Today we had our first proper lesson in the proper school at the posh private house-with-yard just up the road. I couldn't get Sid's saddle on right so I led him up (it only takes 7 or 8 minutes) and could watch his reaction as we walked in. He was soooo excited. He grew by at least a hand as we passed the jumping field, with show jumps and eventing jumps set out (the boy of the household events competitively and jumped at Hickstead last year, or whenever it was last on) and he grew another hand as we passed the stable where the very beautiful,, very snappy, very hot eventer lives. He calmed down a bit when we met the field companion, a palomino mini Shetland mare about as high as his knees. Each of them thought the other was very groovy.
Once we got up to the school we got his saddle sorted (it needed to be at least 3" further forward, I am so glad I waited and checked) and did the girth up, then my RI walked him about the school while he skittered and spooked. He had an enormous spook-and-skitter-right-round at something in the bushes, and she brought him back onto the track and asked him to stop there. She was really pleased that he did stop calmly in exactly the spooky spot and waited to be asked to move.
We did the girth up and I took over walking him around, watching for him to drift off the track through his left shoulder and correcting him (to do this I have to walk backwards with the schooling whip reversed so I can give him a nudge on the shoulder). After a circuit in each direction he settled and we did the girth up, then I got on board and we did the girth up.
Memo to self: one reason the saddle was slipping was that it should have been 2 holes tighter.
I repeated the circuits at walk and then we felt ready for a trot. We did the girth up. Sid was very ready, he started with a buck or two in each direction! They're proper bucks, but not scary or hard to sit, and after watching him my RI said she thought he was just really excited and fresh. He needs more work...
We worked on correcting my position (as always) to improve his way of going. He responds quickly, lifting his back, dropping his head and stopping squarely when asked. He really does fall in through that left shoulder though, on a smaller circle it requires constant attention.
My RI thinks Sid is a star and laughed and applauded when I sat the bucks. She said my seat has come a long way, and the main thing is not to panic, fall forward or let him put his head down, none of which I did. So that was all good!
On the way home we met my YO and I introduced Sid to her two lovely old piebald cobs, but I'll post about that elsewhere.