Well I have found a little time to work with the horses the last few days. It has been frustrating keeping the house spotless. We really only need to for the open for inspections but I like to keep it looking clean "just in case the agent calls up unexpectedly". I really really want to sell this place and have been working on my silly husbands idea that we are going to make money on it. NOT!!! Just sell it and be done with the stress! (It is ok, I am wearing him down!)

Anyway I rode Evie Mon, Champ Tues and Evie again this morning (Wed). Monday she was not happy with me as I interupted her dinner. I did not really lunge her, just hopped on and walked her a lot then built up to the trot. She was like a firecracker waiting to go off! I have been giving her a bit too much oaten hay I think...! Anyway she was doing ok until she had a little blow up. She tried to say "enough! get off" but I ignored her so she said "get off now!! I want to finish and have my dinner!!" - throwing in quite a good little series of bucks. I stayed on and immediately pushed her into doing some more work - trotting and making more turns and direction changes and stuff until she quit it and calmed down. I did not canter (ha ha, yes I am a woos!). But I did make her work in the trot.

This morning she was much better. I lunged her a little first. I am starting to do some closer in work where I have her going around me in a smaller circle - to get her to bend and flex, but there is also this major problem. She has been hit before. I know it. She has been really frightened of this, (me being in close above a walk) even though I have been working with her (of course, never as much as I'd like with all that is going on.. but still). So I asked her to circle me at a walk, then asked for a trot by raising my hand and saying "trot trot". She freaked! I realised I had raised my hand quite fast and she thought I was going to hit her. Not just hit her, but belt her. So I asked her to trot in small circles again around me, not moving my hand at all. She was much better, -just talking to her the whole time now. So what I do is small circle, go along the arena fence a bit, another small circle, go along the fence a bit, another small circle. If she doesnt understand something or you ask too much too soon she is so scared. Its really sad. But I've got the time and obviously intuition to help her.

So after she was nice and loose and bending well, I hopped on. She was great! I am really pleased with her how she worked for me. He trot is so nice, but because I had scared her before I did not ask for the canter (yes I know! woos!!). After a bit of huffing and puffing I let her relax and walk.

She was girthy today putting on the saddle. I have noticed this before. She has been used to a lovely wintec girth which is so nice and giving, and I have her in a kincade or similar, which is harsher. I am going to get a sheepskin cover for it, hopefully that will help.

I let her go in the arena and she went and stood by the gate to "go home". So I moved her off quietly with the lunging whip and she was like "oh! What do you want?! I dont know what to do!?" So she trotted off to the middle of the arena, where I left her while I put away her stuff, not looking at her. She started to sniff and paw the ground. I was soooo happy! She had a gooood roll in the sand!! She was loving it and I reckon she hasn't had that chance for a loong time.

I told her she was such a good girl, gave her a nice brush and put her rug back on then back to the paddock. She was as happy as I was.