That;s because it was the end of the sessoipn and she was feeling nice and positive by then!!
. So her rider asked me to pop her on the lunge before she gets back on next week . 
so really helpful to see that and know I can pull back a little from revving him up.
just working on getting the transition a bit quicker but it's a lovely smooth transition when it does happen.
only slight downside is she’s now 17.1 
):
This is Fat Boy, he is rising 6 in May and now a smidge under 17.3hh (so much for 'to make 16.2hh'). He had most of December off, and on/off work prior to that due to recovery from stifle surgery so he looks suuuuuper weedy right now. Came back into part time, weather permitting work about mid-Jan.
My goals for this year is to execute a simple change - that is all. I'd love to get him out and about to the gallops and a dressage test or two, but it's whether ££££ allows.
We only school 1-2 times a week as I don't like to overdo it, and rarely for more than half an hour at a time. Now I have remembered I have a left seat bone (bilateral hip dysplasia makes it difficult for me as my hip mobility is poor) we are currently doing shallow loops to change flexion and stop rushing along the long diagonal in the school and waiting patiently for the local hacking to recover from this winter so we can spend all the daylight hours we can exploring it.
He loooooves lateral work, if it involves using his brain he is super engaged, we have a pretty established shoulder in, direct transitions, walk pirouette, turn on forehand/haunches, haunches in, lovely flexion on both side (left can be inconsistent but it's my fault not his), leg yield and walking sideways along a pole from halt which I used a lot to strengthen his stifle after surgery and remind him he can step under himself. He did also manage 8 one-tempis in canter, in front only of course, when I was laughing/flopping around too much and confusing him about what leg he should be on so I'm hoping my goal isn't too far fetched
Fat Boy is very much like me, he tries hard and then gets a bit stressed if it's not right and then tries harder and we end up in a tension feedback loop, so my fortnightly lessons that prevent this are worth a million bucks, my instructor is just brilliant, so patient and kind and knows exactly what we need at any moment.
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Photos from previous Fat Boy escapades (I have lost a fair whack of weight since the right three of these photos, and am wearing a hoodie and air jacket in the left one, so whilst I know I look large on him please reserve too much judgement
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As you can see, he's awful to hack and definitely won't cope in a group.... think he was 4 here bless him
17.3hh !
The bottom photos he would have been around 17hh'ish, I make anything look 14.2hh! Hes going to be a real unit once he fills out (probably age 10)A smidge under - that last word is important
He was 16.2hh when he got off the lorry from Ireland at rising 3, so in all honestly I have known my 'get something a more reasonable size for longevity reasons' plan was immediately out the window. I think he has definitely finished growing upwards though, we have a lot more outwards to come.
