"He's MY horse" - and lots of variety

Remy has been doing really well in our lessons (or should I say both of us have been doing well?). I am trusting him more and more, thus relaxing my tight back and thighs, which in turn makes him more supple. Chicken and the egg, I guess?

Yesterday especially I could feel him really being WITH me. He took me on the canter, in a nice contact, instead of me having to push him along. We are getting more and more  -gasp- suspension! And we had some added 'spice' in our outdoor lesson: A small plane doing acrobatics right over us, it was below the tree line. Actually, we thought it would crash, and Roz was ready to call the firefighters, but in the end the pilot apparently enjoyed a game of "Kamikaze". While all this was going on Remy stayed right on task, listening to me, and never put a foot wrong. He really was MY horse that time.

It reminds me what Glenda always said about her training with Gabor Foltenyi: You should feel like the horse is ready to ride into battle with you - because he is with you and he trusts you. Luckily, no battles have to be fought here, only our mental ones.

We are having glorious October weather ("Goldener Oktober" in German), and the four of us are enjoying the trails. The boys are getting very brave, even other horses galloping up to them are no longer seen as threat. They both spooked at something in the bushes yesterday, but it was a "nice and easy" spook, no bolting, just a jump both JP and I could sit. Yay!

Remy can't complain about a boring program:
Sunday - Trail Ride
Monday - Long Reining
Tuesday - Dressage Lesson (morning),  Trailride (afternoon)
Wednesday - Jumping
Thursday - Dressage
Friday - Dressage
Saturday - Off
(Every day turnout in large field with friends, either at home or at Down Under Stables)

Snack or Olive Branch?

Our lovely Morgan boys  (25 year old Saumur is on the right)