The Aftermath

This week has been a great one. Axel had three days off, and he definitely needed it. He spent his time shoving his whole head in the round bale and sleeping.

Thursday we went straight back to work and started to really look at our weaknesses for test riding. We played with freewalk and his stretchy trot as this seems to get lost when he is a little tight so I need to find ways of helping him through it. He still felt a little too tight through his back so it is something else we have to help him with.

Friday morning arrived, beautiful and sunny and we managed to get back in the outdoor arena. I wore a little spur as we want him a little sharper off my leg both laterally and a bit hotter with his forward too. We had a really, really great lesson. He got to play over trot poles today to help lift his back a bit more and played with canter in half seat to get him going a little more freely. He tried so hard as he always does. I think that is one of the things I find so appealing about him. He isn't hot but will go when you ask, whatever you ask him to try he absolutely gives it his best shot. He just isn't the kind of horse who gets annoyed or offended by the things I ask him to do and I feel like he is totally on my team. He really worked well today, we had some tricky moments but plenty of great moments and he gave me a really good feeling and some super honest connection in his trot work. He still needs more strength as we have the moments of loss of balance and his default is that he will curl behind the vertical which I suspect comes from the Friesian half.

I also got some show photos from the lovely Kathleen Bryan with YOUR HORSES PHOTOGRAPHY. Axel looks pretty darn superb and I adore the one of us with Sara and Jess. Such cute photos.








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