He went to a farm for awhile and then when I went to get him, he had gotten into a paddock with another horse and was kicked.  His left hind was cut and swollen.  We missed the first of a show jumping series because of it.

~ Saturday the 15th ~
Started warming up at a walk, at first he didn't like the horses trotting/cantering past him (even reared once!)  He soon got over that.  The first test went very well!  I knew he had done his best, so I did not care what the score was.  The second test wasn't so hot (2% behind the winner of the first test!), he picked up the wrong canter lead in the first canter, and when I corrected it he picked it up again, but picked up the correct lead the next attempt.  But it was quite good, I think we need to work on our *straight* centre lines.  You can look at the results here!

~ Friday the 14th ~
Travelled to Marchwood Park (where the dressage is held).

~ Thursday the 13th ~
Day Off - Washed him.

~ Wednesday the 12th ~
Was a great practice despite the rain.  Went through both tests, both were pretty good.

~ Tuesday the 11th ~
He was going quite well.  Didn't do much, mostly bending.  I could tell he really wanted to canter so we went down to the beach and I let him go!  He's such a good boy, doesn't go very fast unless you uactually ask him to.

~ Monday the 10th ~
Day Off.

~ Sunday the 9th ~
Went to pony club.  Practiced both dressage tests and then did some jumping.  He was very good, we didn't go very high though, the highest was under 50cm (the instructor didn't want me to go higher!)  There was one part of the course I really liked, it was this tight turn to a jump, which we could do and the others had to slow down to a trot!

~ Saturday the 8th ~
Practiced bending on the straight, went very well!  Did some serpentines, we really need to practice those and some trot to canter transitions - much better!  Also some trot to halt and halt to trot transitions.  He is starting to get a square halt more often now.  Only one week until the competition!

~ Friday the 7th ~
Raining.

~ Thursday the 6th ~
Day Off.

~ Wednesday the 5th ~
Practice at the Pony Club.  He was going quite well, the instructor stood at the end of the long side of the arena to see if we were bending properly - Red actually hadn't been doing it until that point and did it perfectly!  Practiced serpentines, loops and canter circles and the counter canter movement.

~ Tuesday the 4th ~
Worked with him on the ground (free lunging).  Got him going round and at first he was turning outwards but by the time we finished he had started turning sideways.  When I was giving him more grass, he would follow me to the standard and then stop behind me and follow me again to the next.

~ Monday the 3rd ~
Had a friend look at me ride him (she has had experience with show judges so gave me great tips!)  He went great!  His canter transitions were alot better than they have been, and so was his bending.

~ Sunday the 2nd ~
Day Off

~ Saturday the 1st ~
Went to the Golden Bay Boys and Girls Agricultural Show.  He was going so well!  Click to see the results.  In the Paced and Mannered class (in all actually) his trot to canter transitions were awful and I guess the judge was looking when we did them!  In the Consolation class he wouldn't pick up his left canter lead, I tried to change it via trot a few times but he wouldn't!