Exuberant LBE...

I had a quick play with Rafiki today - the first for about 5 weeks. She has looked sound for about 3, but I was trying to focus on Cam. Now however I've decided after reading Emma's blog that it is the right thing to do to progress riding-wise with a LBE rather than RBI...Cam and I will slowly progress. Rafiki needs to do things or she gets herself in trouble, and I need to ride her - but not today!!

I thought she had some play stored up - we played at a walk over some trotting poles, then a trot, and she 'seemed' calm and quiet but had a bit of a head toss. I know what that can mean so i sent her with energy and she leapt in the air then did a full blown rear and went off at a canter bucking but putting no pressure on the 22ft!! Forgot how tall she is when she rears - so long since she has done it..she had her lower lip tucked in so I thought it was RB, and a J in the tail - I thought 'oh no' she's like she used to be, but I did a few changes of direction and she just licked (while cantering!) and went LB, did a few strikes with her forelegs 'in' the canter and carried on cantering. SO interesting as she struck at nothing in particular put no pressure on the line and was cantering on about 15ft of line....she hasn't been able to do that before - normally needs 30ft of line. When I did stop her she was high on adrenaline - tail up and head up but when I moved her again she arched her neck and did a proper 'grown-up horse' canter - looks like she's finally finding out where her legs are! She did one more rear and plunge - I'm sure it was pure exuberance, as still no pressure on the line, even when changing direction all I needed to do was look at her hq!!

That would have terrified me before but now I know it is so LB - just direct it and we have fun!! We finished doing some more poles then I took her grazing...
A bit different to my RBI who used to go RBE - need to get my savvy up there for this horseanality!!