I am having the privilege & pleasure of starting this handsome young horse Fin. He has a super-sweet character and is a very quick learner. The pictures were taken from his 2nd session last week, as he starts to learn correct lateral bending, stretching forward down and stepping forward under towards his point of mass.
At only just three and with lots more growing & maturing to do, his owner (& my lovely friend) Lynne will give him all the time he needs to learn & develop in a happy, calm environment. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your exciting journey. 6-7 sessions into schooling, we are continuing to focus on the basics of Straightness Training (ST), working on the LFS standing still and on circles in walk & trot. The quality of Fin's steps, his balance & rhythm have already improved so much. He's always so focussed and mirrors my energy & intentions. My cues to transitions from one tempi to another, to turn, to back up etc. are becoming more subtle as we're becoming more in tuned with each other. I'm really excited about our progress so far. I've also introduced the mounting block for the first time last week and it was great to see how relaxed and inquisitive Fin was, despite the fairly strong wind that day. We revisited the mounting block this morning again and I was able to lean across his back without him moving or getting tense.
At the end of the session the opportunity arose to check out a trailer and see how Fin would feel about exploring it close up. At first, Fin thought it was a pretty scary thing and was snorting and shaking like a leaf. But with a little reassurance and patience, he soon relaxed and was happy to "test the waters" with both front feet on the ramp!
What a brave boy! Proud moment for his mummy Lynne and a perfect finish to a great session.
Watch this space for future updates on how Fin is getting on.
Have a great week,
Bea :)