woohoo!

ok! since i haven't had lots of time to update i'll try to sum up this past few weeks of blank. i'll start with my excursion on my own to the field next the stables. our stables owns a few good sized fields around the area. my stables is actually a mansion that has a farm (which has been many years ago turned into a stables) attached to it. the owners of the whole establishment owned at some point much of the land around the stables.

zani has become very chilled out and very happy going out on the field, first i got him used to the field by walking him in hand and letting him look at everything around the field, including a busy road, pedestrians and lots of forest. i did it for a few months and then i walked him under the saddle a few times with a person next to him so he had some support from the ground too if things got messy. the next step was to go out with a nice calm horse that was a good example for him. to take the steps further i went galloping with the older horse pulling zani, as in the older horse galloping in front of us and then me letting zani gallop right behind so that zani would feel confident and if something were to go wrong i would have something to stop him with without having to jerk at the reins.

then last week i took zani out on my own and rode him in the field. he had been a bit nervous in the back arena ( a old arena at the back of the stables without fences) so i was hesitant to take him on the field. i had a old friend who was visiting me with me when i was riding and so we went to the field and my friend stood in the middle of the field and i rode zani around technically on my own. he was a bit tense in the beginning but once i started to work him he was just amazing. he just let loose and worked his whole body. it was such a achievement considering that i had a nasty fall and it took me a long time to get my confidence back and trust in zani. it felt good to enjoy a good outing!

now lets skip to today. since the weather is lovely here and its been quite warm i didn't want to ride zani too long. there was a course left in the arena with allot of different fillers (like planks and walls) so i thought that i could desensitize zani a bit more. he doesn't really mind any fillers or spook fences but he does look at them and finds is difficult to jump them straight. so i took him one jump at a time and worked him at a slow and relaxed pace so that i could concentrate on things that my trainer had mentioned on our last lesson. since turning and cutting corners had been key issues of that lesson i took my time to ride all of the curves and lines very carefully and well prepared. then once i was sure that he was comfortable with the jumps i jumped the fences as a course. first a line with a plank upright, 4 strides, and a upright with a rainbow filler. then a upright with a gate and then a oxer with a plank. he didn't look at a single jump and had such good rhythm and good manners that i was thrilled with him. i took him on a nice walk around the field and let him cool down. then showered him and let him graze. so all in all it was a lovely day. :D