Back where I belong

Title may be a bit presumptive & hoi poloi seeing as I'm hardly gods gift to equestrianism but this is how I feel. Well honestly I feel rather very stiff as odd stroll in the woods at the walk do not help maintain riding fitness. Arena work be mucho màs challenging yo O.o

Apologies for blurry mirror selfie

I located my big girl pants today, tacked up and rode Kika without any preamble whatsoever. No walker, no lunging; just a lap or two of the arena handwalking to check all the corners for boogey monsters and then we got straight to work.
Are we both unfit & out of shape 100%
Did we discuss and negotiate head/neck placement (ie: ears not up my nose) and how being hollow was not going to get things done easier or faster...
Yep the conversation sure was similar between us; that in itself is the best thing about Kika. For all her quirks, she is an open book and has taught me how to read her well.
We didn't do anything fancy (not that we ever do come to think of it), stuck to walk/trot transitions, circles, serpentines and changes of rein.
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) works best for getting us back on track and hopefully keeping us on the same page going forward.

Another of yesterday's from Nancy 
I didn't manage to snap any new ones today

Nancy brought her A-game today, but that will surprise no one who has read this blog before ;-)
N had been spinning on the walker while i rode Kika, I have taken to working K first in the hope that N walking on the walker helps warm her up but more so open up her airways more gently than when I am in the tack. So far so good and she hasn't coughed under saddle work since I tried this pre-work strategy. Our right rein canter was the most exciting thing she had done in a while if her exuberant upward transitions were anything to go by. No dolphining or bucking she was just happy to speed up. Cantering in circles is much more fun than walking or trotting - PSA from Nancy

Nancy was also a super sweetheart when her potential sharer had a little spin after me. She arrived just as i was finishing up on N, so I asked if she wanted to hop up to try her out. Turns out one of the other horses she rides is also a Friesian cross, although she said she looks nothing like my special girl. Considering the two FriesianX blogs I follow also feature horses that are wholly different from Nancy - i am not at all surprised :-)