Great arena work

After arriving back from England, I was ready to get back on the horse.



She stood perfectly still for grooming, and that always includes back lifts and she, strangely, never objects to the exercise. It's like a horsey sit-up, and Baasha used to glare at me, but Mara just does it, part of the program.

As is normal, like Ruth, I feather-touch-brush her, and then lower the saddle very slowly onto her back so that it just "occurs" there, instead of landing there.


I took her up to Herr S's and she was totally relaxed, actually lazy, what I'd never seen before.

I warmed her up 15 minutes walking circles and over the poles. This old guy showed up and caught the Arabian horse Nordic, and started grooming him.

After getting some very nice slow jogs on the lunge line, I finally got on Mara.

She was completely obliged to do whatever I asked. It was strange, she was so agreeable. The geldings gathered around their end of the arena, and the mares on the other, as observers on both sides of us.

She got many GOOOOOOD girls, every 2 steps of leg yield, maybe 3 awkward steps of shoulder-in, trot circle with contact (but no reaching down yet), I know, it's baby stuff, but she knows if she exerts a little effort, she gets a long rein walk.

We often just stood in the arena, doing nothing. It was great. On this day she said yes to every single request. It was a trip. I'm really glad because lateral work is hard on horses, and I don't want her getting sour. So we do just 3-5 good steps and then take a break. She had her right ear back listening to me the entire time. I wondered what she was thinking about with the left ear: )

Then that guy wanted to ride Nordic in the arena so we went outside to stand at the rail and watch. Dino and Gandur were getting groomed and Mara nickered at both of them politely. Then she just stood behind me, dozing as I watched.

I like calm Mara!

Below are some photos of a day when she was not calm, out on the trails. We discovered some horses we never knew were there, it was quite thrilling for the horses, they were snorting at us and prancing around. Mara looked so cute posing in the wind, I had to take some photos. I think she looks like a My Little Pony when the wind gets her mane up.