2 steps forward, 1 step back then 2 steps forward again :)

As I said in my earlier post, this last week has been full of breakthroughs for me :D !! Then yesteday my mum wasn't busy so she camae down and we were going to record level 1/2 online, and lets put it this way: I doubt I would have passed level 1 because it went soo badly!

For the first time EVER, a LBI turned up ??? WHAAATTT !!?? She just didn't want to move, which was really good for friendly, leg massage and touch it, but not so great when I asked for the figure of 8 in trot. She just stood. And plodded. And then stood! So there I was, completly forgot the term 'emotional fitness', with my mother filming away not noticing things just WERE NOT GOING WELL!!!! I finished with some more touch it (so we ended on a good note) and just put her back into her field and SULKED for about a million hours.

Today, Olivia made me walk all around the field with the catching game before she finally came in to me, so she clearly wasn't impressed with yesterdays 'leader'. Anyway, once she did come to me we spent a bit of time doing the friendly game, and then we did the weave pattern with my loverrllyy barrels at the trot, and after doing a full pattern she just stopped and stood, so I just held the rope tight until she released the pressure and came to me. We did it a few more times and the same thing happened each time, so I ended the pattern at the other end instead.

Anyway, our big breakthrough today came when I got on her and we were doing some freestyle. There were other people in the school so I didn't really want to do carrot stick riding because, although I can turn I don't have the brakes totally under control. So we practised drop to trot lead changes on a figure of 8, and then I though well, since she offers flying lead changes all the time I'll see if I can ask for one and.....IT WORKED!!! WOOOOOOPP!!!!!! I did it twice, and I resisted the urge to keep going, and we went to the centre and off I got! Finally a smile on both our faces :D!!

So now Olivia gets her holiday, as I go back to school and exciting EXCITING exams :( !!
Jo x