I hope everyone has had a fantastic Jubilee break with your horses. I know I did. June has been a quiet month for me in particular, Rabbit is still working hard. When we last spoke, I mentioned that Leonie was starting to teach Rabbit the flying changes. After she has started riding him, we had a chat about the best way to proceed with him.
Leonie and I have a very different riding style and like our horses to go in different ways. We decided, for her training of the changes to be the most effective, it would be beneficial if I took a step back from schooling him at the moment. I’m still exercising and hacking him, but the schooling is in Leonie’s hands.
It has been fascinating for me to watch how she rides him and how he responds to her. I have been learning a lot and I think it will have given Leonie a whole new view on how I ride and the responses Rabbit gives for when we start training again. The changes are progressing slowly, although Rabbit does seem to get his legs in a tangle with them!
I have been really enjoying hacking and as it’s my main time in the saddle we have been venturing further afield. Rabbit has been loving it, he is such a pleasure to hack, and stomps around with pricked ears and a massive grin. We are making plans for the future and with me schooling less we have decided to skip the summer season for Area Festivals and hopefully come out strong at Medium for the Winters.
With this in mind my main aim is now going to be the midway championships at Hartpury, we competed here last year and really enjoyed it, especially with it being a stay away show. My husband comes with us as well, and I really enjoy having him to do horse stuff with me.
© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021
Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity, and compassion
