Fun in the Sunshine With Horses

The first week of June has been a glorious one! The sun continued to grace us with its presence, and after the hottest May on record and we continued to enjoy the warmer temperatures. Good for my tan, although not so good for horses or grazing fields. Despite the extreme temperatures lots of equestrians have been out enjoying their horses.
I’ve had the pleasure of travelling throughout the South East to see clients for bit consultations from Colchester down to Guildford.
I met the amazing Sevda and her beautiful new horse DD in picturesque Little Easton. DD was one of the most exuberant horses I’ve ever met, and he was rather sharp and very reactive when Sevda applied any aids. He has the makings of a really super horse, and Sevda is the most sympathetic rider, he just needed some focus on the job in hand. He demonstrated his expertise in airs above the ground, and how he can be incredibly forward, but wasn’t too keen on listening to any rein aids, he also disliked taking any guidance from his rider.
So, I decided to give him some clarity of Sevdas rein aids, so he could easily understand what was required of him. After fitting him with a new bit, his whole attitude towards work changed, for the better, much to Sevdas delight. DD was now happy to accept the contact and listen to Sevdas guidance. Happy horse = happy rider.
I also met lovely Poppy recently and her handsome horse Odie. She has owned him since he was a baby and they have shared a lot of ‘first time’ experiences together. It is now time to further his education and get through the ‘teenage’ stage. Odie was rather confused about the contact and refused to play ball, much to Poppy’s frustration. So yet again, we changed his bit to a more comfortable one that really helps the horse to understand what is being asked of them. I also did some contact training with them both so Odie could understand the rein aids. Poppy was very patient with him and praised him as soon as he understood the aids. He was then more happy to accept the contact and move forwards much more freely.
These are the main reasons why I love my job. I love helping to make horses more comfortable and happy to work with their rider, it makes riding so much more enjoyable for both! Communication and comfort is the key to learning.
First photo of Little Easton scenery and second photo of Poppy and Odie.