Changes

Well, since last post, we've bought a farm, sold our house and now Assegai is for sale too. Sadly, he's just not great around little kids and, when you're living on your own property that's a real problem. Agisting him has meant I've been able to keep him and the kids apart but we're going to be moving in a few weeks and I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened. He just gets so anxious around small children and his default expression of anxiousness is aggression. So, that's been a big decision, but I feel the right one in the circumstances.

We're in the middle of another cracker clinic with Manuela Mclean. We had our first lesson yesterday and it was such a leap forward. For a long time, Assegai has been so problematic with the contact - moving his head around, coming above the bit, behind the bit, dropping his back so he wouldn't have to work so hard, leaning like a dead weight....and we seem to have found the problem. Me, of course! I have a habit of opening my fingers and allowing him to pull me down with him, or letting my reins slip, or doing any number of things that confuse him. So, he just moves around right back!

The main things we worked on was basically setting my elbows so they're as still as possible and pretty much locked to my sides. Then keeping my fingers closed and using my fist rather than my fingers to soften and harden. When he comes above the bit I open my hands to maintain the contact and 'keep his poll between the reins' is how Manu put it. He started doing some really lovely work and everyone was quite enthusiastic about him! It was such a positive lesson I felt even sadder about selling him.

We also tried a new trimmer last week as we were supposed to be heading down to Albury Horse Trials the weekend Glen comes (though we ended up scratching in the end - like I didn't have enough on!). Kirsten Davies from Barkala Barefoot came out and did both Assegai and gigantor baby Rose. She did a fantastic job and was really fun to chat to while she worked. The horses' feet looked so neat I was worried she'd trimmed too much but they weren't footsore at all afterwards and they're pretty happy little vegemites. Interestingly, Assegai was not anywhere near as aggressive as he has been with Glen. Not sure if it's that she's a woman...... Really recommend her. :)

So, we move in a couple of weeks. Rose's fractured pelvis is healing extremely well. I'm thinking, if the right horse doesn't come along straight away to replace Assegai that I might do a bit of work with Rose. At least I won't be horseless! I'm not really planning ahead for any comps, though, in case he's sold. There's someone coming to look at him in a few days so she might be the one.

Fingers crossed!