January Stage Day 1

I am finally managing to get these videos up on the blog/online. Following on from the videos of L & Kika during the November weekend with an external trainer (LINK) - below will follow the videos from their second weekend with the same trainer which took place towards the end of January (LINK).

These videos are all from Day 1 of the stage and were taken o my phone - which for the first few videos I forgot I could use the zoom on - so apologies if they look like midgets and are too far away to see anything clearly!
All videos are in and around the 1 minute marker for length which i hoped would make it easier to get them off my phone and online - let's see if it works!

First vid- Some trotting at start of lesson

Unfortunately for them, their allocated lesson time coincided with others using the main arena - so there was some steering required - Kika is the one in yellow, ;)

Second vid - Good side canter work

Third vid - Poorer side canter work - yes I did find the zoom for this video...from here on vids should hopefully be nicer to watch - although I still move a bit too much and they might make you a little seasick...or at least they do me - kind of! :/

Fourth vid - trying to get her head & limbs around a more extended trot - you'll notice she gets confused and breaks into canter. We have been doing a lot of work on the lunge and under saddle to get her to take longer strides in trot - although putting the front shoes back on her after Christmas have definitely helped. Still plenty to work on :)

Fifth vid - show how Kika is always questioning and thinking while she works. Head tossing a bit at the start and tail swishing is her way of saying - "Leave me alone I'm getting tired of this concentrating lark!" But she is still a very good girl and does what she's told without any of the fuss from the November videos!

Sixth vid - some more poorer side cantering, again with some resistance as she tired near the end - but again I was so proud of her for continuing to behave even though she was exhausted.

Seventh and final vid = some more attempted extended trot work towards the end.

Unfortunately I don't have the video footage from Day 2 yet - hopefully you have enjoyed the tidbits offered above. Please no comments on the rider as it is not me - but hopefully anyone who has been following my blog with Kika for a while will see the improvement in the horse that I can see with my very biased opinion. ;-)

In up to date news - well I don't really have much to say about this week so far, I had a meeting last night so didn't make it to the barn at all, L very kindly looked after the girls for me and tonight the blacksmith is coming so they won't be ridden/worked either. Tomorrow evening I have to go to something after work and will be unlikely to be able to excercise them and as all these things invariably tend to happen in the same week - I have a hairdresser's appointment for Friday after work and will be unlikely to be able to fit in more than lunge work that evening!
Saturday is a yard show day - so place will be jammers - but that hopefully means it will be quiet in by evening time and I should manage to get some more substantial work into them then!
Fingers crossed - this week is shaping up like a bit of a right off work-wise with the horses...But I shan't complain as they are both in good health and good form, so there is no reason we won't pick back up where we left off when I can get my backside back in the saddle! :-D