This week in words and pictures!

The weather has been fantastic towards the end of this week so after working the first half of the week, I made the most of the second half and spent some time with Alfie.
Thursday I worked with him in the field and he was lovely. Really laid back and listening. Did a bit of groundwork, including over poles - trotting over, sidepass over - can be very creative when I try! Then we had a little lunge. I haven't done this before really as I was aware I didn't want to put too much strain on his joints and muscles and lungeing really can, so I kept it to just 5 minutes of walk, jog and a bit of trot on both reins, with his boots on to give him a bit of support.
Have decided he isn't going to be a jumping pony like his mum - put up a little teensy cross pole but he hates the bang it makes on the blocks if he knocks the pole. It freaks him out so he jumped it once following me, wouldn't lunge over it, knocked it the next time and shot off past me, then after that would just walk up and look at me from the other side!! In the end I put one end up and the other on the floor and walked him over it a few times, but he still very wary of it.
Friday, I took him for a walk to the common. Another milestone as we had to run the gauntlet of the road all the way there. It isn't that he is bad on the road - he really isn't, its just that we have to pass the shop and the caravan place, both with lots of parked cars and trucks unloading etc etc and holding up the traffic which then sits up Alfie's bum or tries to squeeze past us - none of these things on their own create a bother for him, but all at once gets him a bit stressed.
Once on the common, he neighed a bit and squeaked a bit on the first bit, then he relaxed and was just lovely. So quiet ambling along with me. I was thinking I wished I had a field which went straight on to the common as I knew we had to go back past everything again and the relaxed Alfie would turn into not so relaxed by the time we got home. He really was very good, but by the time we got to the church he was jogging and pulling and getting rude and pushy like he does when he is anxious so I stopped on the wide grass verge and did some backing up etc to get him switched back on to me, which worked and he relaxed, but was joggy again on the last bit of road. Nothing too bad.
Anyway, I was telling Jo about it over a cup of tea afterwards and she suggested I could walk through their fields, then through Sarah's and come out on the road nearer the common, past the shop etc. This will be great as I found myself dreading going back down the road in a way. Its not that I don't feel I can handle him - I do, it just spoils a lovely relaxed walk. The field way means I have to do quite a few gates, but that is all good practise for him too and he is really good at them.
So, we enjoyed our first longer walk out.

Today Millie wanted to ride (she had a riding lesson on Dude last Wednesday with Bruce) so I lunged him again first for 5 mins but this time with tack on and his reins tied to stirrups so he had to work into a contact. First time since last July. At first he couldn't remember what to make of it and didn't want to move forwards, so I stood with him and felt on each rein to make him give to the pressure, then he was fine. He actually worked really nicely for a few minutes. I think this will be good in short sessions to build up a bit of topline again.




Working nicely on the lunge

 Then Millie rode him. She was more confident after her lesson, although I have to teach him to respect her too when she is leading him. He forgets and gets in her space a bit much and she loses confidence then. He was good whilst she rode him though (on the lead line) and we did some jog and rising trot too. She asked if she could lope but I feel that is a step too far at the moment! She enjoyed him though which was lovely.



Alfie's favourite tickle spot!