caked on mud (he lives out 24/7 hes not going to be clean in winter) he'd lost a shoe. The loving mother I am decided it was on a surface and no jumping so he could suck it up and just do his tests lol.

I never thought I'd say this but I do enjoy schooling and lessons at times! Rory as quirky and daft as he can be is just such a trier and now all the physical issues are sorted (fingers crossed and touching wood) his schooling work is steadily coming on. Today we were doing spirals and leg yeild into canter and in the canter really asking him to use his back end and lift the front and he tries and tries his little heart out. My instructor L has known him for a few years now and has seen him through all the uneven and hindend issues and he suprises her every week and how changed he is.
Dressage again on sun looking forward to it. Doing intro b and prelim 1 this time.
Proving he is still Rory though he decided to tram Pait round the field and not let me near her when I went to bring her in for the night!
Pait is currently in the naughty books and sharing a field with him and Duke as she has been letting herself and others into Rory's field to get to their hay bale. Little madame has discovered that if you pull the plastic posts out with your teeth from the very top you don't get zapped! So she is just being turned out with the boys every morning. but I do think she's starting to regret it as Rory is horrid at times.

Dressage take 2

Took Pait and Rory over to Ledston today to do more stressage. It's so weird being back there and riding down Red ash seems like only yesterday we were liveries there with Dusty and Mickey. Miss them both so much.
Pait was doing intro a and rory intro a and prelim 12. Em warmed pait up and took her into the arena she had a good look at everything but tried her heart out and was a lot more forwards and less green than at snydale.
Rory was tense even with having a good walk round as the judges were sat in a car and that should not be in his arena thank you very much. Test went well and took him back to wagon to chill for a bit whilst waiting for his next test. We were first to go in the next class and there was a break before us so I snuck into the arena to do a lot of wondering round trying to settle him down. Tst felt like the best prelim hes one so far we did have tension but his canter work was nice and I was able to keep him in front of my leg so we didnt break.