Did you get your copy this month? No! Then hurry to the shops, because this month’s is a collectors’ edition as it features none other than yours truly and Dustry 😉
Back in October last year Mountain Horse arranged for Dustry and I to go for a lesson with fellow Mountain Horse sponsored rider Ruth Edge, and the whole event was covered by Your Horse magazine. Ruth lives in South Derbyshire about a 3hr drive away. So armed with snacks, sat nav, and spare haynets we set off on our mammoth road trip ‘oop north (and yes Derbyshire IS what I class as up north, being the softy southerner that I am!). After a slight sat nav malfunction that took us through the center of Birmingham – ooops! we finally got to Ruth’s yard.
The yard and facilities are lovely and Ruth was very complimentary about D as we warmed in. It was a pretty cold day (as you can see from the pics I’ve turned blue 😉 ) and the wind was whipping up but D just came off the lorry and worked like a pro. During the lesson we worked on straightness, transitions, and getting D to engage his hind quarters more. From my point of view Ruth addressed my bad habit of rounding my shoulders and looking down, a horrid side effect of schooling alone at home and looking down to see what I am doing!
Working on canter leg yield and quick transitions really helped D to become more engaged behind and lift his shoulders. As you can see from the start and end pics in the article he has come up in front by the end of the session and my hunch back impression is less noticeable.
After the lesson we had a little tour of Ruth’s yard, then shipped up and out to begin the long trek home. Many mini cheddars were consumed en route which I maintain are a staple part of maintaining focus whilst behind the wheel for hours on end. All in all it was a great day, interesting to get Ruth’s perspective on D and our re-schooling so far, and it’s always fun to meet up with the Mountain Horse crew.
