Isaac quickly graduated to a long rein out on the Forest. Going out on the tracks does give him a real sense of direction and purpose.
Jazz went for a short walk to assess her energy levels.
We asked her to walk around with Charly's chaps over her so that she could get used to something occasionally touching her front legs. Charly has pretty long legs (I'm not sure whether they are actually pretty or not) and might touch a pony's legs by accident when riding them. In this way they are desensitised to that possibility.
Second ride and walking around in large circles this time. I can't extol the virtues of work riders like Charly and Jake (yesterday) enough. These early sessions are some of the most critical in a horse's life and a cool head and a calm attitude are an absolute must. Jazz spooked at something while he was on board today and it was hard to predict whether that reaction would escalate as a result of the sudden movement of a rider. It's so important that the rider doesn't suddenly grip, tense up or even say anything, even if their adrenalin takes a might big spike. Fortunately Jazz came to a halt after just a little scoot forwards and a tight turn.
