Mission improve flatwork has lift off....

Writing a blog on the day that something happened for a change; try not to get used to it! Today was a very cold but very productive day and we managed to get a lot done. I hate, hate, hate sitting around doing nothing so this is my perfect kind of day! First I had a quick play with Sparks in his headcollar... well that pony has certainly done some growing up in the last year! Even up to last year he was known to be a bit of a monkey in the winter when he's not doing much, he used to get really strong and silly on the ground and would always be very fresh when you rode him but today I brought him and rode him for the first time in a month (our first ride of the year!) and he was a star in all ways, walk, trot, canter and popped a (very very tiny!) fence no bother. He's my favourite thing!

not the best photo but he looks super cute!

Also managed to persuade my clippers to work for a whole 5 minutes and quickly hogged him in one take which made me super happy as his mane was looking a state! However I do think my clippers are on their way out :( Realised today that they are ten years old which is longer than most clippers out and to be honest they haven't been looked after particularly well so well done clippers! After Sparks had had a play, Emma schooled Sunny who was fabulous as per usual. 

Then it was Jacks turn (he was very insistent that he had a turn as had been stood screaming at the gate since half 9). He tried on his new saddle cloth which looks v good and then he had a hair cut. He was very upset by this idea at first and we had a bit of fight and had to twitch him and he was still not at all pleased so I left it for a few minutes and then came back and tried again. He still would rather I did not cut his hair thank you very much but I just persisted with him and when he realised that he was having his mane done regardless of how many feet were on the ground at one time he decided it was actually a lot easier if he just stood still like a good boy. I schooled him draw reins for the first time, which I know will be quite a controversial decision but I have my reasons as I feel he just needs a bit of a helping hand and he is very, very tense in his trotwork which makes asking for any sort of a bend an impossible task and we just end up arguing. He responded to them really well which is nice as he really is not a huge fan of the pessoa so at least now I have something he prefers to give him a helping hand! He really started to use himself and brought his back up which was lovely to feel and I actually got off from a schooling session with a smile on my face for once! Did most of the schooling session with no stirrups because one of my aims this year is to do more without stirrups; abs here I come ;-) Sparkie's turn to meet the draw reins next! 

look at his hurrrrr 

hands you okay? 

slightly overbent but we can work with this!