9th October, 2010
I haven't been too well for the last week or so, really tired and foggy especially. Had a blood test and it has come back as my liver is misbehaving badly again (and I hardly ever drink!). Got to see doctor to discuss but she wants to send me for a liver scan and another blood test in a few weeks time. I've been really itchy and bloaty too, seem to have tripled in size in the last week, due to water retention I think.
Anyway, it means I haven't been doing much with the ponies....but Boo has been going stir crazy having to go a whole week at school without seeing them. So I promised today she could have a 'pony day at the yard'. To my surprise her older brother Luke wanted to come too. Luke is only 14 months older then Boo and used to ride when younger but since starting school he hasn't really had the time. He attends a specialist speech school as he is verbally and physically dyspraxic which means he hasn't got very good muscle control or co-ordination. His muscles are either very tense or completely floppy and he finds things like running, hopping and skipping very hard to impossible. He did very well today though and has decided he'd like to come more often at the weekends with Boo.
Luke has also asked for some camoflauge style jodhs he's seen in Robinsons catolouge and some riding boots lol.
Anyway with Boo today I for the first time ever gave her a sort of lunge lesson (Harvey's first ever lunge lesson too!) It did mean I could 'lead' but also instruct her a bit better too. We mainly concentrate on having fun as she's so little. so today she rode without reins as we concentrated on getting her rising trot.........she CAN do it now! which on Harvey is no mean feat as he has a bouncy trot and she is tiny! and also concentrated on stopping with your body and 'going' with your leg aids.
Boo also attempted her first canter ...................and fell off :redface: Harvey went really nicely into canter but then sensed her coming off balance so stopped which didn't exactly help as she then slid nicely off his shoulder onto her bum. Harvey stopped and looked at her as though to say "what you doing there" and looked very concerned. Boo seemed amazed that you can actually fall off lol but after a hug she got back on and wanted to keep trotting! We've decided to leave Canter for another day as although not big Harvey is a long way to fall (13.2hh) when you're only 4.
With Luke, because he hasn't ridden for a long time and was quite nervous we went for a fun walk round the field with Luke calling out whether we should turn left or right and concentrating on looking where he wanted to go and looking between Harvey's ears. He also tried a few small trots. Again Luke rode without reins but held a webbing strap on the saddle I also tried to help his confidence by getting him to ride with one hand on his head etc.
When child rode the one left liked to take photo's so most of these were either taken by Boo (Rebecca) or Luke
Anyway here's some pics.....
