Cradle bit

I haven't had too much time to spare for a whole week and the weather wan't exactly conducive - was 17 degrees C here last Sunday then by Monday with the windchill it was 4 degrees!!! Just fed lots of hay and did actually put Shiraz's cover on for 24 hours.

Today it was raining AGAIN but I have decided if I ever want to go anywhere and improve I have to get over rain - after all I'm not going to melt!! It wasn't that bad. So I donned a long waxed coat and jammed my hat on. My plan was to play with Cam online and try the cradle bit on if the rain and wind let up. I don't yet have a cradle bridle but the offer on the C2 bit was just right - right size and right bit for her horsenality. So I put it on the snaffle bridle.

Now we have done our L2 assessment it is time to move on 'officially' to L3 patterns - yay!! We are not perfect on some L2 but she is a smart girl and I don't want to bore her. OLP11 - 4 feet on a pedestal - well , she offered this herself,in exchange for a carrot piece, so tick the box mentally and move on. OLP12 - figure of eight trot and canter - walk and trot were ok but canter I ddn't have the barrels far enough apart, so she jumped them, and as she was in a jumping/going sideways mood i thought I'd imcrease the size of the jumps she is 'used' to in preparation for when we ride. I was hoping by making a bigger spread she would stretch out a little. So I stacked them on their sides against the logs. First time she spooked at them and ran sideways a little - but it looked rideable...same the other way. Then the next time no probs, straight over and a much more rideable looking jump. She was 'riveted' by now - obviously we needed to move on!!
I asked her out on a circle (not with the barrel jump) over some poles and she did some lovely circles really stretching out and down, just like Vanna in the ridden section of the latest dvd. It was like she had watched it!! For the first time she consistently used her stomach muscles and I could see them, through the fluff - how interesting...I stopped her and asked her in. She had a good head rub and a shake, then we set off in the other direction. It had stopped raining by now. I asked out for a canter and she did one circle lovely and relaxed - need to progress this now. So i asked her in then sent her out again, in the other direction. She finds the right rein harder and needed a bigger circle, but we got two good consistent circles.
I decided it was time to try the bit. She hasn't worn one for months and months, maybe 3 times in the last 5 years!! She was happy to take it but I think found the different mouthpiece and noseband claustrophobic, as I hadn't loosened it up enough. She kept trying to 'drop' the bit initially till she found a comfortable way to hold it. So the moment she quietened her mouth I loosened the noseband right off. She held it pretty much still, but the chinstrap won't quite meet. I wasn't planning to do it up as she showed her little uncertainty so we popped the halter on and headed off for a short play. Once she settled she was fine. It did cross my mind though - there is no way I'd get straight on riding with a new bit but how many 'normals' do just that, without having a bit of friendly with it first. I think if anyone had got straight on her and not let her have a chance to get used to it she may well have panicked and gone over backwards....

We had an online walk and trot and she was totally 100% ok - she looks so pretty with a bridle on - I' forgotten!! We decided to call it a day and then ...the rain came down (well sideways!!) again. I was really pleased as 1) I had not chickened out with the rain and 2) Cam stayed pretty much 100% LB the whole time - normally she 'picks up her skirts and runs for shelter' in the rain!! Maybe having more rain is doing us both good - something good comes out of everything!