Toddled off to Sway this morning with my second new tyre of the week. Tracey and I were meeting up with Sandra and her two beautiful ex-rescue horses, Iona and Honey.
Iona is continuing to do really well over these early rides. She comes to a halt and sets off in walk with just an out breath from her rider who imagines what that halt and walk might feel like. She's starting to understand that she needs to give to each rein softly but was apparently stiffer to the right than the left until Sandra imagined what that bend might feel like too. Lo and behold, a really nice turn.
Honey, who has sometimes expressed an negative opinion about the surcingle or girth being done up or being leant over, seems very satisfied with her new and carefully fitted Barry Swain saddle which is lined with serge. This was fitted by Marijanna Batterbury who runs the company, Better Saddles Ltd. So comfortable was she that we felt able to put Sandra on board for the first time; Honey was very relaxed about it all.
Back at the farm I had a gentle last session with Twizzle who goes home next Tuesday, and with Henrietta who is enjoying being groomed again. On the way home I stopped off to admire these foals...
The insects are driving them mad so their strategy is to hide under Mum's tail, or to stand right by the road so that the cars can waft them off them.
I watched them cross the road with my fingers all crossed. Both mares had the same routine. They would walk out into the middle of the road and then stand and wait for their foal to catch up (have a scratch in this case) and then walk across.
The foals are starting to socialise and play with each other now. These two had a great turn of speed...
