Just lovely!

I'd been feeling increasingly poorly today -felt like a cold creeping up on me, but felt awfully tired and a bit zonked out with it.

I'd pretty much decided just to bring Bally in for a nice groom, but on the way I saw that whoever had been in the school last had left loads of poles and a few blocks out...never one to turn down the opportunity for a bit of fun I though we could make some obstacles and have a play :-)

Had a wander up there, B in just a head collar and I took 1 lunge line. I gave her a little bit of a lunge first and someone was feeling far better than I was - she had a proper funny five minutes kicking up her heels and larking about - never trying to pull away though (thank goodness I don't think I had the strength to do anything about it!)
She settled really nicely and I gave her a go on both reins followed by a little in hand refresher work which went well.

I then walked her over a couple of single poles - I say walked - the first one taken with a massive leap and a wheyhey whoopee buck! I halted her, had a word (lol along the lines of "how RUDE!") and then we tried again...much better! Once I could walk her calmly over both poles on either rein on a loose line I let her off to have a sniff about whilst I made some shapes with the poles.

We had an L shaped corridor to which I added a single pole at 45 degree angle to make a fan on the internal corner....on the longline we walked through the straight part of the corridor then I asked her to back up, interspersed with walking over the poles like a maze to make her think about where she was putting her feet because the distances between them were all different. We actually managed to work up to backing up all the way along it even managing the corner without putting a single hoofer over the poles!!! She was so focused and trying really hard.

Then we moved on to doing clover leaf patterns and figures of 8 round three blocks I'd put out..more great fun. We were really having a great time B was loving having to think about what I was asking and was chuffed to bits at getting it all right

And then.....

we did it all over again

at liberty!!!!!!

I unhitched the line with the idea that we were done and went to put the poles away and Bally just followed me so I went through the maze..she kept her nose at my shoulder and followed me through, then along the corridor, over to the blocks and round each one changing the rein to the next....she was just BRILLIANT! I couldn't believe it, what an absolute SUPERSTAR!!!!

Back to the stable for a groom and dinner, then we pootled to the field where I sat down after putting her hay out and she came over and grazed around my feet, having her ears rubbed and her face stroked - today was one of those days when I felt truly honoured to be sharing my life with such a wonderful little mare (and wishing to high heaven that superhubby had been there to capture our little success on video ;-) )