Wetter than wetter riding lesson... first lesson in over a month!

Last night we joined in a lesson, a first one for over a month. Last time we had a lesson was in England a day before Rainbow's tack and my move load departed for Finland. So rusty and lazy was the theme of the day. Not made any easier by it having rained all day and still continuing to rain, when we were meant to have our lesson. We are sensitive types; used to only pootling around an indoor school when the skies show any hint of dampness...

I think Rainbow was quite dismayed at the prospect of having to trot around an outdoor sand school where lots and lots of mini-puddles had formed in the hoof prints around the school. The surface was soft and mushy, and I was also a little hesitant first as wasn't sure how soft the surface really was. One end of the school was OK, so despite the splashing water and Rainbow having to traipse across puddles as we went, we continued. 

We also had a new instructor, naturally. She was very good and very quickly identified our pet problems. She spotted that Rainbow is reluctant to bend and a little stubborn. She identified that I tend to pump my legs. All good then, it's obvious to all of us! Doesn't matter which country I ride in, I have the same faults. ;)

It was also interesting to be taught in Finnish. It's obviously my mother tongue, but all horse terminology that I have learned is actually in English, even though I did ride in Finland as a child, I had forgotten so much over the 15-year break that I had to learn most things again. So, same again, I have to learn them in Finnish again.

Also our new instructor used a lot of the word 'asettaa', which I googled in English and is 'setting the horse's head'. This is a precursor for true collection. Actually a very good exercise for us and for getting Rainbow to bend around the inside leg and follow the curve of the circle we are travelling. This was quite challenging for me first, especially when approaching the exercise from a slightly new angle and the idea of setting the horse (which I probably have been told to do but not strictly calling it that), but once I got the feel for it and pushed Rainbow around the inside leg and didn't let up, things started to happen. Not only did she travel eventually nicely collected/set – although she did have to be reminded almost all the time and I had to work hard to stop her from falling in or out, but that's Rainbow – and me – for now.

After the lesson I was a bit shocked about the sandy and muddy state of Rainbow's legs and tack under the belly...! I have never had to really clean the horse and the tack after a ride in a school! The saddle got a bit wet too, so I am thinking of going there today and give it a good clean and oiling. Overdue anyway, admittedly...

No pics of our lesson as I possibly couldn't make anyone stand in the rain to take them, but here just a couple of pics of R after the lesson when she was dozing off in her stable after being wet and tired all day... I felt a bit bad turning her back out to the field, but as there are no horses staying indoors in the summer season, I had to. I took pity and put a raincoat on her after she had dried under the cooler fleece a bit. Hope that made her feel a bit better...