Double Trouble

"Double, double

Toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble!"

- Macbeth, William Shakespeare

Things are simmering nicely for me, I have such a huge smile on my face this evening it is ridiculous!
Apologies in advance as unfortunately I have no pictures from today - sorry! Also I'm not sure how the quote fits in, but it's just in my head so I wanted to write it down - goes with the post title and it is probably the only Shakespeare quote I remember from secondary school...again don't know why - guess I just like the intonation *shrug*

I am however over the moon as I managed to get both girls exercised this evening before lights out. The long and short of it is, I got to the yard and popped Kika on the walker (note to self must get back to work again on getting Nancy used to the walker) so that I could clean her stable. She is really messy and makes a huge hole in her bed so I HAVE to clean her stable every evening - even though she is cleaned same as Nancy in the mornings...Messy messy girl my Kika *le sigh*

Left Kika turning as I put N's headcollar on in the stable and used her water dispenser to fill the large dosing syringe I have to rinse out her mouth. She hated having this done at first, on one side more so than the other - but she is getting used to it through perseverance and a smidge of bribery. ;-)
She now doesn't back around the stable trying to keep her head out of my reach - baby steps...Brought her out and tied her in the cross-ties in the grooming area. She was good as gold to stand and have her feet picked out - another thing she wasn't so fond of on arrival. I'm sure we will still have our up and down days but as with everything we'll get there.
After a quick brush all over I threw the tack on her. Am using Kika's GP saddle until the saddler can come out to us, he is due to come see another livery on Wednesday - but I have to call him tomorrow to see if he might have the time to fit my girls in as I want him to check both my saddles on Kika as well as possibly fitting N for an adjustable one within budget preferably! *quibble*

L arrived just as I was going to get cracking on lunging and said she'd be along to help me out after she sorted her girl's stable. She told me off for not brushing out Nancy's tail and said that in future for every strand of straw in it I would have to buy her a cola. We'll see about that - if I'm riding two girls of an evening can't spend the necessary time preening them prior to hopping up!

We were in a different arena to yesterday, the oldest of the arenas on our yard which is attached to my girls stable block, faces the main road which connects to the motorway and has a large double door onto the parking lot (it was closed) so plenty of noises to distract Nancy as she couldn't see where they were coming from. So we worked our way around the arena on the lunge switching between walk and trot, took her a while to settle but we got there in the end.
L came back and I hopped up, like yesterday she walked around beside us one circuit of the arena in each direction then she let us loose. We worked again mostly in walk and trot, circles and rein changes. Nancy is inclined to drift in off the track on her bad side (unfortunately for her also my bad side) so we've plenty to work on in that regard. As with any young horse she can stick her nose out and fight me, but we'll get there too. :D
L had me try to canter her off a circle down the straight side of the arena and keep her going as best I could as we know she struggles with maintaining the canter. Started on her better side and got a bit of canter, then changed to our bad side as she understood what was coming she was slightly easier to ask for the canter but still ran on into it - far from pretty but baby steps and we'll get there. I think L just wanted to see under a rider what work needs to be done from the ground to help N balance and build strength.
Cooled her out after that and walked her around as L lunged her own mare, who has been lame to check if she was sound so that Nancy could get used to horses walking and trotting inside her and remain calm.

Brought her back to the crossties and tossed a cooler on her (clean - not worn by Kika this year) to see (a) what she made of a rug and (b) help wick away her sweat so that I wouldn't risk her getting a chill. Got Kika off the walker, quick brush and tossed the saddle on her. Popped Nancy back into her stable with the cooler on so that she could munch her hay while I rode Kika in the main arena.

I had a wonderful spin on K, I cannot stop the smile from splitting my face at the pleasure I get out of riding her these days. walk, trot & canter are all working well for us - admittedly I haven't had a flat lesson on her for a while. So if I do am sure I will have plenty things that I'm not doing right, ;)
But for the moment I'm going to revel in the pleasure and delude myself into thinking it doesn't look half bad. Plenty circles, serpentines, volts and changes of rein also for Kika to keep us both in the right mindset - worked a good bit in sitting trot so may have complaining legs tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a saddle free day for Nancy as she worked hard and well today, I haven't yet decided if I'll loose lung her or lunge her in a surcingle. Shall ride Kika first in any case and hopefully we'll have another good workout on the flat. I want to focus more on getting her bending and using herself better - relaxing and extending her trot work. I was a bit rushed this evening so couldn't really give her the attention she deserves under saddle - something she's probably not too sorry about in all honesty as it means she didn't have to work that hard hahaha.