Learning new routines

Tomorrow it's a week since Rainbow arrived. Such a short time but I think we are getting in the swing of things. Good care and regularity of life are big components of horse (and owner) happiness.

I really need to learn away from my slightly fitful and worried thinking of Rainbow not being looked after. I still want to rush to the yard in the middle of the day to check she's definitely been taken out to the field and that all is well. In her old place, although I don't want to badmouth anything or anyone here, the pace of the yard wasn't as organised and regular, so there were lots of occasions things didn't get done if I didn't very explicitly ask for something. And sometimes simplest of things, like removing a night rug when it was warm in the daytime just didn't happen. Horses stood in their stables all day, with maybe a 20–30-minute outing in the back school, if they were lucky. The onus on the owner to ensure regular outings and to get her horse exercise was great. And I felt it. In response, I became an early riser... Or I worried all through the day how she is doing and have they definitely taken the rug off/fed her/turned her out as requested. So no wonder my old habits die hard and my brain is still sending me warning signals to go and check... And I rode and exercised R at least 6 times a week.

Coming to greet me.

But now, I needn't worry; Rainbow is taken care of. By the time I usually get to the yard in the middle of the day (I tend to work the morning and then pop out for some horsey-time and return home to work a bit more in the late afternoon) all the stables are empty. All horses are out in their paddocks or fields. The summer field season has now begun in Finland, which means most horses live out 24/7 from the 1st June to 31st August. Three whole months outside. In the autumn and winter season they stay the nights in stables but still get turned out around 7am and brought in around 5–6pm... I am still in awe. 

Today, I rode Rainbow for the second time. Yesterday, she went really nicely and there was no silliness or any spookiness. I was nervous. But we both soon relaxed and I managed to get in a nice bit of work. Today, I was a bit braver and asked a bit more of her in terms of work and also did a longer session. We also cantered. It was a bit doink-doink and not very rolling or relaxed (mainly me) but at least we raised canter. I mainly concentrated on getting R concentrating, which she did marvellously, and to collect herself. Left rein was a bit so and so but the right rein was rather lovely. Which is also surprising as the right rein is usually the crap one. Maybe it's something to do which side the country we're in drives – so maybe the right rein is better in Finland and the left in England...! ;) Both better in walk and I always seem to have to work harder with her in trot to ask her collect herself. This relative ease of riding and working with Rainbow is surprising as we've both had closer to a month off in and under the saddle. And the new place, I thought, would cause her more palpitations. She's only once done a little jump when we were surprised by two dogs as we came around a corner. So fair enough really.

I am though giving her time and will take it relatively easy for a bit, until we've seen a bit more... But I have asked a couple of new friends at the yard to take us out for a little walkabout on Sunday... So let's see how that goes :)