Out with the grown ups!

Another fantastic new experience for Bailarina tonight...this is what I LOVE about working with youngsters :-)

Three of my friends on the yard were going out for a hack this evening and as I'd already planned to have a walk out with B I asked on the offchance if we could tag along for her first experience out and about in the company of other horses.

B was a little excited by the prospect to start with as we made our way onto the Flitch - we were at the rear and we had a few jogs, a little head tossing and a couple of 'ooops mum is that your space' wandering straight into me moments. She was still a bit silly as we walked past a field with a couple of ponies in and had a reminder tug or two on the rope ask her to mind herself and her manners, but as we ventured off onto a bridleway she hadn't been on before she settled down and started to enjoy the walk and the new sights and sounds.

She very bravely made it past Sunflower House with the beautifully well dressed Sally Scarecrow with just a little start and a snort, but then paid no heed as she walked past.

Off onto one of the local lanes past house after house with wheelie bins outside with no bother, passed by a couple of cars without even stopping to acknowledge their presence. B was a superstar.

We even had a couple of little trots, she was great in hand: slowed when asked, trotted if I wanted her to, no getting ahead of herself or pulling.

She had a stop and a look at a couple of things without being too silly about it and wasn't bothered in the slightest if the other horses got ahead of her, just happily and steadily trotted on to catch up if needed.

We did quite a big circuit with a variety of paths, bridleways and lanes and came back along the road where we had a few more cars and a van come past again without a flicker of interest.

Back round to the yard where she blotted her copy book by doing a monster spook at the cones to the side of the entrance. One of those real comedy la la la WAAAAAAH moments as she suddenly caught sight of them and teleported 6 ft backwards in a single snorty leap. So she left the yard highly excited and arrived back the same way, but the important bit in the middle was a great effort from B - with such a lot to take in, new company & new route - she did brilliantly.

Shirley, Nettie and Michelle all said how impressed they were that she'd taken it all in her stride so well

What a good girl, so proud of her - all that work getting her out and about on her own has really been paying dividends!