Windswept.

What is wrong with the British weather? Yesterday I had to turn Echo out in a rug, as it was cold, raining and windy; today it was hot in the sun, but blowing at gale force winds. Ridiculous. My experience of working in a dressage yard has led me to become quite wary of windy weather, as the dressage horses, who didn't get turned out, would go crazy in the wind. However, Echo is not a highly strung dressage horse, and spends most of her time in a field exposed to the elements, so I have to remind myself of that regularly!

She was actually extremely calm today. I lunged her as usual before getting on her and there was a lot going on in the yard. I was very proud of her, as there was another horse in the school at the same time, who was being less than perfectly behaved, as well as several hacks going out and small children running around.

When I got on, she was slightly sharper than she has been before, and the first trot felt a little speedy, but she behaved beautifully. The yard manager was helping me, as he has done every other time, but when he took the lunge rein off, he got talking to the girl he was teaching at the same time (all very hectic) and I decided to have a go on my own, without him running along near us. We even had some steering today! She was forward off my leg and trotted happily past the gate, which has been a place where she is inclined to back off.

The yard she is at is so good for her - she has so much to see and accept all the time. It is the perfect place to be bringing on a young horse, as there's nothing quite like a busy riding school for chaos and drama!