My teacher the student

Greetings, old sports!

Spode and I have been up to our usual tricks: working on dressage, hacking, and chilling out. Spode is bound and determined to take me to a show in less than 2 weeks despite the fact that I am far from ready (according to her, anyway). But Spode has a hard time giving up on something she's put her mind to. We've practiced our tests an we can manage them, but we're not going out with the intention of wowing anyone. She says we just need to show up and keep all 4 feet on the ground, and she'll be happy. I aim to please!

We've been practicing being sane everywhere outside the ring too! Good way to get ready. 

I haven't been doing much "new" stuff as a result, but Spode promised that once the show is done, we won't be going out again until July, so we can get back to doing typical stuff with a little more variety.  But for now, I'm not complaining. I'm especially not complaining since I'm now getting real food! No more minuscule amounts of equilizer--I now get equilizer and "Performance". Yeah, baby! It's delicious. And surprisingly high in fat, so Spode says I'm only allowed to stay on it if I continue exercising a lot and actually losing the fat. Every day she tries to feel my ribs and fails. Then she wags her finger at me and gives me a treat. Oh Spode. And you wonder why you're not getting anywhere... 

This, of course, is the other reason you're not getting anywhere: work me into a sweat, bathe me, then let me eat grass till I dry. See a problem here? I'm not saying anything to her though! I'm going on the assumption that Spode has no time to read this blog...

The only new thing that Spode is trying to work on is introducing me more to the road. This is more of something for her to work on than me, we discovered. She took me for a walk down the road and I was a super cool dude. No spooking at anything, not even recycling bins or cyclists. Spode, on the other hand, was jittery and nervous. Yeah, just who is it that needs to build confidence her? At least she's honest. She told me she's going to take a while to build up the nerve to get on me and ride me near the road. She promised she'll lead me down the road until SHE's calm before she even attempts the saddle since I pick up on her nerves. 

She doesn't seem to realize I'm as dangerous on the ground as I am under saddle. Who got their foot broken again? Oh yeah, Spode. 

I also learned how to canter in the field, but we're putting canter on hold again now as my stifle has been giving me trouble since I've grown a little taller again. For now we're back to building up strength with lots of straightness work and trot poles. We've got lots of time to develop the canter at a later date when I'm less of a gangly teenager.

Damn these ever growing hind legs! The stockings just keep getting taller! 

The other major new thing? Lessons! Yeah, miss Wolff is going back to being a student this summer for the first time in.... years. Thanks to her teaching degree and thesis research, she told me she got the rest of her education funded. On top of that, she got a prize for some educational technology thing she came up with (Spode got the technology prize? Puh-lease! I'm a horse with a blog for god's sakes! I should be the one winning the big bucks!) so she's all set for the year with some money to spare. Well, assuming I stay healthy of course. I'm working on it. Anyway, the money is supposed to go towards her education, but she's also decided to spend some of it on her riding education. 

And that brings us to today--our first lesson! I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't work my body as much as usual but I certainly worked my mind, and so did Spode. 

This is how I look when we don't do lessons! Too tired! Well, perhaps it was more because I still have a fair amount of winter hair despite the fact that it's 26 degrees outside. Is it too soon to complain about the heat?

It's quite nice to have Spode as the student--make my life a little easier to have someone telling her what to do instead of having Spode call all the shots. Bad habits be gone! We worked on trot poles, straightness, and 20 metre circles today with next to no reins. Spode told me after that her teacher has the exact same training philosophy as her when it comes to reins (especially the inside rein--or lack thereof--which they seemed to blather on about endlessly. They're obsessed, I tell you!), so all 3 of us are equally pleased. Me especially because I like being able to do what I please with my head. As it turns out, what I want to do it also what Spode and her teacher want me to do--put it down. How wonderful! I think this summer is going to be quite the educational journey for all of us. I'll be writing a lot about it, I'm sure! Spode told me she'll be out bright and early to practice some more. As long as I get my tasty breakfast first, she can come as early as she wants...

Until later, old sports!

Wait a second, am I missing a meal?

Jay.