Will hopefully keep this small, but just had to make a quick post to say that I was so happy last night!
After not having seen the mare since monday, when we had our good Pole lesson and even popped a cross pole a couple of times (see earlier post) I was a little wary as to what might greet me when my backside hit the saddle last night. Not scared or worried as such, as she has been really good the last few spins and she used to only be ridden at weekends in Irealnd, so that two days off weren't bothering me but weather was really hot which is never conducive to the best behaviour from anyone (humans included).

Anyways I needn't have worried, she was an angel for the 20mins or so we worked on our homework. We only had the use of half the arena as someone was lungeing below us, and if i needed more proof that Kika is in behaving form, said horse being lunged was a complete messer. He kept taking off, bucking, farting and squealing like a bould child - which is in fact what he was doing - to see the look of glee on his face as he cavorted around the place...Kika didn't bat an eyelid at him or break stride at all, she did get herself a little hett up when i was asking for canter, but this is not out of character for her, We got some really nice work from her and i tried to remember to work on the tips L has been giving me in our 'lessons' - namely sitting better and keeping my heels down as well as keeping my leg on in canter and inside hand soft on the rein - i feel like i made some progress although we are still a good bit off public displays (although i dunno if my center stage phobia will keep me from doing that forever, lol)

As it was so warm i didn't do more than 20mins, and that in itself had the poor beastie sweaty. So we finished up and decided to go for a bit of a stroll around the barns to cool off in the evening sunshine. My friend A was hand grazing her boy (whose name also begins with A, teehee) near where we'd been riding. As i'd had to get off to leave the arena to walk passed the guy lungeing his horse, i had to remount outside. K and A were riding buddies when he wasn't injured so in the interest of camaraderie I asked human A if she and horse A fancied joining us for a little stroll round the block. At this stage K reminded me she is not completely over her "demons" as there is work going on around the yard (expanding by adding new stables and another indoor arena) and decided it was far too scary to pass the construction stuff littered around the doorway of the new stables. Cue a bit of spinning and head up threatening to rear, but she made no real attempt at it and with some growling from me and horse A for reassurance we mosied on. Poor horse A is a bigger chicken than Kika, so once she'd decided things were terrifying he too was then on the look out for the horse eating apparatus Kika wasn't really scared she was just acting the hound, so i bullied her back up slightly infront of/beside A. She has also developed this annoying habit when she doesn't to walk properly but does a type of pacing - i think it's called, not sure as when L was explaining it to me she used the German word but i think that's what it is in English. Basically when the horse is using it's legs on the same side rather than alternating, like they are supposed to, it's quite uncomfortable and disjointed...I really have no idea why she has taken to doing this, more than likely another way she has found to avoid working properly, even though in this case she was simply being asked to stroll around the buildings of the barn to cool off in the evening breeze! She really is a lazy nag...but i guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and animals really are like their owners as I too am a lazy nag!